Hobby Shop Horror Stories

[agalanis]

Ok guys, seeing as this kind of got started with the guy with the Novak Charger issues. Whats your hobby shop horror stories!?

I mean it's hilarious, they want you to support them. Yet they are snotty, uppity, think they know everything, think that you don't. Oh and the best is when they find out that you 'shop around' for better deals they get even more pissy.

But here's my story...

When I was a kid, I bought some Traxxas gold shocks for my Kyosho Ultima (anyone old enough for the orignial Ultima raise your hand). The shocks didn't come with instructions. I asked the guy if he had instructions from the book that he could photocopy for me. He did, but he charged me something like $7. That was just criminal! I was just a kid... I didn't know better, so I shelled out. What a dirtbag, scamming $7 bucks off a kid like that.

[mimono]

Alrighty here goes. I raced from age 11-16 (7 years ago). I loved racing and everything else about the hobby. There were two tracks that I raced at, one in my hometown of Laporte, IN and another in a neighboring town called Hamlet. Many people from both tracks would race both places including the hobby shop owners. For awhile it was great, and the people were not stuck up and a lot of fun to race with. Until one day....

I was racing at my home track and a friend of the Owner of the Hamlet track was racing beside me. Note, this is a 35 year old man. My car was having radio trouble and i couldnt control it, when I accidentally hit his car taking him out of the lead (temporarily). The guy went off on me and called me every name in the book, I started to appologize and explain but he just kept insulting me. needless to say, my day was ruined. It was bad enough that I my car was screwed up yet I had to listen to this guy. So I packed my stuff up and headed out to my car. In the parking lot I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around to see the 35 year old Hamlet track owner and his buddy follow me out. His buddy (the one who's car I hit) blocked the door while he grabbed me by the neck and slapped me in the face. He told me that I needed to learn some respect and that I could get hurt I wasn't careful. He then walked back into the hobby shop. Needless to say that was the last time I raced.



[This message has been edited by mimono (edited 08-02-2000).]

[Sporttruck]

Lets all march back to that track and slap that guy across the face! I have just expereienced rudness at hobby shops, that's all really. If I ever owned a shop I would be friendly giving the best prices i can, and i would let people try trucks once and awhile.

[RichieRich]

This may not be a bad experience but it's funny.

Used to go to a hobby shop in Pomona, CA called the Ranch Pit Shop. It had THE WORST service. Do you know how frustrating it is when you are 14 years old and there are 10 people behind the counter not even noticing you need help? Now, I understand it's out of business. Yay! BTW, I'm 27 now so now I can mouth off to the idiots.

Recently I visited my LHS. Where do they find these people that work in hobby shops? Anyways, I was looking for parts for my old RC10 Team Car when the guy noticed my power poll connectors. He then said. "You should really upgrade those." Upgrade? Everybody knows you either run powerpoll or deans. So he turns around and grabs a couple of prewired Tamiya connectors and says that "These are the best." I told him that he was smoking crack and if I had a dollar for everyone of those that I've melted in the past, I could buy my own hobby shop and give bad hop-up tips just like him.

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RichieRich

"Once, when I was at bandcamp..."

[mavrick0611]

mimino, thats crappy, i have some one like that at my track, his name is breadman (he works at flowers bakery delering bread) any ways, he never has nothing nice to say when the races start. he abuses his car then when some one hits him like tap off a turn just racing about 2/5 of the time his truck stalls out. then cusses the person out. heres my story about him

one day last year i was racing my nitro rustler (on-road at the hobby town usa parking lot no tracks near me) and we were in the second heat and the track was E shaped and i had just taped the wall (to ast off the turn) and he passed me and as he passed his rear wheel hit my front and i turned in his direction by accident and he hit the pipe and and tried to regain control but couldnt and i flipped over the pipe. this was at the bottom of the E shapped track

then was a short straight a turn then the big staright, he was like 15 feet ahead of me, at the bottom of the track accelerating cause it was a stright. he also had a nitro rustler, and i got back on the track and i was faster than he was. i was coming up behind him, and for some reason i dont know hit the tre breakdid a 1/4 turn and smack! i hot his side, his engine went full thottle but his wheels werent turning. so i think i screwed up his tranny. and i didnt do that on purpose. but he deserved it,

then to be as rude as possible he went walking own the staright away with trcuks swerving and flipping not to hit him as he was pointing at me and saying something i couldnt hear him cause of the nitro r/cs. when he got to his pit table he threw it into the back of his truck, like a pro baseball player. what a jerk

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Hey if you can't run with the big doggs STAY ON THE PORCH!!!

What Did you say you think R/C is stupid wait till you arent looking and let me bash you in the leg with my nitro rustler!!!!

[mavrick0611]

$7 bucks for a photo copy when your a kid? thats just down right rude. i dont have any huge horro storys but i have a 2, not bad tho,

ok i was at the track one day racing and i broke a front suspension arm for my nitro rustler. (i didnt hit it hard it just couldnt take any nore abuse) so i went up to hobby town usa and they sold me a electric rustler arm. didnt work, took it back they didnt have a nitro arm. so i was out of racing for the day,
i called to fountain hobby center, which is owned by some snotty old people. i called and asked if they had the front suspension arm for a traxxas nitro rustler. they asked me for the item number!!! i didnt know, thats there problem so i found the number called back and they had it,
i got there the next day and went to pick it up i again had to give the item number, and they pulled out like 3 laundry baskets full of hpi parts, traxxas, and associated mixed up in the baskets.

no wonder they needed the item number!!!


then when you need parts from the store that they have one day but not the next ***** .
aj

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Hey if you can't run with the big doggs STAY ON THE PORCH!!!

