You-do-it Teensy 3.2 retail sale

I had a coupon for you-do-it (http://www.youdoitelectronics.com/) and used it to buy a Teensy 3.2 and some other stuff. Now, unlike all of the other Teensy's I've seen both at Y-D-I in the past and currently at Micro Center (Cambridge, MA), or bought from PJRC.COM (or Adafruit.com), the Teensy LC and 3.2's were both in generic anti-static bags. They did not include the card from the pinout listing (http://www.pjrc.com/teensy/pinout.html) for the 3.2. It wasn't just Teensy's, but just about all of their non-Arduino processors were all in small anti-static bags. I imagine it is so they could pack more stuff into the wall of microprocessors that they have.

Now for me, it does not matter, since I've been using Teensy's for years, but I wonder if anything can be done for the newbies. There probably isn't enough space on the PCB that can be used to put a PJRC.COM link without losing something else like the Teensy 3.2 name. Maybe a peel away sticker?

FWIW, Y-D-I seems to have dropped the 2.0 and 2.0++ that they used to carry. On the same day, I also went to the local Micro Center. There they had the 2.0++ and the LC (with the pinout cards in both), but neither 3.1 nor 3.2 were evident.

This is a bit of a complicated issue.

Currently, all Teensy boards are packaged in an silver, anti-static bag that has a white label on it indicating which product it is - Teensy 2.0, Teensy 3.2, Teensy-LC, etc.

When we ship to distributors we ship the boards individually packaged in the silver, anti-static bags as well as a stack of pinout cards (1 for each board ordered). We rely on the distributors to include a card with each board sold. Some distributors only include 1 card when a customer orders multiple Teensys. The additional complication comes in when smaller distributors do not buy directly from PJRC, they buy from larger distributors such as Adafruit or SparkFun. In cases like these we are relying on the first distributor to send cards for each Teensy ordered by the second distributor. For example, we do not sell directly to You-Do-It Electronics. It looks like they are getting their boards from Adafruit or SparkFun. We do sell directly to MicroCenter. Because of conversations we have had with them and direct knowledge of how they sell the boards, I know that the boards they sell are individually packaged with a pinout card. MicroCenter carries the Teensy 2.0, Teensy ++ 2.0, Teensy-LC, and Teensy 3.2. If you are not seeing one of the boards at your local MicroCenter it is a stocking issue on their end.

It may be time for us to send a friendly reminded to our distributors reminding them to include the pinout cards with the Teensys they sell - even to their distributors.

Yes, I didn't know whether it was a Y-D-I issue, a Sparkfun/Adafruit issue (I presume since Y-D-I carries both brands, they may get their stock from them), or what have you. But I thought it would be worth mentioning in case people needed a gentle reminder. If they don't include the big card, perhaps just something that gives the pjrc.com/teensy link to help newcomers.

That being said, I do like the fact that there is a physical card with the pinouts and different color legends, rather than just a display online. Even though I'm slightly blue-green color blind, I have not trouble telling the different colors apart.

I assume the silver anti-static bag is new. My previous Teensy's all came packed in a red plastic bag around the Teensy itself, followed by the full-size card in a plastic bag big enough for the Teensy.

I know this post is a few weeks old, but I stumbled across it just now (been lurking for a while), and figured I'd add another data point. Back a few months ago (Septemberish) I bought a Teensy LC from You Do It, which had the card stapled to the back of the bag (which was the small silver one). Back in December they had no Teensy's (I was wondering if it was a stock issue or they stopped getting them from wherever they were getting them). I was in there over this past weekend and noticed what Michael said: Teensy 3.2s and LCs in just the silver bags, no cards stapled on. I was wondering what was up; it seemed a little "questionable", but it sounds like that isn't the case as I had figured.

Good to know Microcenter theoretically carries all the Teensy's. Though You-Do-It is significantly easier/shorter/less obnoxious for me than hauling all the way into Cambridge. The problem is I always end up buying 5 extra things when I go to You-Do-It...

I've had companies ask if I want the cards or not.
I believe they're a pain to ship when you're ordering 10+ units

I've also had numerous Teensys arrive without cards at all

Teensys are hard to find in the Cambridge store. The MCU section is quite large and diverse, Teensys only got two pegboard rods to hang from. Last time I was there, they just had a mix of teensy 2 and LC (bought the latter). In prior visits they also had a 3.1-3.2 series. Bought some boards each time to help prove demand.

Constantin said:

Teensys are hard to find in the Cambridge store. The MCU section is quite large and diverse, Teensys only got two pegboard rods to hang from. Last time I was there, they just had a mix of teensy 2 and LC (bought the latter). In prior visits they also had a 3.1-3.2 series. Bought some boards each time to help prove demand.

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Well microcenter.com claims the Cambridge store has 3 Teensy 3.2's on hand right now. I must admit that microprocessor wall is extremely hard to find anything, even if you know what you want. The last time I was in there, the web site claimed they had 3 of the Schmartboard power rail pcbs I was interested in, and after about 10-15 minutes, I called in a salesman, and he was eventually able to find one. That being said, it actually has gotten better, and is somewhat more organized than before.

My problem with you-do-it is I have to be organized enough to leave the house on Saturday to catch them before closing (6pm), since they normally don't have Sunday hours. I live out west of I-495, and I find it about the same to get to either store.

So, sometimes I find it more convenient to buy from Adafruit where if the stars are aligned, I can get the package in 2 days time with normal UPS shipping. I made an order last night thinking I might get it by Friday, forgetting that NY got a lot more snow from the storm, and are presumably still dealing with the after effects of the snow.

