Hobby king warning usa warehouse purchase
#551
This guy Porcia sure likes Hobby King. Seems like every other thread he's bashing everyone that says anything bad about HK. What is he getting out of this? He used to do the same thing on the other site RCGs. Now he's over here doing it.
Let's face it, Hobby King SUCKS big time! ! Any company that copies another company's products and then sells them as their own is a really sucky company. And their customer service really really SUCKS ! !
I really hate to see new people coming into this hobby and then getting ripped off by Hobby King. Especially the young kids trying to save some money to get into the hobby. It's a real shame.
Let's face it, Hobby King SUCKS big time! ! Any company that copies another company's products and then sells them as their own is a really sucky company. And their customer service really really SUCKS ! !
I really hate to see new people coming into this hobby and then getting ripped off by Hobby King. Especially the young kids trying to save some money to get into the hobby. It's a real shame.
#554
My Feedback: (15)
I swore off coming back in but ... I am in another thread and I bought an FW190 EPO 66" from an old closeout Starmax distributor .
The plane is in kit form and it needed TLC but I am happy with it and I am a modeler so I made tons of tweeks and build changes. Scratch built the flaps, the gear legs, the gear doors and so on .
So the same plane is picked up by Hobby King , and the poor guys paid three times as much but are getting really bad planes, totally warped wings, and epo is not easy to fix when warped . IN essence they must have purcahsed Starmax closeouts and resold as First Quality .
So as you can see I will always post both sides of the story . I have had great luck with Lipos and esc and E-Motors , even servos but man I hear nightmares on there planes. I have there 66" P40 N , again issues out of the norm but not the warping I am seeing posted on RCG under the starmax Fw190 forum !
Its sad , the poor guy spent $100 +$100 in shipping and returns , he was shipped two planes one original and one replacement , both bad.
So as stated earlier buyer beware with what you buy if you buy .
Countilaw, any time you take a passive agreesive comment like "what is he getting " you take your post and place it into the urban legand pile, you have to deal in facts , also useing words like sucks dicredits your credibility .
Its great if your dealing with teens, bottom line if they are bad at business why not state the details, your details, your personal experineces.
Should we assume you get paid by Horison, Great Planes, etc because you bash Hobby King lol, no that is how silly we can be, lets not assume anything but if you dont have experinece in dealing with them , then you dont know .
Just like Yelps review of resterants, do know there is now a legal servace to go after reveiws because many are being made by competitive resterants that cant compete with the good one .
The plane is in kit form and it needed TLC but I am happy with it and I am a modeler so I made tons of tweeks and build changes. Scratch built the flaps, the gear legs, the gear doors and so on .
So the same plane is picked up by Hobby King , and the poor guys paid three times as much but are getting really bad planes, totally warped wings, and epo is not easy to fix when warped . IN essence they must have purcahsed Starmax closeouts and resold as First Quality .
So as you can see I will always post both sides of the story . I have had great luck with Lipos and esc and E-Motors , even servos but man I hear nightmares on there planes. I have there 66" P40 N , again issues out of the norm but not the warping I am seeing posted on RCG under the starmax Fw190 forum !
Its sad , the poor guy spent $100 +$100 in shipping and returns , he was shipped two planes one original and one replacement , both bad.
So as stated earlier buyer beware with what you buy if you buy .
Countilaw, any time you take a passive agreesive comment like "what is he getting " you take your post and place it into the urban legand pile, you have to deal in facts , also useing words like sucks dicredits your credibility .
Its great if your dealing with teens, bottom line if they are bad at business why not state the details, your details, your personal experineces.
Should we assume you get paid by Horison, Great Planes, etc because you bash Hobby King lol, no that is how silly we can be, lets not assume anything but if you dont have experinece in dealing with them , then you dont know .
Just like Yelps review of resterants, do know there is now a legal servace to go after reveiws because many are being made by competitive resterants that cant compete with the good one .
Last edited by LDM; 10-24-2014 at 03:28 AM.
