Many times, one may need electronics and cables that may be necessary for various projects, but if one goes to a big box electronics store or many other retail establishments, they may suffer some sticker shock. Electronics and cables prices are often inflated for cables such as HDMI and eithernet cables, which often start at $20 for such a simple cable. Unlike other products, where a higher price typically means a higher quality product, so called higher quality cables don’t really provide a distinguishable difference for the average end user. For those who can wait a few days, which can easily be done by planning ahead, there are plenty of places on the Internet one can get electronics for a fraction of what retail stores charge.
Amazon: Amazon.com has just about anything one can imagine from electronics to books to clothes and much more. With a huge assortment of products, one can find just about anything they want, often at a lower price than most retail stores. Amazon also offers their own line of affordable cables, under their “Amazon Basics” brand for the most common cables, at a fraction of their retail cost. The other great offering from Amazon, is Amazon Prime which is an annual $70 subscription and includes free 2 day shipping plus access to thousands of movies, TV shows and books absolutely free. Prime is a must have for anyone who orders a fair amount from Amazon and can easily pay for itself in a very short amount of time.
Ebay: Ebay is great for obscure parts or equipment that is no longer available new or if one wants to try and get a great deal by bidding. If one is working on an older piece of equipment or need a very specific part, many times, one can find that specific part on Ebay. Bidding on Ebay may take more time than, purchasing from other sites like Amazon, but it can save one money. Ebay does also offer now a “Buy Now” option for certain products, allowing users to buy products as they would on Amazon or any other regular E-commerce site.
MonoPrice: Monoprice is probably one of the best places to buy cheap, high quality cables as well as a wide assortment of electronics. Monoprice has insanely low prices and for so many cables and other electronics such as chargers, cases, network hardware, accessories and more starting for less than one dollar! In addition to their wide variety of standard cables, HDMI, Ethernet, RCA, etc, Monoprice has some converter cables that are often not found in electronics stores. For example, the Mini Display to HDMI cable necessary for connecting Apple Macbooks to a HDTV or monitor.
Newegg: Newegg is another great site for buying affordable electronics, cables and computer components. It has just about anything one would need. It is a must-visit for anyone considering building their own computer.
Tiger Direct: TigerDirect’s selection is very similar to Newegg, although in some cases, the prices are not quite as reasonable. However, TigerDirect is another great source of electronics and components.
About the Author
Mike Gdovin has been blogging about technology since 2006 on his blog, Gdovin.net. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electronic Media from Kutztown University with a minor in Journalism, Public Relations and Business. In addition to blogging about technology, Mike is a video producer, technology consultant and social media expert.
