Joel Lagace

iTrader: (4)

ok so we compare the 360$ TC5 same make same manufacture. For 200$ more your still not racing. ESC COMBO,battery,tires,body,radio still cost more then the 8th scale, not to mention the fact that there is twice the material inside the 8th

anyway its simply sad the onroad electric dollar for dollar cost more then anything else in the rc hobby

Justin Zorc

iTrader: (6)

now take into account the labor cost of a chinaman producing mass quantities of a kit, with the parts being interchangeable with other versions of the rc8, further upping the quantity,quantity discount, lower cost of chineese material, with the tolerances likely lower on an 8th offroad rtr than a top quality touring kit. Now compare that to a top level competition touring kit (limited quantities), some of the highest quality materials, higher labor costs, less labor time (35-40 hour week max in europe?) plus the price increase from our depreciated dollar compared to the euro where the xray kit is manufactured, in europe, and it becomes much easier to see why a top quality precision touring car kit would cost nearly as much as a ready to run offroad 8th scale

John Warner

Well, we can look at it this way..... No matter what car we own, how much money
we spend or how many hours of practice to get better, it all results in one thing......

We're racing toy cars for bowling trophies and bragging rights!!

Foxxrocket

Well, you can't argue with that logic.

Raffell

What wins on Saturday & Sunday sells on MONDAY! 100% true statement even in Karting.

The top 4 in karting spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to appeal the the customer and when the top Chassis / Race team wins podium. The next few weeks you will see an instant spike in sells and the other 3 manufacture chassis increase on Ebay and Craigslist.

Winning on Saturday & Sunday equals sales the next few weeks win it comes to racing.

C_O_jones

iTrader: (11)

And let us not forget that what sucks on Sunday is "for sale" on Monday!

Yaksaddle

iTrader: (33)

I work inthe video game industry and I would be very interested to see sales numbers for the RC industry vs video game sales month to month dollar to dollar. specifically install bases for the different scales, where the cross overs are how many people own nitro and electric, 10 and 12th, etc.

I'd prefer to see numbers that arent provided by the companies - in Video games we have the NPD group which works with the major retailers to provide sell thru data, it would be neat to see comparitive numbers. What is the mass market price? whats the avg units at 499 that move vs. 399 vs. 299

I'd also like to see install base vs. historical - for instance TC3 Install Base vs. Everything that shipped in 06/07/08, 10th scale vs 8th scale, Electric vs. Nitro. I can look at the RC Publications and you would think all anyone had was a rock crawler or buggy, that everyone ran Nitro - but I can look on the forums here and see a great amount of support for the TRF, and Xray.

I dont think what wins at the LHS is what sells on Monday - I had a guy spend 30 minutes sell me on the team magic at my LHS - but he is also a club racer where I am still racing novice 27t -

I know I need more practice not more car, I need to learn my car not my credit limit.

Raffell

lol
And what sucks on Sunday is on Sale for Monday, and hard as hell to sell the rest of the month.

hairy

iTrader: (1)

I've seen big money spent on the very latest car,brightest bling,You know the "I gotta ge me one of those"syndrome and he saw that car win and that's what he wants to do!so come monday he buys.
Our need to compete and need to win is really what these companies live for.Don't get me wrong it's smart business and they sure don't stick a gun in your back to buy on monday. So wining on sunday and selling on monday ....Sure it works and it works every time! jmo

Hairy

artwork

iTrader: (88)

If this was true there would be a lot more Cyclone's and 416's in the US.

Dasmopar

The thing is the guys who win on sundays at the big races can beat most of us with our own cars by laps and laps! I have also seen the "kit" car side by side with the "race" car and they are nothing alike. I don't read to much into who wins on sunday at the big races since those guys open the kit and instantly start custom making parts for the car and by time they hit the track it's nothing like what you are going to buy.

To be on topic: I would agree that win on sunday sell on monday. I think this is even more so with bodies. Seems like whatever body wins at the big races is the only body from that point on to run.

bigemike

iTrader: (36)

I agree, I have given my car to top drivers and ahd them beat my fast lap time by .5 on a 8 sec course. There is a big difference in driving, but I have also picked up a lap when switching cars.

I do agree what wins big races will sell in the stores

IH8Racing

iTrader: (5)

Then I guess nobody's buying what I run!!!

liljohn1064

iTrader: (17)

I'll second the learn your car in practice post a few lines up and the spending countless hours off track (instead of dollars) to get the car just right a few lines before that. I'm sure that if one of the top shelf guys pulled out a FT TC3 and tricked it out, they could still win or at least place well nationally with it. But, that doesn't sell cars.

That being said, I see what wins on Sunday, sells on Monday. I see the nicest top of the line chassis in Trans Am cars. I'm even a little guilty getting E4JSs to try a "pricing friendly" car.

rced1

iTrader: (17)

This is how the world of commercialism works. It spans far greater than just the RC world. For example, look at the surge in sales on the Suzuki Hayabusa when the motorcycle was dominating the NHRA.

I am just entering onroad racing from 1/8th buggy and already know buying a XRay T2009 wil not make me .5 seconds a lap faster. But, I know a good set of tires on my TC3 could gain me .5 seconds.