#555
Banned
My Feedback: (8)
This guy Porcia sure likes Hobby King. Seems like every other thread he's bashing everyone that says anything bad about HK. What is he getting out of this? He used to do the same thing on the other site RCGs. Now he's over here doing it.
Let's face it, Hobby King SUCKS big time! ! Any company that copies another company's products and then sells them as their own is a really sucky company. And their customer service really really SUCKS ! !
I really hate to see new people coming into this hobby and then getting ripped off by Hobby King. Especially the young kids trying to save some money to get into the hobby. It's a real shame.
Let's face it, Hobby King SUCKS big time! ! Any company that copies another company's products and then sells them as their own is a really sucky company. And their customer service really really SUCKS ! !
I really hate to see new people coming into this hobby and then getting ripped off by Hobby King. Especially the young kids trying to save some money to get into the hobby. It's a real shame.
Personal attacks and insinuation, a repetitive and undignified way of conducting yourself. As you look to be the champion of the "young kids" getting into the hobby, you might want to revisit that approach.
It's ironic that you're in just about every HK thread too, why is that? Do you work for a competitor, or better yet do you compete with HK in any way? I've asked before, but you won't answer, why is that?
I've also asked you if you've purchased anything from them, again no answer. Even if it was 6 years ago, lol. By all means, other than ranting about how bad they suck, can you explain your campaign against them? I think you used to rant at another site too if I'm not mistaken?
And why do you constantly insinuate people are shills? I think I've mentioned before, by all means put some evidence or proof out that. It might lend just a tiny bit of credibility to your repetitive empty claims.
Since you seem to follow my posts (thanks by the way), you either have not comprehended what I've written, or are intentionally distorting it. They are not my first choice, nor my last. There are better companies to deal with, there are worse. Most reasonably intelligent people know how to deal with them. Obviously, the others don't.
Keep up the good fight though, bump the threads and bring more attention to them, perhaps you'll see a warehouse pop up in TX before too long. Heck, they just opened one in Russia so anything is possible.
#556
Banned
My Feedback: (8)
I swore off coming back in but ... I am in another thread and I bought an FW190 EPO 66" from an old closeout Starmax distributor .
The plane is in kit form and it needed TLC but I am happy with it and I am a modeler so I made tons of tweeks and build changes. Scratch built the flaps, the gear legs, the gear doors and so on .
So the same plane is picked up by Hobby King , and the poor guys paid three times as much but are getting really bad planes, totally warped wings, and epo is not easy to fix when warped . IN essence they must have purcahsed Starmax closeouts and resold as First Quality .
So as you can see I will always post both sides of the story . I have had great luck with Lipos and esc and E-Motors , even servos but man I hear nightmares on there planes. I have there 66" P40 N , again issues out of the norm but not the warping I am seeing posted on RCG under the starmax Fw190 forum !
Its sad , the poor guy spent $100 +$100 in shipping and returns , he was shipped two planes one original and one replacement , both bad.
So as stated earlier buyer beware with what you buy if you buy .
Countilaw, any time you take a passive agreesive comment like "what is he getting " you take your post and place it into the urban legand pile, you have to deal in facts , also useing words like sucks dicredits your credibility .
Its great if your dealing with teens, bottom line if they are bad at business why not state the details, your details, your personal experineces.
Should we assume you get paid by Horison, Great Planes, etc because you bash Hobby King lol, no that is how silly we can be, lets not assume anything but if you dont have experinece in dealing with them , then you dont know .
Just like Yelps review of resterants, do know there is now a legal servace to go after reveiws because many are being made by competitive resterants that cant compete with the good one .
The plane is in kit form and it needed TLC but I am happy with it and I am a modeler so I made tons of tweeks and build changes. Scratch built the flaps, the gear legs, the gear doors and so on .
So the same plane is picked up by Hobby King , and the poor guys paid three times as much but are getting really bad planes, totally warped wings, and epo is not easy to fix when warped . IN essence they must have purcahsed Starmax closeouts and resold as First Quality .
