dallasv8

iTrader: (4)

our local shop stocks parts for what they sell plus they also race so they have an idea on what cars ,buggies etc get raced so they stock parts for them as well as long as there are a couple of them.
if somone has something really exotic,they will try and get what you need in but wont stock lots of bits for you.

prices now days have to be competetive up to a point to compete with the internet,although sometimes its virtually impossible to match prices.

GroffBall

iTrader: (10)

I don't mind paying a higher price for most items, but consumables (tires, fuel etc...) are priced to high at my LHS. I know what they pay for everything and to keystone (100% markup) consumables is just not right in my mind. I understand that type of markup on parts that the owner may or may not end up sitting on for a long time, but tires should rotate through if the price is right. Another thing that drives me nuts is having to know the part number of everything I want. I literaly have to go onto AMAIN's site and get the part number just so I can have my LHS order it. A computer in the shop with an internet connection would solve this problem. Now that AMAIN ships USPS and I can get stuff in 3 days without paying an arm and a leg most stuff I just order from there. Now things my LHS has in stock I purchase for the convenience and the fact I've known the guy for going on 20 years now and used to travel to races with him for years. I try to do as much as I can but whe I can save $20 bucks on a set of tires by going online its hard not to.

savage.25

there's a hobby shop about 15-20 mins from me and they deal with mostly traxxas and t-maxx's so its kinda hard to get savage parts from them and they are really expensive. there is another hobby shop about an hour from me and their prices arent bad but when you order parts from them they are usually on backorder so it takes forever to get ur parts. but they are cheaper than the other shop i mentioned.

crazy4wdracer

iTrader: (25)

there are four hobby shops that are close to me and only one of them have parts for losi's all of the other ones just sell traxxas parts, so the only thing that i really buy from my other three local hobby shops is fuel.

FroBoy

iTrader: (7)

Too many guys call on the phone knowing what they need, but not having a clue what its called. So we have to try and decipher what it is, and then those same guys get all pissed off when they come in and we don't have it...(which is a really, really rare occasion)

That's why I would rather have somebody come in with their vehicle, or look in their instruction manual for a part # before they call on the phone asking for "the thing that goes into the deal on the left of the thing."

Plus, we have point of sale computers that show what is in stock and what isn't based on part #'s. If you want to know if you're part is in stock, calling with a part # is the best way to get that done.

If you're in the store I can look in the instruction manual, have you point at the part, go to the shelf and get it for you.

PAPA

....should of bought a Mugen..... I know your not knocking Larry's knowledge. What the %^(&* are you doing buying a kit that your LHS does not support. Is that not the first thing you consider when buying a new kit?

Timmahh

iTrader: (16)

im My area there are 5 LHS within about 1 hrs drive. If i had to BUY what the 5 of them supports, then i would own NOthing but traxxas crap. only one sells parts for other than traxxas, and in the most cases he is the most expensive one. For example, i bout a OS P3 Turbo plug from one LHS at 9.00, the same price as tower, but the LHS that has all the good parts wants 12.00 and wont budge on the price. even after i said i can order it form tower 25% less and buy it off the shelf of another local LHS for that same 9.00. He said, my price is 12.00 period. so i dont buy NOTHING from him unless i MUST Have it and he has the item in stock. he is also the CLosest LHS to me... but the others only crry traxxass parts. another one is starting to carry more (paintball store, expanding into RC aswell) but atm only carries XTM, Traxxasssss, and some Muegen items.

other than that, i order on line. a hell of alot cheaper, and much less frustrating, especially when you call up asking for stuff in stock, they say yes they have it, drive 40Plus minutes one way to get it, and get there only to find what they DO have onhand is NOTHING like what you asked for on the phone.

Jason Halvorson

iTrader: (22)

NO!!!! i tried this but my LHS sold me a buggy and truggy that they said they would be stocking parts for, after almost a year no stocked parts, so now i buy what i want and feel is good, not what some flyboy thinks is good and can BS's his way through the sale with.....

PAPA

Sounds like your LHS can not be trusted to tell you the truth. Thats sad. The money for these guys is not there in kits. Everytime I walk in to my LHS I count on spending $100 bucks, for parts, plugs, hardware, tires etc... I have never been stumped on a part for my Buggy or Truggy, parts are the same or real close to online pricing, tires are just a dollar or two more, and motors are right on the button sometimes better then online.

Additionaly, the dude that runs the store is great at problem solving, and has the knowledge and experience to get you out of a jam, back on the track and into the A-main. I have found though that if you walk in with a filthy dirty hacked together POS, complaining about pricing your level of service will be a bit uhh.. different.

wlfgnggtr

iTrader: (6)

For my location, my Lhs is great. I do shop online, but I do buy a lot of parts, fuel and tires at the Lhs. They don't carry the parts for my 8's as there is only one other person in town running the 8's, so I can understand the no parts issues. When I do order parts from the Lhs, they are quick to come in, and they do follow up by calling me and letting me know my parts are in. The pricing is a little higher than buying online, but I also save on the shipping. The staff (owner) is very knowledgeable and very helpful, and is willing to listen to me as he wants to learn more about newer products that he doesn't know about.

