537 replies to this topic

[Jaz]

"I Think We're All Bozos On This Bus."
The Firesign Theatre 1971

"My mother used to be a Bozoette in high school!"

[MantaRay]

Here's a clip CLIP...

"You gotta start young, if you're going to stick it out."

[Jaz]

Just remember, Fud's first law of opposition states: "If you push something hard enough, it will fall over."

[MantaRay]

Teslacle's Deviant to Fudd's Law:
"It comes in, it must go out."

[Jaz]

Hey, What are you guys doing in my car?
Ahh, the foxtrot. You can have the next dance!

[KTM300]

There's really no argument to be made. Our stories are a perfect parallel. You have not been able to get people to support 1/32 scale, and I have not found anyone that wants to take it to the level that I have. Even the guys like Dennis Sampson that have built beautiful 1/32 scale scratchbuilt chassis and added a hardbody have not found too many people that want to race 1/32 scale even in a scratchbuilt setting.

1/32 scale seems to have boomed because of the internet and eBay, so no reason to think that it would change. It doesn't need a commercial track or a hobby shop to survive. I try to buy as much as can from BPR, but let's be real. I'm not going to drive 60+ minutes one way every time I need 10 dollars worth of parts.

When I do make a big purchase, there two places I go on the web. They always have what I want and it shows up on my doorstep in three days, free postage, and no gas used from my tank. Your track offers something that your patrons can't get anywhere else. If that changes, so will your business, for the worst I would expect.

You mentioned that you had a four-lane 60 ft plastic track that no one used. I wouldn't use it either. I can have one of my own in my house or I can go to one of the many other tracks at other people's houses. No one is going to get excited about 60 ft of track but if you look at the track on the NSR website you will see something that gets people out of the house. They have a six and an eight lane track that looks to be at least 130 feet with big banks, big sweeping turns, elevation changes, and long straights. Kind of like a big wood track. I don't know if that track is a permanent fixture or a traveling road show but it sure looks like a track that I want to compete on.

[Vay Jonynas]

Unfortunately, The 1/32 scale model car racers will not look at racing at a commercial raceway the way the larger scale racers and participants do at this time.

My local track gives every appearance of doing a thriving business in 1/32 scale plasticars. His strategy is threefold:

1) He rents out one of his two big tracks for kids birthday parties. The parents often end up buying Scalextric or Carrera sets for the kids as well as extra cars. This is key because he constantly attracts new participants into slot car racing in this way.

2) He has regular 1/32 box stock with magnets races for kids.

3) He holds races for at least two different classes of non-magnet 1/32 scale cars for adults. These require serious modifications to be competitive. He of course sells the parts to make these modifications possible.

The participants in his 1/24 racing classes all seem to have 1/32 plasticars in their slot boxes as well. Many of them just run them for fun on the big track just to see how well they can get them to run - with and without the magnets.

[redbackspyder]

1/32 scale seems to have boomed because of the internet and eBay, so no reason to think that it would change. It doesn't need a commercial track or a hobby shop to survive. I try to buy as much as can from BPR, but let's be real. I'm not going to drive 60+ minutes one way every time I need 10 dollars worth of parts.

When I do make a big purchase, there two places I go on the web. They always have what I want and it shows up on my doorstep in three days, free postage, and no gas used from my tank. Your track offers something that your patrons can't get anywhere else. If that changes, so will your business, for the worst I would expect.

Mike, I agree with you totally on this, as this is what happened at Nomad.

Quadrophenia track was great for a while, and while there was good racing, the limitations put on the racers is what drove the majority of them to leave.

The reluctance of the owner to order certain parts forced racers to eBay or the internet. I tried unsuccessfully to order a tire truer for nine months, and finally gave up. 1/32 racing is at least 50 times the size of 1/24 in the US, and we can race on home tracks at least as nice as most of the raceways that do offer a 1/32 track.

Your expertise in being able to set these cars up for wood tracks is unbelievable, just as tough as Mike S. or Doug M setting up D3 cars. By the way, what are the two companies that you use for 1/32 parts or cars???

1/24 racers are forced to pay to race since there are no home alternatives. Most 1/32 guys enjoy the club scene, and if they saw how well your cars run, would probably get much more excited about running on wood tracks. Setting up a proper Pla-fit SLP chassis is just as difficult as getting any D3 car sorted I am sure.

eBy and the iternet are here to stay, and track owners must deal with it or join in having an effective website themselves. A customer loyalty program, customer service, etc... maybe more people would support local tracks if they were given a little better treatment.

Just a thought - I could be wrong.

[KTM300]

Hi Mill,

The place I found stateside is Fantasy World Hobbies, which I'm pretty sure you know about.

The other is in the U.K. - Pendle Slots. Pendle has an unbelievable selection of cars and parts as well as resin bodies and completed kits. They do not ship free and their prices are not listed in dollars but if you do the math they are equal in price to Fantasy and for NSR and MB Slot they are much cheaper. If I order on Monday I usually get the stuff on Friday. You must be home for the international orders from Pendle because UPS will not leave them; signature required. You must then go pick them up at the UPS station. I think they have very fast shipping for being from Yurrup (as PDL would say). I also like Pendle because they have things that you don't see in the states and they also get the new stuff months before we do.

I think enough people have heard about my wood track stuff so here is a little teaser from my latest project. For those that have seen them sorry to bore you . This is the MB Slot Zonda in the two chassis configs they offer. The anglewinder is still missing a few parts that are currently on the way from Fantasy.

