[The Modern Rouge] found an old childhood friend in a closet: a Radio Shack 200-in-1 electronic kit. Along with [Josh Nass], he put it through its paces and made a few repairs along the way. As you might expect, the batteries had long ago leaked out their magic juice.
If you missed these, they were a host of real electronic components with springs connected to the leads. To make a circuit, you bend the spring over, insert a wire, and let go of the spring. By changing the wiring, you could make radios, alarms, computer circuits, and more
There were dozens of these kits, some more capable than others. This was a particularly nice one with a loaded front panel and several exotic components. In the end, they made a code practice oscillator, and it worked.
While you can’t find kits exactly like these anymore, you can make your own. Or try Snap Circuits and print your own modules. You take solderless breadboards for granted today, but they haven’t always been around or affordable.
I wore mine out! Loved those things.
One of these got me started! Had so much fun. I still have it though not this delux model but a simpler set but gave me endless hours of fun. Then I moved on to descreet components and etched PCBs. Alas, today little time to tinker. Would always get stuck by a couple of components I couldn’t buy locally. No internet thise days!