So as you can see I will always post both sides of the story . I have had great luck with Lipos and esc and E-Motors , even servos but man I hear nightmares on there planes. I have there 66" P40 N , again issues out of the norm but not the warping I am seeing posted on RCG under the starmax Fw190 forum !
Its sad , the poor guy spent $100 +$100 in shipping and returns , he was shipped two planes one original and one replacement , both bad.
So as stated earlier buyer beware with what you buy if you buy .
Countilaw, any time you take a passive agreesive comment like "what is he getting " you take your post and place it into the urban legand pile, you have to deal in facts , also useing words like sucks dicredits your credibility .
Its great if your dealing with teens, bottom line if they are bad at business why not state the details, your details, your personal experineces.
Should we assume you get paid by Horison, Great Planes, etc because you bash Hobby King lol, no that is how silly we can be, lets not assume anything but if you dont have experinece in dealing with them , then you dont know .
Just like Yelps review of resterants, do know there is now a legal servace to go after reveiws because many are being made by competitive resterants that cant compete with the good one .
#557
Senior Member
My Feedback: (2)
Your comments make complete sense, but it fall on deaf ears of those who are set in their ways. Nothing will ever convince them, they appear to have their cause. If it wasn't HK, you know it would be something else. The irrational way they deal with the company, and the attacks on anyone who disagree most certainly do the opposite of what they intend to do. Using HK is a personal choice they want to take away from people, and for the most part they never explain why, just repeat the same things over and over, as if that will change anything, or help anyone. Meh!
be the only place to buy because they put all others out of buisness ..joe
Last edited by joebahl; 10-24-2014 at 12:59 PM.
#558
My Feedback: (15)
I know , I am just trying to stick with facts and only really communicate with people who have purchased from them
I just met a guy at my local club that I just joined , he is one a small amount of the eflyers like me , we could not be in the hobby if it was not for hobby king , its just that simple its too expensive, I cant afford THunder Power , so my efule source is Hobby King Lipos , and so far all has been good .
I just met a guy at my local club that I just joined , he is one a small amount of the eflyers like me , we could not be in the hobby if it was not for hobby king , its just that simple its too expensive, I cant afford THunder Power , so my efule source is Hobby King Lipos , and so far all has been good .
#559
Senior Member
My Feedback: (2)
I know , I am just trying to stick with facts and only really communicate with people who have purchased from them
I just met a guy at my local club that I just joined , he is one a small amount of the eflyers like me , we could not be in the hobby if it was not for hobby king , its just that simple its too expensive, I cant afford THunder Power , so my efule source is Hobby King Lipos , and so far all has been good .
I just met a guy at my local club that I just joined , he is one a small amount of the eflyers like me , we could not be in the hobby if it was not for hobby king , its just that simple its too expensive, I cant afford THunder Power , so my efule source is Hobby King Lipos , and so far all has been good .
Last edited by joebahl; 10-24-2014 at 01:06 PM.
#560
My Feedback: (243)
I thought i was out of here also but P-83 keeps me comming back :-( It is a Personal choice to buy from HK and every one in the US is free to do so ,on the other hand some of us think that if your that cheap to buy junk and some get the shipping run arouind doing it then others should know about HKs sub standerd parts and service . Again freedom of speech and freedom to think like some of us do. Buy away P-83 no one is trying to close HK or stop you from buying junk but we just dont want to see HK
be the only place to buy because they put all others out of buisness ..joe
be the only place to buy because they put all others out of buisness ..joe
Cheapskate is something most of us are not but thrifty or wise where we spend our dollars. So calling folks cheap when you know nothing about them illustrates an unsurpassed level of arrogance or stupidity.
Let’s see. I buy HK LiPo’s to power my helis which range from 450 to 600 size. I learned over the years 6S HK batteries at $60.00 each last about as long as name brands costing $200-$250.00 each. I have bought many from HK with nary a dud yet.
My stable of airplanes range from several HK RxR foamies up to a 38% IMAC gasser with lots of electric and glow birds in various sizes, sport and scale, in between.
