DESERT RATT

My Feedback: (7)

Hi Guys, I have been off and on with our hobby for the last few years and Now I'm wondering what hobby outlets y'all are using?

I've read the bad reviews about HK, I was going to make an order from Hobbypeople (Who used to be my favorite store) but they have more Out of stock stuff than in stock items or at least of what I need/want. Tower is still high cost (but they do usually have a very good stock) As always since the mail order places opened, the LHS is becoming Antique and higher priced than mail order. My closest Hobby Shop is 60 to 70 miles away and has terrible attitude and is always complaining about the web store pricing, I stood almost an hour waiting for the guy to help us, he was on the phone and didn't so much as acknowledge us standing there .It wasn't a business call, I could tell by the conversation. We walked out and I mail ordered what I needed.

Ok, with all that said who's ordering from what company?

Thanks guys.

DavidAgar

My Feedback: (108)

I have a number of local Hobby Shops in my area and one of them beats Towers price's on all the big stuff. I shop there all the time and only use mail order for things that he can't get such as bulk balsa and a lot of that I get from Tower. Good Luck, Dave

init4fun

I have had great deals with both Tower and Horizon , and a few of the small US based hobby businesses as well . One thing I try to do is that if I'm ordering something big , like an engine or plane , I only order just that and don't load the order up will all kinds of extras . Having an order held up for one out of stock propeller , while you could already have started building the in stock kit , is one good reason for this . Another is that it streamlines the refund process should anything be drastically wrong with the item .

PLANE JIM

My Feedback: (109)

I have had great recent experiences with Hobby King -especially out of the USA warehouse location-ordered four items on a Monday evening and have them at my doorstep on Thursday night

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

Hobby King has openly advertised for shills to shout their praises regardless of the truth, so take any posts regarding their "good" service with a grain of salt. On the other hand, there are domestic places such as Value Hobby that have good prices as well as good service. There are others and I'm confident folks will chime in and point some out.

ghostofpf1

LOL....We need a :whiteknight: smilie for the HK hater crew...

To the OP: Take what the haters say with a grain of arsenic...I've been dealing successfully with them for years and would recommend them just as highly as my other two favorite vendors...A-MAin and Tower.
Between the 3 I can always find what I need.I will say that since the latest lipo fiasco I will only order lipos from their USA warehouse as transit times from the int'l warehouse are too long with all the courier problems
Any claims of me being a paid shill for any of those companies will be met with counterclaims of paranoid delusions.

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

Yes, I understand that the items one actually receives from HK are for the most part ok. That was never the knock against them. And nobody has ever admitted to being a paid shill for them. Maybe nobody took them up on their offer, but since they DID advertise for shills, anyone who supports them become immediately suspect.

topspin

Our LHS, Hobby Hangar in Chantilly, VA, is one of the best around. Their prices are competative with Tower and Horizon although they are higher on some things it's not much. The main reason I like doing business with them is because they are local, stock almost everything I need, and most of all they have a very knowlegeable and helpful staff who always go the extra mile even if I'm only making a small purchase. There are things I can get for less money but I can't get the technical help or great tips and ideas that I can get from the guys at my LHS. Their customer service is better than any other hobby company I have dealt with because it's personal and friendly. These people really want to help me get exactly what I need and if something isn't right with a purchase there is never a question, they just make it right.

Stores like this are worth their weight in gold so I do what I can to keep them in business. Oh yeah, they also support a ton of local flying events and clubs.

topspin

Thanks Gumby.