Small Bear...Seriously seriously NOT impressed

[TNblueshawk]

I'm gathering parts to build a Harbinger One and i need the photocells. The only place that sells the listed NSL-7532 parts is Smallbear. They insist on a shipping rate of $58 to England - for a few items weighing less than a penny.  I got a bag full of boards from Madbean for $3.95 shipping, probably 20 times the weight. I just can't work out why Smallbear charge so much when MBP can do it at cost through USPS.

On point to your question man I have no idea. You raise a very legitimate concern and provide an apples to apples comparison. Heck I could argue SB is the 'big guy" and Bean is the "small guy" actually which further makes this shipping discrepancy more glaring. I'm assuming you didn't miss an option over at SB's place. I know this was an issue with Mammoth as some people didn't hit the drop down box or something like that and thought shipping was higher than what it was. But, good question to which I have zero answer.

[culturejam]

I just looked at the NSL-7532 datasheet. It's not all that different from the ones that Tayda sells:
http://www.taydaelectronics.com/resistors/photoresistors/photo-conductive-cell-resistor-ldr-650nm-radial-ke-10720.html

[Droogie]

I'll chime in with kudos for Brooklyn, NY-based SB. Unlike others who experience long ship times, SB is local for me—and I usually can pick up two blocks from my place by 6pm same day.

It's practically the only consolation I get for paying absurdly high rent (like most NYers).

[atreidesheir]

I just looked at the NSL-7532 datasheet. It's not all that different from the ones that Tayda sells:
http://www.taydaelectronics.com/resistors/photoresistors/photo-conductive-cell-resistor-ldr-650nm-radial-ke-10720.html

This is often true of several items.  I buy low gain silicon transistors, wah inductors, and enclosures (to justify shipping costs) from small bear.  Common parts come from Tayda. 

[lincolnic]

I'll chime in with kudos for Brooklyn, NY-based SB. Unlike others who experience long ship times, SB is local for me—and I usually can pick up two blocks from my place by 6pm same day.

It's practically the only consolation I get for paying absurdly high rent (like most NYers).

Hey, I thought I was the only Brooklynite here. Yeah, it is awesome to live so close - if I can't pick my order up, then I know it'll be in my mailbox the day after it ships.

[BraindeadAudio]

never a problem with SB. Spent over 6k in the last year with them. Steve personally called me to tell me some stock was running low and what to try and use as a replacement. I have 0 bad to say.

[alanp]

Received my latest SB order today. Order received 15/4/13, arrived in my hot little hands on 23/4/13.

To be honest, this is roughly a month ahead of when I actually expected.

They've really pulled their game up!

[Droogie]

I'll chime in with kudos for Brooklyn, NY-based SB. Unlike others who experience long ship times, SB is local for me—and I usually can pick up two blocks from my place by 6pm same day.

It's practically the only consolation I get for paying absurdly high rent (like most NYers).

Hey, I thought I was the only Brooklynite here. Yeah, it is awesome to live so close - if I can't pick my order up, then I know it'll be in my mailbox the day after it ships.

It used to crack me up that the SB guys had to go two blocks past my building to send my order; which then went out to Long Island to a postal sorting facility; only to end up back in Brooklyn!

[aballen]

Ha, yeah it does bug me that SB does not label resistors and caps but thats just how they do it.  I tend to buy those two components elsewhere anyway, and I stock up cause they are super cheap some places.

Most of my other parts come from SB though.  Steve carries parts you simply can not get reliably anywhere else.  They are reliable.  Their prices on pots and jack is competitive, at least at the small quantities I buy in.  I'm on the east coast so I get my orders pretty quick, even if they don't ship same day.

Customer service is top notch as well, I mean really top notch. Example, I needed matched fets for a phaser build, and since the 5952s were low on stock I got a note that they could not fulfill my order for a quantity of them.  Simply Steve was maintaing a supply a spreading them out, honestly a service to the DIY community.  When I explained why I needed them(50 I think, I needed to measure bunch to get a matched set)... he actually rigged up a tester and got me four nicely matched FETs.  Ask any one else to do that for you... seriously good luck that.  I diddn't even have to ask, he offered it up to me.  Thats called earning a customer right there.

SB gets a lot of love on the forums and in pretty much everyones build docs for good reason.

[BraindeadAudio]

^^^^^^ this is correct.

[jubal81]

I've been ordering from SB quite a bit lately and it's been much, much better than before. This year all the orders have been correct and it's only taking 4 days or so to get them instead of two weeks.