Jegropp

I was really into hobbyist rc cars when I was a kid 30 to 35 years ago. At that time there were few if any RTR vehicles. Today I went into hobby shop for the first time in at least a decade. I was surprised to see the majority or the cars/trucks/etc are now RTR. Why? I LOVED building and modding my cars. Are the manufacturers pushing pre-built? I tend to think the people who would own a hobbyist rc car are generally people who like to tinker and build things. Am I wrong? Just curious if I'm an outlier.

Mahjik

iTrader: (2)

There are more kits than RTR's. However, most local hobby shops will cater to what is selling around them (which is usually RTR's). People are lazy today and a lot of RTR's are sold. However, that's not a bad thing. If it gets someone new into the hobby quicker, then it's a good thing. When or if people get serious in the hobby, they grow/move to kits.

killer rock

pritty much its like mhjik sad, but i look at it as they don't have the time or skills to build it and the destination is there kids. they just want to give them the car tell them to go have fun. there also the fact that most rtr are cheaper out the door then your kit cars. i do how ever alway try to buy kits for classes i race but inevitably some classes like stock slash rtr is the only way to go.

i usualy hope that if an rtr gets them in the hobby and they stay, its all good.

Dough Boy

iTrader: (1)

It makes it easy to get into the sport think about it if you stock replacement parts for your RTR kits and have a track attached you can sell and RTR bundle it with TX batteries and a stick pack they can take it out of the box and put it right on the track within 5 minutes of buying it. If they break something from hitting a wall or pipe you just made another sale rinse and repeat. Plus some RTR's were very nice out of the box the Associated T4.2 you could un-box it and race novice and be competitive box stock.

Billy Kelly

iTrader: (9)

BlairW

Tamiya still makes about 1000 different kits. Kyosho also, even traxxas offers a couple now. Then all the race oriented brands, tekno,losi,xray etc..

rustyus

iTrader: (1)

I hear ya. I know where you are coming from. What I don't know is, how the hobby grew into this plethora of "RTR" offerings. My guess is it all started snowballing when Tower Hobbies began offering combo savings packs option to their kits being sold. Buy a radio, charger, and battery pack (kits usually came with mechanical speed control and motor) at the same time...Tower would knock off chunks of money. Nowadays, living in this fast paced world, everyone wants instant gratification, and RTRs gives that to people.

I find RTRs to be a turnoff for me. I strictly search kits to build for my RC trashing (track bashing) needs. I'm quite okay with that 'cause I find "race breed" RCs to have a higher quality of parts that are pretty damn durable.

Just a closing thought...Arrma is missing out on a big piece of the pie. I know I would be having me a couple of their RCs if only they came sold as kits. How hard is it to NOT let someone build an RC for you, and put it in a box? You would think it would cost less to bag up a bunch of parts, and let end user assemble them.