Why are LM308N's so flaming expensive?

[Milkit]

Why are these chips so difficult to obtain from UK sources without paying ridiculous prices like, £12.95 for one IC?  I'm about to pay less than £10.00 for 20 from China, so what is about these chips that makes them so bloody expensive?  There seems to be a reasonable abundance of them, am I missing some key info here, what's the score?

[PStevenson]

it's the mythology that goes with them, they are only $.50 each from digikey, they aren't obsolete - it's just people trying to rip off guitar people because guitar people can be quite gullible.
I bought loads of them ages ago just because they were dirt cheap cause they are such poor op-amps and I thought it would be good to just have burn-out ICs, mine are harsh environment ones too (they are in a metal can and can go to space)

[dexxyy]

I knew they sent chimps into space, are they gonna send rats now

[Milkit]

Tee hee hee!  Good one Derek, made me giggle!


Thanks Paul, that's cleared a lot up for me.  They really know how to exploit huh!

Thanks guys!  ;0)

[PStevenson]

exactly! 301s