Old happy memories, and the sad demise of Hobby stores....

[akemag]

Hmm...funny indeed!

We seem to dream about the things we like to do, i mean i´ve had no dream about a store filled with tile or wood or gardening tools for the house or so.

The mind work in mysterious ways...

[Mad Ax]

I was in my LHS AGAIN yesterday - sorting out my order for a new chrome

pumpkin (picking it up tomorrow - soooo excited - was supposed to pick

it up this afternoon, but something far more important has come up*)

Got chatting to the guys who worked there, and were nostalgically

remembering the days when I used to collect those Tamiya 1/24 (?) 4x4

cars and trucks - the miniature versions of their RC cars.  I

recall buying a Super Astute 1/24, and coming back a week later to see

the 1/10 Super Astute on the top of the pile above the counter.

Then, a year later, I got given some spending money just before

Christmas, and bought myself a 1/24 Midnight Pumpkin, all the while

drooling over the real thing - again, on the top of the pile above the

counter.

Yesterday, while sorting out the options and accessories for the new

Pumpkin, I looked up at that same pile above the counter - and what did

I see next to the Double Blaze and the ubiquitous stack of Subaru

Imprezzas..?

A whole stack of re-re cars - Hornet, Grasshopper, Frog, Lunchbox.  Almost brought a tear to my eye []

The guys who work there are such a good bunch, too - since I got back

into RC a month ago I must have been in there 6 times, every time it's

service with a smile, stop for a chat for 40 minutes or more.  The

boss even advance-warned me not to turn up after 4pm today, because

he's closing early to go and watch the England world cup football match

[]

As long as hobby shops keep good stock, good customer service and a

good central location (a tourist town like Bath helps a lot) they will

remain competitive, IMO

*5'4", blonde

[akihabaramallrat]

There are still plenty of the old style hobby shops in Japan, mostly they sell static kits but this one 2 blocks from my place has an rc vr6 just inside.

 

In Akhibara there is a five story model shop full of vintage kits (you will pay more than ebay but just great for a look). If you are ever in Tokyo go up the main shopping street from the station towards Ueno and just before the McDonalds turn in the small alley and you cant miss it.

On a trip to Taipei last year I had a walk for a few hours after going to the history museum and came across 3 such model shops.

So answer move to Asia []

 

[LamboDave]

After spending on hour or so reading all these replies, I have now been able to understand my huge interest in collecting Vintage models - It's because it brings back my memories of me and my Dad, wondering around hobby shops, buying presents for me (and him !!!). I remember the wooden floors, and large window displays - We went to 2 hobby shops in all - Heathcraft in Crawley UK, and one in Horsham UK. As well as spending time and effort into buulding the models, I remember my Dad buying the Model car magazines, and building things like BEC and battery chargers, etc. These magazines even gave advice on racing tips, such as silcone on your sponge tires for indoor wooden floor racing, etc. The whole R/C sport was based more on what you read, and built, as opposed to money only. It's a shame people no longer want to spend time working up knownledge within the R/C hobby - They don't even build them these days. This is why I still go out and buy vintage NIBs, and build them, and then drive them !!! I take great care in these models (some are as old as me). I am now collecting more 'Restoration Projects' then I can handle - I plan to do each of these projects with my son when he is old enough - Just like the few NIB's I did me my Dad all those years ago (he is only 2 years old now !!!) This is a great thread.

[DJTheo]

"There are still plenty of the old style hobby shops in Japan, mostly

they sell static kits but this one 2 blocks from my place has an rc vr6

just inside."

So this is were you get the kits for your shop [], nah I don't think so []

"In Akhibara there is a five story model shop full of vintage kits

(you will pay more than ebay but just great for a look). If you are

ever in Tokyo go up the main shopping street from the station towards

Ueno and just before the McDonalds turn in the small alley and you cant

miss it.

On a trip to Taipei last year I had a walk for a few hours after going to the history museum and came across 3 such model shops.

