This is a list of mail order companies of different countries where you could buy the components. The tips where collected by MIDIbox Users in the last few years.

If you know some good distributors in your country, add them here to make other people happy!

• Buydisplay

• Mouser LCDs
• Mouser OLEDs

• Crystalfontz US
• Scott Edwards Electronics US

• TME Europe LCDs
• TME Europe OLEDs

• Ebay
• 8 Audio Mall

• Banzaï Music
• Thomann DE
• Conrad EU

• Allparts US
• SmallBear US

• Schaeffer Located In Germany (Ships worldwide)
• Ponoko Worldwide
• Formulor Located In Germany (Ships worldwide)

• Reichelt - THE German Electronics Supplier
• Voti - PIC18F452, LCDs and cheap rotary encoders
• Farnell - PIC18F4685 and other components
• Tronico - nice LCDs
• Pollin - Encoders, cheap LEDs and more

• VLRlab
• Mouser Switzerland
• Conrad
• farnell Switzerland

• Elfa - Good all-round selection, Also with a few walk-in shop outlets around Stockholm etc.
• electro kit - All-round shop
• BHIAB - Great selection of transformers, logic and fantastic assortment of transistors:
• Kjell - Store chain with soldering supplies etc
• JEC - Store in Enköping plus mail order specializing in odd Japanese semis
• Bejoken - Located in Malmö
• Encitech Systems AB

• Mouser France - La plupart des refs citées.
• RS Components France - une bonne alternative
• Lextronic - Speakjet
• GoTronic
• Selectronic
• Farnell France

• Crownhill
• Maplin
• Rapid Electronics
• bitsbox.co.uk

• Radionics / RS Ireland (No minimum order, Cheap shipping)
• Farnell (Minimum Order is €35 (ex Vat) - Free same day dispatch shipping)
• Mouser (Free Shipping over €75, Vat + Customs paid by mouser - with FedEx only)
• Maplin (Expensive! Stores Nationwide)
• Conrad (€12 minimum shipping fee)
• Digikey (€18 min shipping fee, free shipping on orders over €65)

• Conrad
• Voti (English) - Very fair prices and low shipping costs for special parts of the MBHP (PIC18F452, ICs, Crystals, LCDs, rotary encoders, etc)

• Micropik
• Sonigate

• Sonigate
• Dimofel

• GM Electronics Czech

• Distrelec
• RS
• reichelt
• conrad

• Kelco Electronic Components - Most of the components can be found here. (former Radio Club Nikola Tesla)
• Mikro Princ - Electronic Components
• Beli Elektronik - Beli Elektronik

PIC18F452 is available at Gamma for ca. 38 Zlotych. 16×2 backlit LCD for ca. 30 Zlotich in (nearly) all shops for electronics's hobbyists or at AVT. STEC16B03 Rotary Encoders can be purchased at microdis for about 11.50 Zlotych.

MICROCHIP in Ukraine city of Dnepropetrovsk: mail to

• chip@pbox.dp.ua
• anton@pbox.dp.ua - they sell and program PICs! And they offer 2*16 LCDs.

• Lemona - pretty expensive. Only in Lithuania, uses BizPak (DPD) delivery service:
  

- weight to 2Kg, order 50…300Lt (~15…87EUR) - delivery cost 9Lt (~2.6EUR);
- weight from 2 to 5Kg, order 50…300Lt (~15…87EUR) - delivery cost 11Lt (~3.2EUR);
- weight from 5 to 20Kg, order 50…300Lt (~15…87EUR) - delivery cost 15Lt (~4.4EUR);
- weight over 20Kg, order 300Lt (~87EUR) and more - delivery free of charge.

• RCL Electronics
• Evita
• Milgreta

Distributors that distribute for many different brands. If you wanted to get Everything you needed for one project on one bill, you'd probably go here.