What Did you say you think R/C is stupid wait till you arent looking and let me bash you in the leg with my nitro rustler!!!!

[agalanis]

RichieRich, ahh yes the great wise and informed hobby shop owners.

I was at this total dump of a hobby shop. Just looking around at the different cars. I was admiring the amount of dust collecting on a few of the car kits, particulairly this one Traxxas off road car kit, I think it was a Bullet. So anyways the guy behind the counter tells me that car is just as good as any other racing buggy. It's got all the same features and whatnot. I just laughed. I didn't tell the guy anything though.

No slag on Traxxass, I love their cars. But come on a 10 year old car, be as good as today's off roaders yeah right. I'll just go to the next main ROAR event with my Ultima.

My other beef with hobby shops are the guys that WAY over inflate the prices. Here in Canada, the Trinity Speed Jems cost about 50 bucks. I walk into this one store, and he's got it at $70. Thats insane. I really felt like asking him if he has sold any of those, and how come he's priced them $20 more than any other hobby shop?

Ok one last Speed Jems story. This one dude had both the orignal Speed Jems, and the Speed Jems2. I played dum and asked him what the difference was. He said they were the same. Ahhh yes, again a hobby shop owner keeping on top of the latest trends.

[mavrick0611]

lol, hobby town usa always tells me the differances. $70 for a speed gem??? thats a joke. i paid i think $30 for mine hobby town priced it at like $35 and tower at like 27. they went to 30 and took it, i owuld have had to pay shipping, also. but thats stupid.

[hpiguy]

HobbyTown is arip-off.

They have on their shevles the following items.

RS4 MT w/Ford body ...$179.99
Tamiya Clodbuster.....$259.99
Tamiya Hummer.........$219.99
RC10T3 Basic Kit......$199.99

Novak Millenium.......$169.99
Tekin 112A............$159.99
Novak Super Rooster...$129.99
Trinty 3000 Team Spec.$109.99


Come on folks they are way overpriced and have horrible service.

The Hobbytown in Green Bay, WI has this little tan bulldog that farts all the time. It's funny the first two times but then it gets rank in there.

**** dog follows you around sniffing your feet and farting.


The owner says it's a good shoplifting preventer.

Yeah nobody can be in there long enough to steal anything.

[StampedeShoe]

Well. im lucky. the guys at my hobby shop are real nice. but dont know a **** thing. especially if the guy who handles the RC cars isnt in. i always call b 4 i go up and see if hes there. if not i get a list and numbers. its funnny. there prices arent that bad. but i've found getting things through the mail is much easier. also both my trucks are electric and the only parts they carry are for nitro which means i have to order everything. Ive gone racing 3 times with my Stampede. Took first once. but all the guys who run Monsters are real nice and were all buddys.

[very low budget racer]

if you wanna hear about over pricing, an stupiddedness of clerks go to hobby town in quincy, a futaba attack stick radio is $120, nitro sport, $350 for kit, so on and so on, then i was tooking at a thundertiger 1/8th scale buggy the owner said it was the fastes car ever built, goes 100 and has a 2 speed, and he also said it was a ofna car not thunder tiger eventhogh the body is thundertiger and parts say thundertiger on them, also when ordering parts they come in in a month, also when i went to hobbytown usa in bellingham a 70yr old clerk works there and he cant do anything he kinda knows what he is talking a boot but he is soo slow, try ordering parts with this guy it took me bout an hour,

[pa_racer]

**** those are some LOL stories! Minimo if i was u and stoped racing after that guy ****** with u i would go back with my clod boots and stomp the **** outa his rc and run like hell. u shoulda kicked his *** . richerich that's some funny **** . everytime i go into any hobby store i feel uncomfortable. does anyone know how much they get the cars for in the first place? if tower sells a car for 120$ and the HS sells it for 180$, think about all the profit they're makin cuz tower already makes alot profit. they probably dont get a high quanity so they have to buy for alot but still the hobby shops could just buy them off tower. also why do they have to cost so much? at least tamiya's kits shouldn't cost that much becuz most are plastic. u buy em for 120 yet those little plastic tree parts cost them 5 cents to make. oh well, i guess thats what makes em exotic. the only reason i buy off hobby shops is becuz they can help u with building and tuning. they should pay more attention to the begginers though, and i hate when u want a part and they just say use this one it's the same thing. I never been to a hobby shop with dumb *** people though. all the ones i been to have good service, just high priceses thats all.

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:!**sHªñä!º8**!:
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[FLYBOY7]

just for the record.... the price listed on my millenium at hobby town was 133 bucks.... so the one here in st louis missouri is not bad on pricing at all.....

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~~FLYBOY7~~
RC10-B2
Losi Junior T

"you can never have enough fun, friends, or Horsepower!"

[RustlerRacin]

In the short time that I've been into RC (just a couple months now), I experienced rudeness from the hobby shop owners, a bias toward nitro power over electric, and ridiculous high prices.
I bought my Traxxas Rustler from Tower Hobbies because they had a great price. I made the mistake of telling a local hobby shop owner that and said to me "You really upset me by telling me that. You should support your local hobby shops. I don't care if you go to the guy down the street as long as you support us." I was like, uh, yeah, right, okay.
I then asked this guy for help with opinions on what Touring Car to get. He shows me that he's got the TC3 and The RS4 Sport 2. That was good because those were the two I'm interested in. He told me some info and then I asked how much they were. I couldn't believe as he told me the prices--they were like $20+ more than Tower and the other hobby shops. I kinda smirked to myself and tried to hold back a laugh as I walked out.
We're supposed to support them but the prices are so much higher. I don't have a lot of money to spend on this hobby. If I want a cheap little part then yeah I'll go local, but if I want something more I'm going with the mail order.

