Whats is killing the local hobby stores?

[The_Tinker]

It's tough to find a hobby store anymore that actually stocks the airplanes and parts you really need. They have all the car/truck parts you could imagine, maybe even a track, but all the airplane stuff is old and the parts that you need right now are sold out. Why would I go back??? I would definitely pay more if I had one close by (within 20 miles) that stocked what I need. I have 2 within 10 miles but they're both jokes!

[RMaia]

	Quote: Originally Posted by DadsToysBG
	Let me tell you a story about why some LHS don't make it. Had a young man come in to buy glue and some other things be assamble a trainer he bought at another store. Looking at the manule the plane turned out to be a GP Minnow (130mph). Now the man that ownes the store knows nothing about RC and doesn't fly either. I put him on the flight sym here and showed him the difference between a real trainer and a high speed plane. I felt real bad for him, but told him to hang on to the plane until he was ready to fly it. I did sell him a Alpha trainer and gave him the phone number of a local club to get help. There are a lot of on line companies like Troybuilt, Cactus, DA Bill Himple and others that really do use what they sell and will spend the time talking to you. This hobby needs LHS that have owners that are in the hobby. We are the front line to new members. I really got mad and bad mouthed that store (shouldn't have) but I really like what I do and love to see one of my new customers solo for the first time. I know i can't sell everything to everybody, but I will take you in my shop here and help build your plane. You can watch me assemble a new plane. (3-w 330). I will spend my time at the field helping you. I don't take my store to the field, but if you need something on Sunday I'll drop what ever I'm doing and take you to the store so you can continue to fly that day. This is the fun part. On the things that I can't sell in my store. I keep a list of companies that I have checked out and their phone numbers so you can call. All I ask is a shot at the business if I can. Many areas don't have LHS or if they do there run by idiots and for that I am truily sorry. But this is one place where you'll get fresh coffee in the morning and a place to eat lunch and talk planes. I can't fix the world, but I can help in my little corner. Also I believe enough in the AMA and what it stands for to be a AVP for dist. 6 and visit other clubs in the state to try and help them if I can. Other then the sign on the trailer I don't take the store with me. My flying time is for me. I fly GS and turbines. Am I one of the best? NO, but I do get them up and down in one piece (most of the time) and that whats counts. Well enough talking.I've got to get back to hauling out the trash and paying the bills. Then start working on the new plane. If your ever in the area stop by and eat lunch with me, you don't have to spend any money. Your company is enough. Dennis

If all LHS owners were like you, things would be different for sure!!

[Kirk]

I walked into my LHS and was looking for a Sig kit. They didn't have it but told me that they could order it and the catch was that I'd have to pay tax AND shipping on the plane. It was cheaper to order it from Sig and have it delivered to my door. And with the economy the way it is, cheaper is going to win me over every time.

I'm in this shop almost every Saturday and buy $20-$50 worth of stuff as I always seem to have some kind of project going. But some things are better had online.

[DadsToysBG]

Kirk, I'll bet you I could have sold that sig kit cheaper and not chargered you shipping. the sales tax, can't do a thing about that. But anyway I'd still take your $50 bucks a week anyway and wouldn't say a word about the Sig thing. Dennis

[Kirk]

	Quote: Originally Posted by DadsToysBG
	Kirk, I'll bet you I could have sold that sig kit cheaper and not chargered you shipping. the sales tax, can't do a thing about that. But anyway I'd still take your $50 bucks a week anyway and wouldn't say a word about the Sig thing. Dennis

I haven't bought the kit yet. I'm wanting a Sig King Kobra.......

I went and looked at receipts. I spent $47 (True Turn Prop nut set, props, glue, paint & Ultrakote) week before last and $68 (fuel, remote glow driver and new glow starter/charger), this past weekend.

He wanted $99 for the kit, "about $20 for shipping" plus 8.25% sales tax. Direct from Sig is $99 plus $20 for shipping.

