[itomato]

without Sparkfun, whose catalog could they have scraped?

Without Sparkfun developing the business model for them to copy, where would they be?

[iancmceachern]

You mean the radio shack business model?

The Heathkit business model?

The Eico business model?

Jameco? Digikey?

[itomato]

you wouldn't know of them if they had emulated any of those.