Please tell me the Nitro RC "hobby" is NOT dead... bad experience at hobby shop

[RubiconX]

Hey guys,

So after a long (near 5 year) break from the RC scene, I've lately been getting an itch to get back into the hobby. I used to run Associated nitro, both the buggy and the truggy, mostly bashing, building, rebuilding and occasional visits to the track. Sold it all back in 2011 as I just had very little time for the hobby.

I visited a local hobby shop today "Big Boys with Cool Toys" and was excited to see so many RC vehicles on display however my excitement quickly began to fade when all I saw was RTR buggies and truggies, not a single kit or roller on display. What struck me also as odd was they did not stock many replacement parts.

My idea of fun is a good build over the winter followed by beginning breaking engine in early spring and bashing all summer, so I was looking to get a good buggy kit to buy but saw nothing. So I approached the sales counter and the girl told me that all they carry is RTR. I asked why no kits or even rollers and she said people just want RTR these days. She said she can order a kit however it will take some time to get there and parts will have to be ordered when needed which also takes time. I was shocked to hear this. I don't want to get into the hobby if this is the case. Please someone tell me that this is just one skewed hobby shop and this hobby, the true hobby, is still very much alive. Also looking for good recommendations for a hobby shop in southern Ontario, preferably the greater toronto area.

Thanks in advance.
M

 

[wacmartin]

Skewed hobby shop! Visit them during one of there "blowout sales".

Try Great Hobbies in Mississauga, at the 401 and Winston Churchill. Hobby Hobby in Streetsville is even better with pricing and it's a Mom and Pop owned shop as well. Great advice and selection at both stores though, I was just in both on Sunday.

 

[Rolex]

The one you went to only wants your money. A good hobby shop carries something for everyone and is knowledgeable about everything they carry.
I've seen this happening for several years, now. Nitro is no longer the drug of choice since electric is almost maintenance free and drive-able right out of the box. They don't have to know anything about engines.
I've seen it with airplanes, too. It would sometimes take me several months to build and skin a big plane, install all the electronics and the engines, and now they are bind and fly right out of the box. Same goes for the helis. It was a major learning curve and an intense experience to learn to fly my first heli. It had a nitro engine and a 4 foot rotor blade. Now you yank a quad copter (drone) out of the box and the GPS will fly it for you. Sure they sell a lot, but we're seeing half the hobby being tossed for instant gratification and lots more sales for the hobby shops since no one has to know much about building them or understanding them. Sad, really sad.

 

[olds97_lss]

I'm with you guys there. What also sucks is some of the good aftermarket companies don't exist anymore. GH used to make some of the best alloy parts for fit, finish and durability. Same with hardcore racing. Now were stuck with "hot racing", GPM and Integy. INTEGY!!!!

 

[Rolex]

This is the reason I convert the big New Bright HummVees to SERIOUS grade from toy grade. If I don't build it, I can't enjoy it.

 

[craig911]

one hobby shop i used to go to antics in bristol city center UK, has gone that way too vary rarely go there any more, i don't even use them for fuel any more i buy it online now,

used to go in and ask advice they were useless couldn't help with basic enquiries they would take forever ordering parts and used to give a price then that would change when they eventually got it in, there markup was ridiculous,

when i started building my savage i used ask them about parts etc to only be told you want this not that, being told i couldn't use savage x parts on a savage 25, well what was a 25 now a X SS after all the upgrades etc on it,

i was going to buy a 1/5 petrol/gas truck from them when i asked about spares and upgrades they were clueless so i walked out the store,

too many hobby shops are turning into glorified toy shops, when i want to buy a rc vehicle i generally want something i can build and tinker with not a premade disposable piece of junk that they are now pushing,

thankfully there are forums like these with lots of helpful people, and chop shops on ebay that supply parts at a reasonable price,

i recently bought a set of integy hexes for my savage truck ( http://www.integy.com/st_prod.html?p_prodid=6007#.VksJhfnhDDc ) i know there integy but one of the few good parts they make, also they removed the slop and wheel wobble i was having
my LHS wanted £70 for them if i ordered them through them, got them on ebay for £22 from the USA well £34 as i ended up paying import vat and RM handling fee, still half the price of my LHS

