I lived in apartments right off the 101 next to where the old MC was in Sunnyvale. I got a lot of goodies when it closed down.
But in terms of serious electronics hobbyists, frys had the microcontrollers, digital logic chip selection similar to what you might find for bolt selection at hardware stores.
I don't remember any of that so maybe it was past the time or I am thinking of another chain like it. I remember I went expecting computer stuff and thought it looked just like a Virgin store or Best Buy with tons of CDs and DVDs, and not much else. This goes to show how long ago it was. Maybe it was just the Vegas store though.