[sweeT-Maxx]

All I can say is that some LHS owners are really stupid. I could do a better job than most of them. I've got a couple of stories.

1. I dont know if anyone has heard of this store but theres a chain called Allied Hobbies. I go into one of their stores and ask if I can see their truck bodies. "We dont carry bodies" So I asked him what trucks hes got "What you see up on the shelf is what we've got." Yeah, all 3 of them. So I asked him if any of the other stores have a bigger selection. I went to their "R/C" store to find a guy standing behind the counter with a couple Stampedes and touring cars. I asked him a couple questions about nitro cars and listen to what he told me! "You dont want nitro. Electric is so much faster. My TC3 will beat a T-Maxx any day" What an idiot! Of course an electric touring car is gonna beat a Nitro monster truck. Oh well.

2. Now for a couple stories about my local hobby shop. I broke a camber link on my electric Rustler and called him up to see if he had a new one. "What the hell is a camber link?" What an idiot! "Do you have a part number?" No. "You need to get me a part number." I don't have one. "Hang on a second. Harvey! Do we have a camber link for a Rustler!?" "What the hell is a comber link?" I gave him the RPM number and hes like "We dont carry RPM" Ok, goodbye.

Here is a story about how under-stocked this place is. I went in there and asked the guy if I could get a bottle of 40 weight shock oil. "Uh...we stopped carrying shock oil. Not enough people were buying it." Umm...o...k... "Hang on a sec" He came back with a no name brand bottle of 30 weight and told me I could use that but I had to bring it back. He said its the only bottle he had and thats what he uses when someone needs their car tuned up. What a dipsh*t.

Whew...I'm glad I got all that out.



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Like my Maxx?
http://planetrc.tripod.com/tmaxx.jpg

[Bones]

the stores around were I live will pick you to the bone.When I went go buy a tc3 team package and they said it sold for $410 canada
it sells for $200 us hummmm

[Piester]

This is the message about RustlerRacin reply

I really don't see a problem dishing out an extra $20 or so for a new RC Car kit from a local hobby shop if they are very good. A local one near me charge on average about $15 more for kits. I would gladly pay that, the reason why, if I have a problem that I can't fixed, they are more than gladly to help me fix me car. I would only have to pay for the parts. I know where people have left there cars there overnight becuase they couldn't get them fixed and then picked them up the next day and are only charged for the parts, but someone else may have an extra 10 or $15 dollar charge put on. Doing it once, you still coming up ahead, but for some people for example who may just buy a RTR and dont' have a clue about what is wrong with it may be bring it in week after week, or month after month. But if someone who purchased the car, say from Tower Hobby, comes in and they know they didn't purchase the car from them, will be charged $25 an hour to work on it for them.

Brian Piesik

PS. I am not trying to pick on RTR kits either if my message should come across that way. I think it is a great way to get people into this great hobby.

[mimono]

What a lot of people don't think about, is that when they support their local Hobby Shop they are supporting their own hobby. For example, my experience has been that the local hobby shop is usually the one that has the track I race at. When everyone goes to Tower to save 10-20 bucks they are harming the Hobby shop buy not supporting it. After awhile, the hobby shop inevitably goes out of business and takes its track with it. The Hobby Shop generally isn't making a killing, they don't have the capital that tower has and doesn't get the discount when they buy 3-5 kits compared to 3000 kits that tower buys from the manufacturer. And of course the support that comes with purchasing it from your local guy.

I've had one very bad experience with a hobby shop owner as I posted earlier, but what I failed to mention is that when that incident took place my hobby shop guy banned the two men and went out of his way to keep me racing. He lost a lot of business by doing that, since the man that hit me took a lot of other drivers with him when he left. Most (there are obvious exceptions) hobby shop guys realize that you are going out of your way to support them when you buy from them. They know about Tower Hobbies and they know they can't compete with them financially. However, they can compete in service and I will gladly pay 20-25 bucks extra just for that.

ok I'm done ranting.

[hpiguy]

But when your like me and the LHS doesn't have any tracks, then all bets are off, and I'm going for the best deal.

[agalanis]

See thats just it though a lot don't compete at all with service. They just either don't know, or think they know too much, or know a lot and have this humugoid ego trip. I'm all for supporting LHS if they are nice guys without a big ego trip. I've found that you walk into a hobby shop and it's like they are doing you a favour by selling you this stuff.

There's this one hobby shop that whenever I walk in with my brother, we're the only people there. They have like 3 cars sitting on a shelf. The guy there just sits there. He looks like a statue. Doesn't say a single word. I sometimes think he doesn't even notice people walk in.

Fine LHS can't compete on prices most of the time... but lets be friendly a tad.

One more beef, because this is a HUGE one. I find it funny that some hobby shops like to be open 9-5 on a weekday. Thats brilliant, the time I'm at work, you're open, but after work when I can go to the shop you're closed. Sure I understand it's their shop, they can open any hours they want to. BUT WHY WOULD YOU BE OPEN WHEN MOST PEOPLE ARE AT WORK? That make el-zippo sence.

Finally price point.
one shop RS4-2 has it for $430 canadian dollars.
another shop RS4-2 has it for $380 canadian dollars.

