Just about the same thing happened to me. Of course in the RS near me when I asked for "heat sink compound" they did at least try to help by bringing me a heat sink pen thingamabob and a heat sink clip. After giving up there I set out to the only "old dusty electronics shop" I know of to buy a big tube of the stuff, which was on a rack 2 feet inside the door.
Ironically a few weeks later back at RS to look for something myself I stumbled on the little tube right there on the wall with the chips & heat sinks. Geeze! It was even labeled "heat sink compound".
Whenever I go in there now and they ask me "can I help you find something?" I just politely smile and say "probably not."
...jp
_______________________________________________________________________________
>From: motm@onelist.com on Mon, Sep 13, 1999 9:04 AM
>Subject: [motm] A Radio Shack Anecdote
>To: 'MOTM Forum All'
>
>From: "Tkacs, Ken" <Ken.Tkacs@...>
>
>
>When I ordered an MOTM-300 VCO kit last week (which just arrived moments
>ago, Paul-Thanks!), I was advised to have some heat sink compound handy for
>assembly. I was going to mail order it, but then I figured the local 'Shack
>should carry it.
>
>I went to the closest one and the salesperson said, "'Heat... sink...
>compound'?" and snickered as if I just asked for pork chops. I had to
>explain to him what it was, he sneered and pointed at the adhesives and gave
>the standard, "If we had any, it would be over there."
>
>I then went to a Radio Shack a little further form home, a larger one, and a
>similar scene replayed. This time, though, the sales kid said, "All of our
>heat shrink stuff is over here." I corrected him, he told me they carried no
>such thing, to try the pool supply store down the street, and after he
>walked away I found a minute tube hanging on a hook over by the (ta-da) heat
>sinks.
>
>Back in the early seventies, the Shack at least catered a _little_ to
>electronic hobbyists. Then the tide changed to remote controlled toys, then
>PC clones, and now it seems that the only thing they care about is pushing
>cell phones on people that don't want or understand the technology. It's
>sad. In the "olden days," the people that worked there understood
>electronics, or were at least part-time DJ's and knew what 'impedance' was.
>Now you say 'heat sink' and these 17-year-old kids snicker at you as if you
>were shopping for a vacuum tube. Then they try to sell you a phone.
>
>Sorry to vent on a Monday morning. Haven't had enough coffee yet. Time to
>unpack my MOTM box....!!!!!
>
>