tommygun32

Nope, I knew she wasn't the manager/boss because of the tag she had....name + 'trainee'

mazdaprotege4

My Feedback: (32)

It always seems like they hire people with no experience in hobbies to run the registers (I guess they have to cut cost somewhere).  At least they are not that blunt at the LHS that I go to. 

brisetout

When I go to Quebec city, I go to several hobby stores. (we no longer have one at my place :-( )
There's one called "Passe Temps 3000" They have a lot of stock, and are very well knowledged about their stuff.


I have bought some Venom helis, from my former LHS, and sometimes need some parts. When I go to this specific hobby store, all heli parts are in a big bin, and are unneccessible for us, customers. I know they have done this to prevent thief, but they would sell a lot if they had them on display. Even worse: when you approach the counter and pay, there is no way to look back in the store, you're kind of hurried out by the employees.

I realy hate this kind of behavior. Once, I have asked if I could look myself in the heli parts bin... The salesman almost ate me... At my former LHS (closed now), I used to feel like if I was with friends, and could look myself on the shelves for any parts I needed, not always feeling I am disturbing...

And the worst: they sell their helicopters at indecent prices. I know they have to pay heavy rental space bill (they're in a mall), but they tend to make the customers for it...

So, there is nothing to laught about, but I wanted to share my shopping experience with you.

mrkmotocross

i hate when they say that then you look around and you find the part

mrkmotocross

what about when  they tell you that its on order, and a week or month later it magically never shows up

fhm555

Having worked in a full service hobby shop, I can tell you from very hard earned experience that for every individual who comes through the door with a clue about what they want, there are 20 (or more) who couldn't find their ***** with both hands.

As for steering newbies to electric, be it car or plane, is by far the smartest thing a shop owner can do, unless the prospect has an experienced friend who can help them with their new nitro powered purchase.

I can't tell you how many complete newbies I've sold nitro to (at their insistence), only to spend several hours the following day, unscrewing all the things they screwed up the day before trying to crank their nitro toy for the first time. Few if any will bother to actually read the instructions, but none of them have any problem at all twiddling needle adjustments with no inkling of what they are doing, then bring the thing back and LIE about having messed with the settings.

Electric on the other hand is pretty simple, usually costs less at entry level, and allows a newbie to spend more time playing with their new toy rather than fighting a balky nitro engine that must be broken in BEFORE they can even begin to play with their new toy. We offered engine break in for a small fee and most newbies would take their stuff home screw it up, then bring it back and want the regular break in.

In any case, by far the most common denominator for all newbies is their failure to really read the included instructions. I always remind them that all that paper is NOT free birdcage liner. READ your instructions and if you have any questions we will be happy to answer them for you, but please, read the instructions BEFORE you call or attempt to make any adjustments.

As for the "I can have it in 3 days" line, shops stock what sells, if your passion is not popular locally, expect to have to order most everything. It never hurts to pick an LHS and let them know you will be using them for all your needs if they will try to keep parts in stock for you. Often they will stock common items for you they would not otherwise carry. I would always ask new customers looking for parts what they needed most, and tried to keep at least that on the shelf if it didn't cost too much to do so. On the subject of ordering, have part numbers of what you want when you go to the LHS. It makes it much simpler to find if they have it, and it removes any chance of them selling you (or ordering) the wrong thing short of writing the number down wrong. Last of all, most shops order once, maybe twice a week so if you can usually get it faster ordering yourself if time is a critical factor.

Oh and my favorite line ever heard in a hobby shop was this:

Lady comes in holding the broken end of a CVD shaft in her hand and tells me her husband's car needs this part. It's about an inch of shaft with a drive pin pressed through a ball end and that's it.

I ask her what kind of car her husband has, and she tells me "It's a red one".

Andy P.

Mr P's switchin to Fruitybar from JR...............................................n ow that is funny!

foodstick

After I bought a rc rock crawler..I went back in and asked where they kept the crawler parts...they told me "out back by the dumpster" :P they were kidding...sorta ! those guys are not big rock crawler fans !

victorzamora

Maybe not funny...but depressing for sure, I walked into the only LHS in the area and asked for an APC 12x6 folding prop for my electric glider. The guy goes, "Yeah....we have those right over here." He walks past the part where I thought the prop would've been, right to the wall....and picked a 4" GWS prop, bent it fore and aft, and then said, "This is what you meant, right? It folds pretty good." I then said that he wasn't even close.

Guess who's never getting a dime from me again?

weathervane

I went in to the LHS down by our field. I ordered a new reciever. The guy said it would be in in a week. No problem, I'm not in a hurry. I can wait a week. Well, 2 weeks later and still no call no nothing. I stop by and check on it. The kid behind the counter asked me, DID YOU ORDER IT? No sunshine. I was hoping to get lucky. I went and found the owner. He found my reciever on the SO shelf waithing for me to pick it up.

The Hobby store is no longer. The closed up a bout a year after that.

mechanizeddeath

I love my LHS, especially since they meet or beat "internet" pricing, but they only stock RTR models and parts, mostly Traxxas. I'd lost a wheel nut and axle pin on my Tamiya Dark Impact, so I brought it along to be sure that the Traxxas parts they had would fit correctly.

Every vehicle that comes in there is a Traxxas RTR. As this was something different, it caught the attention of a few customers, who were looking at it and asking questions. Around that time the shop owner, an older gentleman, came by. He took one look at it, and exclaimed:

"That's a Tamiya!!! But nobody likes to build 'em anymore!"

Then he shook his head sadly, and shuffled away.

Maybe you had to be there, as the humor was mostly in his tone of voice, but my friend and I were laughing so hard when we got back in the car. I don't mind RTR, but indeed, it seems that "nobody likes to build 'em anymore."

foodstick

I used to hang around with a pretty serious group of rc car racers. And more than once I heard them say that with all the new improved hi-tech stuff that had come along over the years..they still had the best time running those old fragile plastic tamiya kits in the old OLD days. I think the FROG was one of the cars of choice back then..


I can't even egin to tell you of the memories and friends of the old track that used to be.

collector1231

My Feedback: (1)

One person said, 'Where's the indoor track forthis hobby barn?' There isn't even one.

mechanizeddeath

Interestingly, this particular LHS has a bunch of painted wood cutouts on the front depicting different hobbies. The one for RC cars is none other than The Frog. It isn't done box art but the stance and shape are unmistakable. I had a Brat myself, same frame, but I overbashed it (is that a word?) and it needed enough parts that I was looking at a new kit.

XblkXlblXsk8r

the owner of the lhs that i buy from ALOT is a pretty funny guy.  when i bought my sc18 and had him order a mamba micro pro the same day he told me that i suffer from R.C.A.D. (Radio Control Addiction Disorder) i dont even mind having him order stuff cuz he pulls towers site up right on the computer and i usually show him exactly what to order and 9 times out of 10 its there friday (i get paid on mondays so thats when i do all my ordering) i think waiting an extra dayor 2 not to haveto pay shipping is a pretty good deal.

justavillain

Well what made it funnier was you held it out and the owner's son (mid 30's) said "What is that?" and thats when he yelled "Thats a TAMIYA!!!!! But no one wants to build 'em anymore"

ohiowoodsrider250r

My Feedback: (2)

nice i wonder what that would do for charter and airline ticket sales he he