Why would I go to the first one? So they can soak me again later? Not likely.

[very low budget racer]

eventhough the prices are more than tower hobbies at my LHS i like to go ther anyway, my parents wont let me get stuffoften online so my bro takes me to LHS's and i get my stuff it is the only way for me to prettymuch get anything, and everytime i go there i like to askk stupid questions and lagh at the respobnses i get, but none of my LHS's have tracks which suxs ive gon racign only 3 times over a 2 year period and had to always leave early so i always miss the a-main

[Piester]

So your local hobby shop doesn't have a track. Have you ever talked to them about your interest in having one? Hobby Shops have to make some money, if they don't they either get rid of an expense or they close down. I haven't seen any local hobby shops that make money off of just a race track but I am assuming there are some exceptions. If you just go into a hobby shop compare prices and leave then, why we that person put up a track, no one is interested in RC Cars, then why the track. I think sometimes people should put themselves into any business owners shoes and see how long they can wear them. The main purpose of any business in America is to make money, granted you may win the lottery and have a business just so you don't have to twiddle your thumbs all day but that is the exception to the rule.

I guess if you have such a harsh opinion of your local hobby shop maybe you should look into starting one yourself and become a leader in your community instead of a complainer all the time about how this hobby shop is bad and this one doesn't know anything, etc, etc.

[gubbs3]

HPIGUY- I called and asked the price of an NXT Racer guess what $325 http://www.rccaraction.com/ubb/mad.gif

[hpiguy]

Piester.

You live in my area.

Have you ever been to Pope's Hobbyland on 3rd Ave in Wausau?

If you have I wouldn't need to explain any more. He has no interest in a track, and only cares about selling the cars and parts. He is mainly an airplane guy who would probably rather not sell anything else but plane and train stuff.

Oh and the comment about just going out and buying my own hobby shop.....Got about 300G you can lend me for 20 or so years? If not I don't think it will work.

[dm76]

One of my LHS was the Ranch Pit Shop in Pomona, CA like richierich. He is totally right that placed sucked. Back in the day I was a kid racing a TQ-10 there, and they would hardly give me the time of day unless I flashed some cash in front of there face. Its too bad too, it was a decent off-road track. I guess it closed shop. Now I'm in a different state and my LHS is 70 miles away!

[pa_racer]

not only do u need money to start ur own store but u need experience on running stores otherwise ull go out of bussiness.

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[tmaxx keith]

at least you guy have local hobby shops. i live in a small town in oregon, and the closest hobby shop is about a 2 hours drive away. so i mainly order all my kits from tower, and my spares from the closest hobby shop that has what i need. (usually in california) and so it only takes like 3 days to get to me, but it still kinda ***** . But the few times i have been to the 2 hour away shops (2 of them) it hasnt been that bad. they usually have the parts i need, and are pretty smart and know what there talking about and dont try to sell me stuff i dont need. But one of them is crazy expensice! they want $12.95 for 1 quart of blue thunder race formula, and $29.95 for a gallon.
And sometimes they have stupid kids working there. Like one time, this guy one in the shop and was ready to buy a kit. And they had a T3 team, and a XXXT, both for $205 each. The guy didnt even care about the truck, he just wanted a cool chevy body. the kids told him that any truck body would fit either, and they had lots of em. So the kids told him to get the XXXT because it had all new suspension geometry, and would be a great racer, but the guy was just a basher. I was listening on their conversation, and the kids were stupid. they didnt say that the T3 had been out for a long time, and was a proven truck, or that it had lots of aftermarket support, ar that they carried all the replacement parts. they just said thet lots of people have it and its kinda old. and about the XXXT they thought was so great. they had no replacement parts for it, and it had barely any aftermarket support yet. and it was new, and might have some flaws. but the kids just pushed him into getting the losi because it was new and had good handling. what a smart bunch of kids.

Ok, sorry for rabmling but heres the cool part. my parents have owned a bakery for like 6 years, and know what they are doing with small businesses. And the business next door ( they are connected, its a strip mall type deal) moved, so it was vacant. and the building owner said we have top priority if we want it, and we can set rates. So my parents are going to open up a party shop (The Porta-Party maybe) and they said that if it goes through, i could have a corner of it to be a hobby corner. so i would get to stock some kits, and some other stuff. so i am stoked! i kinda get to open my own hobby shop. i think it will be cool,
but i need some info on where to get supplies retail. to you just order them from the manufacturer or what?
thanks,
keith

[agalanis]

Keith

It's big bucks to get a hobby shop going. You can get in touch with Great Plains and Horizon. Those are the two biggest suppliers in the States. With horizon though you need to send them pictures of the store and front signage. Not to burst your bubble but just having like 6 car kits in the shop is not going to bring in people. You're going to have to invest a whack load of money in inventory. Tons of parts. Just look at that hobby shop that you go to, even if it's not fully stocked there's tons of stuff in there. This really is something like a $300k investment.

[oldtimeRCer]

In most cases the LHS pay about the same for a car kit as what tower sells it to the public for and i know some lhs do have a huge mark up but if your nice and talk to them most of the time they will lower the price if they can your lhs has to pay rent inssurance utility bills payroll and other things to stay running so they have to charge alittle more and if you don't buy there and they close down the next time you can't get your car running what are you going to do? just sit there and look at it because you have noone around to ask for help and did you guys know that towerhobbies is greatplains? the distributer thats how they sell so cheap.

