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Anyone found bargains at the Maplin Closing Down Sale?
Posted by
FrankE
on 20 Mar, 2018 10:43
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They're advertising "Everything at least 10% off
Up to 20% off Entertainment
Up to 30% off Household & DIY
Up to 30% off Toys & Hobbies
30% off DJ Gear & Lighting
30% off Batteries & Power"
I still can't think of anything I need that much that I'll shlep to Maplin.
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#1 Reply
Posted by
rt
on 20 Mar, 2018 10:57
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No.
They seem to have taken away (or sold) the drones and other high value items and are now trying to sell of the tat.
Even at 10-30% off they are still more expensive than other options.
As has been pointed out before they were sometimes useful when you needed something today in an emergency and you could justify the markup.
Otherwise unfortunately they didn't have a business model except taking money from the uninformed.
rt
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#2 Reply
Posted by
FrankE
on 20 Mar, 2018 11:12
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I can't disagree with any of that.
DJ gear & Lighting
Like, seriously? Most of my mates are DJs and the number of them that would buy anything from Maplin tends to f'all.
I'm comparing some of their Led Lenser prices as I need to replace a stolen one. Some are nearly competitive, their P7QC price seems to be cheaper. I need a couple of metres of mic cable.
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#3 Reply
Posted by
bd139
on 20 Mar, 2018 11:21
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#4 Reply
Posted by
Mr. Scram
on 20 Mar, 2018 11:27
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Besides, losing warranty means lost value. Just a 10% discount isn't enough to cover that in my book.
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#5 Reply
Posted by
FrankE
on 20 Mar, 2018 11:54
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My local store is ten minutes walk and still I can't be bothered.
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#6 Reply
Posted by
Zero999
on 20 Mar, 2018 12:17
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Besides, losing warranty means lost value. Just a 10% discount isn't enough to cover that in my book.
According to their website, they're promising a 12 month guarantee.
https://www.maplin.co.uk/clearance-shop
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IMOP they long since stopped selling anything of interest to an engineer (components etc) so I have not even bothered to look
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NO
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#9 Reply
Posted by
bd139
on 20 Mar, 2018 13:24
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Besides, losing warranty means lost value. Just a 10% discount isn't enough to cover that in my book.
According to their website, they're promising a 12 month guarantee.
https://www.maplin.co.uk/clearance-shop
Problem is who with? If there is no commercial entity in 12 months, who the hell are you going to go back to?
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#10 Reply
Posted by
dmills
on 20 Mar, 2018 22:42
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Usually the storage racks are more interesting in a bankruptcy then the stuff on them!
They got no stock I cannot get from a proper supplier cheaper, so the question is will they sell the shop fittings?
Regards, Dan.
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#11 Reply
Posted by
Billy
on 08 Apr, 2018 22:57
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I'm a regular visitor to my local Maplin, mainly because it's next to my wife's favourite clothes shop.
I've been in a lot since they started reducing stuff. I got a couple of BBC Micro:Bit things for about £12 each, not exactly a bargain but it is the sort of thing I would (and did) impulse buy if it's in my hand at the right price but I'd never bother to order online. I grabbed some Servisol switch cleaner and circuit cleaner aerosols, about £3.50 / £4.00. Got some random components, Pi accessories and stuff, again not terrific bargains but reasonably priced. I also grabbed a Maplin N27GG bench power supply, a.k.a. Manson SSP-7080, they're down to £48 now - I got the last one in my local, wish they had two!
I've seen them selling stock at ridiculously high prices throughout their closing down sale, the shop is busier than it's ever been and I'm convinced that they're finishing up with some tidy profits. I've been a long time critic of Maplin, they seem terribly mismanaged to me and their category managers/buyers have been letting them down for years. I honestly don't know how they've lasted as long as they did.
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Hammond instrument cases at 25 percent the usual price and quartz crystals.
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#13 Reply
Posted by
james_s
on 09 Apr, 2018 03:21
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I've long since stopped caring about any of these going out of business sales. Inevitably some company will come in and take all the high value stuff for sale elsewhere, then they usually jack up the "regular" price and have a sale price that's hardly if any cheaper than the previous regular price. It's a waste of time.
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#14 Reply
Posted by
aargee
on 09 Apr, 2018 06:33
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From my experience, the best time for bargains is when the company is in trouble but before bankruptcy is announced.
