| Store Name: | Electronic Dimensions |
| Address: |
Tacoma, WA 98421-1317 |
| Phone: | (253) 272-1061 |
| Hours: | 10:00-18:00 Wed-Fri and 10:00-15:00 Sat. |
| Web Site? | |
| Primary Line: | Radio and Telecommunications Equipment, Commercial and Military Surplus. |
| Secondary Line: | Electronic test & measurement equipment of all types: Meters, oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, counters, signal and function generators, switches, pots, connectors, tubes, laboratory glassware, aircraft instruments, avionics. |
| Pricing (Primary Line): | D+ |
| Pricing (Secondary Line): | D+ |
| Variety Grade: | A+ |
| Customer Service Grade: | B |
| Overall Grade: | C- |
Electronic Dimensions is an odd contradiction. They have easily the best variety of stuff I've seen in any electronic surplus store since 1980, and they're friendly people to boot.
They also, unfortunately, have some of the most absurd prices on the west coast. They were largely responsible for my initial (very bad) impressions of the Washington surplus scene, when I first moved here in 1993. In fact, their Yellow Pages ad makes the bold claim "Surplus at its Best!"
To this day, I still ask the question "It's Best what?"
As one recent (as of 11-Nov-04) example: They have, on their web page 'Specials' section, a Tektronix 5110 O-scope. Those of you familiar with the 5110 will recall that it has a total bandwidth of about 2MHz, and thus is useful only for audio and low-frequency RF applications. The going price of a 5110 on Ebay, as of the date of this example, is about $50, and they're not selling well at all.
The given price that E-Dim has published? Try $1,200.00. No, I'm not kidding. That's One Thousand Two Hundred!
That's also crazy. For that kind of dinero, you could get an outstanding Tek 7104 1GHz mainframe 'scope, WITH plug-ins.
Yes, I will grant that this could simply be an unfortunate typo. Perhaps they meant to type $120? I don't think so. My past experiences in buying (or trying to buy) from E-Dim have not been particularly fruitful. I once asked the price for a variable-output/variable-frequency AC power supply that, based on what I know of the surplus market, should probably have gone for about $150 or so.
They wanted over $400 for it. AND they didn't want to sell just one (they had three identical ones). They expected me to buy all three because, as they put it, they could rent it out as a three-phase source.
In summary: E-Dim can be counted on as an excellent source for small parts, components, meters, connectors, tools and the like. They even have the occasional bargain on bizarre test gear items that don't come from any of their "favorite" (Tektronix and HP) manufacturers. However, most of their test gear and equipment prices remain largely out of contact with reality.
To be fair, I have gotten some decent bargains from them, even in the test gear arena (once!) That, and the fact that their prices on small parts and oddball items seem pretty reasonable, is the only thing saving them from an 'F' grade in their pricing.
The other thing saving their grade is that they're really nice people, as mentioned, and they will at least haggle with you. However, don't expect them to budge a whole lot, price-wise.