Where are a propper Hobby store when you need it

[simalarion 2196]

Im from Norway an live in the midle of the captial City Oslo, still all the Hobby stores here are scary overpriced and they do not have much at stock at all,  the one that mainly sell RC also look more like a Store room so you cant actually go around looking but must ask at the counter for what you are looking for. So my huge problem now when collecting my new Agrios TXT2 set and found out that Tamiya do not include a complete Ball Bearing set anymore but 10x1150 & 16X1260 are Solid Bronze ones (SIGHT!), is that have no where to just go and buy them.

Ther are only a very few Hobby stores that sell BallBearings (most sell Trains and paint) and there are 1 store in Oslo, they are oveprised and do not have the ones i need, ofc. so now i had to find a dealer on Ebay again and probably waint up til 1 monht, usually as you probably know it can take 4 days just to get it sent (RC Jazhobby is often faster though, but they did not have Agrios set or loose ones).

So my Wet Dream would be to have a Hobby store like RC-Mart or TimeTunnel as a neighbour (A huge Hobby store so big you can go around with a trolly), thinks of just walking out and collect the Ball Bearings you need, to just Buy a new Body because you f*** up with cutting our paint, to actually be able to hold other Tamiya kits in your hand and look at the boxes and so on .. I have a Dream!!

[CoolHands 816]

Yes, you have to plan ahead. I try to buy parts I will want when I build my kit in advance for the same reason. Maybe try these guys in the uk for your bearings, they are very good, (email them a question if you don’t see what you need as they will usually have it in stock and will put together the ones you need) maybe they can send to Norway more quickly than japan etc http://www.rcbearings.co.uk

[simalarion 2196]

6 minutes ago, CoolHands said:

Yes, you have to plan ahead. I try to buy parts I will want when I build my kit in advance for the same reason. Maybe try these guys in the uk for your bearings, they are very good, (email them a question if you don’t see what you need as they will usually have it in stock and will put together the ones you need) maybe they can send to Norway more quickly than japan etc http://www.rcbearings.com/

Rc Bearing was new i will check it out now, i actually just wrote to tonyTamiyaparts at Ebay that have very good shipping prices now, if he could do what you suggest as he neitehr has a Agrios set ready.

 

Edit:And yes i tried to plan ehead, but as i wrote i thought full ball bearings was included in this kit (it was but apperently not anymore).

[Busdriver 6209]

Your lucky you have some half decent hobby stores. I live less than 25 miles from London but the choice is awful. I use Modelsports and Tamico  but for bearings RC bearings is a good bet . Very helpful and I doubt if the postage would be too high?

[CoolHands 816]

Sorry it should have been .co.uk (not com)

from another site it looks like you need

• (4)     5x8x2.5
• (10)     5x11x4
• (6)     6x11x4
• (16)     6x12x4

[simalarion 2196]

7 minutes ago, Busdriver said:

Your lucky you have some half decent hobby stores. I live less than 25 miles from London but the choice is awful. I use Modelsports and Tamico  but for bearings RC bearings is a good bet . Very helpful and I doubt if the postage would be too high?

At the moment the shipment is often to high yes, Tony Tamiya parts (Ebay) on the other hand seem to send BallBearings for free to Norway at the moment, i hope he can put togheter what i need as he do not have them loose at the store.

5 minutes ago, CoolHands said:

Sorry it should have been .co.uk (not com)

from another site it looks like you need

• (4)     5x8x2.5
• (10)     5x11x4
• (6)     6x11x4
• (16)     6x12x4

Ah ok, yes i could see the price was in Dollar the shipment was ofc to high there, i will check the UK page, thanks again.

Edit:

• (4)     5x8x2.5 (these are propper bearings)
• (10)     5x11x4
• (6)     6x11x4 (these are propper Bearings
• (16)     6x12x4

 

[simalarion 2196]

16 minutes ago, CoolHands said:

Sorry it should have been .co.uk (not com)

from another site it looks like you need

• (4)     5x8x2.5
• (10)     5x11x4
• (6)     6x11x4
• (16)     6x12x4

https://www.rcbearings.co.uk/  8 GBP for shipment wich is actually a good price in these Corona times. Sadly they did not have 1260 in stock.

[CoolHands 816]

Are these not 1260? They appear to be in stock

https://www.rcbearings.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=7&search=6x12x4

[simalarion 2196]

1 hour ago, CoolHands said:

Are these not 1260? They appear to be in stock

https://www.rcbearings.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=7&search=6x12x4

Not if you pick 16
 

[CoolHands 816]

Ah ok yes the rubber shielded ones that’s true. But the metal shielded ones are in stock would they be any good? 

