DadsToysBG

My Feedback: (35)

Just finished talking to my sales rep. He tells me that some of the plane prices are being rolled back to their original prices. Two that stand out are the Alpha 40 RTR and the 35% 260. There are a total of 9 planes in the roll back at this time. Dennis

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

Now THAT'S good news...and we sure do need things like that at times like these....

bingo field

that's great! not that my personal economy would allow that indulgence. I would love it if glow fuel were to drop to about $5 a gallon however.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

Cost of transportation came back down.

I wish the glow fuel would drop now that there's nitro on the market again.

DadsToysBG

My Feedback: (35)

When Horizon uped their pricing there were hundreds of posts about how terrible that was, now when they lower them I see three posts. Go figure. Dennis

fredscz

My Feedback: (47)

OK Where's the big price drop? I just glanced at the H-9 planes and seemed to me the prices were still a lot higher than they were last year at this time.
In another thread on this site there is a link to a hobby shop in Texas that has Omega 15% for $14 and Cool power 15% for $15- local pick up only- no shipping. Seems like a lot of pure old greed went into the price increase in glow fuel just like it did/does in the price of gasoline.
Fred

DadsToysBG

My Feedback: (35)

Did you look at the 35% 260 or the Alpha. A total of 9 planes have been reduced to their original price. The rest will come down in time. they worked out a new deal with their suppliers and yes their shipping cost have come down. Their still in the process of updating their web-site. Dennis

sowega flyer

Nobody else's prices jumped like Horizon's did. They just got a little too greedy. There was absolutely no reason to hike prices up as high as they did.
They need to come back down to a realistic level...

RCVFR

My Feedback: (7)

Maybe when prices jumped, people stopped buying and complained, instead. Maybe when prices come back down, people resume buying, and don't have a lot to talk about???

Rhus

Just one perspective- Maybe a price drop doesn't mean anything to people who realize that right now isn't the time to be buying rc planes anyway.

I know a certain hobby shop owner who is taking advantage of Horizons offer to take back stock with no penalty, but before he boxed them up he marked them down for in store "unadvertised" prices (basically about 10% over cost). Still only sold a few planes. I bought one of them because the price was just too unreal. $190 for a PNP Pulse XT 40 [:-].
I've seen Horizons "new" old prices, and frankly think that those die-hards that will still be buying ARFs during this economic season will be buying smaller, less expensive planes that have been marked down. I didn't see any small ones marked down at Horizon. Bang for the buck = flight time that doesn't send the wife into a panicked financial security tailspin[X(]. Sure Horizon has marked down planes, but they haven't marked down any that people feel like they could afford anyway.

That being said- Good luck to all you Hobby Shop owners. You, not the big corporate guys, are the back bone of the industry. This is a hobby, largely made of rc lovers, that in a pinch will do it the old fashioned way and will make their own planes if they have to. That means hobbyists need hobby stores with parts and supply stock more than corporate ARF clearing houses. People will be building planes, and fixing old ones rather than buying new ones if the economy continues this way. Horizon planes are king in my area. More than any company, I think it’s their planes that are being purchased for newer flyers, that then graduate to larger planes. I'm sure they'll be as fine as any other retailer for the time being, but they need to think about what they are doing with the prices on smaller, more affordable planes because there are a number of lines that are more affordable in the small planes and componentry category. They also need to do something drastic to keep their dealers going. Taking stock back just makes for empty stores and costs shop owners shipping. Anyway, blah blah blah [sm=spinnyeyes.gif]... Hope spring comes soon for all of us in the Northern hemisphere. I'm not sure how much more cold my thumbs can handle while flying off the snow [sm=thumbup.gif].

jonkoppisch

My Feedback: (162)

I'm glad the prices came back down, but it's hard to get excited about the prices going back to where they started at.....

Saying that, I've been thinking about a 35% 260, but still not at the full old price...

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

Less than 24 hours since your OP and you expect hundreds of replies?

Give it some time dude......

NCBrit

The Pulse XT 40 is down to $189.99. I consider that affordable.

Weasel Keeper

My Feedback: (16)

Tower has been increasing prices considerably over the last year. You could get an O.S 46 AX for $110 6 months ago. Now they're at $130. Several of their aircraft and accessories have also risen on the order of 20% in a short time. I suspect they will have to realign with reality soon as well.

Rhus

Yah, I agree, when I looked, the 40 was cheaper than 25. Maybe they haven't finished adjusting all their prices yet. Even so, the 40 is on the big side of small affordable planes. You've got to figure in all the component costs accounting for power requirement like 480 vs 40 or even 60 and 90 sized planes. Talking about 35% sized planes is a conversation happenening on a planet I am not allowed to visit. For the size, the pulse 40 ARF is a great value compared to the 480 size Extra 260 @159.99. I know the planes are not apples to apples performance wise, but considering the Extra's size against Pulse's size, a $30 price gap seems odd. The Pulse now costs what it should cost especially when considering similar planes from other companies. The Extra however, seems a bit overpriced. It doesn't come with anything special and seems more like it belongs in the $139 range. It's a good plane by the way.

flatspinjim

My Feedback: (3)

I have it from a very good source that glow fuel will drop quite a bit in the next 60 days.
In this kind of economy prices have to drop if you want to survive

MikeL

My Feedback: (3)

I think one of the things we're seeing is the effect of competition. Tower and Horizon tore down the "old" RC economy by undercutting prices, buying brands, building brands, and delivering goods at a lower cost than their competitors. Exclusive distribution deals with trusted brands certainly helped solidify their grip on the market over the last 15 years.

What we're seeing, in part, is a realization that Horizon and Hobbico aren't the only games in town. I might not think much of their products, but companies like Nitro Planes are gaining in marketshare. Direct overseas purchases from places such as Hobby City have become as easy as ordering from Tower. Horizon and Tower are in danger of becoming the middle-men in an economic climate that doesn't allow for middle-men. The next 10 years will see more change in the hobby business than the previous 15, I think.

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

Some good thoughts there MikeL.....

AJsToyz

that is good news about the pricing but you are correct, not to many people will spread the GOOD news. I really like Hangar 9 but the prices did jump a little high for me. I'll be watching a couple of birds I've been wanting.

Andy