2023 Process Change

Nov 12, 2023

Dear Valued Customers,

Effective immediately, I am updating our fulfillment timings to better serve you. Please take note of the following changes:

My order fulfillment cut off time has been adjusted from from 1 PM to 10 AM. Now, in order for orders to be processed and fulfilled same business day, orders must be completed and received before 10 AM.

I am pleased to announce that Saturday fulfillment is returning. Now, orders completed and received by 6 AM each Saturday will be fulfilled on that same Saturday.

It is important to remember that if the post office is closed, no fulfillment will take place. In such cases, orders completed and received after the Friday cut-off time may not be fulfilled until Monday morning.

I appreciate your understanding and cooperation as I make these improvements to enhance your shopping experience. With these changes, I expect to significantly increase the number of high-quality components I am able to provide.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me via eBay Messaging.

Major Process Change

June 5, 2022

As a result of the continued semiconductor shortage, my fulfillment and inventory processes are changing effective immediately.

Orders will no longer be fulfilled on most Saturdays. Orders placed on Friday afternoon and evenings will now be grouped with other orders placed on the weekends and will fulfilled on the following Monday. If the a Friday is a postal holiday, orders will be fulfilled on the following Saturday.

Most products in the TO-92 package are temporarily being discontinued and current stocks will be liquidated. My proprietary transistor price index has risen roughly 5% each month since its inception. Currently, it is not feasible to maintain an extensive inventory of TO-92 packaged products. One of my long standing goals has to automate the picking and packaging of TO-92 packaged components in a way where they can continue to be shipped via FCL. If this happens, I will reintroduce any discontinued TO-92 packaged components into my inventory.

Freight & Raw Material Price Increases

January 26, 2021

Both the US Postal Service and FedEx have increased their tariffs. The delivery fees I pay to receive components have increased nearly 20% over last year's rate. The prices of raw materials used by the founderies have also been increasing. Unfortunately this means I will be forced to increase prices on components as I restock them.

I believe short-term to mid-term pricing of semiconductors will continue to increase because semiconductor demand is far outpacing supply. NXP and Renesas have already announced price increases and other chipmakers will likely follow their lead. Analysts have also suggested chipmakers will retool their machinery to produce chips with higher profit margins. If this happens, prices for hobbyist components, such as TO-92 transistors, will likely increase even further.

Please consider making your purchases now to receive the best prices possible.

The Postal Service is experiencing significant delays!

December 15, 2020

The Rochester USPS P&DC facility is experiencing significant delays due to the holiday season. In a statement given to a local news channel, the USPS says their "facilities have faced challenges recently due to COVID-19 at the same time mail volumes have dramatically increased." With more than a week remaining before the Christmas holiday, it is possible mail volumes have not reached their seasonal peak and transit delays may worsen in the immediate term.

Your patience is appreciated.

eBay Managed Payments Information:

August 21, 2020 Update

I've started a few more experimental listings for dual in line pin components. All of these components require $2.99 flat rate shipping, however, the shipping will be discounted when purchasing multiple components. The current shipping charge for these components is $2.99 + $0.05 for each additional item.

Click this link to view the experimental listings.

August 11, 2020 Update

The migration to eBay Managed Payments occurred on August 7th. Most TO-220 "two packs" have nearly doubled in price, but will now include four units instead of two. The increased MOQ is directly related to the increased costs associated with eBay Managed Payments.

Original

Sometime later this month, my eBay store payment processor will change from PayPal to eBay Managed Payments. This is a forced migration and is beyond my control.

PayPal and eBay both charge a fixed and a variable processing fee on each transaction. Unlike eBay, PayPal offers different rate combinations and allows sellers to choose the best rates for their expected average basket size. Currently, I am able to receive payments at PayPal's micro-payment rate, which has a small 5¢ fixed transaction fee. The eBay Managed Payments will have a significantly higher 30¢ fixed transaction fee.

It is the flexibility PayPal that provides that makes selling small basket orders possible.

Once the migration is completed I will have to raise prices, increase the minimum order quantity, or discontinue selling some parts on eBay altogether. Fierce competition from Chinese sellers — some of whom routinely sell counterfeits and will be immune from this migration — keep prices and margins low. It may simply not be possible or practical to sell regulators, resistors, or LEDs in smaller hobbyist quantities.

Every other domestic eBayer — again, foreign eBayers will not be migrated — will face the same challenge keeping their businesses afloat. I want to thank everyone for being my customer and supporting me on this incredible experience. I hope I am able to navigate these changes and continue to supply quality, genuine parts to US makers in the future.