[ACCEL 2014]

https://www.fasteddybearings.com/tamiya-agrios-txt-2-sealed-bearing-kit/

I know this is in the states and he sales his product on Ebay also,

Fast Eddy has become a good friend and even sent this code to anyone that it might help, ENTER this number 88966

[Carmine A 2046]

I can also vouch for Fast Eddy Bearings. Reasonable price for GOOD quality Bearings, great Service as well. I also live in a City where there isn't a proppper Hobby Shop for over 200 miles... 

Most of the time, Online Ordering is all we have. 😖

[simalarion 2196]

4 hours ago, ACCEL said:

https://www.fasteddybearings.com/tamiya-agrios-txt-2-sealed-bearing-kit/

I know this is in the states and he sales his product on Ebay also,

Fast Eddy has become a good friend and even sent this code to anyone that it might help, ENTER this number 88966

 

1 hour ago, Carmine A said:

I can also vouch for Fast Eddy Bearings. Reasonable price for GOOD quality Bearings, great Service as well. I also live in a City where there isn't a proppper Hobby Shop for over 200 miles... 

Most of the time, Online Ordering is all we have. 😖

Yes i already looked at Fast Eddie but only found set not Loose, as mentioned half of the set are propper Ball Bearings in Agrios set now (used to be all though):

• (4)     5x8x2.5 (these are propper bearings)
• (10)     5x11x4
• (6)     6x11x4 (these are propper Bearings
• (16)     6x12x4

So im trying to buy  those loose, those Bearings thare are propper bearings are also not much used, 1150 is used in all kits and 1260 in some so they are good to have more of. But thank you very much for suggestions, maybe i will try sending Fast Freddy an email regarding the 1260 - and 1150 ones i need. 

[simalarion 2196]

7 hours ago, CoolHands said:

Ah ok yes the rubber shielded ones that’s true. But the metal shielded ones are in stock would they be any good? 

It was the Metal ones i wanted, i never used Rubber ones, what is the difference?. Cearmic is far to expensive and from what i see on the Tamiya club forum they are not worth the price and you also need to check them more often than standard ones

[Busdriver 6209]

Rubber sealed are best in places where water ingress could be a problem. I would send Colin at RC bearings an e mail with exactly what you want I’m sir he will be able to help and if out of stock an eta on when available. 

[Gazzalene 171]

I live in the UK, Capital city,London. My nearest HS is 21 miles away and that is a good shop BUT never has full stock. next nearest shop would be another 30-40 miles!

[simalarion 2196]

21 minutes ago, Gazzalene said:

I live in the UK, Capital city,London. My nearest HS is 21 miles away and that is a good shop BUT never has full stock. next nearest shop would be another 30-40 miles!

I feel your pain

[Hobgoblin 1059]

I live on the south coast, and while we have a hobby shop with a moderate selection of Tamiya (and some really decent car junk bins) I'm always a little put off by the staff. They never seem completely happy with me being there. I think because they are mainly planes, trains and toy sales and so are geared towards older gentlemen coming in with a handwritten list of what they want, handing it over to someone to collect all the bits and tell them the total.  "Some balsa, a hinge, two servos and tape? That'll be £119.99 please and thank you" 

It used to be close enough that my boss & could nip in for a lunch break every so often. He went in wanting just a regular standard sized servo and they just sort of pointed him to the Savox rack and immediately walked away. Actually buying a full kit from them was like self service at a supermarket. Take it to the counter, pay and go without any attempt at chat or even upselling paint, batteries etc.

I try and support it when I can out of obligation to keep physical businesses going but sometimes I question why bother paying the premium? 

[CoolHands 816]

I never understand shops like that. Just doesn’t make sense 

[Lee76 638]

8 minutes ago, CoolHands said:

I never understand shops like that. Just doesn’t make sense 

I know, I try where possible to support local, but when you go into a shop (not just hobby) and you’re either invisible or the staff are just plain curt, there’s no wonder the high street is in decline. It’s just baffling, perhaps all the hobby shops left are bought outright and just run by enthusiasts to service their own interests and friends.. outsiders are just a chore to get out the way quickly.. I remember the hobby heyday of walking into a beatties store, probably well over staffed.. 3 enthusiastic people happy to help or talk to a kid who couldn’t afford anything.. even the village co-op sold airfix kits and humbrol paint tins and would buy in things on request... 

