Just a thought

So yesterday i went to a couple local hobby shops, which are about a 30 minute drive away, just to browse around. I see why online shopping for rc stuff is so popular. Now the kits were about the same price as online but the parts were a little higher, if they even had them in stock, not to mention the price of gas for me to drive there. I would love to support my local hobby shop with my business for my rc parts, but in all fairness i would save much more money just shopping online. I have just gotton back into the hobby about 6 months ago and i love it, but everything is so much more expensive now than it was twenty years ago. What are everyone's thoughts on this?

I also do most of my purchases online, I don't like paying all the middle men fee's. Here our local hobby shop orders from ONLINE stores for us then charges their fee after the fees associated with the web-site they shopped from. Causing me to pay twice the charges for the same product.

For example: I had purchased a RTR brushless 2.4 SC10 2wd online from TH for 299.99 with a couple of extras(discounted for being a member $269), after it got here and I paid an extra $30 at the door for shipping fee's, in total around $375-$390....The shop here just for the RTR version was charging 399.99 not including the Tax after all said and done it would be around $460.00. Online company fee's then the fee's from the shop make RC buyers almost forced to buy online.

If shops would get their product from each manufacture's warehouse to help lower costs then people would shop at the local stores, if they want to shop at the online line stores you and I could shop from but charge us for a fee of doing it then I will do my own business and drop the middle man and save some $$$$.
This hobby costs a ton of money depending on what you own and what you do with it, so saving any little bit of money helps the cut to your wallet that much better.

U make some very good points, i totally agree! I bought a t4 at my local hobby shop for the same price as online, not bad, but when it comes to parts, upgrades, etc, forget it. Funny thing is some batteries are marked up alot at LHS's but others are exactly the same price, interesting.

all my local hobby shops are all within a few dollars of online shops if there's even a price difference at all. if you factor in shipping, it costs me more to buy online. im lucky to live where i do, as i have several well stocked hobby shops and race tracks within 4 - 8 miles from home. the shops are so close to home that even if parts aren't in stock and i have to make 2 trips or hit another shop it's still cheaper than paying shipping.

the only time i buy online is for hard to find parts, parts i can't get from my local shops, or if i can save $10 - $15 or more (shipping included)


and yes it does seem more expensive today than it did 10+ years ago.
iv never spent more than $30 on a motor. never more than $50 on an ESC. never more than $20 for a servo. never more than $40 for a radio. never more than $15 for a battery. never more than $35 for a charger.
comparable equipped today is over twice the price. 10 years, double the price. that's some serious inflation.

You are lucky to have that convenience, not many people do.

My "local hobby shop" is also about 30 minutes away (Hub Hobby in MN), though they have literally every part available for my Traxxas RC's and they are very reasonably priced. For me it is worth the gas money to be able to go to Hub and browse my options, plus I'm able to get my parts immediately rather than waiting for it to be delivered. It's also fun to talk face to face with some very knowledgeable experts about RC stuff.

I guess overall it depends on what your LHS has to offer. There is a store that opened up 10 minutes from my house but they basically only have RTR models and aircrafts with very little accessories on hand, therefore I still enjoy making the journey out to Hub Hobby for my RC needs. Also I'm too impatient to order online....when I want something for my RC, I usually want it now, not in 5-7 business days.

It helps if u can connect somehow with employees at the LHS, it gives u a sense of security when going there to shop or just shoot the bull. It all depends on your individual situation, for me it's better to shop online.

Also, I don't know about every one else but my LHS's are small businesses and they do charge quite a bit more but I dont mind because it helps them out and they back it up and help you with it.

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Originally Posted by rustyxl5-rpm

Also, I don't know about every one else but my LHS's are small businesses and they do charge quite a bit more but I dont mind because it helps them out and they back it up and help you with it.

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The one I go to is pretty big and has a decent selection of stuff. It's not a chain store but it's been around a long time and has a good reputation. The prices are similar to what you'd find online (but obviously if you search hard enough you can find stuff dirt cheap online). I like to support them as well, and in return they usually hook me up pretty well. I've had them give me discounts on stuff several times for no apparent reason other than me being a "valuable customer". Most recently I needed a replacement receiver for the P.O.S. 27mhz Traxxas TQ, so he pulled it out from the back and saw it was $30 and said, "$30 for this old thing? If you want it I'll give it to you half price." They've done the same for batteries and bodies. I got a replacement Pede VXL body for $25 (price tag was $35) AND they gave me a can of paint. When I had brushed motors they would let me pocket new brushes and say "make sure the cashier doesn't see it!" Plus I know a couple of the guys pretty well just from shopping there often, so it's fun to go see them every now and then. Like you said, if I support them, they'll support me. For me it's definitely worth the 30 mile trip.

That's awesome!