For hardware, there was WeirdStuff (large bin of SPA shareware on dot-matrix print labeled floppies), Halted/HSC (used and new electronic parts and odds-and-end), JDR microdevices (when commercial engineers needed real tools and parts), and Radio ("Rat") Shack.
Retail software: the original Fry's Electronics branched out, NCA Peripherals, and Egghead Software. Later, the CompUSA tech hypermart came along and squished most of the independent stores and regional chains. Micro Center was one that endured. PixelUSA in Campbell always had the latest in prosumer DIY computer gear. Central Computer Systems (CSS) is less of cramped computer parts hypermart that is more of a convenience store; they also had almost every free and paid computer magazine and semi-commercial open source media distributions from Slackware to Red Hat (pre-Enterprise) Linux.
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Electronics. My dad was an electrical and A/C mechanic who got started with HeathKit with his father, who was also a mechanic.
My dad was too impatient and not interested in teamwork or doing things together.
From a young age, I knew generally the fundamentals of how passives (RLC), current, voltage, motors, and safety around electricity. I had the gray plastic front Science Fair 200-in-1 kit.
Shout out to the Amiga: expensive, different, and interesting. Apple and Mac classic were 2 of those things.
Software as a hobby costs nothing --- beyond a computer which everyone already has; hobbyist or not.