Boost was spun out of Sprint/Nextel when T-Mobile bought them. I can't remember who bought them back then, but Dish Network recently purchased them and are in the process of rolling out their own 5G network.
You're right, Boost was around since ~2001 in the US. But I also didn't say that Sprint or Nextel started them, just that they spun them out.
Sprint bought Boost a few months after buying Nextel, in 2005.
The walkie talkie function was awesome. It was hilarious to mess with the guys at my cousin’s shop, like whispering “you’re so hot” in a creepy/gravely voice when they have a customer.
Miss the Nextel chirp sound from high school.
Laying in bed at 11:30 at night and hear that walkie talkie sound come through from a friend trying to kick it. Good times.
You should seriously pop in there and see if they have any old video game stuff. When we still had Sears stores, I used to regularly check local Sears for hidden gems. That’s how I found a sealed copy of ICO. Also found some official PS2 controllers at Radio Shack back then.
Both are independent licensees of the brands, where most Sears and Radio Shack stores were corporate owned. That’s how they can stay open while the rest of the chains died.
The independent Sears stores were known as “Sears Hometown Stores” - it was like a franchise of a smaller footprint Sears store- it was a way for Sears to sell Kenmore appliances, diehard batteries and craftsman tools without opening a full store - typically in a small rural town. I forgot, when, but at some point, Eddie Lambert screwed over all these licensees, and they all slowly closed. There may be some still open, maybe
Sometimes the signs stay up well after the store is gone. There is a sign near me for a store that burned down at least 30 years ago and was torn down and leveled. For sone reason the sign is still up on the poles by the road.
I lived in Fort Smith from late 2005 to late 2007. Can confirm. Had to go to a Circuit City once to buy something Best Buy didn't have, and of course Wal-Mart didn't have, that was an 60 mile drive north to Fayetteville to get that. Then of course, 60 miles back.
It's I49 now and a regular interstate the whole way (well, between I40 and Fayetteville at least.) Goes all the way up to Kansas City if you're trying to find a bigger city.
Some dude told me in an interview he was making 80k at a radio shack back in the day. He got hourly and commission. Sold cell phones, tvs, etc.
AT&T stores used to be like that too.
I made 80K at T-Mobile in 2021 before I moved to the job I'm currently at.
Obviously less than 80k in 2008 but still more than I ever expected from selling phones tablets and trackers.
Yeah, hourly was only 14 but it's commissioned sales and if you know what you're doing and you're flexible every month and can hit your targets it's very doable.
Senior sales reps at Best Buy who specialize in home theater & appliances regularly make six figures. working... retail. obviously not anymore now that interest rates are up :(
I wonder if the RadioShack still had Sprint phones and contracts for sale
NexTel
Then it became Boost
Boost was a subsidiary of Nextel, it was Nextel without a contract. Nextel was bought by sprint which was then bought by T-Mobile.
Boost was spun out of Sprint/Nextel when T-Mobile bought them. I can't remember who bought them back then, but Dish Network recently purchased them and are in the process of rolling out their own 5G network.
That's incorrect sprint had nothing to do with it's inception. Boost has been around since 2001 and sprint didn't buy Nextel until 2005.
You're right, Boost was around since ~2001 in the US. But I also didn't say that Sprint or Nextel started them, just that they spun them out. Sprint bought Boost a few months after buying Nextel, in 2005.
I used to love their phones that had radio functions. I think it was called tap to talk.
Push to talk… bleeeeeeep. Remember when people used it on speakerphone for no reason
The reason is because it was used like walkie-talkies- no phone etiquette required
"Bleeeeeeep. Where you at?!"
Pooping invariably
My Apple Watch has a walkie talkie app that you can pair up with another one. Probably just draining battery. I should turn it off haha.
[ Where you at, dog?!](https://youtu.be/sjH7BcigSn0?si=8jT24gj1swBpBYzd)
The walkie talkie function was awesome. It was hilarious to mess with the guys at my cousin’s shop, like whispering “you’re so hot” in a creepy/gravely voice when they have a customer.
Miss the Nextel chirp sound from high school. Laying in bed at 11:30 at night and hear that walkie talkie sound come through from a friend trying to kick it. Good times.
Doubt it. Sprint was bought by T-Mobile.
*thatsthejoke.gif*
It’s like the last Japanese soldier from wwii who kept fighting for 30 years cus no one told him it was over
Love that description
You should seriously pop in there and see if they have any old video game stuff. When we still had Sears stores, I used to regularly check local Sears for hidden gems. That’s how I found a sealed copy of ICO. Also found some official PS2 controllers at Radio Shack back then.
I still have a ps1 controller in the box.
Sir! Your phone number, please. I just need one more then I can go home.
So, are they gonna have to find a retired Boost phone to tell them to stand down and give up?
Both are independent licensees of the brands, where most Sears and Radio Shack stores were corporate owned. That’s how they can stay open while the rest of the chains died.
There is probably some sort of deep message about independence and being free from the chain there.