[DadsToysBG]

Last thing I heard is that Sig has been sold. Don't know to many details. I do know that it's been real hard for some time to get anything from them. Most everything is always on BO. Hope the new owners get things moving again. Dennis

[Hinckley Bill]

Lost the LHS I frequented over 3 years ago now............it was a 20 minute ride from my house and the hours were pretty convenient, including weekends. The owners had a wide variety of stock in planes, cars, model kits, etcl, which brought in a broad base of customers. I could order most anything I needed but of course the price was usually higher then if bought through the Internet. I did as much business with them as I could because I was willing to pay for the convenience of having them "local".

I now am stuck traveling about 1 1/2 hours one way to get to the next closest HS, a Hobbytown USA, Rockford, IL. One of the owners employees, Jeremy, is about the best thing to happen to that establishment ever..........he knows what's hot, the pricing that customers can/will pay and will order anything at prices matching the "big boys", with free shipping too! Our club members frequent this LHS because we want to keep alive our ability to continue to get the products and services we need within our local flying area.

LHS store owners don't control the taxes they must charge, and they sure don't have any say in what prices they're charged for the items they stock...........but they do control the perceptions that Customers have of whether the "extra" cost they're paying is worth it through how they are treated when they're in the establishment.

[f5air]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Kirk
	Curious what shipping costs from Hobby King? With Tower's super saver discount, the engine actually costs $349 and shipping is free.

ON GASSERS engines i will not worry enough on the price....i will worry on the support and service for that engines later which is the most important thing and not just save a few bucks with a discount.

Prefer to have my engine back in one week, than wait over a month.

[bob101]

I used to live in a town that had 1 hobby shop. The guy at one time I guess flew C/L. He had some personal grudge against the 2 flying clubs in town I guess. I've heard him refer to people "as one those guys" with a disdain in his voice about people who fly in the 2 local clubs. He also doesn't put prices on stuff like glow fuel. You get one price if you wakl off the street, and another higher price if he knows your big into the local clubs. Two reasons. Mostly because the local club guys tell people to avoid the LHS unless they have no other choice and they buy their own fuel by the pallet and it ticks the LHS off. I was buying 5% nitro thru the club by the case frequently when I was flying 3-4 days a week with multiple 1.60-2.10 glow engines and the closest the LHS guy could come was $6/gallon MORE and he wouldn't order more than 4 gallons (a case) at a time even if I prepaid.

He stocked all sorts of goofy stuff that I bet was there from the 70's. All his props were high pitch pattern type props and no one in town really flew pattern. He would stock 1.20 size kits/arf's and not have a single engine over .61 in size. Guys just stuck in the past. Except for a servo that comes in a package with a Tx there won't be a single digital servo in the whole shop out of 200 servos because "you don't need all that new fangled stuff just to fly". Sometimes I think his entire inventory comes from buying outdated/overstock items from other hobby shops.

While browsing in there one day I overheard him talking to a guy who was picking up a Top Flite Giant Mustang KIT. The guy wanted to know where he could fly it when he finished building it and the hobby shop owner said "Any parking lot will do". Sold him an engine, kit, radio, glue, and covering, and the guy didn't even know how to fly but it looked cool and was a good sale.

Both clubs got together and talked to him about stocking certain items that nearly everyone needed especially new pilots like certain sizes of props and .40/.46 sized engines....he said he didn't need help running his hobby shop. He has 2 30 foot isles full of hardware for planes but can't stock 4-40 clevis's because he says there's no demand. I understand people will order an ARF because it's cheaper but when you need hardware you just go buy it because you need it.....

Everytime you wanted him to order something it went on the pad by the register (they are non computerized) and he would say I'll order it. As far as I know in 4-5 years I lived there while flying he never ordered anything he ever wrote down for anyone.

Of course I hear him gripe all the time about how people just order everything. He brought his grandson out to our field once during the holidays and he never left his car. I heard him saying at the shop a few days later...."I never knew people flew planes bigger than about a 72" wingspan. And to be honest this is a pretty big hobby shop.

They sell a ton of car/truck stuff and I guess they make more profit on those items.

