Calling all Tanner Electronics and BG Micro fans

Electronics
#1

Area electronics hobbyists put Tanner at the top of their favorite supplier list. Many of us also put BG Micro in that category. Both stores have been around since the 70s when we would go down to Ross Avenue on the first Saturday for the huge parking lot sales. Anyone else remember this?

While Tanner is a walk in store, BG Micro is geared to internet ordering. Local folks can specify Will Pick Up, save shipping and generally pick up the order a couple hours later near Kingsley and Jupiter.

Billy Gage ran BG for decades but passed on Christmas day 2017. There was concern that the business might move to Florida or fold. Those concerns have been put aside. Billy’s son, Jerry, and his wife are moving to the Dallas area to run the business!

Yesterday I gave a tour of DMS to Jerry and his wife Alex. They were amazed and plan to join in a couple of weeks when they get back from a quick Florida trip.

I’m not big on subscribing to web mail but I look forward to the latest BG products and discounts. Who doesn’t need 100 ubiquitous 2N2222 transistors with house brands for $1.29 - for all 100!

The Gages and Tanners are family friends and business associates so competition is very friendly.

http://tannerelectronics.com/

[Edit] Corrected last name from Gates to Gage

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#2

Any chance they might want to move it closer to DMS?

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#3

It’s not even competition. They share large buys with each other. :slight_smile:

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#4

I doubt they will move BG Micro. Billy Gage had a rather unique way of storing his inventory, nothing was written down and the locations of parts were all in his memory. Ask for a unique part, he could find it immediately in his warehouse and even tell you the history of where he got it. Jerry and Alex have a big problem now as they try to fill website orders. Just locating the parts is the biggest issue. Perhaps once they know where all the inventory is located, only then could they think about moving.

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#5

Any news on this? I just went to the net to open BGMicro web page and it is 404.
Is this just a temporary thing? Anyone in the Dallas area that could comment?

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#6

I do not KNOW, but a quick search on the googlers led me here:

Others will likely chime in with something closer to 1st hand knowledge of what really happened, but 3 year old info is…well…3 years old…

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#7

Jerry (son of owner) took things over after his dad passed. After about 3 years of going back and forth, he decided last fall to sell off a huge chunk of inventory and move what he felt he could continue selling online to Florida so he could be home with his wife.

I’m not sure if he’s bringing the website back, but he’s still selling on eBay. Not sure the exact reseller ID…

Source: Me. I bought 2 1/2 pickup loads from him last fall…

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#8

I (along with others, I’m sure) was so saddened when Tanner’s had to close. There has recently been so much more I have been needing from them, that just isn’t the same (or at all) online.

So that’s why I was so happy, when I stopped by the 'Space last weekend, to see volunteers starting to inventory the bins of parts that Tanner’s donated/sold to the space after they closed.
Here’s hoping there’ll be a some sort of ‘Tanners Surplus Tribute Shop’ at the MakerSpace at some point in the future. :sunglasses:

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