[t3stud]

in houston there is a hobby shop that is so pothetic. I went there to get a rear a arm for a t3 but didnt have the part #. The guy goes and gets a losi xx book. i sais no, a rc10t3! he says " thats losi isnt it?" i said no team ae, well he didnt have a book so he sold me some rc10t arms, they ddint fit!
this place has 0 of the latest parts, they have origanal rc10 parts and losi jrx1 stuff, and they have a really bad attitude, like they dont trust you

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until next time..
brt#447

[Project MadMaXX]

How about wondering why Tower Hobbies takes 11 days to get my orders too me?

That's the best I've got, since they don't allows them thar horror hang out in my local hobby shop, they makes 'em go down to the 7-11 on the corner!


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Shane
Project MadMaXX
www.4x4LA.com/madmaxx/ (http://www.4x4LA.com/madmaxx/)

[T-MAXX and beyond]

hey you guys i know hobbytown is way overpriced and has bad service man do i know that. B ut anyways you gotta come to my local hobbyshop they are the nicest people in the world cheap prices can order everything and are helpful to everyone.
http://www.rccaraction.com/ubb/smile.gif http://www.rccaraction.com/ubb/smile.gif http://www.rccaraction.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

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My other car is my t-maxx

[RustlerRacin]

One of the things that really annoys me is when people spend other people's money for them or assume that an added expense for them is okay for others.
I'm on a really strict budget when it comes to something like my R/C hobby. I would love to be able to spend the extra $20 or so to be able to go to a local hobby shop and support them with my purchases. But, if I can get what I need a lot cheaper through mail order I have to go that way.
I should not feel like I'm being restricted or looked down upon in my pursuit of this hobby. People who can spend a lot of money on it are going to be a bit better for that reason, but if I can spend what I can and concentrate more on developing my skills as a racer then that's what I'll do.
Oh, and another reason why I'll buy from a mail order is because, as I said in my first post, the hobby shops near me were rude and seemed very ill-prepared. If I'm not going to get the service that seems to be the main reasoning everyone gives for supporting the hobby shop, then why should I bother. If I need inexpensive parts that I can figure out myself then, yeah, I'll go to the hobby shop.
Also, to briefly comment on the RTR aspect, my current and first R/C was the Electric Rustler. I bought it RTR because I was very excited about getting into R/C and because I wanted to see just how much I would like this hobby before I spent extra money that I really don't have. Well, now that I'm really enjoying this hobby I'm going to be getting a touring car later this month. I will be buying a kit and look forward to putting it together.

Originally posted by Piester:
This is the message about RustlerRacin reply

I really don't see a problem dishing out an extra $20 or so for a new RC Car kit from a local hobby shop if they are very good. A local one near me charge on average about $15 more for kits. I would gladly pay that, the reason why, if I have a problem that I can't fixed, they are more than gladly to help me fix me car. I would only have to pay for the parts. I know where people have left there cars there overnight becuase they couldn't get them fixed and then picked them up the next day and are only charged for the parts, but someone else may have an extra 10 or $15 dollar charge put on. Doing it once, you still coming up ahead, but for some people for example who may just buy a RTR and dont' have a clue about what is wrong with it may be bring it in week after week, or month after month. But if someone who purchased the car, say from Tower Hobby, comes in and they know they didn't purchase the car from them, will be charged $25 an hour to work on it for them.

Brian Piesik

PS. I am not trying to pick on RTR kits either if my message should come across that way. I think it is a great way to get people into this great hobby.

[agalanis]

Here's a new one that happend to me last night. This one customer was asking about any tracks nearby. There's one indoor in my area. It's huge. Anyways, the summer help were just making up prices how it would cost $6 an hour to practice. They continued on to say how the cars get all smashed up because people there don't care. They also comment on how the track is made out of 2x4's and cement blocks. The guys doing all this talking seemed to be the summer help. Bad mouthing another place is definately not cool at all. Not to mention these guys don't even have their own track. Now if I ever see these guys at the track I'll have to ask them what they are doing there?

[rcracer_xxxt_futaba]

It's cause it comes US mail. Most other orders come U.P.S.
Originally posted by Project MadMaXX:
How about wondering why Tower Hobbies takes 11 days to get my orders too me?

That's the best I've got, since they don't allows them thar horror hang out in my local hobby shop, they makes 'em go down to the 7-11 on the corner!

[very low budget racer]

i love to support my local hobby shop, everytime i go in i atleast get a little bottle of ca glue, can never have too much, soo what if i pay extra speed gems motors are 27+7bucks shipping=$34 at tower and 40 at my lhs and by the time the package gets to my hous i would have gladly hav paid the extra money and i get discounts when purchasing alot of stuff and i dont have to ask for my parents credit cards to buy stuff which they usually dont let me do concidering my report card that i got last year

[Piester]

Agalanis, you may spend too much time looking at Hobby Town Franchises. If any business took lots of investment they probably wouldn't be anything to start out with. I have my own side business I run out of my house, not a hobby shop. But it keeps me busy and I may start out doing more later. A hobby shop doesn't have to contain everything from RC Cars and Airplane to Pokemon Cards to Metal Detectors. If a person is interested in RC Cars, why not start out with a small investment and just sell those. He/she may decided to branch out and carry a bigger inventory of RC Cars or may add something else like model railroads. Just because it doesn't have every type of hobby imaginable doesn't mean that it can't be a hobby shop. Some hobby shops that I have been to, the privately owned ones and not franchise, usually are more specific to certain interests to other like plastic models, RC Vehicles, model railroads, etc, etc.

