This was also in the US up until at least 2000. There were frequent Computer Show and Sales held at fairgrounds. Hundreds of vendors each selling different components you’d mix and match.
I was coming here to say this. Before NewEgg, the best way to buy computer parts was to show up at a conventions center or fairgrounds, firehall or community college for the next Computer Show. Buy some parts in cash from people who speak barely any English and then either take it all home and start assembling or hand it off to the ancient guy chain-smoking at the back door and pay him to zip-tie it together in 5 minutes for you.
Years and years of doing this and we only had one situation when we cracked the case later and found out the guy has swapped the parts we bought for used Dell components when we were at lunch. Always took them home after that.
This was also in the US up until at least 2000. There were frequent Computer Show and Sales held at fairgrounds. Hundreds of vendors each selling different components you’d mix and match.
I was coming here to say this. Before NewEgg, the best way to buy computer parts was to show up at a conventions center or fairgrounds, firehall or community college for the next Computer Show. Buy some parts in cash from people who speak barely any English and then either take it all home and start assembling or hand it off to the ancient guy chain-smoking at the back door and pay him to zip-tie it together in 5 minutes for you.
Years and years of doing this and we only had one situation when we cracked the case later and found out the guy has swapped the parts we bought for used Dell components when we were at lunch. Always took them home after that.
God those were fun! And if you wanted to play with older tech, you got rock-bottom prices.
Lol no computer shopper was the way.