justanotherdude

iTrader: (2)

true
but radioshack has been selling rc cars since the dawn of time, that have never been track-worthy, and it was that they tried to venture into faster rc18-chinese-knockoffs that was their downfall. so I don't see this current trend as "hurting the hobby," and instead firmly marking the line between the toy-grade crap cars sold by bigbox department stores that sell a lot of crap anyway and the hobby-grade race cars sold by actual hobby shops.
the downfall of the hobby would be having an actual RC Department, right next to hardware, at wallyworld.

let 'em sell 'em, and let any fool that buys them be stuck with them.

Bermbuster

iTrader: (11)

thats the downfall.....when you hook a new RC er and they have a bad experience you may lose them. Its one thing to break a $20-$50 toy but when you pay $100-$150 (thats what they sold for) and they break....

Face it all RCs will break but that is where the hobbyshop comes in....
they have all the spare/replacement/hop ups in stock you take the guy who broke a knuckle....you replace it (labor free) charge for the part now the new rc er sees a value in the hobbyshop....now he buys hop ups etc....
With online shopping today the only thing that can compete with it is customer service.......

rccardude04

I think of it this way...

Wal-Mart didn't put every Trek/Specialized/Gary Fisher/etc. bike dealer out of business did they?

So far, we just have Traxxas playing the role of Schwinn.

-Eric

justanotherdude

iTrader: (2)

i hear you and you are making a good point.
i was just saying that back in the day people were all the time showing up at the track with their radioshack-special and seeing what a POS it was, and then finding out what a real rc car cost and most of them we lost and it's no different today. they weren't buying $20 car back then any more than they are now, those RS cars were always pricey but still nothing near what it took to get into a real hobbygrade car. so no different than the guy looking to save a buck and buying a redcat or a megatech or whatever that piece of crap was that was used to start this thread, they're looking to save money and it's part of the learning experience for them.

face it, in most places the local hobby shop has gone the route of the albatros or the unicorn. in the area I live there used to be 4 or 5 shops and now there's one, and mostly it's because the online retailers have taken over. admit it, we all buy from them. the hobby has changed, it's no longer the 90s.

Bermbuster

iTrader: (11)

Its not Schwinn Its Pacific Bicycles (largest bicycle mfr in the world)
Luckily bicycles have two types of components when they retail them.
Hence the price difference and quality.

Nickd18

iTrader: (4)

ive seen slashes traxxas stuff at pep boys auto parts store..

dale5998

iTrader: (2)

I've also seen traxxas vehicles at pep boys. At first I was surprised, but then I realized what they are doing. Thier goal is to appeal to a different demographics than just pure hobby enthusiast. They're hoping "Joeblow" off the street comes in to get a lift kit or something for his 4-wheel drive truck and see a t-maxx and say what the hell, it looks cool I buy one to show-off to his buddies, and so on and so on. As far as the local hobby shops being hurt, the one guy is right, it is the on-line stores doin' all the damage! I've heard Tower is good about supporting what they sell, but I'd have to see it to beleive it. People who are new to the hobby livin' in areas without a nearby hobby shop are often screwed when trying to break into the hobby. Wal-mart Marketplace is definately one of these stores! It's sad to say, but now a days, if you don't have a racetrack with a committed core group af racers that are really nice and helpful to the new people, AND OR a strong alliance and knowledge of boats, helis, and airplanes, you wont survive long in this economy. We had a shop like that where I live and unfortunately owners wife passed away and he closed up shop son after that.