A little rant for Part Express

[Jeff B.]

As I am finishing my newest project, to be displayed at the upcoming Fort Wayne gathering, I am preparing to place an order to Parts Express tomorrow for the last few parts I need. In the process I am becoming frustrated.

In the past whenever I was making an order I would browse through the catalog and add-on items that I could use at a later time or just stock up on supplies, and just get them all in one order. It was simple and I enjoyed picking up a few extra items.

Now, I can't do that because there is no catalog. So, no browsing for add-ons. However, I am also finding that apparently I don't know what some things are even called, because my searches don't find the items I am wanting to purchase. As a result, I end up going back to an old catalog and looking it up in there, then using that item number to find it on the website. This is nuts! I feel I must resort to using an old catalog in order to find what I need. Oh, and while I am at it I guess I will use the old catalog to come up with my add-ons as well.

I wouldn't normally rant about something like this, but I figured I'm no novice at this, and I've been doing it a long time now. So, if I am frustrated and I can't be the only one. I am sure this will ultimately impact what I purchase from Parts Express. I know the catalogs were expensive, but I would have happily paid $5- $10 for one to have one. It doesn't seem like a good trade-off for Parts Express.

Jeff B.

[ani_101]

I know longer know what are the new cool stuff and what is on sale unless somebody posts it in this forum or bring it up in some thread.

[Millstonemike]

I'm at the other end of the spectrum. I would rarely, if ever, look at the catalog/flyers and always browse/search online. It just seemed quicker to me. Then again, I tend only to buy what I need and rarely buy anything for stock with the exception of PCB resistors and caps.

A tip I can offer: search for any similar part and then see what category it's filed under, select that category to see all similar parts. For example, I never saw a category "knobs" under any of the main page drop down menus. So I search for "knob", picked one, and the resulting page shows me a clickable link to all knobs.

[Paul K.]

I do the same thing, first look in the 2015 catalog I keep just for browsing before buying. A similar discontinuation occurred with our local newspaper just a week ago; they stopped printing a TV schedule booklet on Saturday covering all of the next week. I complained via a Letter to the Editor and got a reply that said they determined there wasn't much interest in it anymore, yet it's very clear they did it solely as a cost reduction.
Paul

As I am finishing my newest project, to be displayed at the upcoming Fort Wayne gathering, I am preparing to place an order to Parts Express tomorrow for the last few parts I need. In the process I am becoming frustrated.

In the past whenever I was making an order I would browse through the catalog and add-on items that I could use at a later time or just stock up on supplies, and just get them all in one order. It was simple and I enjoyed picking up a few extra items.

Now, I can't do that because there is no catalog. So, no browsing for add-ons. However, I am also finding that apparently I don't know what some things are even called, because my searches don't find the items I am wanting to purchase. As a result, I end up going back to an old catalog and looking it up in there, then using that item number to find it on the website. This is nuts! I feel I must resort to using an old catalog in order to find what I need. Oh, and while I am at it I guess I will use the old catalog to come up with my add-ons as well.

I wouldn't normally rant about something like this, but I figured I'm no novice at this, and I've been doing it a long time now. So, if I am frustrated and I can't be the only one. I am sure this will ultimately impact what I purchase from Parts Express. I know the catalogs were expensive, but I would have happily paid $5- $10 for one to have one. It doesn't seem like a good trade-off for Parts Express.

Jeff B.

[Chris Roemer]

aNOTHER (possible) solution (or at least a GREAT help) would be to just supply the catalog as a PDF file. Heck, all I REALLY need (besides the forthcoming "Tweeter Selection Guide") is the "Speaker Building" section, w/all my drivers, cabinets, plate amps, and full selection of XO components (including the cheap 10w resistors that I prefer over the DA ones). I think you can STILL find a few items where they'll be a link on the online page that says something like "browse catalog page" - and it STILL takes you to the page in the (2015) printed catalog.

I worked pre-press for over 25 yrs, and even though it USED to co$t almost as much as a press run (back when everything was stripped manually), today (using cheap and plentiful computers and page make-up software) it just can't be THAT expensive (not compared to actually taking it to press). Lord knows that the pay scale for a "stripper" is nothing like what it was back in the '80s. What I could easily live with (for example), would be just a simple listing of, say, the NEW Dayton air-core inductors, laid out in a nice tabular format, showing me the PE Part#, mH values, the DCR, and the prices. Just like p.12 in the new (Mar-Apr) flyer. YEAH, just like THAT.

There's really no way (that EYE know of) to get PE's parts search engine to compile a nice, concise list of parts like that.

[Squidspeak]

I would gladly pay for a catalog, maybe old school but I enjoyed thumbing thru the pages. I have gotten used to looking online but would prefer to have a
hardcopy. Maybe in PE's market it is not worth the cost but other companies like Grizzly, Woodworkers supply and even a competitor MCM put out full
catalogs and Grizzly's cannot be cheap to produce.

[dynamo]

I always enjoy thumbing through paper catalogs, over and over again.

I really like looking through old ones from many years ago too just for fun!

[theinventor]

As I am finishing my newest project, to be displayed at the upcoming Fort Wayne gathering, I am preparing to place an order to Parts Express tomorrow for the last few parts I need. In the process I am becoming frustrated.