So answer move to Asia ]">"

True, especially Japan is Mekka for us Tamiyafans, still saving money for the trip []

Cheers

[eek!]

Hmmm...I too have had dreams about the vintage Tamiya's, maybe there is

something to this subconcious thing.  My dreams have always been

finding a Hilux buried and lost in some newspaper ad, at a local yard

sale or buried deep in a pile old junk at the back of a hobby

store.  I realize now this is definitely a dream!

LamboDave,

I think you're right on.  Walking thru these little hobby stores

with my parents as a wee boy is what makes my memories so vivid. 

I used to get excited going to Seattle as I grew up in a very small

town in Washington State as a boy, but when we went to the hobby stores

then it was very special.  Those were very happy memories with my

dad.  Even though most of the time we didn't buy much, just

looking around, the spending of time was priceless.

Best,

[Mad Ax]

Hmmm...I too have had dreams about the vintage Tamiya's, maybe there is

something to this subconcious thing.

I too dream about things I want, but usually these things aren't RC and they have legs rather than wheels []

My dreams have always been

finding a Hilux buried and lost in some newspaper ad, at a local yard

sale or buried deep in a pile old junk at the back of a hobby

store.

There is one burried in my shed looking for a new home!

Walking thru these little hobby stores

with my parents as a wee boy is what makes my memories so vivid. 

I used to get excited going to Seattle as I grew up in a very small

town in Washington State as a boy, but when we went to the hobby stores

then it was very special.  Those were very happy memories with my

dad.  Even though most of the time we didn't buy much, just

looking around, the spending of time was priceless.

and of course while we're here reminiscing the times we spent wandering

around the LHS "looking but not buying" all those now-closed LHS owners

are bitterly remembering all those kids who used to come in, wander

around, waste everyones time and wander out again without spending any

money []

[DJTheo]

I too dream about things I want, but usually these things aren't RC and they have legs rather than wheels []

So they have 4 legs??? [+o(][*-)][8-)][]LOL

Cheers

[Mad Ax]

So they have 4 legs??? [+o(][*-)][8-)][]LOL

Cheers

Hey, I don't judge you by your Tamiya obession, don't judge me by my persuasion!!

[]

[mr_pushrod]

Hmmm...I too have had dreams about the vintage Tamiya's, maybe there is something to this subconcious thing.  My dreams have always been finding a Hilux buried and lost in some newspaper ad, at a local yard sale or buried deep in a pile old junk at the back of a hobby store.  I realize now this is definitely a dream!

Don't give up on the idea, it might just happen. I remember about 3 years ago I was shown the 1987 Tamiya promotional video at work in my LHS and fell in love with the Avante. About 2 weeks later someone came in with a mint but broken one to see if he could get parts. After he found he couldn't and I had said how much I liked the car he gave it to me for free! I was given the parts to fix it within a week and it now sits as one of my favourites within my collection.

[eek!]

mr_pushrod,

I had something (sort of) happen by chance.  My NIB 4000mah pack was found in a guy's garage who worked at my local LHS.  Not quite a full model kit, but I'll take it (and I did).

 

MadAx,

Interesting point of view.  I never looked at customers that often window-shop from an owner's POV.

 

Best,

[loaded]

I too have many happy memories of wasting sales assistants' time, leaning on the counter and generally making a nuisance of myself, watching crackly re-run videos time after time of cars I knew I would never own (not true now, of course!)

It was in a yellow (can't remember the name, think it began with H, get back to you on this one) hobby store in Milton Keynes shopping centre.  Milton Keynes itself was quite a young place and the hobby centre then became a Beatties (not sure what it is now, perhaps a Modelzone?).  Occasionally when I was up in London it would be in Hamleys.