All but one are guided with one Futaba 18MZ, two 14MZ’s, two 9ZA WCII. Some are guided by a lowly HK Orange Spektrum compatible system that works just fine.
So, according to the anti-HK folks here I am cheap for shopping HK with success.
It tickles me to know that sticks in a lot of people’s craw but to the sad sacks in this thread, get over it. Stay away from HK as it may improve dispositions and blood pressure
#561
My Feedback: (158)
I have no problem with people warning of HK's lacking customer service, and recommending other vendors, but straight Lying and making BS up does bother me,, the calling people shills continually also,,, How long has this gang rant been going on for,, 3 years now??
When I see BS I call BS,,, there's a lot to see around here.
When I see BS I call BS,,, there's a lot to see around here.
#563
My Feedback: (15)
Joe great post its great to see an unemotional post that adds value with options .(post 559)
I went to both sites, one looks really good with great prices even on there super QC line .
I like to added value like that in this thread vs the constant rant of nonsence on the secret society that exist in supporting Hobby king lol
Dick , also great post , welcome to the world of cheapskates , maybe we need a Brotherhood lol , like the P40 and Corsair ones ?
I went to both sites, one looks really good with great prices even on there super QC line .
I like to added value like that in this thread vs the constant rant of nonsence on the secret society that exist in supporting Hobby king lol
Dick , also great post , welcome to the world of cheapskates , maybe we need a Brotherhood lol , like the P40 and Corsair ones ?
#565
Banned
My Feedback: (8)
Do as I say, not as I do, or wait...support your local hobby shop called Value hobby?
Yes, by all means, support your local hobby shop. Is Value Hobby your local hobby shop? Or Heads Up? Or wait, are they just like tons of other online vendors of RC products. Have you shopped at either place instead of supporting your local hobby shop?
#566
Banned
My Feedback: (8)
Think you and your buddy could come up with evidence to support your allegation? It's only been what, 6-9 years...why rush.
#567
My Feedback: (79)
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Tomball, Texas
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Two weeks ago I stopped in local hobby shop for 2 ounce bottle of medium CA. Thank God he only had 1 ounce bottles as 1 ounce cost me $14.95! I noticed banner ad on RCU for Amain and ordered 2 ounce bottle for $9.69. I ordered 2 bottles of CA and 9 ounces of Epoxy and got free shipping. I can't support LHS.
#568
My Feedback: (243)
Think I may post a link from HK since they sell the same products under different labels and call it my local hobby shop. After all they ship from within the USA.
#569
My Feedback: (15)
I dont want to turn this into a "Local hobby shop bash " but lets go there.
I have the luxuary of traveling the USA in my real line of work and I am not drinker so my free time is spent ( when on the road ) looking and visiting and shopping local shops.
With the exception of one in Allentown Pa, The florida Marklet , Minn, Texas ( Dallas) 1 in SanAntonio , 1 in southern Cal, one in Seattle, a few in Michigan , ILL, St Louis , Columbus , North Carolina there are very few good shops around .
My two favorite in MN are Hobby Warehouse and Big Sky hobbies , they get it , they carry imports, they are located with used eye candy for sale hanging from the ceiling, the help /owners are great and cost are great .
When you see a hobby shop that ia barron and "we can order that " well thats great because so can I .
Our hobby suffers from new people getting into the hobby becaue they cant stumble into a well stocked fun store.
MOst of the Hobby Towns ( most ) not all are not owned by RC people more owned by people who are train or craft oriented and carry RC as an afterthought .
I have seen some shops that have great locations with low rent opportunities miss the boat completley because some people simply cant run a business its that simple . The hobby shop industry is not hurting from virtual sales shops , its hurting from inexperienced business owners who dont know how to add accesories , after market hop ups, fun scale parts, and so many other things to add sales .
Have you ever gone into a Hobby shop and seen or been suggested or led to buy a plane and a scale reffernace Squadren Signal book on the very same Plane ?
