Hello Pax
The likes of Farnell and RS Components are geared for the professional market and they charge accordingly.
Some suppliers I use in London
Maplin - I know they get a lot of critisism but they are local so you save on waiting and P&P costs (it's also somewhere to escape to while she does the shopping)
**broken link removed** have basic components and a few odd service items (like
drive belts). They have a **broken link removed** by email. (I've never used their mail order service).
Grandata (at the back of Wembley Stadium) are orientated towards the service and repair trade. Their mail order service is prompt and charged at £1+vat for up to 2kg within UK mainland. They will try to obtain for you some items that they don't stock.
**broken link removed** deal with surplus. The equivalent of a car breakers yard, one of the very few places where you can still wander round their cages full of treasure/trash. (Do check before visiting).
The above are places that I use. but don't take that as a recomendation. I prefer personal shopping over mail order.
I have found that some specialist suppliers to the educational market are useful for some more osbcure parts and they sometimes do standard components at reasonable prices.
Generally its the sundries (sockets, switches and cases) that I think are expensive. I try to use recycled cases or build in to existing spaces or enclosures.
The hobbyist market is now very small so the suppilers are limited.
The Edware Road from Marble Arch to Church road used to have lots of electronics shops but alas no more.
**broken link removed** still survives but is no longer owned by the original owner who was an electronics enthusiast. The shop is still usefull for connectors, leads and miscellaneous hardware.
The small adds in the back of the few remaining electronics/ radio publications can be usefull for components.
Amateur radio sites have links to suppliers, rallys are a good source for components and parts.
edit - spelling