EXHIBIT 5.1 SATTERLEE STEPHENS BURKE & BURKE LLP 230 Park Avenue New York, NY 10169 November 4, 1997 Tandy Corporation 100 Throckmorton Street, Suite 1800 One Tandy Center Fort Worth, TX 76102 Ladies and Gentlemen: We have acted as counsel to Tandy Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the proposed offering, from time to time, by the Company of its debt securities having an aggregate initial public offering price or purchase price of up to U.S. $300,000,000 or the equivalent in foreign or composite currencies (the "Debt Securities") pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-3 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), (the Registration Statement as amended as of the date hereof being herein referred to as the "Registration Statement"). In connection therewith, we have examined and relied upon the original, or copies certified to our satisfaction, of (i) the Certificate of Incorporation and the Bylaws of the Company, as amended; (ii) minutes and records of the corporation proceedings of the Company; (iii) the Registration Statement and exhibits thereto; (iv) the Sales Agreement dated of even date herewith entered into among the Company and Bear Stearns & Co., Inc., BancAmerica Robertson Stephens, Citicorp Securities, Inc., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Salomon Brothers Inc.; (v) the Indenture, dated as of May 1, 1997, entered into by and between the Company and The Chase Manhattan Bank, as Trustee; and (vi) such other documents and instruments as we have deemed necessary for the expression of the opinions contained herein. In making the foregoing examinations, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures and the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, and the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies. As to various questions of fact material to this opinion and as to the content and form of the Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws, minutes, records, resolutions, and other documents or writings of the Company, we have relied, to the extent we deem reasonably appropriate, upon representations or certificates of officers or directors of the Company and upon documents, records, and instruments furnished to us by the Company, without independent check or verification of their accuracy. Based upon the foregoing, and having due regard for such legal considerations as we deem relevant, we are of the opinion that: 1. The Company is a corporation duly incorporated, existing, and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware. 2. The Debt Securities proposed to be sold by the Company pursuant to the Sales Agreement have been duly authorized for issuance and, subject to (i) a supplement or amendment to the prospectus, forming a part of the Registration Statement, specifying certain terms with respect to the offering of such Debt Securities being filed or mailed for filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the Act, and (ii) compliance with any applicable Blue Sky laws, when executed by the Company, authenticated by the Trustee, and delivered and sold in accordance with the provisions of the Sales Agreement, will be valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with the terms and entitled to the benefits of the Indenture, except as may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium, or similar laws now or hereafter in effect affecting the rights of creditors generally. We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to us under "Legal Opinions" in the Prospectus forming a part of such Registration Statement. Very truly yours, Satterlee Stephens Burke & Burke LLP