Have you ever gone into a shop that is an old warehouse with great space that is barren but could easily carry used planes , cars , boats on consignment that when sold the revenue earned must be spent in the shop ? These are things I have seen in the good shops and tried to help the struggeling shops but they dont want help , they want to complaine on how there busines is just ok .
Local shops suffer because of inexperienced business owners #1 reason , not virtual shops !
I have the luxuary of traveling the USA in my real line of work and I am not drinker so my free time is spent ( when on the road ) looking and visiting and shopping local shops.
With the exception of one in Allentown Pa, The florida Marklet , Minn, Texas ( Dallas) 1 in SanAntonio , 1 in southern Cal, one in Seattle, a few in Michigan , ILL, St Louis , Columbus , North Carolina there are very few good shops around .
My two favorite in MN are Hobby Warehouse and Big Sky hobbies , they get it , they carry imports, they are located with used eye candy for sale hanging from the ceiling, the help /owners are great and cost are great .
When you see a hobby shop that ia barron and "we can order that " well thats great because so can I .
Our hobby suffers from new people getting into the hobby becaue they cant stumble into a well stocked fun store.
MOst of the Hobby Towns ( most ) not all are not owned by RC people more owned by people who are train or craft oriented and carry RC as an afterthought .
I have seen some shops that have great locations with low rent opportunities miss the boat completley because some people simply cant run a business its that simple . The hobby shop industry is not hurting from virtual sales shops , its hurting from inexperienced business owners who dont know how to add accesories , after market hop ups, fun scale parts, and so many other things to add sales .
Have you ever gone into a Hobby shop and seen or been suggested or led to buy a plane and a scale reffernace Squadren Signal book on the very same Plane ?
Have you ever gone into a shop that is an old warehouse with great space that is barren but could easily carry used planes , cars , boats on consignment that when sold the revenue earned must be spent in the shop ? These are things I have seen in the good shops and tried to help the struggeling shops but they dont want help , they want to complaine on how there busines is just ok .
Local shops suffer because of inexperienced business owners #1 reason , not virtual shops !
#570
Jim, I just don't understand why these guys are so dead set that HK is the greatest thing since butter on toast. There are so many more suppliers that are just so much better.
I think when a guy keeps saying, "Prove it, prove it" you just don't need to prove it any longer. He pretty much says it for you.
Jim, I was at a competition last weekend, one of the guys was telling me he bought 3 motors from HK, one was DOA, and the other two didn't even make through one flight. He was pretty upset, he claimed he could have gotten 1 from his LHS and saved more money. He swore, never again would he order anything from Hobby King, I told him it's called Hobby Krap, he agreed.
I went over to my LHS, Wild Bills and bought a 2 oz bottle of Extra Thick CA and a 2 oz bottle of Thin CA, I paid $7.99 for each bottle. I also got two rolls of Cub Yellow Monokote for $11.99 each. Not bad prices for a LHS. And to top it all off, HAD SOME VERY GOOD CONVERSATION TOO ! ! !
AND I didn't have to pay shipping. Beats the Krap out of Hobby Krap.
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HOBBY SHOP.
I think when a guy keeps saying, "Prove it, prove it" you just don't need to prove it any longer. He pretty much says it for you.
Jim, I was at a competition last weekend, one of the guys was telling me he bought 3 motors from HK, one was DOA, and the other two didn't even make through one flight. He was pretty upset, he claimed he could have gotten 1 from his LHS and saved more money. He swore, never again would he order anything from Hobby King, I told him it's called Hobby Krap, he agreed.
I went over to my LHS, Wild Bills and bought a 2 oz bottle of Extra Thick CA and a 2 oz bottle of Thin CA, I paid $7.99 for each bottle. I also got two rolls of Cub Yellow Monokote for $11.99 each. Not bad prices for a LHS. And to top it all off, HAD SOME VERY GOOD CONVERSATION TOO ! ! !
AND I didn't have to pay shipping. Beats the Krap out of Hobby Krap.
