timmey

Good day out ...rain held off...see ya all on the 5 th of Aug...

OZracer

iTrader: (6)

Any one tell me which shops have a complete range of Associated parts for the B4 as I can't get basic parts (like shock towers)as they all say their is no parts available at the moment. so do I just don't race or ring up overseas myself and get them from places I know can supply me with what I want and have them here within 10 days.

ant0276

iTrader: (2)

Actually, I don't understand.

It is only recently that the hobby shops I frequent have got back on side, and without being bashful, when I talked to at least two of them they initially told me to p**s off. It took a lot of talking to get them to come around. This happened earlier this year, and they have since helped sponsor prizes for events such as the inter-club challenge, as well as push electric off road cars at the entry level. People been noticing the multiplication of 540 drivers recently?
Most of them are driving Duratraxx Evaders, bought from hobby stores. Unless they have all gone in knowing exactly what they want, the shops have either
a) helped the off road electric scene by steering them toward this buggy
or
b) helped the Off road electric scene by not talking them into a touring car

Shop owners seem to talk to each other, and I regularly see a particular operator in another's store buying up parts for his own operation.

If someone is starting a specialist eBay business, under a PTY LTD company (and if the business in question is the one I think it is this is what's occurring) and they have chosen the Online option as their business model it is nothing but another competing interest in the marketplace. There is plenty of overhead in setting up an online business, I can tell you this first hand, as I've done it myself, and helped others do it. However you run, you need inventory, and to get prices to customers that are competitive this means ordering big. A $1200pcm shop front should not be that difficult to sustain, and if the rent is more than the inventory cost of any comodity based business, I daresay that business is either in trouble, or not realising it's potential. Before anyone jumps up and down and says "how do you know?" my factory is 22000sq ft and I lease it. The first week in every month pays the rent, the second pays the staff and the Tax-man. Last two weeks pay me.

There is no reason at all why online and shop-front businesses can't live side by side. Both have advantages, I personally like going to a store (for the social side of things as well as the convenience of being able to eyeball fancy parts I don't actually need).

The market will decide where they spend their money and I for one would rather buy from a known Australian Online business than from an overseas one.

Let's not cry fowl about the hobby shop factor, unless everyone who is speaking out can categorically say that they have never made an online purchase for their car. The world is now a global marketplace, and for me (who sells reproduction vintage bodies over the net) this is a good thing. Do I think the net will replace the shop front? Only if the shops can't compete on either service or price. Good prices=customers. Good service=customers. You'd be surprised how many people don't care what a part costs if they can have it yesterday.

The only thing I think is inappropriate, as Cantona said in his initial post is that if people start car booting at the club, it is detrimental to everyone. I don't think someone (a vendor) brining a part to the track for delivery of a pre-arranged purchase falls in to this category, only people setting up shop instead of going racing.

Anyway, no one but the initial author is sure who this topic of conversation relates to, but any business, shop front or otherwise deserves to be able to operate ethically and without interference. Any new player makes the existing players nervous in any small marketplace.

You never know, I might set up an Ebay store of my own. Got some Idle cash at the moment looking to do some work.........

Na, reckon I'd get a better return by putting it in the bank and watching telly

Good luck to all the vendors, may the race be as exciting as the battle on the track.
-a

cantona

Ant- flash back to 2001-2002 and go into some of the bigger shops in melbourne and they will tell you aggressively that their is no off road racing in melbourne and your only option is touring car. Slowly we worked on a some of them and they came around. But many will still only go this way.


I dont care what anyone says, they are not good for it, definately not good for the australian RC industry, which as some people cannot see, happens to feed our humble interest.

memyselfandI

iTrader: (1)

Cantona, I understand what you are saying, but with every arguement about buy locally they support us .. there is an arguement about globalisation and being competitive....this is seen in most industries world wide... I really think that people need to realise that the way of doing business has changed.

memyselfandI

iTrader: (1)

just a different perspective is all... I am not saying it is wrong or right...

cantona

all i have to say is dont bite the hand that feeds...

willabong

iTrader: (11)

Timmy - are you running @ the vic titles? if not - why not?

l know a bunch of guys are heading over this way from Ryper RC in WA to mount a challenge to the title.

memyselfandI

iTrader: (1)

I hear you brother....

rodbmw2002

To all at the track on Sunday 1st July,
I must apologise for my actions if any one was offended by my vocal display towards another club member, I should have not involved everyone in the problem at hand, and should not have spoken that way no matter how annoyed I was at the situation.

ant0276

iTrader: (2)

So, So, hungry.........................

