Marvac Electronics

Kyle is great and very helpful. He helped me with a relatively simple printer issue today. Will be back again!

This place is a glorified Radio Shack with limited selection and dusty racks. In a pinch, this place may work. Yet, if you’re able to, go to Orvac in Fullerton or JK electronics in Westminster: these two places have much better selections and better customer service.

I called on saturday looking for a simple Omron relay, the tech that looked up part went above and beyond to find a acceptable substitute.
not a great selection but a staff that really goes that extra mile to help and find solutions to problems that need solving.
Thank you

This USED to be my go to place for electronics pieces I needed/​wanted for building controllers for my aquariums. While many of the parts could be had up the street at Radio Shack (and sometimes for cheaper) I like going out of my way to try and support local businesses.
Unfortunately, the last few times I have been into the store the customer service has been absolutely horrible. Most of the folks working on the weekend are ok but during the week be prepared to be blatantly ignored by the people who work around the parts desk.
Marvac, if you are going to consolidate your store down to a smaller size and make customers reliant on your parts desk then HAVE PEOPLE WILLING TO HELP ACTUALLY WORKING THE COUNTER. It’s really ‘Business 101′ kind of stuff so I’m not sure why that is so hard for Marvac to accomplish.

I like this place… since I bought a soldering iron and taught myself to solder for a re-​wiring project on a motorcycle I’ve had to come here about half a dozen times in the last 2 – 3 months… great selection and knowledgeable and enthusiastic employees. I actually enjoy coming here. Thanks guys!

As an electronics hobbyist, I have been able to find nearly everything I’ve needed over the years. I’ve been living in the OC since 1996. I’ve always had a knowledgeable sales person to work with and the prices are fair. It’s my understanding that they’re expanding their online presence. I’ll have to check it out.

Bought a projector bulb at Marvac yesterday, they didn’t have the exact bulb I needed but sold me one that was a lower wattage. I was assured that the only problem was it would be a bit dimmer. I was in the middle of a project so I bought it in lieu of ordering one. I asked the cashier about the return policy in case it didn’t work. She told me it was not returnable. I remembered the sales guy saying it would work so I bought the $ 25 bulb.
Went right home, put it in the projector and in less than 30 seconds the bulb fizzled out. I called, it had been about 15 min, and spoke with the same guy who sold it to me. I explained it had burnt out and I would like to return it. He said he understood and would ask a manager, then came back and said no, not returnable. I reminded him I just bought it now 20 minutes ago, he said that there was probably something wrong with my projector, the one I have been using flawlessly for years. «The problem is, you see, that the bulb is burnt out». That was his response, which is exactly my response. Yes that is in fact the problem. They didn’t even offer a store credit. I didn’t have time to argue about it so went to Lightbulbs Etc. who had the exact bulb I needed, for $ 5 less. I plugged it in and it worked, turns out nothing is wrong with my projector. The Lightbulbs guy listened to my story (I was making sure I wouldn’t be left hanging with another defective bulb) and said he would’ve just exchanged the bulb.
So Marvac chose to show they have no responsibility to the customer if they sell them defective merchandise rather than fix the problem with a $ 25.00 return, for merchandise they would probably get credit from the vendor, costing them nothing. Now the cost to them is a customer lost and a blemished reputation.

I work for a professional race car team and I go here to pick up misc electronic parts such as switches and resisters etc. Everytime, I go in there, all the guys there are helpful and know their stuff. That is an amazing feat because they probably have a million different items in there

Decent but dusty selection, Horrible customer service — when you can get someone to actually help you, and while more thorough than Radio Shack (thanks Captain Obvious), nowhere near as easy or pleasant to deal with as Orvac Electronics in Fullerton where the seem to actually feel pain if they haven’t been able to help you. Every time I come here I swear it will be my last. Since discovering Orvac, all my future electronics business will be in Fullerton.

You just have to go here, or Orvac Electronics in Fullerton, CA. If you live anywhere in their proximity (Costa Mesa, CA or Fullerton, CA), I just have to rave about their service I’ve received both times I visited their location, which is not close to me.
Compared to an ongoing pattern of markedly poor service at most of the Radio Shacks I’ve visited (the associates were helpful in Avalon) in different cities, the service I again received (today) at Mar-​Vac Electronics was absolutely terrific!
The super friendly and helpful people at this long-​time and very venerable company give you nothing less than the best service AND with the MOST knowledgeable people in the electronics business, BAR NONE.
While Radio Shack’s one employee who seemed knowledgeable said he was too busy to help me out while he was constantly on the phone. The second time I went there today, they had about 8 customers, so I threw in the shopping towel there to end up driving about 40 miles to Mar-​Vac electronics, which was so worth it! They had the exact replacement part for my sailboat and the necessary associated parts!
This is where the pros shop for basic electronics supplies to the very high end equipment-​that as a layman, I know absolutely nothing about.
I wish this company could be as numerously placed/​conveniently located as Radio Shack… but as I’ve experienced, the QUALITY of SERVICE, at least what I have experienced both times, has been PERFECT!!!
Mar Vac & Orvac have been in business many years and by all means should always be there for the best in electronics, period.
Thank you for your help, everybody today-​YOU ARE THE BEST!

they had helpful and friendly service. they offer wire soldiering service also which i thoguth was pretty cool. this is the place to go when frys electronics cant help you. thanks guys!

Marvac is the mecca for mechanical engineers, the Shangrila for solderers, the Disneyland for all things digital.
With massive selections for capacitors, resistors, cables, soldering irons, etc, you will definitely find what you want if it’s electronic related.
Their prices are good but not quite as good as the cheapest online shop but you should definitely support your local brick and mortar shops because they have convenient return policies and the ability to feel exactly how ridiculous 14 gauge wire really is.

This place does put radio shack to shame! The prices are amazing. I got a battery for my alarm system for 20 bucks and the exact same thing at radio shack is 35 bucks! they have a HUGE selection of everything for electronics i love it!

Three reasons why Marvac puts Radio Shack to shame:
1) Selection — No matter what type of obscure part you’re looking for, Marvac most likely has it. Case in point, I sold a stairmaster on Craigslist recently and it wasn’t powering on right. I determined it was the wire attached to the power plug. Marvac had the exact part I needed, Radio Shack had something similar, but I would have had to strip the wire and do soldering for it to work.
2) Price — the wire I got at Marvac cost $ 1. The similar one at Radio Shack was $ 10.
3) Knowledge — unlike Radio Shack, the guys at Marvac actually know what they’re talking about. I am no expert when it comes to ampage, voltage, currents, etc., but these guys are, and don’t mind explaining things to laymen like me.