I think it would be a great venture for Keith to start out and see what happens. I have seen some hobby shops with 6 RC car kits and few parts and nothing else. If they can run why can't anyone else.

agalanis
Member posted 08-08-2000 11:39 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Keith
It's big bucks to get a hobby shop going. You can get in touch with Great Plains and Horizon. Those are the two biggest suppliers in the States. With horizon though you need to send them pictures of the store and front signage. Not to burst your bubble but just having like 6 car kits in the shop is not going to bring in people. You're going to have to invest a whack load of money in inventory. Tons of parts. Just look at that hobby shop that you go to, even if it's not fully stocked there's tons of stuff in there. This really is something like a $300k investment.

[Hawkeye]

In Edmonton, we have this one hobby shop, Hobby Lobby, it's run by this old guy who knows nothing about 'real' R/C, except that he stocks them, I once asked him if he had an HPI rally car and he told me that because it was to expensive($250 Cdn), broke easily, and had NO replacement parts, I should by a NIKKO monster Truck!? When I was pricing out an M8 radio he said that all the features were, and I quote, "...a load of crap..." I told him that I'd be racing and he suggested I buy a used AM unit from him, HA! http://www.rccaraction.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif And everyone that I have ever talked to that has even spoken to him thinks he's one of the biggest jerks in town, no one here likes him.

[rcracer_xxxt_futaba]

I have a little one. "The fat guy at Hi desert Bikes" Is what everyone calls him. I asked him if the rear suspention arms are the same on the xxt "CR" and xxx-t and he said "No!" And that nothing was the same on the xxx-t! I also so asked about the dog bones and he said "No"!!!!!!! AND the most stupid ? I asked him if the new "Logo" wheels from team losi fit the xx-t and again he said "NO"!!!!! He said trinity doesn't make pin braces for the xxx and he said the tamiya connectors are better than Deans!!!!!!

------------------
If it ain't fast, don't race IT!!!!!!!!

[very low budget racer]

yesturday i purchased a used losi nxt gp for 150, including engine servos, reciever. I took it to my LHS cuz i needed a new rod for the engine, they wanted to look inside, so they took off the engine, took the head off, took out the butt sink and looked in side for and debris and removed it all and took out the rod, they then ordered the rod for me, and when i asked how much it would be they only charged me for the rod and helped me out cuz im new to nitro. thats the differernce when going to a LHS

[agalanis]

Piester said...
I think it would be a great venture for Keith to start out and see what happens. I have seen some hobby shops with 6 RC car kits and few parts and nothing else. If they can run why can't anyone else.

Yeah but how many of us would go to that store and get parts, paint, advice? NONE. I hate it when toyshops try to be hobby shops and say that they can order the part in for us. Thats great, I can order it in myself. Keith was saying how he'd order a few kits and just have them there. Thats not much of a hobby shop. As for Hobby Town, we don't have them up in Canada. I've actually gotten in touch with Horizion and asked what it would take for them to supply me as a hobby shop. They need information about the store, pictures, and what signage you have out front. So who would supply Keith with kits? I've been told that kits have the least mark up on them so that they can be competative, all the real money is made in hop-up and replacement parts. Keith its up to you, you can try to open up a hobby shop with only 6 kits, but I don't think it will fly.

very low budget racer said...
and when i asked how much it would be they only charged me for the rod and helped me out cuz im new to nitro. thats the differernce when going to a LHS

Thats great. I wish there were more hobby shops like that. Thats when you should spend cash at a LHS like that. Not the places that think they are a garage, and take your car in for a week or so repair it, then give it back. If most hobby shops were as good as that then we wouldn't have this thread to read.

[Nitro_Rustler_15]

My LHS has a really hard time getting parts, I've been waiting over 2 months to get my MIP CVD's from them, and yesterday when I needed a spur gear, they said they didnt have any and would have to order them. I bought my Rustler through Tower Hobbies and saved over $200 because i did. There a great company and all but ordering from Canada is a pain, especially since the shipping charges are over $30 bucks which is a lot since I'm only 15 working at a Wendy's. Ordering parts from them would help me but then Im stuck paying shipping for a spur gear, which costs less then the shipping cost, but now im going off topic. The prices in Canada are sooooo much higher then in the US. My LHS was selling a nitro sport not RTR for $450CDN!!! Thats how much I spent for my Rustler RTR with spare parts from Tower Hobbies. Ne wayz Im through now, thanx for letting me sound off. :-)

[hpiguy]

Rustler 15.

I read your post, and although I don't have much help for you on your subject I wanted to congratulate you.

You seem like a smart young person who knows the value of working for what you get.

Keep that up and you'll go far.

Good for you.

It's kids like you that give us hope for the future.

Not these spoiled brats who get it all right away and never work for a living.

Too bad kids like you are the minority nowadays.

[Piester]

Hmm, kind of sounds like what Keith would be starting out wouldn't it. Just like taking a car to the neighbor to get fixed. Because he is small, friendly, and probably give you the best service.

But wait, he doesn't sell new cars, so I guess you shouldn't take them there because he probably doesn't have the parts on hand, and he probably can't sell you a new car if you decided to do that.

Originally posted by agalanis:
Thats great. I wish there were more hobby shops like that. Thats when you should spend cash at a LHS like that. Not the places that think they are a garage, and take your car in for a week or so repair it, then give it back. If most hobby shops were as good as that then we wouldn't have this thread to read.

[Alta-b3racer]

Hawkeye,
I have delt with the same hobby lobby moron you are talking about, he told me that welded battery packs are more efficient than soldered packs. I asked him if that was true why do the pros solder, instead of welding and he just brushed it off with some stupid answer that almost made me laugh out loud.
P.S. if you race off-road please e-mail me.

