bitsbox has gone down the shitter this year. They started stocking hair legged crap resistors. I had some turn up with corrosion! The capacitors have gone to poo as well. Also lets not mention CPC - I have a whole thread on how crap they are

Tayda Electronics (
https://www.taydaelectronics.com/ ) is a good source. All semis seem good. You don't need a lot of parts. I have built a lot of things from parts from there and never found an issue with anything out of spec. Also if you pick their snail mail option you NEVER get done for import duty. I've ordered $100 of stuff from them and not been charged.
Good jelly bean semiconductor kit from Tayda:
50x 2n3904
30x 2n3906
10x 2n4401 (good enough switching replacement for 2n2222 etc)
50x 1n4148
20x 1n4007
5x MJE3055
Total $5.94 inc delivery from Thailand. Takes 1-2 weeks to turn up. Is tracked and reliable. That doesn't even touch their minimum order. Also as it's outside EU then import situation will not change over next few months.
also
1. dont bother with bc547/559 - sub for 3904/3906
2. dont bother with 2n3055 - obsolete. Use MJE3055 instead. To220 - easier to mount. OR something larger if you need it. All ebay 2n3055's unless vintage in lots are probably fake. Proper ones cost £5 a go and are after market. They are dead and gone. I have a large box of old ones (1970s date codes) floating around.
If you want jellybean discrete parts, they sell them as well. If you buy resistors from them, get the Royal Ohm 1% 0.25W ones. They are excellent. I mean really good. I stock up in 50/100 quantities of each value as it runs out every 3 months or so as I get through loads of them:

The "multicomp" 0.25W 1% resistors that CPC sell are also the same resistors if you have to use them but a crap load more expensive.
Best bet is buy your "jelly bean parts" in bulk from Tayda and keep stock and then top up with extras as you need them from RS (free delivery). RS are pretty good on some part pricing. For example: 10x PN2222A = £0.30 including next day parcel force delivery
