Back in the day.... mid 1960's, I helped out at a service shop in
Goldsboro, NC,
and tried at first to get the shop boss to find a particular transistor or
diode to
complete a repair. He referred me to three cigar boxes. One was for power
transistors, mixed types, another for small signal NPN's, and last for small
signal PNP's. A glass jar held small signal diodes and for larger power
diodes,
I was shown the "back room" where a huge pile of defunct radio, tape player,
TV and
CB radios lie. Help yourself, kid!

Old Chief Lynn, W7LTQ