cooltouch

Just joined the forum, and Iknow next to nothing about R/C. Bought a little car for my daughter several years ago, and it was fun, but even though it looked "off road" it could barely handle short grass.

The reason for this post is my brother in law just gave me NINE Radio Shack R/C cars. I would like to sell them cuz I could use the money, but I'm wondering if doing so might just be more trouble than its worth. All the cars date back to the 1990s, at least two as early as 1993. For a few years there, each Christmas, my b-i-l would buy a pair of new Radio Shack R/C cars for his son and him to play with. Apparently by the last year, his son had lost interest but he hadn't, which is why there's an odd number of cars.

I'm sure that dedicated R/C hobbyists would consider these cars to be "toys," but they sold for good money when new. Five of them sold for $100, two for $120, and two for $150. They all have NiCad battery packs which I'm sure that are dead by now. Radio Shack still sells a replacement pack a 3000 maH NiMH for $35. Ouch. I'm sure it will work a lot nicer than the old 1200 maH packs the cars came with, but it is a bit pricey.

The cars are all in usuable condition. Afew show signs of rather vigorous play scrapes and fairly worn tires and a few show only light signs of use. One looks as if it was never used. All nine cars are packed in their original boxes and have their original controllers. Iwas surprised that RSdid not include chargers with the cars. My b-i-l bought a couple of the overnight ones like 12 hours to charge. He also bought a couple of quick chargers one that runs off a 12 v car battery only, and another that wil run off either a car battery or A/C current.

Iwas thinking that half the original price would be fair to ask, assuming that a fresh battery is included with each car. Does this sound reasonable, do you think? Also I'm wondering if anyone here might know of a source for these 7.2v battery packs besides RS? Somebody cheaper.

Any constructive advice you care to offer will be appreciated.

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

Without seeing pictures it hard to say, but there are so many "toy" quality cars out there via the internet and Walmart, unless they have some spcial value to a collector they won't be worth much.

My advise would be to put them on craig's list and you might get $10-$20 a piece, with shipping and no good batteries it's cheaper in most cases to buy new

good luck

outdoorhunting

I agree with scaleonly 4 me. Most, I say most of Radio Shack's cars are of "toy quality". In other words when something breaks on them, you pretty much just toss them & start over. If they do carry spare parts for them , it will be for a couple of yrs & that's it !! for cars made in 1993, they will be pretty much "prehistoric", & of not much interest to anybody. Not what ya want to hear, but I think that is pretty much the truth. If you could get 10-20 bucks each "as is" it would be a fair price. I definitely wouldn't go buy new batteries for them, when you might find the gears frozen up.. One thing you might do, you could donate them to a local Boy Scout Troup & it would probably be tax deductable. I'm sure they could get some fun out of them.. Good Luck.

DGrant

My Feedback: (4)

After seeing what works and what doesn't.. I would probably just give them to a deserving little boy or organization that would use them and enjoy them. The biggest prob is the batteries, and in most cases, even if you put new batteries in them, once those batts run out.. these things are toast anyways. Or just take them down to your local "GoodWill" store, get a reciept for them and write them off on your taxes... I've got these kinds of write-offs every year.

gingle

Good luck for u!

cooltouch

Thanks for the responses, guys. I was pretty much expecting that's what you'd have to say. I think what I'll do rather than donate them, since they have essentially no value, is tinker with them. Or at least maybe with one or two of them, and donate the rest. They all still work, so that means the motors are good and the gear trains are good, as are the R/C controls. I might be able to put together some interesting Frankenbots from the remnants, who knows.

outdoorhunting

Hey guys. I thinkI see a future RCer starting up. Good Luck, cooltouch, once the bug bites ya, you're in for life !!