Here in Aus it was like that for Dick Smith Electronics and Masters Hardware.
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#15 Reply
Posted by
bd139
on 09 Apr, 2018 08:10
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Best time is at the stock auction once they’re completely closed!
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#16 Reply
Posted by
CJay
on 09 Apr, 2018 09:36
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Maplin last year came up with a crackpot scheme to have manufacturers pay them to stock their product (in the way WHSmiths try to have publishers pay for position on their shelves, one of the reasons independent electronics mags have all but vanished and the shelves are full of 'Knit yourself a laser battle Alpaca in only seven hundred instalments' type magazines*) and also to supply things on 'approval' I.E. they only pay when they sell it.
That was one of the biggest flags for me that Maplin were dying and it was just a matter of time before they sank.
I suspect if any companies were stupid enough to go along with that scheme then whatever stock they had provided will have been clawed back 'title of goods only passes when invoice paid' etc.
*As cool as a laser battle alpaca sounds, I wonder if there's any scope for a coding and/or electronics course that way?
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#17 Reply
Posted by
bd139
on 09 Apr, 2018 09:49
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That course would work but if deagostini get involved then you'd have to build your own oscilloscope first. First issue comes with a free bag of sand.
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#18 Reply
Posted by
Chris56000
on 12 Apr, 2018 23:36
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Hi!
Not withstanding our nearest Maplin in Cannock Retail Park had a notice on the door to say the final closing date still was unknown, all me and my friend Steve found there on a visit last night was over–priced tat and not much of that!
I couldn't even find replacements for the packet of three 'Coil' magnifying loupes I'd bought from their Shrewsbury store before the closure was announced (mislaid one and dropped hot solder on another, hence needing replacements!!! The cardboard packet said "Made in China" on 'em but they had "Coil England" moulded on their rims!!) – let all any useful tools, gear or parts – what would anyone want with 100–off packs of resistors, each between120k and 1M?!
The vultures had already been with a vengeance!
Chris Williams
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I think they should have been a lot more forward-looking, and shut down about 15 years ago.
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#20 Reply
Posted by
CJay
on 13 Apr, 2018 11:01
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WEnt to Telford yesterday, daft prices reduced to slightly less daft prices, they've bagged up all the components into selection packs and have attached till printout lists to them, they're selling off fixtures and fittings too.
Cables are now by reel only and thyey won't cut to length for you.
Sad end really but long overdue.
I doubt we will get a replacement but it does leave an opening for an entrepreneur if they can work out how to do it and make a profit without letting the vulture capitalists get inviolved.
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#21 Reply
Posted by
bd139
on 13 Apr, 2018 11:55
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Might actually have a look at my local one now. Only for the fixtures.
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#22 Reply
Posted by
CJay
on 13 Apr, 2018 12:54
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The Raaco style component drawers looked good (I've already have a few from years ago and haven't got space for more) as they were flogging them off complete with components for about £40 but I don't need more components that'll sit there forever, the rest of the storage was cardboard 'bin' style stuff and the shop fittings. Definitely worth a look if that floats your boat, the cables might be worth a look at if you can find a place for a whole reel, it's about 2/3rd the price of CPC
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#23 Reply
Posted by
bd139
on 13 Apr, 2018 13:18
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Yeah went down to Hounslow one. Nothing left there now of value. Was in there for about 20 seconds
Going to Ikea this afternoon instead to buy me a new desk instead.
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#24 Reply
Posted by
Fraser
on 13 Apr, 2018 13:25
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I have a local Maplin store but cannot be bothered to visit it, even if things are discounted. As others have stated, Maplin are so expensive that even discounted prices are likely no bargain. Looking at their web site proved as much to me. The days of selling all the stock well below trade price, just to be rid of it seem long gone. These days, experts are brought in who try to recover every penny that they can for the shareholders or parties that are owed money. These people have no interest in selling stuff dirt cheap to get rid of it, they find suitable buyers in the trade for the big ticket items and sell off the other 'tat' for as much as they think they can get away with. I know some recycling companies that specialise in both buying the big ticket items at a discount and/or or buying all the tat, in bulk, to sell off on eBay. Maplin is not a source of bargains....... yet.
Fraser