New store photo

Company Name: HSC Electronic Supply (formerly Halted Specialties)
Address:

3051 Corvin Dr.

Santa Clara, CA 95051
Phone: (408) 732-1573
Hours:
08:00-19:00 Mon-Fri and 09:00-17:00 Sat.
Web Site?
Yes!
Primary Line: Electronic components and semiconductors, all types.
Secondary Line: Electronic test equipment, lab equipment, tools, supplies, racks, wire, cable, power supplies, subassemblies, audio, computer and networking.
Pricing (Primary Line): B
Pricing (Secondary Line): C +
Variety Grade, Primary Line:
B -
Customer Service Grade: A
Variety Grade, Secondary Line: B -
Overall Grade:

B


LAST REVIEW: Sep-2016

Miracles can still happen. I'm not entirely sure what's changed, outside of them moving to a nice new location on Corvin Dr. (just down the street a couple of blocks from their old place), but HSC has definitely come up, in my estimation, from past trips.

THE GOOD: They moved instead of simply closing down! That's huge for any electronic surplus place in this day and age. While the new place does feel a bit smaller than their original store, they seem to have made excellent use of the space they have. I expect they will continue to improve with time.

They're not able to run a true parking lot sale, as they once did every year, due to the fact they're now sharing their parking lot with other tenants. However, they do still plan to do in-store 'Anniversary' sales each year. 2016's took place on Sep. 24th, one week later than it normally would have at the old location. I'm not sure if they intend to keep this new schedule or if it will go back to the old. I will let you know in 2017. ;-)

One thing I did discover, much to my pleased surprise: They seem to be much more amenable to haggling, price-wise, on certain items (notably 'tech specials' among the test gear). If you see something you want, but the labeled price seems too high, ask about it! They won't get upset at you. The worst they can do is politely refuse, as is their right.

THE NOT-SO-GOOD: Their prices on test equipment overall, at least the labels I saw, still seem excessively high. They've made some progress, yes, but they still have room to improve.

One thing to note: Be careful of going there during hot weather, particularly if you're going to be poking around in the back area (where most of the test gear, components, and cable/wire are kept). The entire area has very limited air flow, and practically nothing in the way of A/C. I'm hoping HSC will be able to correct this, eventually, but for now be prepared for warmer-than-normal indoor temperatures during hot spells.

THE BAD: I was unable to convince them to open a branch in Washington state. ;-)

 

Back to Index

Next Listing (Weird Stuff Warehouse)

Previous Listing (Excess Solutions)