Sad part he's been in business for at least 25 years.

Lack of a Hobby Shop where I live now has practically cut my flying to nothing. Even tho I have a runway here at the house the nearest hobby shop is 2+ hours away and it's a HobbyTown.

I can't order from Tower anymore because their computer merged my account with someone elses account and now they bill to my address and ship to another - yeah I lost a $150 shipment into neverland. Repeated calls to Tower tells me to quit putting in the wrong address.......morons.

[classclown]

	Quote: Originally Posted by bob101
	I used to live in a town that had 1 hobby shop. The guy at one time I guess flew C/L. He had some personal grudge against the 2 flying clubs in town I guess. I've heard him refer to people "as one those guys" with a disdain in his voice about people who fly in the 2 local clubs. He also doesn't put prices on stuff like glow fuel. You get one price if you wakl off the street, and another higher price if he knows your big into the local clubs. Two reasons. Mostly because the local club guys tell people to avoid the LHS unless they have no other choice and they buy their own fuel by the pallet and it ticks the LHS off. I was buying 5% nitro thru the club by the case frequently when I was flying 3-4 days a week with multiple 1.60-2.10 glow engines and the closest the LHS guy could come was $6/gallon MORE and he wouldn't order more than 4 gallons (a case) at a time even if I prepaid. He stocked all sorts of goofy stuff that I bet was there from the 70's. All his props were high pitch pattern type props and no one in town really flew pattern. He would stock 1.20 size kits/arf's and not have a single engine over .61 in size. Guys just stuck in the past. Except for a servo that comes in a package with a Tx there won't be a single digital servo in the whole shop out of 200 servos because "you don't need all that new fangled stuff just to fly". Sometimes I think his entire inventory comes from buying outdated/overstock items from other hobby shops. While browsing in there one day I overheard him talking to a guy who was picking up a Top Flite Giant Mustang KIT. The guy wanted to know where he could fly it when he finished building it and the hobby shop owner said "Any parking lot will do". Sold him an engine, kit, radio, glue, and covering, and the guy didn't even know how to fly but it looked cool and was a good sale. Both clubs got together and talked to him about stocking certain items that nearly everyone needed especially new pilots like certain sizes of props and .40/.46 sized engines....he said he didn't need help running his hobby shop. He has 2 30 foot isles full of hardware for planes but can't stock 4-40 clevis's because he says there's no demand. I understand people will order an ARF because it's cheaper but when you need hardware you just go buy it because you need it..... Everytime you wanted him to order something it went on the pad by the register (they are non computerized) and he would say I'll order it. As far as I know in 4-5 years I lived there while flying he never ordered anything he ever wrote down for anyone. Of course I hear him gripe all the time about how people just order everything. He brought his grandson out to our field once during the holidays and he never left his car. I heard him saying at the shop a few days later...."I never knew people flew planes bigger than about a 72" wingspan. And to be honest this is a pretty big hobby shop. They sell a ton of car/truck stuff and I guess they make more profit on those items. Sad part he's been in business for at least 25 years. Lack of a Hobby Shop where I live now has practically cut my flying to nothing. Even tho I have a runway here at the house the nearest hobby shop is 2+ hours away and it's a HobbyTown. I can't order from Tower anymore because their computer merged my account with someone elses account and now they bill to my address and ship to another - yeah I lost a $150 shipment into neverland. Repeated calls to Tower tells me to quit putting in the wrong address.......morons.

Sounds like a big ***** sandwhich, and your eating it. I live for this hobby. Move!!!

[bob101]

Yeah right just "move". There's a reason it's called a "hobby" shop. Because it is just a hobby.

If you know where I can find property tax exempt land grant acreage of around 3,600 acres with a house , produces oil/gas and timber income like I live on now I can move to that's within a few minutes of a hobby shop I'll be glad to jump all over it.

[classclown]

	Quote: Originally Posted by bob101
	Yeah right just "move". There's a reason it's called a "hobby" shop. Because it is just a hobby. If you know where I can find property tax exempt land grant acreage of around 3,600 acres with a house , produces oil/gas and timber income like I live on now I can move to that's within a few minutes of a hobby shop I'll be glad to jump all over it.

