Maplin is back........?

[Junior8]

Good luck with that. I suppose the only easy way would be to break open the canisters and try to bodge up a way of using one of the the neg trays in a good film scanner. My only personal experience with APS was telling a market swag worker why he'd been able to buy a job lot of Kodak film at an unbelievable knockdown price and why it wan't moving. This was about 2000. I don't think I ever saw a camera in use. Edited December 24, 2020 by Junior8

[themadhippy]

Bit of thread necromancy

https://pro.maplin.co.uk/

https://www.switchelectronics.co.uk/

similar?

 

 

[indyld]

Two different companies using the same Shopify theme?

Two different nameservers and registrant details, albeit Maplin one currently no Nominet data - last updated 16th Oct 2023.

e2A: Empire Theme v8.1.0 on the switchelectronics site.

Edited October 20, 2023 by indyld

[themadhippy]

Quote

Two different companies using the same Shopify theme?

dig down into the products and youll see both sites are identical, right down to the sku code

[alistermorton]

Absolutely identical AFAICS

[indyld]

Both sites are served from the Shopify network. Maybe Switch Electronics bought the domain recently (or sold up).

However, they are listed as based in Hull, where as Digital First Ltd. is based in High Wycombe and there appear to be no recorded crossovers in company officers. So whatever happened, if anything, is very recent. But the wayback machine identical snapshots go quite a time back. 

Further thought: Maybe some scraping involved here?

Edited October 20, 2023 by indyld

[mnorwood]

To me it seems like the Maplin branding has been sub-licensed to Switch Electronics for the purpose of selling to the "Professional" market.

There exists https://www.maplin.co.uk which doesn't share the same theme, has the following as the opening to their Terms of Service:

Quote

Who are we? 💙

We're Digital-First Retail Limited (company number 11441187), a registered company in England and Wales, based at First Floor, Unit 5, Century Point, Halifax Road, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP12 3SL. Our UK VAT number is GB 303179233. When you browse our website and shop online these terms apply. You should read this document along with our Privacy Policy.

and, most damningly, at the bottom to the page, the link to "Professional Supplies"* points to https://pro.maplin.co.uk.

As to https://pro.maplin.co.uk, it's Terms and Conditions reads:

Quote

1)    Interpretation

This website is owned by Switch Electronics Limited (hereafter “Company”) , a company registered in England and Wales (company number 09300503), whose registered office is at Switch Electronics Limited, Unit G Rotterdam Business Park, Kingston Upon Hull, HU7 0AN. Our VAT registration number is GB 191 9741 72.

It could be clearer, but I think that brand sub-licensing or service sub-contracting** is what we're seeing here.

* - "Professional Supplies" in this case appears to be components, wires, tools, and parts: the main www.maplin.co.uk site seems to only sell what one might term "finished" products - those aimed at an End User, rather than those that a hobbyist, electrician, or technician might seek.

** - As Switch Electronics' business model appears to based around supplying components to hobbyists and small businesses, it makes sense for Digital-First to sub-contract that side of the Maplin business out to them instead of competing with them. (If you can't beat 'em, join 'em get 'em to do the work for you.)

[adam2]

I do not think that the original MAPLINS were well run, especialy in terms of the range of components offered.

A few examples include, small silicon power diodes in a wide range of  voltage ratings, all at the same price. Why ? who wants a 50 volt PIV diode when the 1000volt version is the same price.Or 8 watt fluorescent tubes in 12 volt and in 240 volts Why ?they are the same thing thing, the operating voltage is determined by the control gear not the lamp. And a vast choice of 5mm LEDs, only really needs two versions in each colour, a chep one and an an ultra bright one.

Despite these shortcomings I still found them useful.

[timsabre]

Switch Electronics is a legit business, they're just down the road from me. Started off as a guy buying surplus switches and selling them on ebay. 

[Ynot]

12 hours ago, adam2 said:

... who wants a 50 volt PIV diode when the 1000volt version is the same price.Or 8 watt fluorescent tubes in 12 volt and in 240 volts Why ?they are the same thing thing, the operating voltage is determined by the control gear not the lamp. And a vast choice of 5mm LEDs, only really needs two versions in each colour, a chep one and an an ultra bright one.

Surely that is down to what the customer wants, regardless of pricing differences.

If both/all slightly differing product specs cost the same to them to buy in and sell on, then what's the problem??

Your own design specs may have lower component tolerances meaning it matters not which you use BUT there may be others out there to whom it DOES make a difference.

I could understand your point if it were the other way, with fewer component options available, but this view just seems to be a pointless complaint...

[sunray]

2 hours ago, timsabre said:

Switch Electronics is a legit business, they're just down the road from me. Started off as a guy buying surplus switches and selling them on ebay. 

If my info is correct, I understand Maplin started out by a couple of guys stripping components of discarded PCBs at work in their lunch break, and used them mostly for their own hobby but also for work repairs. As stock levels grew they started documenting and colleagues started scrounging for work and purchasing for hobby use. The earliest 'catalogue' being a couple of A4 pages or so photocopied to death.

Those photo copies made their way to Mid Kent🙂

[themadhippy]

Quote

And a vast choice of 5mm LEDs, only really needs two versions in each colour, a chep one and an an ultra bright one.

By that logic RS, farnell ,rapid etc must also be badly run, RS for example has nearly 100  5mm red leds to chose from.

Quote

Switch Electronics is a legit business

Indeed,ive used them sevral time when  they've  worked out cheapest. Was just initially surprised  "maplins" were back stocking actual components,and then curious when I spotted the similarity between the two sites.

[Ynot]

I still remember those halcyon days when I was a mere spotty faced teen back in the late 70s when I discovered electronics magazines (ETI, anyone?) and when I started work in '78 I could afford to actually mail-order components from Maplin to build some interesting projects.

There weren't many places available to me to get such things (Tandy - ugh..) though I did find a little shop in the precinct in Coventry (Electronic Services, I think) that did stock a surprisingly wide range of bits - though Maplin beat them hands down on price.

[themadhippy]

 

Quote

ETI, anyone?

was more an everyday electronics reader,as that was all that was available in the school library,and then hobby electronics and coincidently the maplins mag.You can find most of the old mags over at   https://www.worldradiohistory.com/index.htm   ETI for example https://www.worldradiohistory.com/ETI_Magazine.htm

Edited October 22, 2023 by themadhippy

[tonytech]

I was an avid ETI reader, also Everyday E and ocasionaly Elektor..

I didnt have a lot of disposable income, so built alimited number of projects,

Did BSc in electronics at Uni, but got sidetracked in to computers... PET, TRS80, UK101...

Really miss Maplin, perfect place to pick up some bits on a Sunday afternoon.