I have been researching and putting together a store for a little bit now. This past week I have talked to and thank also, Karol Tunkel of Tennessee, Floyd from Eagle Distributing, and Chris Dadds (track builder and apparent guru of slot car business – extending to me many ideas and much guidence) with giving me the info I was lacking. I was highly recommended by Chris to get onto this site as well.
My store will be in eastern Oregon. The store will be stocked with full line slot, R/C of every type, some trains and rockets, models and die cast. I am also thinking about a healthy display and selection of HO race sets to get the kids and family into racing?? The tracks will be as follows: 1) My staple, the big track. Something along the lines of a 150'ish like a King track for example. 2) A 70' drag way 1/4 replica. 3) A tri-oval Daytona style track. 4) A roadcourse, which I am pretty much hell bent on being a replica of a certain city complete with world famous buildings fabricated in 3D with lighting by a professional architectural modeler. Most likely I will earn the reputation of having spent more money than having brains on this one, but it is what it is.
I am new to the biz, but not to business by any means. I spent some time on the phone with Greg here and I thoroughly understand the concept that the majority of the profits come from other profits centers of the store and not the race tracks. I have settled on eastern Oregon, which is almost a bedroom suburb of the Boise, ID, area. The city I will be is right on I-84 and on the OR/ID border. I spent the past 30 years owing various businesses within the heavy wrecker/restaurants and haz-mat service industries. I am purchasing one business in the same town that is a buy-sell-trade most anything type of place of substantial history as well as inventory. I am also purchasing an old movie theater that will be gutted and redone for my hobby shop.
Planning on heavy into the kid's and teen's birthday parties and group events with food and party rooms, party hosts and MCs. Also heavy with the family involvement end of all of this. Hats, T-shirts, race-related items, and generic stuff. Hot dogs, pizza, snacks, cotton candy, popcorn, etc. Good quality products, great service, and super food also. Lots of personal touches and everyone becomes parts of our family type of atmosphere. I have no idea of the sanctioned clubs around the areas of eastern Oregon, although I learned that Oregon has a pretty active racing club scene. If they want something in eastern Oregon or will even accept it, I have not the slightest idea?
I grew up as a kid in Hollywood, FL. Does anyone remember the local commercial slot car raceway in a store on Hollywood Blvd, just west of the city Hall circle there? I believe they also had HO scale race sets, AFX, Monogram-Revell, etc., there at the time. There was also Hobby Lobby a small independent hobby store just west of there also on Hollywood Blvd at Dixie Highway, which had nothing to do with the Hobby Lobby of today I am sure! Would be cool if anyone remembers this.
That brings me to another question I have. Are the hobby shops around the country selling HO sets for the kids and families to get them interested in this stuff? Or is that strictly left for the Walmarts and Kmarts today? Is this something I should add or something I should steer clear of? Any input would help.
Well, any contacts would be great! Ideas? Warning? Free advise worth lots of $$$? If the HO stuff, particularly the boxed raceway sets of all types, is a positive fit here, anyone with info on the wholesalers or distribution outlets would be great. Thanks!