In the past whenever I was making an order I would browse through the catalog and add-on items that I could use at a later time or just stock up on supplies, and just get them all in one order. It was simple and I enjoyed picking up a few extra items.

Now, I can't do that because there is no catalog. So, no browsing for add-ons. However, I am also finding that apparently I don't know what some things are even called, because my searches don't find the items I am wanting to purchase. As a result, I end up going back to an old catalog and looking it up in there, then using that item number to find it on the website. This is nuts! I feel I must resort to using an old catalog in order to find what I need. Oh, and while I am at it I guess I will use the old catalog to come up with my add-ons as well.

I wouldn't normally rant about something like this, but I figured I'm no novice at this, and I've been doing it a long time now. So, if I am frustrated and I can't be the only one. I am sure this will ultimately impact what I purchase from Parts Express. I know the catalogs were expensive, but I would have happily paid $5- $10 for one to have one. It doesn't seem like a good trade-off for Parts Express.

Jeff B.

This strategy worked for the Shack.

[tomzarbo]

PE, want to really make everyone happy?

Create a catalog with a customizable front page... Have a standard PE front cover template with an area where you could add a pic... say of your newly created speaker masterpiece right on top of the master template... Photobucket style, drop and drag... Print it on a separate sticker that we can stick right on over the existing partially printed catalog so it doesn't slow down the printing process, one run for the standard cover, another for the custom... take orders a few months in advance. Yeah, sure my speaker made the cover!.... Nobody will be the wiser.

You could charge $20 for the first and $10 each additional and not be able to make them fast enough!

I do understand that the catalogs must have cost a lot and been a huge undertaking.

Maybe a special "Speaker Builders" partial catalog?.... with all the stuff laid out neat a clear for all the bits that speaker-builders need, with a few other stuff smattered in there for eye candy. Just please be sure to include some thin adhesive gasket material, please.

TomZ

[Ron_E]

PE, want to really make everyone happy?

Create a catalog with a customizable front page... Have a standard PE front cover template with an area where you could add a pic... say of your newly created speaker masterpiece right on top of the master template... Photobucket style, drop and drag...

TomZ

It used to be special honor to have your speaker on the front cover of the flyer but now they'll let just about anyone have a cover.

Ron

[Millstonemike]

PE, want to really make everyone happy?

Create a catalog with a customizable front page... Have a standard PE front cover template with an area where you could add a pic... say of your newly created speaker masterpiece right on top of the master template... Photobucket style, drop and drag... Print it on a separate sticker that we can stick right on over the existing partially printed catalog so it doesn't slow down the printing process, one run for the standard cover, another for the custom... take orders a few months in advance. Yeah, sure my speaker made the cover!.... Nobody will be the wiser.

You could charge $20 for the first and $10 each additional and not be able to make them fast enough!

I do understand that the catalogs must have cost a lot and been a huge undertaking.

Maybe a special "Speaker Builders" partial catalog?.... with all the stuff laid out neat a clear for all the bits that speaker-builders need, with a few other stuff smattered in there for eye candy. Just please be sure to include some thin adhesive gasket material, please.

TomZ

Save your $20 bucks. I've seen your creations displayed in a flyer. Was it the centerfold?

[tomzarbo]

It used to be special honor to have your speaker on the front cover of the flyer but now they'll let just about anyone have a cover.

Ron

I can't tell you how much my wife LOVED those cabinets. I thought the finish was perfect on them myself. Better the closer you got.

Save your #20 bucks. I've seen your creations displayed in a flyer. Was it the centerfold?

I don't know if it was in the center... but the cover is different, you know.

TomZ

[carlspeak]

aNOTHER (possible) solution (or at least a GREAT help) would be to just supply the catalog as a PDF file. Heck, all I REALLY need (besides the forthcoming "Tweeter Selection Guide") is the "Speaker Building" section, w/all my drivers, cabinets, plate amps, and full selection of XO components (including the cheap 10w resistors that I prefer over the DA ones). I think you can STILL find a few items where they'll be a link on the online page that says something like "browse catalog page" - and it STILL takes you to the page in the (2015) printed catalog.

I worked pre-press for over 25 yrs, and even though it USED to co$t almost as much as a press run (back when everything was stripped manually), today (using cheap and plentiful computers and page make-up software) it just can't be THAT expensive (not compared to actually taking it to press). Lord knows that the pay scale for a "stripper" is nothing like what it was back in the '80s. What I could easily live with (for example), would be just a simple listing of, say, the NEW Dayton air-core inductors, laid out in a nice tabular format, showing me the PE Part#, mH values, the DCR, and the prices. Just like p.12 in the new (Mar-Apr) flyer. YEAH, just like THAT.

There's really no way (that EYE know of) to get PE's parts search engine to compile a nice, concise list of parts like that.

I have a pdf of the last catalog. Jeff B. PM me and I'll gladly send the file to you. I use it a lot.

[donc]

"This strategy worked for the Shack !" , damn that was good !
donc

[philthien]

A PDF catalog that we can either print ourselves or order printed copies from a service would be okay, too. I understand it still costs money to produce the content but at least PE wouldn't have to pay for printing/mailing. I actually like browsing PDF catalogs over websites anyhow, I might not even print mine.

Extra points if items in the catalog are linked to the website so when I find something, I can pull it up on the website and add it to my shopping cart.