[Mopar Rob]

So this is really a non-issue. If someone is happy racing on their 20 foot two-laner at their home, then so be it. Don't complain when I fail to carry that latest Scalextrix or Ninco or whatever when you come in to the store. You did not support it when I had those items before... if you want to pre-pay like you do on the internet and it is available, I will order it. But don't expect me to "cheap sell" the item. And yes, if shipping is charged for the item, guess who has the pleasure of paying for that shipping?

I guess everyone has a different business philosophy. I would gladly take 20% on something that was prepaid than 40% of zero dollars spent. I wouldn't care if they purchased track time or raced if I had a piece of the pie with zero investment other than a phone call or email to order it.

In the real business world most people work on gross dollars. Slot car shops seem to work off the 40% margin and most of us know the fate of most slot car shops.

[MarcusPHagen]

In the real business world most people work on gross dollars.

Sorry to contradict, but in the real business world, people who stay in business work on NET profits. Anything else is an illusion which can bankrupt you before you realize it.

I've seen people who thought they were doing wonderfully well because their gross sales were so high - but they were losing money on each sale. The true cost of a phone call (in time and overhead) can easily exceed the net profit on a discounted sale.

For a steady customer, the occasional loss leader item can be justified. However, those who always want a discount, but never allow the business to make sufficient profits, are cutting their own throats.

[redbackspyder]

Mike,

As always, beautifully done.

I will try Pendle as there are a few things like the Avant LeMans trio that I would like but can not get anywhere.

My new Hudy tire truer is due on Friday, after I tried to get one from Jim at Nomad for nine months.

Mike, where are you getting your brass sheet stock, from BP? Is this the .032" that you were telling me about?

I spent Monday over at Bryan Warmack's shop and the stories that he and Tore told me were great. They are a great bunch of guys, and we swapped '60s stories and I helped them with some parts for their own projects.

[KTM300]

Attn Mill,

BPR has a much better stock than they used to or maybe it's just easier to find because of the new display. So much of it I buy there.

I also get a bunch from Hobby People. They actually have a pretty good stock.

Lastly there is a shop close to my house called Dynamic Hobbies. He used to own two other shops and had an indoor carpet R/C track but has since put everything into one shop that sells R/C cars, planes, boats, trains, plastic kits, and HO.

The brass on the Zonda is .032" on the completed car and .025" on the other one.

[redbackspyder]

Thanks for the info, Mike. I will have to check if there are any R/C shops near me, or a Hobby People.

Do you attach the brass plates with Shoe Goo? Very nicely cut out; were they done on your new saw or by Dremel?

[Tim Neja]

It always amazes me that small shop owners think there is no reason to compete with the mail order world or other competitors. That somehow they should be "guaranteed" a 40% margin or better simply because they have "opened their doors and put parts in stock"!

While I can empathize with needing to maximize profits, I've been in sales all my life, and have always had to "compete" for the sale. Be it price, or service, or product, I am always asked to try and "meet the competition"!

Why should it not be any different for hobbies/slot shops? There are plenty of ways to make a sale, service may be one of the most important. Service in this case means knowing what your customers want and stocking it. Sounds like he didn't listen to his customers, one of the largest 1/32 clubs in SoCal is in LA - and NONE of them race with magnets!! All of the home tracks are 40' four-lane tracks and up - some as large as 80 to 100' - no little nothing tracks.

And their diversity is one of the things enjoyed by all. Carrera is NOT the only "best" plastic track, Ninco works very well for bite, Scalextric is very realistic, Artin works well for one of the members. Most of them have scenery for realism. They are all fun. Some have small routed tracks, and for racing, this is the preferred style of track. FWIW.

Tim

[KTM300]

We can blame it on the gas cost... Everything and everyone else does.

Too many "me first, f@#k you" types in this hobby.

That way we can chase out the deadwood and deadbeat customers.

These kinds of comments are not going to gain you any customers. When I look at all the places that I buy from on the web they are in fact all hobby shops, with or without tracks. If you want a piece of 1/32 scale pie you will probably have to start web sales as well. When I buy parts or track time from BPR it's really for two reasons and two reasons only"

Chris and Lenore (owners of BPR).

That's it.

They treat me nice when I walk in and make me feel at home. I spend money even when I don't need anything just because I want them to stay around and to show appreciation for the way they treat me.

BPR is the last track in SoCal, and I'm sure everyone that goes there knows why and feels the same as me. I can only hope your customers say the same about you.

[68Caddy]

Amen.

Mike, I really have to agree with you, that is why people are come back because people like Chris and Lenore.

I'm glad that you are also involved in 1/32 slots.

Nesta aka 68Caddy

[KTM300]

KTM and other non track owners: You just don't get it.

I get it... perfectly! Good day.

[68Caddy]

That means we are cheap.
I spend a lot of money on this stuff but maybe doesn't help?
Nesta aka 68Caddy

[MarcusPHagen]

I spend a lot of money on this stuff but maybe doesn't help?

It helps wherever you spend it, Nesta.

As painful as it may be for those on the receiving end of it, change happens. There are very few blacksmiths left in the world. Yes, there are a few -- but you may have to travel to a Civil War reenactment festival to see one these days.

In the same way, the economics of slot racing centers probably ensure that any of us who want to race at one will have to travel, unless we happen to be lucky enough to live near one. In addition, just as for the blacksmith, it will probably be a hobby rather than a way of life for most.

That seems to be what the above discussion is leading toward.

The same lack of a sustainable economic model caused our nearby suburban mini-golf course to be converted to an all-you-can-eat restaurant, and is destroying the few remaining outdoor movie theaters in this country.