The trouble is, whilst that same guy with the abstract hair (Ian) in Hamleys still works behind the counter (20 years now?) because very rich kids who live in Central London want instant gratification and pay top dollar for kits, most of the other shops have to contend with the problem of the internet.  It is easy, I am sure we have all done it,  phoned a store, or shop to get advice about a product and then ordered it cheaper!  Whilst we are taking their time, NOT buying they are not able to sell to anyone else, whilst people are clicking and making the eBoys very rich indeed on our unquenchable desire to save a few (sometimes quite a few) pounds.  Believe me, no one sells on eBay and makes much money, frankly it is all price driven and unless you have a unique selling point there is not really that much to distinguish between sellers.  So if you can sit in your underwear and make a few quid selling toys you have managed to get into the country and you have no overheads (except eBay and paypal) then clearly the shops are on a hiding to nothing.

Or put another way:

God creates man

Man creates Tamiya

Tamiya create Models

Models Create Hobbyshops

--------------

God creates Internet

Internet creates eBay

eBay creates competition

competition destroys Hobbyshops

 

In a nutshell.

eBay is a great leveller, but it is also incredibly destructive. It is a shame, but it is not just hobbyshops this is happening to, it is happening in other areas of retail.

On a related note, less than a year ago in a non disclosed European Country (for obvious reasons lol) I found a mint, complete NIB English Language Porsche 934 (model number two!) and paid less than £100 for it (the price it was listed at.  It had been there in that hobbyshop for 20 years.  I feel every Tamiyaclub member deserves at least one such discovery!

[Hibernaculum]

On a related note, less than a year ago in a non disclosed European Country (for obvious reasons lol) I found a mint, complete NIB English Language Porsche 934 (model number two!) and paid less than £100 for it (the price it was listed at.  It had been there in that hobbyshop for 20 years.  I feel every Tamiyaclub member deserves at least one such discovery!

Sensational find!

Well, if every TC member deserves such a find, then I've already had mine as well. 6 months later, and I'm still buzzing from it. But there's a whole other thread somewhere on here about that. []

Anyway. Continuing with the memories theme....

I mentioned a favourite hobby shop in my first post. I've probably already described it here in the forums before, so I'm sure it's completely unwarranted that I should add yet more hobby shop memory waffle to my extensive back-catalogue of hobby shop memory waffles on this forum, so...

I will. []

My favourite LHS was a place called Yennora Hobbies. My first visit there was in the early 1990s.

I had of course become an expert on Tamiyas during the 1980s, by nearly going blind from staring at my old 1987 catalogue. But only in the early 1990s did I really "come-of-age", as that was the time I started coming across small wads of cash to spend on Tamiyas. These were mostly the same wads of cash that my parents were using to buy the groceries, but nevertheless, I began desperately buying up a few of the last available items from the fading vintage era of Tamiya...

Surely there must be at least one other Sydney-sider who can remember the Yennora Hobby store? It closed down just 3 or 4 years ago, but had actually existed for decades. None of this is a dream, I swear. Here's proof - a website still listing defunct data, including a listing for the old shop.

Yennora Hobbies was located in a spot so inconspicuous, that it was almost as if the shop was hiding intentionally - keeping it's treasures a secret among only those who were "in the know". Compared to other stores, it was like a dream to me - a treasure trove.

It was almost like those stories you see in films - someone finds a toy shop they never noticed before in the local town one cold Christmas Eve, run by a portly old man with a large white beard, only to find the shop has spontaneously disappeared the very next day and no-one else remembers it.....

A bit of background: Yennora is a suburb in the outer Sydney metropolitan region. It's just one of those suburbs that sort of exists between other bigger suburbs, without anyone knowing why. There are no major attractions there, and there's nothing particularly beautiful about the area. It's just an old, sleepy suburb. It barely has a "town centre" of any kind - the businesses there form something more like an industrial area, with warehouses and small single-storey business offices and so forth. Which means there's no reason to go there unless you a) live there, or need something from a particular business with it's offices located there.

