IAMKAOS

i flew rc planes for 28 years...mostly glow and a couple electrics but really never got into them. i quit flying rc 6 years ago but here recently i decided to fly again . i needed some things and went to some local hobby shops in my area and was i in for a surprise. one shop no more carried no glow engines and sold only quarts of fuel!. i tried to buy a basic analog battery checker for my reciever batteries and they did not carry them anymore.they tried to sell me a lipo checker. they did not even have glow plugs except for rc glow cars. i ask for monokote trim sheet and one guy who worked there did not know what i was talking about. i asked about coverite balsarite conditioner...remember that..great for ironing down loose covering. they never heard of it!. tried to get some 2-56 and 4-40 threaded rod. they did not carry it anymore because no one bought it anymore. i was telling them about building kits years ago and covering them yourself and installing your radio and engines. they looked at me like i was nuts!..... everything in there was arf or rtf foam electrics. i left there and drove several miles to another shop i had used for years. he carried nothing anymore. he told me nobody bought that kind of stuff anymore. i went home and after a few phone calls i found one shop 33 miles from me that still carries this stuff.at least he sells glow fuel by the gallon. to get some new reciever packs i had to mail order them. least mail order still has this stuff
i'm sure its not like this in other areas but where i live its all changed quite a bit...or i'm just getting old and behind the times

skylark-flier

You're definitely not alone. I've got 2 shops about 60 miles away, neither has all I need but one, at least, is willing to work with me. The other one - he's like yours, all modern Chinese stuff.

Signs of the times.

Bozarth

My Feedback: (15)

I'm curious...do think hobby shop owners know what sells and what doesn't nowadays or are they just out of touch?

Kurt

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

My guess would be that inventory levels, even the smallest of hobby shops, as are all businesses these days, controlled by computers. If you sell three Johnson valves a month, the computer will keep the inventory level at four. The minimum wage employees in many of those shops won't even know what a Johnson valve is or what it does, but they don't have to. The computer controls inventory. You don't go to these shops nowadays to get technical help for a build or to BS like so many of us used to do, because the employees simply don't know what the hell you're talking about. This is not true in all hobby shops but, unfortunately, it is true in many.

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

OP the times they are a changin, for sure! Technology is jumping ahead leaps and bounds. Nitro is losing ground to electric and even gas as those engines get smaller and smaller, and lets face it, gas is cheaper to run. All is not lost though. Local shops are going to stock what sells, otherwise they go out of business. Good news though, in the time you've been out of the game the internet has exploded, and it's almost impossible to NOT find what you are looking for. And if it's the older stuff you are comfortable and want, you will find it for sure. Check the sales here, at Flying Giants, Wattflyer, and RC Groups. There are tons of threads out there. Even some of the more well known webcompanies are selling that stuff.

Good luck, happy hunting, and soft landings!

countilaw

Support your local hobby shop. Maybe if you give them more support, they will carry the items you need. I know of two hobby shops near me that carry most everything I need. And the reason for it, is that we support them, and they support our clubs.

Too many times people order on-line because it's cheaper. But is it really? By the time you pay shipping, also known as shipping and handling charges, the price is back to where it would be at the local hobby shop.

The hobby shop can order stuff for you too, and you won't have to pay the shipping charges.

But for many areas, it's too late. The hobby shops have turned into toy stores and they can't be saved.

Frank

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

Yes, actually many times buying online is cheaper, much much cheaper. The internet has opened up the ability to purchase goods like nothing else has. "support your local HS" is a great idea, but there are just as many opportunities to "support your favorite retailer" too. It's great for some people to have multiple hobby shops that cater to their every need. And oddly enough, many of those same hobby shops sell online too. Hmmm, wonder why? That's not the case for everyone, and lets face it, many hobby shops went away because of bad business choices, and poor customer service. When businesses lose track of what they are there for, and who they service, the lose the "support" of the customer, who then chooses to go elsewhere. Plenty of US based online hobby stores that have a thriving business, good for them! Foreign ones too. Good for us!

