One of the Last RadioShacks in Maine Announces It Will Close

In the early '80s, there was a boom of RadioShack stores opening in Maine, partially thanks to the growing home computer business. My first PC was a Tandy 1000EX with a built-in 5 1/4" floppy disk drive, bought at RadioShack.

We had a store open up locally in Oxford, and I visited both that location and the one at the Auburn Mall many times to buy software, including the excellent adventure game Space Quest. I even did a bit of programming on it, using the BASIC programming language.

RadioShack didn't survive long into the 21st century, with online shopping and big box stores like Best Buy and Walmart making a foothold.

When the company filed for bankruptcy, it closed company-owned stores. However, locally-owned-and-operated stores stayed in business to serve the needs of people in rural areas.

For some time, just three authorized RadioShack dealers have remained in business, but one announced on July 23 that they would be closing their doors.

Joe Esposito posted on Facebook in the Windham Maine Community Group, sharing that his father, Neil, would close the North Windham RadioShack at the North Windham Shopping Plaza after 44 years in business.

Here's the announcement from Joe:

My Dad has decided to close the RadioShack in North Windham. He has been there since 1980. If you have time, go check out the store this week before it closes. There are numerous items in there that you wouldn’t expect like: vinyl records, sports cards, vintage Coke Bottles, other memorabilia….

He’ll have an online presence at some point soon, but go get your last look at one of the last remaining Radio Shacks in America.

That just leaves Dyer Electronics in Mexico, Maine...

...and Macleod Furniture in Belfast, Maine, as the two remaining RadioShack dealers in the state.

The Windham store will continue in a new form online, but this is your last chance to see a vintage RadioShack that opened in 1980.