 

[ninnon]

I wouldn't say that the hobby is dead at all, it's just quietened down a bit since computers have became the norm, less and less children and adults know less and less about the engineering side of things causing people to see one, say "that's pretty cool" and then just move one. Or end up buying a cheap one, not looking into them and then selling them cheap on e bay. I'd recommend finding a more local hobby shop or looking for kits on the internet.

 

[RubiconX]

Thanks for the replies. I checked out another hobby shop "Hobby Hobby" today and thankfully they had a decent selection of kits to choose from, and they stocked lots of parts, so I think I'll be dealing with this shop from now on. Now I just have to decide on my next build and take it from there. Thanks again for the feedback!

 

[wacmartin]

Hobby Hobby is great, good bunch of guys working there. Plus it's always nice to support a Mom and Pop joint.

 

[olds97_lss]

Do they sell online? Got a link?

Nevermind... googled it. Good for you Canadians at least.

http://hobbyhobby.com/store/

 

[Rolex]

I think I'll be dealing with this shop from now on

Good for you! Glad to hear that. Whatever you need, give us a shout. We'll advise you on kits, parts or problems.

 

[RubiconX]

Thanks guys!

 

[wacmartin]

Do they sell online? Got a link?

Nevermind... googled it. Good for you Canadians at least.

http://hobbyhobby.com/store/

Good for us Canadians? Did you check the prices?
The Canadian dollar keeps dropping and the prices in every hobby shop keeping going up!
It's kit building season and all I'm doing is tear downs and replacing worn parts. I picked up a couple of model cars to build this winter because a new RC build just isn't economical right now. Well that and I realize I don't even have time for the 3 rigs I have.

 

[olds97_lss]

Good for us Canadians? Did you check the prices?
The Canadian dollar keeps dropping and the prices in every hobby shop keeping going up!

Just meant that more for shipping reasons... I have no clue what the conversion rate is for anywhere as I don't travel outside the US.

 

[Rolex]

All I know about Canadian currency is that no one will take a Canadian quarter and it doesn't work in the Coke machine.

 

[ninnon]

All I know about Canadian currency is that no one will take a Canadian quarter and it doesn't work in the Coke machine.

And that it looks like monopoly money. Our money smells fantastic and feels like it's been hand woven by the elves of some place fancy.
Newer money:

Older:

 

[Rolex]

Why isn't the newer money showing the older woman? The portrait on the older money looks more like she looks now.

 

[ninnon]

Why isn't the newer money showing the older woman? The portrait on the older money looks more like she looks now.

Probably because they wanted to show her when she was younger and better looking, not like now. Also, the older money hasn't got a portrait of the queen, that's Charles Darwin. Can't blame you for the misunderstanding, it's going to be years until we find out your gender...

 

[Rolex]

LMAO!
Your older money shows a far more intelligent person.

I've explained it before. I'm a morbidly obese Samoan woman in a tutu, living in a grass hut on a Pacific island. All my needs are tended to by Pimwy, my jungle boy. This leaves me a lot of free time to wax.

 

[ninnon]

LMAO!
Your older money shows a far more intelligent person.

I've explained it before. I'm a morbidly obese Samoan woman in a tutu, living in a grass hut on a Pacific island. All my needs are tended to by Pimwy, my jungle boy. This leaves me a lot of free time to wax.

Funny thing is, he was born and raised in the town I'm currently in- in fact, I went to his university/ school- whatever they called it back then today. It's a library now. Picked up a book on how to deal with morbidly obese Samoans over the internet- fantastic book, you should give it a read.

Do you ever let your Samoan boy wax you up or is that for you only?