Absolutely nothing wrong with spending your money where you want, that's the beauty of freedom of choice. Anyone looking down on that needs to reexamine their position.

rcjetflyer0718-RCU

My Feedback: (1)

Its not just the small local stores its even the big chain stores. I've gone to hobby people store (19 stores)and asked for 2ea 10x7 apc props they only have 1 apc and 1 master airscrew. The computer will not let the manager order 2 apc for stock; if l want 2 l have to special order them.

Hemikiller

My Feedback: (125)

I would love to support my LHSes more, if they would ship. The closest one is a half hour drive each way and with my work hours and their store hours, it just isn't going to happen. Couple that with the cost of fuel and what I value my time to be and online shopping just makes more sense. A couple clicks on my PC and the items I need are at my door in a few days, leaves me more time to enjoy with my family at home, instead of dragging them all over the state.

expresscraft

I had a hobby shop for 20+ years, The builders do not support hobby shops, they buy there balsa and supplies through the mail, when they did come in the shop for something they forgot to order they complain about the price.For the most part people see no value in a store full of supplies there when they need them, They only look at the price, same with a knowledgeable staff, they want the help but will not pay for it.Its a catch 22 if you have your prices low enough to sell your items then you better be selling a lot to pay the bills and make a living (no time for service) mail order is normally around 12% over cost. In a retail store overhead is normally 15% of your sale. And that is if you are doing good. the numbers do not add up.I made it as long as I did for the love of the hobby. anyone who thinks its a business is a fool.I do not think you will find a single shop owner respond to my post and say he is making any real money in his hobby shop. Bottom line if you want your shop to have what you need when you need it. Buy your stuff from them, pressure your friends to buy local.Use it or lose it.

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

I just don't see that as possible. Any shop open for an extended period of time has to be making money. There might be a rare exception that that. As an example:

RC Hobbies and More in Winstead CT. Been there for as long as I can remember. The store is an hour ride for me, I make it there 3-5 times a year. The place is always packed when I go. He does every type of RC, builds and repairs too. Consigns stuff, does rockets too. Will special order anything you want, but basically has anything anyone would need. Rents part of the store out for kids parties, does small rc track racing for those events. Has a staff of 12 plus, some of them write articles for various RC mags.

Hog Heaven in Fiskdale MA is another place, about an hour in the other direction. Smaller shop, no parties there, but pretty much the same as above.

There is no way these guys are not making money at what they do.

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

But you are right in that neither owner would probably come into this thread.....they're busy running their shops!

expresscraft

there was a artical in hobby retailer years ago, That basically pointed out the the shops that did well where owned by older guys that had a retirement coming in, there kids where raised and there house was paid for.These guys are not making a living with there hobby shops they are enjoying life with there hobby shops.If you where 30 years old with a family, a house payment and a car payment and you even had 50,000 to field half of a good hobby shop, so you still needed a loan for the other 50,000 and put it in a area that would support it. (meaning you had rent to pay) You would most likely fail.There are examples of good hobby shops but sitting on 250.000+ in inventory after working years to pay off your building to get to a point where working 60 hours a week nets you 30,000.00 a year is a joke.Thats called a hobby....not a business. I stayed in business for 20 years from buying failed hobby shops at .10 on the dollar and having them hold the note, I also was at work all the time so of course I did not need to make much money I never took any time off.1 year we where just over mail order prices and we did 240k with a 40,000.00 inventory. I turned my inventory 5 times....that is amazing. me and my wife both put in 70 hour weeks. I had money in my pocket, it was never mine, Did our taxes...we made 12,000.00 I could have worked at burger king and made that with out the 40.000.00 investment. I raised my prices and lost some customers but now had time to service my customers that found value in it. we got to a point where we had 150.000.00 in inventory and business was ok, but we also manufactured boats. the hobby shop was good cash flow but never made any real money. Don't forget when you do 90,000.00 in sales in December you also have help to pay. you are not doing that alone,and you better save some of that money because July ,Augast and September are coming. It might have a big WOW factor to you when you see your local shop ring up a 500.00 car sale that took a hour to close. and the 2 battery packs and charger had more profit then the car did.so you made 50.00 on the sale and paid your employee 8.00 of that. less your overhead.And of course your customers think you are getting rich.

swify

I was looking for a piston ring a couple of years ago, for an OS 91 surpass that I have had for more than twenty years. I went to a local hobby shop that I frequent and as luck would have it they had one. Said it had been in the shop for something like 15 or more years. It did take a bit of hunting to find it though. That's the beauty of a local shop.