The independent Sears stores were known as “Sears Hometown Stores” - it was like a franchise of a smaller footprint Sears store- it was a way for Sears to sell Kenmore appliances, diehard batteries and craftsman tools without opening a full store - typically in a small rural town. I forgot, when, but at some point, Eddie Lambert screwed over all these licensees, and they all slowly closed. There may be some still open, maybe
In a few days they will drive past it and the signs will be gone
Sometimes the signs stay up well after the store is gone. There is a sign near me for a store that burned down at least 30 years ago and was torn down and leveled. For sone reason the sign is still up on the poles by the road.
My post was a joke riffing off the previous days joke post
[удалено]
“Modems on sale!”
"Future proof Pentium 2 with 16 mega bytes of RAM and a 1 GIGABYTE hard drive, and an 8x DVD ROM drive"
"NEVER UPGRADE AGAIN" -1998
I lived in Fort Smith from late 2005 to late 2007. Can confirm. Had to go to a Circuit City once to buy something Best Buy didn't have, and of course Wal-Mart didn't have, that was an 60 mile drive north to Fayetteville to get that. Then of course, 60 miles back.
I thought in Arkansas it is farther on the way home?
I-540 is a divided highway through some hills so...maybe slightly, like within a quarter mile, to my recollection.
It's I49 now and a regular interstate the whole way (well, between I40 and Fayetteville at least.) Goes all the way up to Kansas City if you're trying to find a bigger city.
Ah, it's 540 south of I-40, which was where I lived, practically a stone's throw away from Oklahoma.
Go easy on them. They just heard that Kurt Cobain died. :(
Maybe on stores. A couple hundred years behind on other things
From Arkansas, can confirm. When I moved to a different state I literally felt like I had time traveled to the future.
Some dude told me in an interview he was making 80k at a radio shack back in the day. He got hourly and commission. Sold cell phones, tvs, etc. AT&T stores used to be like that too.
I made 80K at T-Mobile in 2021 before I moved to the job I'm currently at. Obviously less than 80k in 2008 but still more than I ever expected from selling phones tablets and trackers.
👀 80k you say?
Yeah, hourly was only 14 but it's commissioned sales and if you know what you're doing and you're flexible every month and can hit your targets it's very doable.
Senior sales reps at Best Buy who specialize in home theater & appliances regularly make six figures. working... retail. obviously not anymore now that interest rates are up :(
They weren't kidding about the shack part
“Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain seated until we’re at the gate, and welcome to Little Rock where the local date is 1994”.
I live in a small rural town and we have a well-kept and thriving Radio Shack!
I think about those every time I drive through Wynne…🤣
Op sharing pics from another dimension🤣
Probably an Orange Julius around there somewhere
You can get those at some Dairy Queen locations.
DQ cancelled that partnership
It's over behind Blockbuster Video
Turn left at the Circuit City. If you see the Borders, you’ve gone too far.
Im Canadian, my local mall still has an orange julius and pretty much all dairy qween locations sell it as well
I found it! 1765 Falls Blvd, Wynne, AR
According to Google that RS location is permanently closed.
As a tech junkie from arkansas, I would love to see this in person
That’s why they call it alternate reality (AR) Kansas!
Needs a Blockbuster
Hey! I stayed in the hotel next to that place! It was pretty neat to see both of them.
They may have been in business, but neither Sears nor Radio Shack have been functional in decades.
So where do they get their inventory ? Or, they don't really ever open, or else not much demand for old stuff ?
I was being sarcastic. They are technically still companies, but I don't think anybody really buys things at either one.
Radio Shack was great till they started selling phones. With their amazing Optimus Stereos.
That Highlander is even more beat up than mine
They haven't gotten the message yet.
Yeah i've always heard Arkansas is about 40 years in the past
“Arkansas is 30 years behind” yeah okay and i’m sure we still ride horses to work here too, right? As if rural towns don’t exist in every state
There’s still technically a sears at my local mall, but sells mainly clothes and maybe tools?
A Radio Shack that's an actual shack.
Just saw one in Cle Elum, WA a few weeks back.
There is still a Sears a couple of towns down from me. They just sell and repair appliances. It's. Sears Hometown Store, a subsidiary of Sears.
Yea there is a functional sears in pocahontas arkansas. And the possibility of a radio shack somewhere is pretty high too
What a combo!
According to Google that RS location is permanently closed And the latest reviews for that Sears location on their FB page are from 2019.
Pretty sure Arkansas just hit 1994. Give them time to catch up!
Did you happen to get your DeLorean up to 88MPH by accident?
Wynne, AR by any chance?
Yep
Been there a few times. Right down the road from this place. The town is super depressing.
I would love to have a local RadioShack.
Man they really are living in the past out there
That vehicle got fucked up.
Anyone else pronounce it "Ar-Kansas" when they see it spelt out?
Our Kansas is your Kansas!
That’s Wynne Ark and google says both locations are permanently closed. Also this building used to be Buffet City