I lived in a country town in South Australia in the early 80s, and without the local Tandy (Oz brand of RS) I wouldn't have got into electronics or software, both of which now are my main source of income and also a source of a hell of a lot of fun. Fortunately these days the opportunity for kids to discover new stuff is provided by Internet access, but it's still a sad coda to the joy RS provided in my youth.