Hossfly

This change in hobby stuff is NOT new. In 1968 I wound up near Chicago land as a newbie pilot for United Air Lines. Actually starting as all did then sitting in the back seat as a Flight Engineer based on seniority as the item that controlled one's ability to move up. First 2 years and I was looking at a very soon to get a right seat co-pilot position. Then Westen (SP ?) Hotels took over United. All "L" broke loose. Westen thought pilots and airplanes were same as hotel elevators, push the button and airplane goes up or down just like an elevator. Furloughs started. As a high school kid getting into the USAF Aviation Cadet program meant that I had no way to make a living other than a store clerk or a cab-driver, just maybe. So I opened up a Hobby Shop in Mt. Prospect, IL. on Nor.West south of 83.
That was back when large Model Companies sold to Wholesale outlets, which then sold to Distributors, which then to the shops/stores. Stuff was rather expensive because of all the little hands that got a fist full of whatever is selling. You know as it is said, "A piece of the pie to each." Standard items for Hobby Shops was 40% of the selling price as established by the manufacturer or importer. There were other outlets and a good hobby-shop owner could do O.K. but it took work. There were outside suppliers, such as Rossi and Super Tigre engines, (Way back before Great "Pains" bought out ST ) various fuel makers, (I brought in 50 gallon barrels, put it in my own jugs, my own paper around the jugs, sold very cheaply as modelers come to get GOOD Cheap fuel, show it working well on the flight-lines, and they see all the other items displayed and they buy. OTOH I had to lay a $50 bill on a barrel, back in the back room built for storing 4-8 barrels. That kept the Fire Inspector happy and therefore no troubles every 2 weeks. I reset my kits and such every couple weeks. Guys come in and eyes light up, "Wow, lots of new stuff". "Yes, and NO, but you keep looking." Balsa and plywood was in a special box made laying straight into the back room. All sizes for RC, CL, FF, and indoor. All kinds of coverings available in that time period were outside for eye-appeal. Bads were having to fire someone for snitching from the cash registers, coming in several hours late when they knew I was flying for UAL, taking mdse. out to the flying field, selling for big money and giving me the in-shop prices which were discounted to attract in-house customers.
I also imported a special 4-channel radio. (Hinodi) from Japan, which I could sell for $100.00 while the cheaper in-country radios were over $500.00 of those days.
As a H/S owner, one has to get the potential customer INSIDE the door. We allowed customers to hang airplanes and sell them and engines in the shop, Radios - OH NO!
They priced them and after 1 month the item was down 10% per week. If it sold I got 10% of the first selling price.
That's enough of this subject. I became a friend of a D-- Phi----s. He was new out of USAF. C-123 Vietnam and B-52. Wanted to be a school teacher. Long story but after a few years I sold out to D.P. Rest is history. 'Nuff said.
Today's LHS has all kinds of problems with the Whole-Sale markets of today. I wouldn't touch it. I do visit some every so often, do buy some stuff there, but the LHS is smothered out by the garbage folks and far over-priced imports. There is the main problem. The newbies and wanna'-bees just don't have a clue other than mail-order. With the total markets and so much new stuff all the time, along with the electrics, ARFs and a majority of newbies that have no clue of What or How, it's a very tough place to get accepted and learn the basics. I don't do or care for electrics or drones so I don't do much now in helping the newbies.
My hat is off to all of you that assist the newbies. Keep it up. Don't harass the shop owners much as they are doing the best they can trying to keep some of the stuff ready for your use. Coming up next month to 79 years young, and many Grand kids and a few Great Grand-kids, I am no longer in the fray. I will be tackling all those many kits and plans in my barn, and assisting Jetero RC, Inc. stay afloat. www.jetero.com Bye Now!