I do stop into the Lhs's in the larger cities when I travel, and I find that for the size of city I live in, my Lhs carries more, and has better pricing than most of the Lhs's is the surrounding larger cities. I do have a Lhs that is three hours away from me that does stock all the parts for the 8's, as well as the hardcore racing parts (Novarossi, Werks, King Headz and so on) so I do buy from them when I am in the area.

Taylorm

.....i also buy EVERTHING online......the industry has almost become it's own worst enemy because there are SO MANY cars and SO MANY classes. It would be impossible for any given hobby shop to satisfy everyone and stock parts for everything that is out there. i buy my onroad stuff from someone who also runs onroad and knows his stuff.......you almost need to buy from a specialist who understands what he's selling.........not a toy store, which most "hobby" stores have become.....

gubbs3

iTrader: (7)

It sounds like you are one who works at a hobby shop and asks for part numbers. That's not a problem in the way you described because often it's the only way to tell the customer what the part is actually called. My problem is when I ask for some Losi shock cartridges and they ask "for what car?" or when I ask for Titanium ball studs with a .325 long thread and they ask "what's the part number?" Those are simple things that anyone with half a brain should be able to answer.

sharkman

iTrader: (18)

That is all fine and good, but when someone calls and asks for losi shock cartridges, I will ask for what car (lst,jrxs,xxxt,xxxs,8ight,mlst2,xx4,xxx4)
It is usually not that simple.
You have a point, but do not get carried away.

I too work in my lhs. We stock traxxas,losi,assoc,hpi,sportwerks and most of the time people call and ask for "the thing that comes out of the front" or they have an ofna and they need the bell cranks for it. What does that mean?
Our parts wall has thousands of different hooks with thousands of different parts.
I can check inventory much easier with a part # on the computer then trying to search throught the wall of parts. Parts are arranged per their #s lowest to highest.
And yes some things are easy to know if they are in stock (popular/special and unique items).

No shop is perfect, but they do serve a purpose. Most tracks that I race at in the Northeast are because of a hobby shop. If your content to bash for the rest of your days then by all means don't support them.
Try and find a shop owner that is trying to get rich running and your list will be very, very short.

The owner at my lhs actually pays a premium to have people that know what they are doing working for him. He would rather pay someone more to take care of business the right way then have someone there to just run a cash register.

here is our shop

http://cumberlandrc.com/

http://cork.forest.net/ics/general/r...=33360&-search

SavageMan

iTrader: (6)

We've got two hobby shops here in Albuquerque, and I'm NOT happy with either. I drive a hoped - up Savy, and neither carries ANY parts for HPI or Savy's. No, hold on ,one of them, Big Boy Toys, carries a few spur gears, at twice the price of retail online. Not only that, when you go into either shop, they treat you like your either an idiot, or not worth the trouble to deal with. Most little parts such as screws, or little ball joints, fit any rc vehicle if your smart enough to compare parts. The one answer I ever get from these guys, - we don't carry that - or - we sold the last one yesterday - or - that won't fit on your Savy -, even though most times I KNOW BETTER. To make things worse, at Big Boy Toys they tried to tell me my Savy would only bring me $100 to $200 if I sold it to them or wanted to trade for something BETTER. Hell I've got $750+ invested. Neither even has the generic exhaust gaskets for .21 to .30 engines, or so they say, right before they offer me a MUCH BETTER truck, but they can order me one ($2 exhaust gasket that is)????
Hell I can do that myself, ONLINE, CHEAPER & FASTER & FRIENDLIER!!!!!!
F@!# the Local Hobby Shops in Albuquerque New Mexico!!!!!
Hell I now go buy great little screws and such at Home Depot's Specialty Hardware section, I usually find what I need (sounds silly, but it's true), with better service and prices, which, makes NO sense what so ever!!!

CarbonJoe

Papa, this wasn't directed at Larry. I bought my T2 '007 at HobbyTown, but they don't carry *any* parts for it. So you're indicating that if they LHS doesn't support a kit they are selling, that I should forgo the kit I want to buy for something I don't want just because they have parts for it?

BTW, it wasn't that big of a deal buying the XRAY XB8 from Larry, since in over a year, I hardly needed any parts for it. I do buy a lot of my consumables from him. But almost no local shops carry touring car kits or parts. So purchases for that vehicle have all been on-line. HobbyTown ran their own race series at the Gate last fall/winter, but they aren't this year. So why should I support them over the place that gives me next day parts support with better prices?

What is stopping LHS owners from opening their own on-line store? That could be a lower cost way to expand their business without the need to invest in expensive retail space.