Well, your just gonna have to keep eating that ***** sandwhich, unless you do something about it.

[bob101]

Did you actually read all of my post. The problem hobby shop is where I used to live. Not now.

Moving is not going to suddenly fix Tower Hobbies problem of having a permanent address stuck to my account that is not my address.

Anyway the post was just to show that attitude of some hobby shops. They complain about internet taking their business but even when a couple of clubs with over 200+ in membership go there and ask them to stock basic hardware/replacement items and give him a list and he throws it in the trash...well then I have no sympathy that the internet is killing his business.

The HobbyTown that is closest to where I live now has a friendly staff but as usual they stock only a limited amount of R/C plane stuff.

They are always eager to say they can order stuff if you are in there. But honestly if you have to get your LHS to order it do you really come out ahead?

Basically I figure you pay extra at the LHS and that's fine for the convenience. If you have to order it why not just order it and have it sent to the house and save a return trip and/or sales tax?

Up until about 10 years ago a fair number of guys ran hobby shops out of their trailer at the field or out of a closet at the house. I think Tower and Horizon cracked down on that and I have heard on more than one occasion they wanted business documents and pictures of an actual storefront before becoming a dealer and that pretty much killed that off.

[classclown]

	Quote: Originally Posted by bob101
	Did you actually read all of my post. The problem hobby shop is where I used to live. Not now. Moving is not going to suddenly fix Tower Hobbies problem of having a permanent address stuck to my account that is not my address. Anyway the post was just to show that attitude of some hobby shops. They complain about internet taking their business but even when a couple of clubs with over 200+ in membership go there and ask them to stock basic hardware/replacement items and give him a list and he throws it in the trash...well then I have no sympathy that the internet is killing his business. The HobbyTown that is closest to where I live now has a friendly staff but as usual they stock only a limited amount of R/C plane stuff. They are always eager to say they can order stuff if you are in there. But honestly if you have to get your LHS to order it do you really come out ahead? Basically I figure you pay extra at the LHS and that's fine for the convenience. If you have to order it why not just order it and have it sent to the house and save a return trip and/or sales tax? Up until about 10 years ago a fair number of guys ran hobby shops out of their trailer at the field or out of a closet at the house. I think Tower and Horizon cracked down on that and I have heard on more than one occasion they wanted business documents and pictures of an actual storefront before becoming a dealer and that pretty much killed that off.

Sorry about that. I was in too much of a hurry to get out of here at the time. If Tower keeps sending your stuff to someone else, screw 'em. Order from somebody else. What you said about Tower and Horizon is absolutely true and it made it harder for fly by night operations to be able to get their products.

[Craven]

	Quote: Originally Posted by bob101
	Did you actually read all of my post. The problem hobby shop is where I used to live. Not now. Moving is not going to suddenly fix Tower Hobbies problem of having a permanent address stuck to my account that is not my address. Anyway the post was just to show that attitude of some hobby shops. They complain about internet taking their business but even when a couple of clubs with over 200+ in membership go there and ask them to stock basic hardware/replacement items and give him a list and he throws it in the trash...well then I have no sympathy that the internet is killing his business. The HobbyTown that is closest to where I live now has a friendly staff but as usual they stock only a limited amount of R/C plane stuff. They are always eager to say they can order stuff if you are in there. But honestly if you have to get your LHS to order it do you really come out ahead? Basically I figure you pay extra at the LHS and that's fine for the convenience. If you have to order it why not just order it and have it sent to the house and save a return trip and/or sales tax? Up until about 10 years ago a fair number of guys ran hobby shops out of their trailer at the field or out of a closet at the house. I think Tower and Horizon cracked down on that and I have heard on more than one occasion they wanted business documents and pictures of an actual storefront before becoming a dealer and that pretty much killed that off.

There's a whole lot of A.D.D.D.D.D. here. Posts need to be limited to 2 lines to be sure they're read.