"Eric Smith" wrote in message
...
Tim Shoppa wrote:
But since my first online order (1997 or so) one outfit has risen
way
above the others: Digikey. Digikey's website leaves all the others
in
the dust.

Agreed. Digikey and Mouser are my main suppliers. As a rule of
thumb,
if you can't get it from Digikey or Mouser, it doesn't really exist.

That's pure nonsense. I've tried to get specialized semi's from both,
and having failed that, I've found what I needed at other online
sources. One recent example comes to mind: Futurlec. www.futurlec.com
has a number of things much cheaper than D-K or M - and they're
international.

Another is ultrabright LEDs. D-K or M have nothing worthwhile. You
have to go to another supplier to get 'em.

And maybe the best example is the source(s) of many of our small qty
parts: Ebay. ;-)

But on Ebay, read *all* the info in the auction. I see shysters,
especially foreign shysters, who will sell you parts dirt cheap, and rip
you off with the shipping/handling. :-(