[stampederacer]

i got a good storie from my local offroad track. I'm only thirteen, witch means i get a small allowence, and i have to save up for a long time to get a car, but it's worth it when you get out on the track.
Being short on cash, i got a traxxas stampede, whitch i know is'nt the best truck, but they can be fun when you beef them up.
When i went to my first race, everyone was really cool, and glad to have a new racer at the track. Exept for one person.
The owner of the tracks son, he's a real jack-*** , he had everey thing given to him, and of course he has three top of the line losi cars, with all top equipment. The little badmouth won't leave me the hell alone about my "dirt cheap car". My dad might not drive a b.m.w. like his, but atleast i put forth an effort to try and race. Next season if thid kid does'nt **** -off, i'll smash his losi with my high ridi'n stampede and punch the little brat in the face.

If you got somethin bad to say about my "dirt cheap car" then e-mail me, my car is hopped up to the sky and i'll crush your nimble losi a-arms, and grind the body up and use it as a nice liner to my tool box.

http://www.rccaraction.com/ubb/mad.gif http://www.rccaraction.com/ubb/mad.gif http://www.rccaraction.com/ubb/mad.gif http://www.rccaraction.com/ubb/mad.gif http://www.rccaraction.com/ubb/mad.gif

[rc10 MIKE]

I had a guy at my LHS cut the crank on my new OS .12 CVR, and he cut it too short!


Luckily, I got a brand new engine and this time, he cut it the right length!

[FMX_Redth]

The prices in Canada are sooooo much higher then in the US. My LHS was selling a nitro sport not RTR for $450CDN!!! Thats how much I spent for my Rustler RTR with spare parts from Tower Hobbies.

these prices are "higher" because of exchange rate.... 1 dollar american currency is worth about 1.50 canadian... so, there for, a nitro sport rtr would be about 300 american... so its not INSANE prices, just its the exchange rate...


hey, try www.ecmc.com (http://www.ecmc.com) east coast model center... they have very reasonable prices, and awesome service.. they're based in p.e.i. which is in canada....

[clancy]

Well I think we can all agree that service has degraded in all but a few industries. Small shops pay little for their help, and thus get what they pay for. Who suffers, we the consumer. I am greatful to have a hobbyshop near me. I have purchased two vehicles from them. And I have bought 2 mail order. After all said and done it broke even. The HObbytown price was not too terribly high and I had to pay more for shipping with Tower. The only issue I have is parts support. I end up mail ordering bulk parts to stock up because I simply can't get them local. But if they have it in stock I'll buy it from them. Also with a lhs you get to interact and talk with other hobbyists (sp). Tower doesn't offer that. (bbs excluded). I think they are both neccesary. I have to wonder if the manufacturer doesn't play some role in the price war. If they give a **** about the end user, they would offer the small lhs a better price for smaller volume. They are the ones supporting racing at the local level and that is where they generate interest in the hobby, and thus business for themselves. :confused:

[TA03 Drive Hard]

My LHS is ok... but i am never gonna let them solder anything again... at the time i was inexperienced at soldering... i wanted deans plugs solder to my LRP ESC for the battery connector... so this dude does it for me... at the same time i told him to solder a female dean plug to my battery... when he finished i wanted to plug it in and see how it was... well i plugged it in and turned on the switch... next thing i know the esc started smokin like crazy... i was like what the H-E-double hockey sticks is goin on!?!?!? :mad: :eek: :mad: :eek: :mad: i said hey dude you solder my esc the wrong way... he took it back for some reason then unsoldered the plug and told me he had it right... i was gonna argue with him but my bro told me it's his word against mine... i so freakin mad... i swore to myself never to get any maintainance done... period... till this day i still want to beat him to a pulp... but now i do my own work... and all my solder jobs are professional looking... better than my LHS... for all those who live in Chicago... you know which LHS i'm talkin bout... :D

[chizzler]

hmmmm, considering theres only one.....

they work with a lot of nitro though....

[BMainBH]

This is not a hobby shop horror story but I feel a point needs to be made. This last week my LHS with indoor onroad and outdoor offroad track put up new lights for the outdoor track. The track really needed them. It just so happened that during one of my heats the track owner came up on the drivers stand and overheard a fellow racer complaining about the lights being too bright. I just dont get it. This man just spent a lot of money that he won't get back trying to make his track a better place. I know you can't please everybody all the time. But people need to realize when to keep their comments to themselves.

Also, on the issue of paying more at the hobby shop: I am fortunate enough to not mind at all paying a couple bucks more here and there at my LHS, within reason. Once again, this guy doesn't have to be doing this!(running a hobby shop) Believe me there are not many millionare hobbyshop owners out there and this guy could definately take up a different carrer and make a LOT more money. So give a little respect where respect is due and support you local hobby shop. :cool:

[TCorzett]

Hey guys (and the ocasional gal) I have spent the last few minutes reading through all the comments and stuff on this page.

LHS are probably the best thing for the hobby. I remember when I was a kid (about 10 years ago) I got my first RC10. It was great, there was a full hobby shop in my town, they even had an indoor off-road track (rated #5 in the world at the time). It was great to have a shop that I could buy parts from, and even a track to race on.

A few years later the shop closed down, the track closed down, and there was no where to get parts. When you are 10 years old, LHS are the only places you can get the parts you need. I remember riding my bike accross town to get a new set of tires, it was great! The service was never the best, and the prices were a little high, but it was somewhere to buy parts!