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HOBBY SHOP.
#571
My Feedback: (15)
Unfortunitly if you search RCU , no matter what thread your in you will find quality complaints on the $1000 Corsair Thread , you will find problems in the $3000 Moki Radial Thread , on ARFs that are $2000, on Horison P47 verion one ( wings dont fit thread) on Robart Eletric Retracts theads , on Century Jet retract failure thead, on Sierra Gear not shipping for months thread, on Kit cutter threads, on sullivan easy fueler thread , I cant find one thread that is filled with Candy , Balloons and sweet thoughts on any RC site , so when someone says prove it , we dont have to , there are clear cut post with major problems with Hobby King , but many of the post in this thread and I would bet a week salary on this next statement have never ever purchased from Hobby King but like to argue about it lol .
This is a funny hobby my friend, we like to create drama in this country , we are drinking to much water in plastic bottles loaded with BPH increasing our estrogen and forcesing us into manwomen ! We dont need to complane about 75% of what we can fix on our own but we all have a voice a computer and a key board and that is so much easier then action .
This is a funny hobby my friend, we like to create drama in this country , we are drinking to much water in plastic bottles loaded with BPH increasing our estrogen and forcesing us into manwomen ! We dont need to complane about 75% of what we can fix on our own but we all have a voice a computer and a key board and that is so much easier then action .
Last edited by LDM; 10-25-2014 at 12:40 AM.
#572
My Feedback: (158)
and by all means, may the happy couple stand side by side baying at the moon on all hallows night. Watch out for all those things that go bump in the night. Awyoooooo...won't anyone think of the young uns and noobs, aohhhoooooo...don't shop at HK. Woof.
Think you and your buddy could come up with evidence to support your allegation? It's only been what, 6-9 years...why rush.
Think you and your buddy could come up with evidence to support your allegation? It's only been what, 6-9 years...why rush.
Last edited by scale only 4 me; 10-25-2014 at 03:09 AM.
#573
Banned
My Feedback: (8)
Then why did you post a link to an online vendor who only sells Chinese imports? Must be quite a talent having a torso that speaks from both ends simultaneously.
Think I may post a link from HK since they sell the same products under different labels and call it my local hobby shop. After all they ship from within the USA.
Think I may post a link from HK since they sell the same products under different labels and call it my local hobby shop. After all they ship from within the USA.
Meanwhile, interesting to see the thread get bumped again, about 19,500 views now. Wonder how many were brand new people to the hobby and were wondering, Hey, should I use HK. Let me look for a thread on some RC site to check that out. I'll guess maybe 4.
#574
Banned
My Feedback: (8)
I dont want to turn this into a "Local hobby shop bash " but lets go there.
I have the luxuary of traveling the USA in my real line of work and I am not drinker so my free time is spent ( when on the road ) looking and visiting and shopping local shops.
With the exception of one in Allentown Pa, The florida Marklet , Minn, Texas ( Dallas) 1 in SanAntonio , 1 in southern Cal, one in Seattle, a few in Michigan , ILL, St Louis , Columbus , North Carolina there are very few good shops around .
My two favorite in MN are Hobby Warehouse and Big Sky hobbies , they get it , they carry imports, they are located with used eye candy for sale hanging from the ceiling, the help /owners are great and cost are great .
When you see a hobby shop that ia barron and "we can order that " well thats great because so can I .
Our hobby suffers from new people getting into the hobby becaue they cant stumble into a well stocked fun store.
MOst of the Hobby Towns ( most ) not all are not owned by RC people more owned by people who are train or craft oriented and carry RC as an afterthought .
I have seen some shops that have great locations with low rent opportunities miss the boat completley because some people simply cant run a business its that simple . The hobby shop industry is not hurting from virtual sales shops , its hurting from inexperienced business owners who dont know how to add accesories , after market hop ups, fun scale parts, and so many other things to add sales .
Have you ever gone into a Hobby shop and seen or been suggested or led to buy a plane and a scale reffernace Squadren Signal book on the very same Plane ?