Smack in the middle of these other businesses, sandwiched between other the small office blocks, mechanics and the like, and directly opposite the Yennora railway station, was Yennora Hobbies. You could tell it was Yennora Hobbies - if you squinted. There was a short concrete driveway leading from the kerb to a single-storey building, and there was a sign jutting out from the building, above a single sliding glass door. To the untrained eye, it was easy to miss.  The first time I ever visited it, we had found the address in a telephone book and had no idea what to expect. We drove right past it and did a lap around the block before we noticed it. There was no shopfront full of hobby things. And no need for it either, as no one ever walked past the store. There was just a short driveway, leading to a small plain brick building, with a simple sign and a door, in the middle of an industrial area.

It was as if the owners were saying "We don't need to advertise - our customers know we're hiding right here".

It's location in Yennora may have had something to do with the fact that years ago, the Yennora woolshed (a huge building) had been the location of some R/C race meets. It was also famous for being the location of the odd 1:1 car show, one of which I attended in 1988. My Dad took a home video of the show that day, including a long shot of two Sand Scorchers being proudly displayed atop the bonnet of a full size Volkswagen.

On my first visit to Yennora Hobbies, I had actually thought the shop would be complete rubbish - it seemed narrow, and therefore (I assumed) shallow as well. I also thought they might actually be some sort of Hobby wholesaler - not a shop open to the public. You see, their shop facade was so inconspicuous, that I remember walking right up to the door for the first time, and being unsure whether I was allowed to open it and walk in. I can still hear my Dad saying what I was thinking: "Are we even allowed in?". I couldn't actually see through the glass in the door - it might have been tinted to keep out the hot afternoon sun. And no one else had passed in or out of the store in the moments since we'd arrived.

But I pulled the heavy sliding door open, and we walked in...

Immediately to the left, was a Coke vending machine. I later came to realise that being in the middle of an industrial business area, with not even a milk bar nearby, this was a nice convenience.

But the first two things you generally saw as you walked in the narrow entrance was a large glass cabinet to the left which was full of built R/C cars. And you also noticed that the shop inside was huuuge. What it lacked in width, it made up for in depth. It was like those old fairytales where someone walks into a small tent at a Circus, and finds themself inside a giant big-top arena. It broadened out almost magically, in all directions.

We're probably not talking huge by (I'm sure) some large American hobby store standards. But it was easily bigger than any other hobby store I had ever seen at that time. And you just knew you were going to be in there for hours, exploring.

The cabinet of R/C cars was about 4 metres long, and had 2 or 3 or 4 shelves in it. And every time I visited the shop, there were some unusual cars on display. And they were often vintage. And they were always changing.

I soon learned that the store had a system of selling things on consignment that made it unique among all the stores I'd ever been to. People could sell their used cars and parts in the store, and the store would take a commission. Nothing revolutionary, but no other hobby stores seemed to have the shop space to enable this kind of trading. The system was obviously popular, but it was a particular boon for a visitor like me - for the first time in my life, I was actually able to see many R/C cars that I'd never even seen before.

Among the cars I saw there were....Hotshots, Clod Busters, Frogs, Grasshoppers, Foxes, Hornets, a Kyosho VW Beetle of some sort, Tanks, Madcaps, various other Kyoshos, Schumachers, the occasional Marui, and many many more.....sadly I cannot remember them all.

But as well as that, the cabinet often contained used or new vintage parts - manuals for vintage cars, Hotshot gearboxes, various bumpers, tyres, sticker sets. All precious spare parts, the likes of which were extremely difficult to source in the pre-eBay days. Because even trade newspapers generally only listed complete R/C cars for sale.

These were the pre-Internet days altogether of course, so seeing such cars and parts in the flesh, at least for me, was like being in Heaven. I had spent years of my childhood studying that one measley 1987 Tamiya catalogue, and I had finally found a hobby shop that was like a time capsule -every visit might bring a new surprise or two, and it felt like a corner of the world where the spirit of those old 80s cars was being kept alive, rather than dying and being forgotten in someone's garage or attic.