Right now there is no shop within an hour of my house. I have to drive almost 60 miles to get to the closest shop! I do, however, make the trip because I'd much rather talk to someone, and support the shop so it doesn't close down.

In SoCal where I go to school there is an awesome track and shop. I was buying a FTTC3, Airtronics M8, chargers, batteries, etc, etc, etc. I could get all those parts from somewhere like TowerHobbies, but I would much rather pay the extra $25 to make sure that shop will be there in the future. Also, I checked out TowerHobbies before I went, and the shop owner came very close to their prices (gave me like %15 off). Many times if you explain to the shops that you would like to buy from them, but that TowerHobbies has lower prices, they will make you a deal. Seriously people - TowerHobbies buys so many parts they get HUGE discounts over the LHS, and the LHS just can't compeat with them as far as price, and selection (the reason why I bought my 1/8 gas buggie from towerhobbies -- should be here today!!).

I think that the overal thing learned is that, LHS are the things that keep the hobby going in the area. Support them as much as you can, and you'll be happy in the long run.


A side note to this --- many shops are a total pain in the *****! I agree with many of the comments said above, but if you find a good friendly shop, support it!

Best of luck to everyone -- and have fun racing!

-Todd...

[tadium54]

Rustler 15
i'm just like you. I work at Tim Hortons and always heave to save up my money(minium wage)
Its good that kids are working to get the things that bringnthem happiness. Once I got my job, R/c seemed so much easier for me because of the prices

Todd- I aggree with you. The prices at my shop are actually quite reasonable. I like to support them.

I also think that sometimes(actually, in this case, many times) we get i d i o t s as hoppy owners and/or workers(XXXER, not you ;)

A few bad apples can ruin the barrell


Im lucky that my LHS (Smitty Built R/C) is pretty good. When i was getting ;)

Actually, If the members of this Bulletin board owned and worked in a big giant shop, everything would be great! :D

[KC10Chief]

Hey BMainBH, where do you race at? Competition RC? I notice you live in Yukon. I like the new lights out at Competition RC. They're perfect. I'll be out there racing tonight. I have a black and blue electric RC-10 buggy, RC-10GT, and a T-Maxx that looks like the van from Dumb and Dumber.
When I lived in New Jersey, the hobby shop I went to for my airplanes was excellent, but he didn't sell any car stuff, and all the shops within an hour and a half of my house were terrible for cars. I went to this place close to Trenton where I bought my T-Maxx. I knew nothing about it and the guy had a used one up on the counter that looked really nice. He told me it had all sorts of hop ups on it and was selling it for about 375 bucks. He said that I couldn't find one anywhere for less than 550 new. I wish I had shopped around! When I bought it and started learnign more about it, I learned that there were absolutely no hop ups on it. It had a pull start TRX engine that was shot, and that was it. Everything was stock. I was furious that I had been ripped off, but I went back and politely asked for help with my engine. He got hostile and told me that I must have ruined the engine myself. I couldn't get the engine to run for more than a minute. Then he told me that I got the truck dirty and that's not good for a T-Maxx. I was like ***?!?!? All that was on it was dust from driving in my front yard. Also, the radio quit working on me on the second day. He refused to help me, or give me another one and was very rude about it. I called the BBB on them but that was about all I could do. So, I paid 375 for a T-MAxx when I could have got a brand new one for less than 400 in much better shape. I wound up buying a new radio (XR3), and a new engine OS .21. I wish I had shopped around and not been an impulse buyer!
At my track, I've never seen any behavior that was too juvenile, but I've seen some childish stuff at my RC airplane clubs. This again was in NEw JErsey. Some guy came out one day with a trainer and flew around a couple minutes and on landing, he came in a little fast and broke the prop and knocked the firewall loose. No big deal and it could have been fixed at the field. But this 50 year old guy flew into a tantrum, screaming and cussing in front of everybody. He went out and stomped the **** out of his plane and then proceeded to do a transmitter javelin toss. He ran back to the pits and paced back and forth for a few minutes, went out and picked up his stuff, loaded everything but the plane, and smashed the plane in the garbage and took off. As soon as he rounded the corner I was in the dumpster digging for servos. I have no shame when it comes to dumpster diving for good radio gear and an engine! Matt

[Nitro_Rustler_15]

Heh I was reading this thread and noticed my post, that was like 5 months ago, lol. Yea I quit my job and now I can't afford anything, bad mistake on my part :( But now my LHS isn't so bad, the prices are still high but at least they have parts.

[kartrun]

Just to give you a clue how bad my lhs is,i went in the other day and asked for battery tape and they said "battery tape?Thats a new one to me!!"....Can you believe that crap? :eek:

[marvinthemartian]

Hawkeye, you shop at Hobby Lobby too, eh? So do I. Yes, he does know SFA. This guy has told me that after run oil is the biggest rip off around. he takes aircraft fuel and swaps a litre of methanol to lower the %nitro just so there's more castor. Also drops the % lube, but he doesn't tell you that. He wants to open a track, but for money, not to support the hobby. $2 for each marshal of your car, $20 just to race, etc. He wants to charge for each and every service. He has even asked me what is a good 1/8 buggy. I tell him what I think, and his reply to each is that he can't get parts for them! A hobby shop owner CAN'T get parts? I only shop there to buy parts for old kits that i am restoring, not for new stuff because he is WAY overpriced.

[DaLoSiGuYWiTdAxXxNt]

I went to this hobby store to buy a .12 CV-R and got it for $120. Then I went to my LHS and looked at the CV-R and it was $181!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :eek: