MLC

My Feedback: (5)

I am sure this has been asked before, but I am curious to where most people buy from.

It seems that the LHS has a tremendos amount of stuff on hand, but sometimes there price seems to be out of the ball park. I tend value there service/knowledge and for that I am willing to pay more, but sometimes it just seems to much of a difference in price compared to mail order. I want to support the LHS, but it is hard to not order online when you can save several hundred dollars on a complete set up. I have only been back in this hobby for a short period of time and I am already heading in to my third complete plane (everything is still in one piece). So far I have purchased all my small items at the LHS.

It seems that alot of people at the local flying field purchase there stuff online, and only a few say go down the street and buy local. Just looking for everyones opinion on the subject as I do not want to become the LHS sucker as my money tree never really took root in the back yard.

MLC

greenboot

My Feedback: (1)

MLC,
You pretty much answered your own question. Are you just trying to stir up more dissent among us?

Myself, I support the friendly mail order companies. They need love too ya know. The selection is infinite, no tax, and I can have it shipped faster than I find time to go downtown.

Tom

forfun42us

You're right this subject has been discussed a ton here at RCU, but any question deserves and answer so here's mine. I split mine up, I buy some stuff on-line and some at LHS. My LHS has a good program for us frequent flyer's. They have a card that tracks your purchases, any purchase. When you reach the $400.00 mark you get a $20.00 in store credit, so that works out to a 5% discount. Now in addition to that if you show your current AMA card you get 10% at time of purchase on items priced at list price. Now some items are discounted already like monokote and some of the other fast movers so you don't get 10% off those(although sometimes they goof and give it to you anyway). Some of the things I buy online are Balsa and Ply I make bulk purchases ever 3-4 months but if I run out and need something or if I really want a choice piece (Spruce for Spars and such) I will go to LHS and select just the piece I want.

Developing a relationship with your LHS can pay its dividends, Mine has started stocking some of the items I prefer to use when building. I like being able to get what I want when I need it. They also will take special orders or hold stuff for me with just a phone call. Also its easier to return stuff or they will let me open something before buying to get a closer look take measurements or whatever. Sometimes they have difficulty in getting stuff just like everyone else does from time to time. Recently I order a canopy and set of wheelpants. It took almost two months to get them. For me it was no big deal as I ordered it just as I was starting to build the plane. Jeff felt bad about it taking so long so he priced the stuff at cost. Then i got my AMA 10% plus credit on my frequent flier card to boot!

I guess it depends a lot on the attitude and desire of each LHS to develop and maintain relationships with clubs and customers. This actually isn't my !QUOT!most local!QUOT! HS but the closest one has a $20.00 minimum for credit cards. I won't play that game so I drive a little further and have better situation to boot.

JMO

hookedonrc

I use all sources that I can. If I can get bolts such as 1/4 20 wing bolts at Lowes, Home Depot, or Wally world I do so. If the ony source is the LHS, I usually get it there. I am not particular in general, but I want our LHS's to stay in business so I buy there more often that not.

dant-RCU

My Feedback: (3)

I do about an 85 to 15 percent split with the LHS getting the 85%. I buy most of my big ticket items (radios, engines, arfs, kits) from the LHS and mail order odds-n-ends and things that the LHS normally do not carry. Some things are not offered through a dealer/distributor network so I order direct from the manufacturer.

I do order enough from Tower to keep the catalog coming.

Dan

rcmiket

Have you tried to talk to your LHS owner?Here 9 times out of 10 he will want to deal . Our guy here matches mail order.They get discounts for volume and paying fast.If you think you can live without the LHS your nuts.Try to deal with them and next time you need a prop or nickle and dime stuff to go fly today they will be there. If a owner sees your face enough he will go out of his way to keep you comming back and refering people to him.

ballgunner

My Feedback: (1)

I would gladly pay retail for some items if the closest LHS wasn't 90 miles from home. If I could get engines, kits and covering at a small discount, enough to cover most of our outrageous town sales tax of 8.6%, I would certainly buy locally. I would also enjoy the convenience of having props and small parts available on a today basis. All this is moot because the nearest LHS is still 90 miles away and even if I got super gas mileage I would lose. Our 8.6% tax probably seems quite small when compared to the VAT paid in the UK but if it were 1/3 as much we would still be overcharged for the services we get in return. Seems strange how much people will pay to campaign for a job that doesn't pay.

Balsa Master

tower... they got almoast ne thing youd ever need and the prices are significantly lower than MY LHS (not sure about yours but Hobby Town USA ripps you off bad)

srry if this peves ne 1...
i couldent care less if mine went under... they have the most stuck up staff anywhere. ive been building for 7 or 8 years and i walk in there pretending to no nothing and after 20 min of being ignored i get a gu ythat dumbs everything down to kindergarden level and tries to sell me stuff that i would never in my life need. then on top of that they stock 3 ariplanes and there all trainers... does this seem strange? they also hire people who cant answer a question for the life of them. i was rebuilding a wing for my mustang and i was asking about the different wood they carreid and low and behold, they didnt even know... i left the store with what i needed, it was badly warped but it worked, even if my blood presure was about 200 pts higher...

now im venting so ill end this.

Geistware

My Feedback: (16)

I make my large purchases from Tower. The money saved on sales tax alone usually cover the things that I need from my LHS.

shenion

There are a few locally here. I know of one that is as bad as Balsa Master describes. $21.50 a gallon for fuel?!? A good one is an hour's drive away.

There is a decent shop about 20 miles away. I got the little things there. Things like clevises, hinges, etc that you forgot for the Tower order. I would not expect a great deal on the little stuff at any LHS. Hard for them to sell a $1.29 part and make up for the time and shelf space. If they have bigger things at a decent proce would buy it. But R/C aircraft is only about 20% of the store.

So, Tower 90% of the time until last year.

New hobby shop in Stone Mountain. Walked in needing a galon of glow fuel. I fly little glow these days and expected $20/gallon. What? $11.99/gallon? Hey, this place is different. Many giant scale planes and prices that match mail order. Ower is committed to R/C. Good people, great service.

The only bad thing is they carry nice things like ZDZs and will order almost anything you need. This is bad as they are about 6 miles from my house....

Just picked up the GP Christen Eagle a few weeks ago. Beat Towers price and no shipping.

So, now 80% LHS, 20% mail order. My first Tower order in a year was to get some US41 parts before they dissapear.

nitromancer

My Feedback: (4)

It is still a fight for me to say to hell with the many LHS around here and just order it from Tower or another mail order dealer. With the money I save in gas not going to the LHS for parts they don't have it would pay for the shipping. Our club supposedly gets a discount when we buy from Hobbytown USA but that seems like a suckers deal now. The first time I went there and bought an engine the guy pulled out a Tower flyer and sold the engine at their price but after that...the discounts were few and far between. I would like to support the LHS and pay a bit more than mail order just for the simple convenience of taking a short drive and getting a part NOW instead of having it shipped. I make it a point to always know exactly what I need so my choices: I can call the LHS and talk to some doofus that may or may not know what I'm talking about or look on one of the major dealers websites and see the realtime stock status. If one is sold out one of the others is bound to have it. It's not just R/C related products I have trouble finding even though I am in a capital city with many stores that don't have anything I want. Mail order becomes more and more attractive.

Balsa Master

at least im not alone...

theres this great place in texas, Rebble hobbies, oh i miss that store. if ne 1 livs around there, go there youl get people that no what their talking about and who are more than willing to help you no mater what.

Live Wire

The great little places are a thing of the past , your local wally or the big T!!!!!!!!!!!

hookedonrc

I am not sure what Hobby Town is like in your area, but here it doesn't even come close to our 3 other shops. It's just a "last resort" store for me. They carry hardly enough parts to compete with the local shops.

LouW

I buy as much as possible from my LHS. See my response to "funds for a new runway needed" in this forum.