I always visited this store with my Dad, who shared my vintage Tamiya interest, and it instantly became our favourite. Every time we went, we hoped to see some interesting models on display/consignment, and maybe buy a few parts if we had the cash. After analysing mere pictures of the cars for so long, seeing certain cars in the flesh was almost like spotting celebrities - I'd discretely elbow Dad in the ribs and point in a particular direction (not too obviously - I didn't want the shop staff to think I was some sort of fanboy freak, even though I was) and mumble something under my breath to him...."That's a Hotshot (!).....there's a Wild Willy (!)!....." etc.

For a long time, nearly every visit scored us some goodies. Chassis, gearboxes....manuals....stickers.....NIB tyres....used but good condition body shells.....you name it. I could never afford whole cars, but goodies were available for $5, $10, $15. Every new visit was hopeful, as this store became a lifeline for my early restoration projects.

Because the store was old, it also had that glorious "We don't even know what we have here anymore, it's madness!" feel about it that you only get with ancient Hobby shops who might have old stock lying around.

To me, this is the way Hobby shops are meant to be. I dislike clean, organised, brand new Hobby shops - all they have is new stuff. I prefer chaos (that's how things get lost, and later, found by me!).

 

And boxes full of miscellaneous old parts are great. Let's face it, finding a really old box of Tamiya spares is almost better than sex. (I said almost).

The rest of the store was made up of long corridors leading to the back wall of the store, with each devoted to different disciplines - planes, kits, trains, slot cars and other miscellanous things. There was tons of stuff. A lot of it was displayed very nicely in cabinets, but there were boxes on the floor too - those great old boxes full of miscellaneous items. Old R/C magazines, parts, kits, bits....

The wall behind the counter still carried a few new parts for vintage cars. And the shelves up above were stacked to the rafters with NIB Tamiya (and other) kits.

What was also great was the fact that each section of the store had a mixture of display items and boxed items. And consignment items were available for all other disciplines as well. For instance, I bought a used 1984 Hornby train set (diesel engine + 3 silver suburban carriages) in like-new condition, in the original box, made in England, for $40. There were treasures to be found in any part of the store.

There were items that I missed out on too. I remember seeing a new built Tamiya Cheetah there and, because I was a certifiable idiot, I had no idea what it actually was. I had my suspicions, but that's all. It looked like it had been sitting in the cabinet for years - down on the bottom shelf - a little dusty. It was actually like a fixture of the store - a display item that you weren't sure was actually for sale as it had no price attached to it. I saw it on several occasions and it had no radio gear or aerial, so I thought it looked like a cross between a plastic kit and an R/C kit - thanks to the wonderfully realistic detail. Then one day it had a price tag on it.

As it wasn't a buggy though, and as I wasn't even sure if it was really a Tamiya or not, my interest was only moderate, and I passed on it for $50. The store owner reassured me that he thought it was a Tamiya. But I probably spent my money on some NIB Sand Scorcher tyres or something that day. Not a total waste at least.

The next time I visited, I was still thinking about this unusual old car. But by then the Cheetah was already gone....

I remember nearly buying a whole box of Kyosho Optima bits, but passed, as I didn't think I'd ever stand a chance of completely rebuilding the car (and I simply didn't have much money). At the time I was still working on restoring at least one complete Hotshot, which was a car I found truly fascinating.

They also once had a floor to ceiling oversupply of Dyna Storm kits one day, due to a miscalculation from the importer. They were going for some ridiculous price, like AU$100 each (approx US$75). I was tempted, but again, put my money elsewhere. I think I bought a NIB Lima CountryLink XPT train set...a famous high speed train in Australia.

I know, you're all probably shaking your heads. But this proved wise anyway. Many years later, Lima was swallowed up by Hornby, and the XPT set is long out of production. It turned out that Yennora had been selling the last few at that time, and I was quite lucky to get it. Last I heard, an Australian Rail Authority was looking for owners of these sets and trying to buy them back off them, as they are now considered historic Australian train memorabilia.