I also shop at YDI and the Cambridge Micro Center; I've gotten a Teensy from each. I have spent half an hour trying to find something in the parts department. There's an amazing quantity of goodies there. I have scanned all the hooks and now have a general idea of their categorization system. As Michael pointed out, they did seem to straighten things up when the Christmas season started. When I looked, the Teensy's have been on the largest wall (to the left of the windows), towards the left edge of that wall. I was trying to find some Adafruit Neopixels and the ESP8266 HUZZAH, and those were under the left windows. There is also lots of other stuff under the windows like proto boards.

The stock at YDI turns over more slowly. They have more SparkFun stuff than Micro Center.

If I order from Adafruit before 11am I get it the next day. I ordered Friday afternoon before the recent storm and got the box Tuesday. Adafruit has had amazing growth. They shipped their millionth order this week. They shipped 300k orders in the past year.

danhalbert said:

If I order from Adafruit before 11am I get it the next day. I ordered Friday afternoon before the recent storm and got the box Tuesday. Adafruit has had amazing growth. They shipped their millionth order this week. They shipped 300k orders in the past year.

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Yep that is my experience as well, though as I mentioned, if the NY infrastructure is bogged down, I can understand it taking longer. For small orders, I wish they did USPS once again. I now tend to order in batch so the $7 or so is a lesser part of the order. I realize they stopped doing USPS because USPS kept losing/breaking packages, but I preferred to pay $2 for a $10 order if I could wait an extra day or so, than $7. Generally for other other sellers using USPS, I've had no problems. Maybe it's a New York USPS thing.

If you have a technical question, I would expect you would be able to find at least one Y-D-I sales person who can answer the question. At microcenter, I'm afraid you would get the deer in the headlights look for Teensy/Arduino/basic electronics stuff. Rasbperry Pi stuff they might have a better chance of answering, since the Pi is more computer like.

I agree about wishing for USPS from Adafruit, but they say they've had much more trouble with it than UPS. They do allow USPS to certain areas; I'm not sure what their criteria are.

I try to order from Adafruit on Wednesdays. They give a 10% off coupon code on the Wearable Wednesdays and Ask an Engineer livestream video shows, good through midnight ET. The coupons are also published on their Twitter feed.

danhalbert said:

I agree about wishing for USPS from Adafruit, but they say they've had much more trouble with it than UPS. They do allow USPS to certain areas; I'm not sure what their criteria are.

I try to order from Adafruit on Wednesdays. They give a 10% off coupon code on the Wearable Wednesdays and Ask an Engineer livestream video shows, good through midnight ET. The coupons are also published on their Twitter feed.

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As a buyer in the US, I've had no problems with USPS. Including the ePackets from China that go to USPS very quickly. I think UPS/FEDEX financially incentivize companies to use them for shipping, whilst we customers are paying ever-higher shipping prices from both companies.

stevech said:

As a buyer in the US, I've had no problems with USPS. Including the ePackets from China that go to USPS very quickly. I think UPS/FEDEX financially incentivize companies to use them for shipping, whilst we customers are paying ever-higher shipping prices from both companies.

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I too have never had an issue with the USPS, contrary to my experiences with UPS/FEDEX. USPS is usually quicker, cheaper, and less damaged (I've seen some crazy things by UPS and FEDEX drivers, I shudder to think what goes on in the warehouses!). When Adafruit still offered it, I always used USPS (and would get it the day after they shipped), and I still use it from Mouser for my component purchases (generally 2 days). OSHPark's default mail shipping usually gets to me in 3 days, and I'm on the opposite coast from them. UPS or FEDEX would take 6 days, minimum.

The second part you mention is also very true. At the company I work for, we just got a new shipping contract with one of the big carriers, and our rates are somewhere around 1/4 the published/Joe-Shmo rates (our volume is very high), depending on the service sometimes more. There's a reason the big companies (Amazon, etc) can offer "free shipping" on so much, when they can ship something ground for a buck or two that disappears in their margins easily.

Every service has its ups and downs.

Re: security, nothing beats registered USPS mail. delivery confirmation, etc. is a joke, don't bother. Registered mail is a different animal and the USPS folk hate it because every person that takes possession of an item along the delivery chain becomes personally liable for it. Internally, they have a separate distribution chain for it. My next tax return is going registered mail after the last one was spread across the floor of the Boston sorting facility, the contents then stuffed into other packages (and later returned to me via mystified recipients).

Never had a serious issue with a state mail carrier other than the French one, which featured 7 out of 9 boxes being opened, pilfered, and re-taped with 'Poste' packaging tape. The British and Spanish mail system apparently also feature a lot of pilferage.

Re: actual on-time delivery, nothing beats FedEx, especially if it's an international shipment. DHL is usually quite good also. UPS and especially USPS are disasters with multi-week delays possible even for first world destinations like France, for example.

Re: Amazon prime, UPS works consistently. UPS heavy shipments are a disaster, however. My favorite example was a custom rotary engine being shipped from NZ to USA, allegedly lost, then resold with with the original (correct!) address tags still on the item, no delivery ever attempted, etc.

As a followup, I was in You-do-it today, and while they still offer Teensy 3.2's in small anti-shock bags on the wall of microprocessors, they do have the 3.2 cards outside of a bag on the wall, just above the 3.2's. There was a slot for the LC's, but they didn't have stock today.

Also, I went to the Microcenter, and they have improved their wall of microprocessors since I was there before, and the Teensy's were easily found. Note, neither store seemed to carry the shields (in the past, I think Y-D-I carried the audio shield from PJRC).