I mean most passive components will still run you about ten cents per. It’s not like that’s exorbitant. If you need to order a thousand of them you’ll get a bulk discount.
My point was on the environmental aspect. These stores can import them in larger quantities, so it’s less fuel consumption in transport than ordering smaller quantities that ship direct from China
Sure, for small components it’s logical to go to them - or even to local electronics repair shops as they’ll most likely have those parts.
But even Mouser, etc. rarely have the boards I need. For example right now I have a bit of development to do on e-ink integrated platforms. I have two product options: the Lilygo T5S3 Pro, or the M5Stack PaperS3. Mouser etc. will have these on backorder, 2-3 week lead time, and 50-70% more expensive than ordering from the mfg. Meanwhile I can deal with the mfg. and shipping with a much shorter lead time (often as little as 5 days!).
I mean if you can backtrace the specific product you need to the manufacturer and order directly from them, sure that makes sense. At least if you find the product on Mouser, you can be assured of its quality/safety (unless the manufacturer saves its duds for small orders)
What isn’t wise would be browsing the Chinese e-commerce sites for the thing you need and then buying the cheapest one. It’s kind of a gamble whether it works at all, or whether it burns your house down.
I mean most passive components will still run you about ten cents per. It’s not like that’s exorbitant. If you need to order a thousand of them you’ll get a bulk discount.
My point was on the environmental aspect. These stores can import them in larger quantities, so it’s less fuel consumption in transport than ordering smaller quantities that ship direct from China
Sure, for small components it’s logical to go to them - or even to local electronics repair shops as they’ll most likely have those parts.
But even Mouser, etc. rarely have the boards I need. For example right now I have a bit of development to do on e-ink integrated platforms. I have two product options: the Lilygo T5S3 Pro, or the M5Stack PaperS3. Mouser etc. will have these on backorder, 2-3 week lead time, and 50-70% more expensive than ordering from the mfg. Meanwhile I can deal with the mfg. and shipping with a much shorter lead time (often as little as 5 days!).
I mean if you can backtrace the specific product you need to the manufacturer and order directly from them, sure that makes sense. At least if you find the product on Mouser, you can be assured of its quality/safety (unless the manufacturer saves its duds for small orders)
What isn’t wise would be browsing the Chinese e-commerce sites for the thing you need and then buying the cheapest one. It’s kind of a gamble whether it works at all, or whether it burns your house down.