So for a few good years, Yennora was the best Sunday fun a budding Tamiya collector could have. Sometimes we'd be home doing nothing on a Sunday, and Dad would say "Want to go to Yennora?", and I'd say "No, it's only been 3 weeks since our last visit. We need to give it more time.". So we'd wait in hope that the store would fill with different stock. After an hour or so of this "waiting", we'd get in the car and head down. []

Actually, we'd usually wait at least 2 months. But it took willpower and restraint.

I'm sad to say that this great shop eventually died a sorry death.

I got the impression that the business changed hands around 2001, and my subsequent visits found the store a shadow of it's former self. My last visit was so disappointing on a number of levels, that I actually vowed never to return. The shop assistants seemed to be clueless kids, one of whom was particularly rude when I ask a question. (Not blowing my own trumpet here, but I really do feel as though I make every effort to be a polite customer to Hobby store people, so I was truly baffled [] ). The store itself was missing half it's stock - they barely had a single NIB Tamiya. And there was nothing left for sale on consignment. Clearly, the effects of eBay were being felt.

The last I heard was that the shop had closed down. I was a little disappointed to have missed out on being there if there had been some sort of closing down sale. But perhaps it was a quiet final closing down. In truth, most of the good vintage R/C stock was already long gone.

I'm grateful though, for the great memories - many of which lasted right up until the late 1990s. I'll never forget the fun I had at Yennora Hobbies.

cheers,

H.

[DJTheo]

Superb post Hib as always [H], it expresses the lifes and experiences of many of us, your details made the images appear in my brain, as well as the great memories of the LHSes of my childhood, thanks for sharing!

Cheers

[eek!]

I enjoyed this post too H, except:

Because the store was old, it also had that glorious "We don't even know what we have here anymore, it's madness!" feel about it that you only get with ancient Hobby shops who might have old stock lying around.

To

me, this is the way Hobby shops are meant to be. I dislike clean,

organised, brand new Hobby shops - all they have is new stuff. I prefer

chaos (that's how things get lost, and later, found by me!).

Those old, forgotten Tamiya kits/parts that never catch the attention

of today's "can I fit wheel-barrow size tires on this monster truck

kit?", power hungry, RTR  teenagers are lying in wait for me...for

me only!...EEK!![]

I have to agree some of the newer hobby stores with there "only newer

stock" are so bright, clean and sterile they remind me of work...a

hospital.

Best,

[Mad Ax]

I have to agree some of the newer hobby stores with there "only newer

stock" are so bright, clean and sterile they remind me of work...a

hospital.

Like I said earlier, most of this is due to a change in market.

In the 80s / 90s, people who bought R/C, trainsets, die-cast and

statics were mostly kids, or stuffy old guys.  The sort of messy,

overstocked, disorganised 80s-style shops really appeal to kids

because, as we all know, kids love digging through shelves and stacks

looking for something special.

I recall in the early 90s, my LHS had a huge stack of the Tamiya Junior

range (or whatever they were called..?)  I had a Super Astute,

Midnight Pumpkin, Neo Burning Sun, and many more that I forget... 

I will never forget the excitement of finishing a new kit, then gazing

longingly at the pictures inside the cover detailing all the other

models I could collect.  I will never forget the rush of heading

to the LHS and rooting through their stack of Tamiya Juniors, taking

the entire front row off the shelf, to find, several layers behind, the

model that I'd been fearing I would never find.

These days, kids of that age don't want models - they want XBox and

Nintendo and WiFi and Broadband...  Models are for geeks, man!

The sort of people who are buying R/C now are early 20s.  They

want RTR, they want nitro, they want big and brash - just look at the

current range of stadium trucks from the big nitro manufacturers. 

Worse still, you can buy them from places like Halfords.

Halfords - they're a 1:1 car parts superstore, for those not in the

UK.  They sell car batteries, and wiper blades, and water pumps,

and automotive tools, and stereo systems, and alloy wheels,

and...  Nowadays, R/C cars and trucks.

