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New store, new tracks, new everything in the NW


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#1 Glen Lawrence

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Posted 28 June 2016 - 02:38 PM

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!






#2 Don Weaver

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Posted 28 June 2016 - 03:01 PM

Best of luck. Wish you were in South Carolina!

 

Don


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#3 JimF

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Posted 28 June 2016 - 04:31 PM

It sounds like you will use many of the factors that have made this raceway reasonably successful.
 
Fast Track Hobbies
 
Their website is woefully out of date but it gives you an idea of the scope of the business. Their Facebook page is more current. Although they have three large tracks and an underused drag strip, the majority of their business is not racing slots. It is R/C, parties, and other hobby/model related items.
 
Best of luck to you.


Jim Fowler

#4 Tim Neja

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Posted 28 June 2016 - 06:48 PM

For HO information I would talk to Dan Cronin in SD at Viper Scale Racing. He's the best in HO racing!!!

 

Good luck – wish you were opening near me!! :)


She's real fine, my 409!!!

#5 Samiam

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Posted 28 June 2016 - 07:02 PM

I have not seen HO sets sold in the big toy stores in many years. None at K-Mart, Walmart, Toys"R"Us, or any other department store I've been to. Shame, since this has been the gateway scale to 1/24 commercial racing for many slot racers.


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#6 Dennis David

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Posted 28 June 2016 - 08:09 PM

Best of luck! Please keep us informed on how you progress.


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#7 team burrito

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Posted 29 June 2016 - 02:02 AM

Gary Beedle is your guy for HO stuff. He's done it all and has been in the business for decades. 

 

Contact him at Scale Auto and tell him team burrito sent you.


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#8 Robert BG

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Posted 29 June 2016 - 08:47 AM

Hi, Glen,

 

It's funny but your resume sounds a lot like mine. I'm currently partners in a towing operation and handle the heavy stuff and I'm on call for a salvage company. Besides that I've also worked in the restaurant industry for years and was head chef for a Marriott in CT before coming back to towing. My dream is to open a US style hobby shop/RC/slot car facility overseas.

 

Just a few ideas off the top of my head are I like the oval/tri-oval. I was never a NASCAR fan and always wanted to race wing cars but some of the best times I ever had was on a banked oval in a 4.5 inch NASCAR; ir's great for a cheap weekly program to get new and old racers back into the swing of things.The classes are relatively cheap and may not light up dollar signs at first but where the rules of rubbin' is racing are involved you'll sell lots of parts, bodies, and chassis every week. All in all it's a great class to get kids started from rentals to racing, too.

 

I think kids are a vital part to a successful track and part of that entails getting them from the casual renter to the racer. I hate to say this about my local track because they are great people but they really could use some work on this area. Finding affordable cars to turn them into regulars is key. I think a builders assistance program would really open some sales up from the people and parents that are on the fence about some things .They are usually on the fence about cost and repairs. If they think they are saving money and teaching their kid something they would come off of the fence. The last thing they want is a $100 toy car that is broken and unable to be fixed.

 

As for home sets I think some HO is a good idea but it may also be worthwhile to look into the Scalectric 1/32 type stuff. Especially if you have a thriving home/club scene in the region. I'm sure they'd like to have a commercial place to visit and shop in.

 

I've got a few more ideas but it's time for me to get back on the road. In short diversity and children I think are two key areas to a successful track. Good luck in your venture and I'm sure you'll be happy and successful if done right.


Robert Fothergill

#9 Glen Lawrence

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Posted 29 June 2016 - 09:14 AM

Don't get me wrong guys, I will have a mix of 'The Twilight Zone' as well as the Family Entertainment Center. There will certainly be the 'racers' area with the work benches and chairs for the pits next to the tracks for the serious hobbyists, etc. But that is not what the whole place will be about, the over 55 crowd. 

 

I will have something for most and not enough for some, I am sure. But, I really do believe in the levels and definition of the players, the exact same as varying golf courses and other sporting venues have. 


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#10 JimF

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Posted 29 June 2016 - 01:15 PM

FWIW and IME-IMO only. I have seen raceways with ovals in the western US and they basically sit fallow. Don't know why but has seemed to be the case. OTH when I lived in the East, there were more ovals and more interest and the ovals appeared to be moneymakers. There are other types of tracks such as the various "Lazy Eight" types that seem to fill the same niche as an oval but with a wider appeal.

 

Not even .02 worth, just an observation.

 

Again... all the best.


Jim Fowler

#11 Lee Palmer

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Posted 29 June 2016 - 04:11 PM

I'll look forward to seeing your venture bear fruit. I live in Meridian, about 40 miles from your store. We do race around here on a King track and a flat track. Would be sweet to have a different track to race every now and again.



#12 CruzinBob

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Posted 30 June 2016 - 03:10 PM

Wow, some lucky town 👍

I would advise getting printed material for anything you would like to sell and place in catalogs for customers to view and respond with their preferences. Once you establish common preferences you can stock items.

Stocking HO can be tricky because if it's not a great seller you will have a hard time getting cost out of it.

And it's beginning to be the same with 1/32. Choose carefully.


Stocking home sets and parts for all scales is good HO, 1/43, 1/32 and 1/24 especially during the holidays.

I have raced with the great hardbody clubs in Oregon and would recommend you offer them a club night with special rates for track time since they are not used to paying for it.

Best of luck, you're a dream come true for many enthusiasts ❤️
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#13 Glen Lawrence

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Posted 30 June 2016 - 03:35 PM

Wow, some lucky town

I would advise getting printed material for anything you would like to sell and place in catalogs for customers to view and respond with their preferences. Once you establish common preferences you can stock items.

Stocking HO can be tricky because if it's not a great seller you will have a hard time getting cost out of it.

And it's beginning to be the same with 1/32. Choose carefully.


Stocking home sets and parts for all scales is good HO, 1/43, 1/32 and 1/24 especially during the holidays.

I have raced with the great hardbody clubs in Oregon and would recommend you offer them a club night with special rates for track time since they are not used to paying for it.

Best of luck, you're a dream come true for many enthusiasts ❤️

 

Thanks for some input!  I have a lot of serious 'Blood-Sweat-& Tears' going into this and the capital I have set aside for it.  I know it will work and I am doing a great deal of research.  I find input like this very valuable and one way or another---I will give back to you guys. 







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