Originally Posted by
cherokee
The question we have to ask is what is in decline? Are new "race" kit sales down? Are RTR sales down, is racing down? What about the new electric air craft and the ease of getting started in planes. You can fly a plane in your front yard, something impossible just 10years ago. You know park flyers are up.
I don't think the RC hobby is in decline I think its focus has shifted. There are super cool cars that are coming out that have been poo-pooed by "racers". Cars from the HPI 5B to the Traxxas slash are not called race cars, and where (at least in the beginning dismissed) by the racing community.
I don't think that RC is in any kind of decline, the RC Racing car market just has more competition then before. I do know one thing, some classes are out of control and if that is not fixed for the most part rc car racing will go the same way as slot cars did in the 70's. It got to be just too much for most people.
I have to agree on this one. I too feel that the RC biz is doing fine. Sure the hobby shops are not doing so hot. Sure tracks are closing like never before. However, in my opinion the industry as a whole is still turning big bucks. I bet if there was a study done on RC internet sales compared to Store Front sales we would see that people are spending huge bucks, they are just going so on-line.
I think that when we see our local shops close and our favorite tracks crumble, it tends to give us the feeling that things are bad. However, I bet if you look in the right places, things are still on the up.
Does this mean the hobby is on the right path? Well, I guess to answer that I would be starting up that same old argument that we see pop up every couple months about buying local, and bla bla nobody listens, bla, bla, bla.
So, whatever.