What..?  No, I don't understand why, but they do.

Who would buy from a dark, scruffy, small enclosed model shop that

looks like its weeks from closing down, when you can buy from a bright,

spacious superstore backed by a major UK chain..?

The change in hobby stores from dark, disorganised treasure troves to

bright, airy, new stock only specialists reflects a change in the type

of person buying the stuff.

[MikeT]

These days, kids of that age don't want models - they want XBox and Nintendo and WiFi and Broadband...  Models are for geeks, man!

Sigh, looks like this must be the common mis-conception. I'm 15 and would rather visit a hobby store!

Mike

[loaded]

I live in East London, out of my back window I see kids shooting up, shooting, burning cars and mugging grannies.  No radio control though (unless they nicked it from my shed, the light fingered little gob****es)

No I am not exaggerating or making this up, so I guess 15 year olds are different the world over. 

When I was 15 I had my own little public domain software company   I made models with my spare cash and went to school.  I didn't live in East London then.  Nintendo was Tetris and Microsoft X-Box was just a twinkle in uncle Bill's eye.

Incidently, X-Box is a strange name, if you really take the time to think about it and what it could mean...

Paul.

[eek!]

Incidently, X-Box is a strange name, if you really take the time to think about it and what it could mean...

Paul.

I thought I was the only D.O.M. (dirty old man) that wondered

that.  Maybe uncle Bill consulted Tamiya's PR person who named

Vanessa's Lunchbox? (whistling...)[*-)]  Scuse me lads, think I

might need a smoke now...or cold shower?.

[Live Steam Mad]

Hi, regarding the changes in my R/C hobby over the years, the one thing that annoys me the most is the advent of the truggy and the demise of scale R/C cars.

When I browse though my 1981 Tamiya catalogue and compare it to my 2006 Tamiya catalogue it is very noticeable that whereas all the other model categories have stood still, the R/C car section has changed hugely and mostly in a negative way, with the sad demise of all the wonderful scale looking R/C cars with their Styrene body shells with the ultra realistic details picked out in Chromed parts, and instead we seem to be heading to nothing but vague looking Lexan truggy sh*te with all the character and asthetic appeal of a month old turd.

It seems that it started to happen in about 1995 or around then, and it has now got to the point where the Ripmax and CML catalogues here in the UK are filled with truggy after God damned truggy. It makes me feel sick.

I think that it gained momentumn in the last 5 years or so, and has now got past the point which I ...believe ... is termed ... the "Shoe Event Horizon" ;-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoe_event_horizon  

...yes Douggie had it right. Now is economically impossible to build anything else but truggies.

However don't be too glum, there is a glimmer of hope, it's called Tamiya 1/14 R/C Tractor Trucks and 1/16th R/C Tanks... no one makes them like Tamiya, they are utterly wonderful. A Second Golden Age for Tamiya.

I like the way that in Japan it still seems to be "cool" to like models and R/C and the shops are packed with R/C and Tamiya models and are brightly lit and everything is at a fair (Japanese retail) price. HOW ABOUT IT, UK SHOPS? ARE YOU LISTENING?  Give us shops and prices exactly like Japan and I won't be complaining so much LOL.

Cheers,

Alistair G.

 

[Hibernaculum]

Alistair, I agreed with your entire rant.

What he said. []

cheers,

H.

[mr_pushrod]

...yes Douggie had it right. Now is economically impossible to build anything else but truggies.

Err, where exactly are you looking? I see truggies only making up a fairly small proportion of  what is available. Also I would argue that there are moves back towards scale realism in the shape of drift kits. Have you seen the parts available to make the cars look more real? They range from fake brake discs, exhaust tips, scale representations of real wheels plus full lighting kits. Sure it's not the last word in scale but it is a move back towards what I dare say you would see as 'good' R/C cars. I think it is also worth noting that R/C is pretty new compared to other modelling based hobbies so I would expect it to be evolving and changing faster.