We need skilled <or semi> labor here in the USA. To allow the big 3 to go down the toilet is a BAD idea. To give them a "handout" no questions asked is also a bad idea.

Somehow they must shake the persona that they build inferior cars and trucks. Having worked fleet repair for years I can tell you the competition has built some real stinkers recently as well.

Next year should be a wild ride as well. If we think fuel prices will remain this low for long were kidding ourselves.

Tommy D

keeping it the hobby so I dont get political lol , anyone know if we can start a list of the best importers in the usa of ARFs and then who they buy from . Iknow there is another post on arfs in China and there names but the not who they supply -
Example we all know the biggies in the USA are
Tower
Horizon
Hobby People
Hobby Lobby
Then your secondary guys are /big distributors
NItro
AK
BannaHobbies
Dont forget -direct sellers on Ebay
So who do these guys buy from ,
we know Nitro and AK are to easy to figure out its CMP and Flymodels , who do the rest buy from ?
I know horison has raised prices but I am sorry there servace in my opinion is second to none and I will pay more from them

Someone posted a bunch of pictures from one of the factories over there awhile back. I was surprised how nice and clean it was setup, I would love to tour a facility like that I don't care where it was built.. I went through the sig balsa and kit factory a time or two in Iowa, and its pretty interesting...

ya I would also love to see a factory , my problem is I would want to leave with samples

How does this effect companies like 3DHobbies?

Frank

GM product and reliability-that is a JOKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Four transmissions, three years, 75,000 miles

i believe a person on this thread either work's for the big 3 automakers or is retired drawing a pension from them. anyone seen the e-mail letter going around. a abridged letter written by Troy Clarke president of general motors...followed by a response from Gregory knox ,president of knox machinery...a manufacturer of precision machine tools which supplies the auto industry........talk about tongue lashing to Troy Clarke, GM and the UAW.
yes this has nothing to with the hobby. now i'm ready for my tongue lashing's.

I used to be a janitor at a large university; never worked for an auto company. I just got sick and tired of the service industry and realized that there are more interesting jobs than nursing or computers.

NorfolkSouthern

what worries me, and hopefully someone can put these fears to rest is, will they do like a lot of american companies. that is close their plants down then "farm" their arf's out to another company, hopefully a "good" company

The problem with this approach is that unless you are willing to buy one or two containers full of models at a time, the manufacturers in China will not talk to you.


Ed Cregger

I guess I should have asked: Where does 3DHobbies get their planes from?

Frank

Ed I dont want to buy a container of planes lol , my goal is to simply list the good , the bad and the ugly .
We import over $100,000 on the world market in CPG goods , so I know how to import and when and why they will or wont talk to you .
I would not think of getting into the RC import business , the good ones do nothing but get beat up on the slightest scale inequitys .Its riskey business and its getting more difficult everyday .
When you have CMP raiseing the bar with planes that are 80" ect for under $300 , good luck . You better have a unique plane and good business model .
I like what I see in easytiger models , unique warbirds and the price in not far out of range

I suppose off topic but.. I bought two Big Wheels for Christmas because they were "Made in the USA". Decent directions, but missing and several defective parts. Are we so dependent on China, we can't even manufacture a simple toy?

Ok , I hate to keep taking it away from the hobby but we are not dependant on China , we are dependant on a retail price we are willing to pay , its that simple .
70 to 90 % of the food you consume everyday is 100% made in the USA . However what you may not notice is the ever decreasing size before you will every see a change in retail price , why ...because retailers know that consumer have a comfort with certain price points .Example $1.99 is better then 2.19
Now imigine if that happended with the hobby , this is what it would look like . We all read the post on how Horiszon is crazy and taking price increases yet we would go nuts if they did this , take every warbird from 64 thru 66" span and make them 54" thru 56 " span !!!
Yet lets say they kept there price the same !!! well as we all know that is a price increase but lets say all there prices stayed the same with the span reduction .
A newbe may not know they were reduced but all he knows is that at $249 the corsair looks good .
This is all about buying habbits , so now take the hobby and relate it to retail
Tower is -walmart -big powerful and seeminly unstoppable
Horiszon is -Target -unique , somewhat more upscale but more subject to price problems in difficult times
Big Importers like Nitro Planes =your value channel -Dollar Tree /Family Dollar Dollar General -these guys like Nitro and distributors of CMP really succeed in a value climate like we are in now .
KMP =Maceys , while less prown to price problems becuase its high end they will continued to be measured to the mid tier as value vs quality continues to rise .
Lastly as the CMPs of the world get better (BF109) you /we will continue to raise our expecttations of what we can get for our RC dollar .
Just look at the very very proven business model of Hobby Lobby -great people , great servace but premium priced in an eletric market when you can now buy from many choice with total turn ley products .
Just look at Easytiger , you can get a jet , battery , radio ect for about $200 to $249 from Easytiger , same quality at Hobby lobby would be in the $400 range .
All of these aspects change our level of expectations and what we are willing to pay

yep! your right. i bought a hobby lobby product and had problems with it. their customer service was great and they did me very well.!. but later i found the product was overpriced. my flying buddies have told me i could have got the same type of product from nitromodels or easytiger for much cheaper. i scanned nitromodels website and i will admit their prices for simular type 70 mm edf jets was much cheaper. but i've been told by many that nitromodels does not sell spare parts for their products and their customer service is not that great. so what do you do?...pay the higher price?

Good question , Hobby Lobby is in business and has been for quite some time because they are in my book #1 or 2 in customer servace . How do I define that ??? its simple you have a problem , they take care of it vs saying " well you need to send it back to the manufacture ect , you know as well as I do that the the distributor has the power of the purchase order so they will yield much more good will power then me if I send something back direct .
So its a buyer beware but I love hobby lobby and if the differance is small , then you buy from them , if its large $50 or more its always your call .
Easytiger and Banna Hobby seem to be building a good rep , Nitro not for me , you wont see me ever buy from them until I 100% know they are not raidentech