Different Era of the Hobby

[speeding_Infraction]

I don't really go to my lhs anymore. The last time I went there the employees barely acknowledged me when I walked in, not that I am anyone important but they definitely weren't focused on other customers... Listening to loud music and only there to ring you up. it seemed like they were only there to get paid. maybe that is just Seattle hobby shops tho. I've been wanted to go to one in Tacoma for a while, so we'll see how that goes.

 

[KnowAir]

I don't really go to my lhs anymore. The last time I went there the employees barely acknowledged me when I walked in, not that I am anyone important but they definitely weren't focused on other customers... Listening to loud music and only there to ring you up. it seemed like they were only there to get paid. maybe that is just Seattle hobby shops tho. I've been wanted to go to one in Tacoma for a while, so we'll see how that goes.

Like any business, there are good and bad I believe.. Back when I was a teen, I used to ride my bike almost an hour each way to get parts for the RC10. Was a small shop, 3 guys owned it, one was Air, another boats, and a car/truck guy. They were enthusiasts, which meant they knew quite a bit and that was cool. I can't say they were the friendliest bunch, but over the years as a customer I got to know the car/truck guy, and what days he was there. They moved across town at one point, then had a nice little 1/10 off road track along with a dirt oval on the property. At that time I was doing the nitro ST's. My buddy, the car/truck guy would let me and my bro run our nitro's on it. The other guys wouldn't. Eventually the neighbors complained of the noise and we got shut out. I really don't know when they finally shut down, but they did. Then we had a Hobbytown, located in a strip mall. I never had a good experience there, never had any Losi or Thunder Tiger parts, nor any interest in my needs. So, since then, I've just internet ordered everything. Cheaper, and delivered right to my doorstep or mailbox.. I've also moved to the hills, so any shop is an hours worth of driving each way. The internet has been good and bad for the hobby I guess.

 

[Johnny b]

As much as I'd like to support my local small businesses, at this time of my life as well as most others I suspect, it boils down to price. Hard to beat Amazon for a lot of products.

 

[Shadows]

While I can believe to what most are saying about the racing side of the hobby being not fun , well then , it's not for you . But want to say not to condemn that all LHS racetracks are like this . I have been to a few , and they all have a different vibe . I must say the one I go to must be an exception as I have never really had a bad experience there , I know a strong percentage of people there , most of which will always help you out with setup / driving tips / a part / etc .
Maybe all the comments have unlocked in my mind why SCT is my favorite class , it's the one NOT taken so seriously ! The racing I do with them is the outdoor turf ( April to Oct ) , but the rest of the time I go pretty much every Sat to " run laps " with my crew of friends . We have an absolute blast ! It is fun and challenging at the same time .
Against what I always had said about 1/8 dirt racing ( that I would never get into it ) , I did last year and have to say for most of you that are bashers at heart , this would be your class !! As I said to a racer on my first time on the track " It's like bashing with a finish line !! " LOL With that , I don't get stressed when I do take part in an 1/8 scale dirt race , it's actually relaxing !!!
In conclusion , the part of racing for me starts with the build of the kit , then trying to dial it in , then get your driving skills improved . I am being honest , for me , it's about personal improvements regardless if I'm in a race or just running laps ! Not about flocking my chest with a " I'm better than you attitude " .

My main beef with racing are the uppity stuff you see in magazines and catalogs...and of course individual local clubs or leagues with smarmy, overly competitive nerds who engage in mean spirited behavior. Behavior such as snobbish exclusivity. To me, it has absolutely nothing to do with not being able to handle losses or needing participation trophies lol.

 

[Gedrick]

I can get behind this.... I absolutely LOVED carpet racing, I ran a 2wd stadium truck, mainly because nobody else wanted to, and like I mentioned earlier, my first real rc was a 2wd stadium truck, so it only made sense... I put in alot of time over the course of more than a year, testing and tuning and practicing, and finally worked up the courage to sign up at my lhs for a real race.... long story short, I traded that race truck that I had countless hours and tons of money into for a 6s Outcast and couldn't be happier... the REALLY serious race guys are a bunch of crybaby @$$wipes who clearly got beat up in school, it took 1 night of real racing to solidify the fact that wasn't my type of crowd, and it's no surprise why rc racing is dying off, you can't act like you're holding the keys to the next best thing when all you're doing is the same old thing

There can be some of those guys but my LHS has an awesome group of guys. And if you lose your cool or go ham on a marshal for not seeing the car that YOU crashed within a 1/1000th of a second, other guys will chew you out for losing it.

At the end of the day, you’re (we’re, as I also race there) racing toy cars. More “men” need to act accordingly.

 

[Jerold]

Nice timeline of trends. It's interesting on how quickly things change.

I think there was more to it though. RC's go back to the '60s but there were no kits and they were very expensive. From what I can see there were some dirt buggies, road cars and planes. Then Traxxas happened.