Have you ever gone into a shop that is an old warehouse with great space that is barren but could easily carry used planes , cars , boats on consignment that when sold the revenue earned must be spent in the shop ? These are things I have seen in the good shops and tried to help the struggeling shops but they dont want help , they want to complaine on how there busines is just ok .
Local shops suffer because of inexperienced business owners #1 reason , not virtual shops !
I have the luxuary of traveling the USA in my real line of work and I am not drinker so my free time is spent ( when on the road ) looking and visiting and shopping local shops.
With the exception of one in Allentown Pa, The florida Marklet , Minn, Texas ( Dallas) 1 in SanAntonio , 1 in southern Cal, one in Seattle, a few in Michigan , ILL, St Louis , Columbus , North Carolina there are very few good shops around .
My two favorite in MN are Hobby Warehouse and Big Sky hobbies , they get it , they carry imports, they are located with used eye candy for sale hanging from the ceiling, the help /owners are great and cost are great .
When you see a hobby shop that ia barron and "we can order that " well thats great because so can I .
Our hobby suffers from new people getting into the hobby becaue they cant stumble into a well stocked fun store.
MOst of the Hobby Towns ( most ) not all are not owned by RC people more owned by people who are train or craft oriented and carry RC as an afterthought .
I have seen some shops that have great locations with low rent opportunities miss the boat completley because some people simply cant run a business its that simple . The hobby shop industry is not hurting from virtual sales shops , its hurting from inexperienced business owners who dont know how to add accesories , after market hop ups, fun scale parts, and so many other things to add sales .
Have you ever gone into a Hobby shop and seen or been suggested or led to buy a plane and a scale reffernace Squadren Signal book on the very same Plane ?
Have you ever gone into a shop that is an old warehouse with great space that is barren but could easily carry used planes , cars , boats on consignment that when sold the revenue earned must be spent in the shop ? These are things I have seen in the good shops and tried to help the struggeling shops but they dont want help , they want to complaine on how there busines is just ok .
Local shops suffer because of inexperienced business owners #1 reason , not virtual shops !
Time Machine: located in an old factory. Top floor is all trains. half the floor is boxed train stuff, the other half is a huge train track set up. Open to the public twice a week for a few hours. Main floor is every type of toy you can think of for all ages. The rear 1/4 of the store is RC. Lot's of Horizon BNF stuff, but they stock Hobbico and even look for local vendors and stock their stuff, like RA Cores. They don't have every do dad out there that a RC guy might need, but they will order and get it within a week. They also offer 10% discount for AMA members. The basement used to be used for all types of gamers activity, D&D, Magic the Gathering etc. It was so busy, and so popular, they had to expand, and bought a building next store for the gamers. The place is packed all the time. They have been around since 1999 and going strong.
RC Hobbies and more: Located in a strip mall in booniesville. About an hour from Hartford, in a mixed use commercial area. The store is packed every time I'm there. This place does have every do dad out there for almost every type of RC. Rockets, Cub scout stuff, board games, and metal detecting stuff is big there too. Does all types of repairs and builds too. Has an ever changing selection of consignment planes and trucks for sale. Will host birthday parties in the store and builds an indoor race track for RC cars for the kids to play with. Next door to his place is a huge field where he has built two dirt tracks for RC cars. The place is jammed constantly. The owner and his employees write articles for different RC mags, are members of multiple clubs in the state, and give generously to them in terms of event donations. Oh, he'll match any online price as well, including Tower's discounts.
There have been at least 3 shops I can think of that have closed recently, one just this month. All 3 for reasons that had nothing to do with online vendors.
Let's be honest too....this anti HK crusade really isn't about helping new folks to the hobby. One only has to look at the venomous comments constantly repeated by the same people, usually in the form of personal attacks, to see that altruism isn't the goal. It's really a vendetta against one company, and some folks have who have good dealings with them. The chances that brand new people to the hobby are coming here, or to any other RC site to see if they should use HK are slim and none.