[simalarion 2196]

1 hour ago, Hobgoblin said:

I live on the south coast, and while we have a hobby shop with a moderate selection of Tamiya (and some really decent car junk bins) I'm always a little put off by the staff. They never seem completely happy with me being there. I think because they are mainly planes, trains and toy sales and so are geared towards older gentlemen coming in with a handwritten list of what they want, handing it over to someone to collect all the bits and tell them the total.  "Some balsa, a hinge, two servos and tape? That'll be £119.99 please and thank you" 

It used to be close enough that my boss & could nip in for a lunch break every so often. He went in wanting just a regular standard sized servo and they just sort of pointed him to the Savox rack and immediately walked away. Actually buying a full kit from them was like self service at a supermarket. Take it to the counter, pay and go without any attempt at chat or even upselling paint, batteries etc.

I try and support it when I can out of obligation to keep physical businesses going but sometimes I question why bother paying the premium? 

Strangly similar to my experience with the mentioned local shop (that look more like a litle Store room, and not a tidy one). I was so happe when i firt found one with Mainly RC products, first time there i felt happy and wanted to talk about me picking up my childhood hobby and was starting with Grasshopper, i wanted to talk about it and i wanted to buy Dampers, Balll Bearings and so on. But he just noded and said OK, i then tried to ask if i could use this sort of spray can on the car (i know this stuff now), and how he just raised his shoulder and said he was not really that much into painting and building but more for driving them, ehh ok i was then trying to get suggestions for other stuff but i got the feeling he wanted me out of there, so left with very much unsaid and without much of the stuff i wanted for my Grasshopper ... after that i have bought small things from them after checking at home exactly what i need but strangly enough they stil not seem to want to have me there :), and when the hobby shop itself is so tiny and as said more like a store room its like i feel his eyes burn in my neck when i am standing looking at Dampers and other loose RC equipment ..  So yes, i also want to supprt Local but it seems they are already in a state giving up and is thinking more of what else to do with their lives

[simalarion 2196]

Just got reply from https://www.rcbearings.co.uk and they had 1260 in stock after all and will send them today, so as you said they are fast and quite cheap. Usuall before the Corona they would send them to me for 3 GBP though, but now to secure me getting it they had to ship with at better alternative for 8 GBP ... but not to bad 

The Ebay order that ship from HongKong has stil not sent it after 3 days so i cant sit and wait for it :), i will have extra Bearings when they arrive but i need a stock of those so thats Ok

Thanks for helping all. 

[taffer 948]

for your next order, if you sign up to tamiyabase.com, you get a discount code for rcbearings to get you a small discount

[EvilSpike 294]

Unfortunately my local store in Falmouth just closed down. I think the guy had some health issues, and with the decrease in footfall through town with Corona he decided either it wasn't worth the risk or his business became unviable.

It's been a problem for every single shop on the high street for years, decreasing shoppers and competition from internet only retailers, especially Amazon and I guess in our hobby eBay, where they don't have the same overheads such as local property taxes, paying staff a decent wage or actually paying any tax in the first place. Plus I imagine that the smaller shops will struggle to afford an order big enough from the importer, whilst Amazon will take a thousand tamiya kits and negotiate a big discount.

It's a shame, as the local store should be a place to get help and advice and a nexus for people to meet. It's a problem with no easy answers.

I want some paint pots to do the details of my Lunchbox, but I'll be damned if I'm paying postage on a £2 pot of humbrol paint...

[simalarion 2196]

23 minutes ago, EvilSpike said:

Unfortunately my local store in Falmouth just closed down. I think the guy had some health issues, and with the decrease in footfall through town with Corona he decided either it wasn't worth the risk or his business became unviable.

It's been a problem for every single shop on the high street for years, decreasing shoppers and competition from internet only retailers, especially Amazon and I guess in our hobby eBay, where they don't have the same overheads such as local property taxes, paying staff a decent wage or actually paying any tax in the first place. Plus I imagine that the smaller shops will struggle to afford an order big enough from the importer, whilst Amazon will take a thousand tamiya kits and negotiate a big discount.

It's a shame, as the local store should be a place to get help and advice and a nexus for people to meet. It's a problem with no easy answers.

I want some paint pots to do the details of my Lunchbox, but I'll be damned if I'm paying postage on a £2 pot of humbrol paint...

Yeah, everything is at a distance these days, the hole process is going on through screens without ever actually meeting a person. Shipments are also often free these days so the comsumers push the prices everywhere so we are doomed to be left with huge online companies like Amazon as you write yourself. I throw water on that mill myself constantly checking the best prices online. But often also think these days « maybe i should just get my *** out to the local store and just pay 30 GBP more for my next kit, the extra fresh air alone would be worth it :).