• Mouser - just a word of warning for Canadians, a 270$Can order from mouser got me a 84$Can surcharge from UPS for customs. I wasn't expecting it, I just want to save you from the surprise of the extra bill.
• Allied Electronics - Some parts are cheap, some a pricey, so be sure to check other stores as well. Generally ships very fast (at least to Texas)
• Digi-Key (US)
• Digi-Key (Canada) - Will charge GST for Canadians so you don't get nailed with Customs. — Shadyman
• Electro Sonic (Canada)
• Jameco
• NewarkInOne

Distributors that are more specialized in the types of products they sell

• SparkFun Electronics (US)
• PartsExpress - Electronics Parts (US)
• Futurlec (US)

Companies that specialize in Surplus, Used, New Old Stock (NOS), etc. They're often good for finding interesting parts or rarities

• AllElectronics (US) - Some interesting LCDs and keypads, and they carry just about anything.
• Alltronics (US)
• American Science and Surplus (US)
• B.G.Micro (US) - Very inexpensive LCDs, and a whole lot of other electronics
• Electronic Goldmine (US)
• EIO - LCDs
• MPJA (US) - Very cheap 100-packs of LCDs. Also has knobs, cheap voltage regulators, LOTS of cheap heatshrink tubing, and lots of miscellaneous electronics stuff.

• http://www.vantronic-sa.com.ar (Pulsadores Mec y componentes diversos)
• http://www.disipadores.com (Disipadores de aluminio)
• http://www.setpla.com (Perillas y Botones)
• http://www.copygrafic.com.ar (Circuitos impresos, Frentes y Teclados)
• http://www.electrocomponentes.com
• http://www.cika.com.ar
• http://www.dicomse.com.ar
• http://www.electronicaliniers.com.ar/
• http://www.dayton.com.ar
• http://www.cklelectronic.com.ar/
• http://www.semak.com.ar/index.asp
• http://www.elecmatro.com.ar/main.asp?section=inicio
• http://www.microelectronicash.com
• http://www.rodaronline.com/
• http://www.silge.com.ar/index.php
• http://www.sycelectronica.com.ar

• http://soldafria.com.br/ (Ótimo site mas cuidado que potenciômetros 10K Lin eles vendem sem porcas!)
• http://www.farnell.com.br/
• http://www.blucolor.com.br/
• http://www.proesi.com.br/site/index.php
• http://www.cinestec.com.br/ecommerce/index.asp

• http://www.victronics.cl/ Tiene lo indispensable para crear tus proyectos MIDI.

Don't order from Farnell or RS-Components, you can get it 90% cheaper elsewhere. Shop around! Good local stores like Jaycar and Radio Parts General have most of the components at reasonable prices, but you can get things much cheaper from Australian electronics distributors such as Rockby Electronics for resistors, capacitors, sliders, pots, chips etc. and Switches Plus for harder-to-get things like ALPS switches, rotary encoders, sliders, pots, etc. Another retailer for PICs: Dontronics.

A great source of harder to find LCDs in Australia is Crest Technologies. They stock PLED's as well as various Character LCDs and Graphical LCDs. They pack their products well and ship fast. Another great supplier is Aztronics who have a lot of what you may need and I think ship nation wide, they mostly stock product from Altronics. Aztronics stock rotary encoders almost all the time and they are reasonably priced.

Andrew Gow wrote: “I managed to buy all components for your 16 pot design for about $230 NZ, which is about the same in DM I think - not cheap but better than anything else you could buy for the same price. The problem is that everything is cheap until you try to ship it all the way to New Zealand!!! - I was quoted $19US for 32 sliders from Song Huei in Taiwan (awesome!!!!) but $50 US postage!!! (bummer….). Similarly, I could get a PIC for $6 US, but add $25 US postage and it doesn't look nearly as good. (Rest of components from Dick Smith Electronics)“
Mail by Rowan Spicer: “During the first stages while pricing parts from various sources I discovered a very cheap (By New Zealand Standards) and helpful supplier. All of the parts for the PCB including the A 16*2 LCD cost less than $100 NZ ($1 NZ = Approx $0.50 US) I've included an invoice to show the price breakdown: NZ pricelist. (Note by TK: the PIC18F452 requires a 10 MHz crystal!)

• ALPS STEC16B02/03/04 and STEC11B01/02/03/04 (detented/non-detented type) at Distrelec (Switzerland, Austria, Italia, Poland)
• 318-ENC160F-24P at Mouser for US $2.59
• Pollin, 16 detentes - nice & cheap 0,75.- Euro/Piece
• M-SW-ROT (detented type - very good quality, very fair price, fast delivery!) at Voti (NL) for around 1.20 Euro. Note that the pinning is the same like for ALPS STEC16B - see also http://www.voti.nl/common/sw_rot_1_doc.gif

Make encoders from an old PC mouse