[heypete]

I'm the same way with electronic components, though I tend to buy certain often-badly-counterfeited parts (e.g. logic-level MOSFETs, TTL-to-RS-232 converters, etc.) from reputable sellers like Digi-Key since I've run into a lot of issues in the past.

For stuff like resistors, capacitors, some microcontrollers, power supplies, etc., the Chinese sellers are pretty reliable.