Why is it that the Japanese don't go without. Maybe it's because they hunt whales?

Unavailable locally in stores (phone calls were made as a little experiment for common parts I and a couple of mates commonly need)

B4 front shock towers
501X rims
B4 87t spur
501X shock stays
501X arms

These cars seem to be the competitve ones around at the moment, and I hate to think who stocks parts for the BJ4 and the Lazer ZX5.

Market forces = a new supplier will fill the niche. The net has brought us these new suppliers.

What is available is nitro monster trucks by the thousands and rtr 1/10 and 1/8 gassers both on and off road. No much good for the serious electric racer, really

Anyway, you get my point.

A new local supplier is a good thing, it gets the existing suppliers to compete and either not carry the niche goods filled by the new suppliers, of make them available and attempt to get their slice of the pie through pricing, service and marketing.

You can tell I'm a businessman, though but trust me, my heart is in the right place. Ask any of the local stores to Boronia or Dandenong, and the staff will tell you I go there first, net second.

B4james

iTrader: (13)

Hey Ant,

About the only place I know that is stocking any 501X parts in Australia is Castle hill hobbies in Sydney which can ship overnight for any emergencies. Their prices are not too bad, but are obviously not close to those of Japan or Hong Kong, once again due to Tamiya's two tier pricing system.

ant0276

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for that info, I'll keep that in mind.

Might treat myself to a new set of diff pulleys.

cantona

Ant- Look i know how it all works. People are just not getting what im trying to say. At the end of the day hobby shops get first crack at 90% of people that get into rc and then maybe rc racing.

Every facet of RC racing has internet customers. look its a fact of life, things are cheaper and with alot of cases, availability is much better.

If racers however got down to the LHS and supported him with purchasing odds and ends even. Im not saying they must religiously get down there and buy buy buy. We live in free country, people can do whatever they want.

But.... if for say, our segment of rc (EP off road), generally starting backing shops more and they would recognise this interest and perhaps keep a little more stock which would eventually lead to better prices. I know still not competitive from the net perspective but a start...

Then, the shops think, "well okay, i cant compete full on with the net, but these guys still support me and i sell alot of consumables like tyres and stuff, HEY IM GONNA SEND PEOPLE DOWN TO THE TRACK"

The reverse of this is what killed us many many years ago. Thus been my point the whole time........................................

ant0276

iTrader: (2)

Cantona, I do hear you, I really do. I simply don't beleive that a new player who has chosen the net as their sales platform in Melbourne is an enemy to all others and will drive people away from the tracks. They can just as easily provide encouragement to get to their local as the Shop front and possibly even support their local club.

Let's hope this happens, and in the case of the business I beleive to be in question we have the power as potential customers to steer this support.

I was chatting to Davon down at the dandenong store about this yesterday when I went to buy a new motor. His attitiude was healthy. If it is un economic for them to carry certain stuff, a new player to fill the void is a good thing (as it's not a direct competitor). They won't stop advertising the Clubs, but may pick up business as a result of a few different supported species of car for which the new player has shortfalls in consumables such as tuned motors, shock oils, paints for bodies and the like.

Guess it all comes down to how you look at the marketplace. Threats and opportunities are the external parts of any SWOT, and they cause the operators to asses their strengths and weaknesses.

Aint competition Grand.

BTW there are plenty of items that you'd be mad to buy off the net when you account for postage costs and time to deliver. Locals always have the advantage as long as they market themselves correctly.

Anyway, I think we are saying the same thing. Support your Local shops. My definition is simply a little broader than some as to what a shop is.


On a brighter note is anyone making the treck to Keilor this week-end?

Thought I might squeeze in some practice over there for the vics.