RC10Talk - The Net's Largest Vintage R/C Community

Here's a little story I would like to share about the demise of the LHS.

Whenever possible I try to buy form my LHS (we have a number in the area), as you can appreciate this is difficult for vintage stuff but with radios, esc, batteries, aircraft stuff etc I always try and buy local. On a recent visit to one of these shop I purchased a set of radio gear for my aircraft (even though it was about $30 more expensive there than on the net) we then had a lengthy discussion regarding the impact of internet trading on his business and all was woe. The owner and I then got talking about vintage cars and my interests, he mentioned he had a few NIB cars in his store room that he had not previously sold, so obviously I dug a little deeper and the list went something like this:

Optima mid Custom and SE, Lazer ZX, Ultima Pro, original Schumacher Cat ,XLS, and a Top Cat, all mint and NIB and those were only the ones he could remember on the spot .

Now for one reason or another the original Cat and the XLS were the object of my desire so I asked him to name his price, the answer "I'm not going to sell them now, I'm going to put them on Ebay so if you want them you can bid for them" Anyone guess my answer

honestly, i have never been a big fan of the local hobby shop or similar shops. crazy markup, they try to sell you stuff you dont need, you gotta wait in line behind the freaking guy who cant figure out his nitro stampede... screw that...

"no we dont have that, but we can order it for you"... pfft, i can order it myself dude, and without the 25% markup...

i'm sure there are really good hobby shops, but the ones i've been in are pretty much comic book stores with the comics replaced. same attitude and hassle.

Most hobby shops I've been to suck as well. Now and then you run across a good one. I've never been the guy who demands peole support their local hobby or bicycle shops. If it's a good shop with good customer service, reasonable prices and inventory, then by all means I try to support them. But, going in and getting the "why do you want to run electric" or "I've never heard of 10 weight shock oil" or "man, that's an old-ass car, the new ones are ten times better" and the like comments are a good way to get me to stay away. I don't need the attitude of some idiot making $10 an hour trying to steer me towards what he thinks is what I need. I've been in this hobby 20 years now, I know what I want. Unfortunately that's what I usually have to say when I walk in to a hobby shop any more.

I can't say that I blame the guy for wanting to put the kits on ebay. But, at the same time, if I had been spending money at that place and he didn't let me have a crack at them, I really doubt I would be coming back to spend any more money. It's one thing charge more than online shops, it's another thing to never cut your regular customers a break every now and then. The extra he's going to make by selling online will surely be made up 10 fold in the long run if he puts a smile on your face. That will always be the shop that you got something special at, and you'll want to return and support him.

I had it happen to me about 4 years ago. There was a lhs in Jersey City. Mostly had on road racer and nitro truck stuff. But, they had a brand new A chassis, clear gear cover and a few other odd RC10 parts in their display case right next to the new shiney Tmaxx aftermarket parts. I scooped them all up for about $10. They new me, and would cut me a deal on stuff from time to time, and knew I was probably the only one in town who cared about an old gold tub that nobody wanted.

You patronized this shop to give him business instead of going to the web, and actually discussed internet stores and the problems with his own brick-and-mortar store? Then in the same ironic breath, he tells you that he has something that he KNOWS you want, but you'd have to bid like the rest of the sharks on eBay. He had no idea of a price to put on those cars, and figured he'd try to cash in like everyone else on eBay trying to send their kids to college on the backs of vintage toys.




I'd tell the guy flat to his face that I'd be doing my future shopping online (or at another LHS) from now on, and that I'd hope that he someday also will have to put EVERYTHING he has in the store on eBay—after he goes out of business—where it will all sell for 10¢ on the dollar.

What a loser.

ya, i'd be done shopping at his store. that's a bunch of crap.

i had a similar situation, not r/c related. for quite a few years, i collected 1/24 scale nascar diecast. mainly action performance, rcca, and the occasional revell or racing champions cars. i easily spent $400-450 every month at this guys' store, for at least 4 years. in 2001, when dale earnhardt died at daytona, he jacked the price of all the earnhardt stuff up 3 to 4 times the original prices. alot of other places did too, but he wouldn't cut me a break on any earnhardt pieces, even though i had spent a ton of money at his place for quite a few years. i also never bought anything anywhere else. all of my business went to him. and he knew that. after that one day, i have never been back to his shop. that really pissed me off.

its sad that peoples true colors come out when making money is involved.

I quite going to the best local shop when it became obvious that they're only interested in talking with you as long as your wallet is open. When I was having trouble with my T-Maxx I was chatting with the owner and he recommended the fuel they had on the shelf, turns out that not only would the maxx not burn it, using it voided the warranty as well (this was told to me by the local Traxxass repair shop.) I switched to the recommended fuel and the truck ran much better, though still never good enough to invest any more time or money into.

I understand the guy wanting to get the most from his stuff but mentioning it knowing good and well he was going to bay them was just wrong. It is a hobby shop where people go to buy stuff. You would assume everything there would be um for sale, not auction. He should have kept his mouth shut.

There are just too many jackasses out there. around my area, there is a guy that has been buying all the hobby shops up and he is a super jerk. Yells at his employees, yell at people on the phone, and this is with customers in the store. The last time I went in, he didn't cut me any slack on the pricing when I was buying up some old stuff. I think I have bought my last stuff from him.

We had an electric slot car drag strip locally and one of my students was a 1:1 drag racer so the small electric cars came naturally to him. He bought all his stuff off line and use to tear up the competition. The guy that owned the track would not let him race anymore because he did not buy from the shop. Even told him that. Snatched his car off the track before the light went green and told him that was not one of his cars and he could not race them there any more.

Jim, would it be out of line to ask who that is? Anyone I know? PM me.