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Hey there so far I have built my entire T-maxx from ebay I have gotten fuel wheels hubs and a couple very small cheap items that would cost me a tiny bit more after buying them on ebay. My lhs hobby town its a very cool store but the prices are insane!!! I'm fairly new to the hobby and got used to the prices on ebay when I went in to hobby town my mouth dropped open I couldnt believe how exspensive it was, exspecialy for aftermarket parts like aluminum upgrades. Like I said I'm new to the hobby and I would say I knew more about what I was looking than 80% of the employes and at the time all i needed was a a arm for a electric rustler and the guy had no clue what I was asking him for so I went and found it and showed him. Then the guys who knew more than I treated me like an idiot when I asked him what the percents ment for nitro fuel, I was buying it for my very first Nitro that is when I did a search looking for help with my T-Maxx thats how I found this awesome site where I have learned so much from all the very helpfull members THANK YOU!!! I will continue to buy parts from ebay and use my lhs for fuel and small items that are cheap and that I need right away.
 
MustangMan said:
Plaidfish, where is that shop in Ft. Lauderdale? My parents live in Aventura and my sis-in-law in Sunrise, so I'm down there every other month or so from Central Florida where I live. Might stop in there...QUOTE]

Sorry MustangMan I thought I answered this the other day....
www.SOUTHEASTRC.com ... really cool guys...they'll only start w/ the busting on people After your a regular, and they know you can take it.....I've told the manager there that as long as the poop Talking is done in Fun I can take whatever you can dish out,,,the moment I feel there is an issue of trying to belittle me I have no problem returningt the favor....either mentally or physically.....no one should feel better than anyone else due to another's lack of knowledge......that's why this site rocks...
 
I just found a very kewl LHS about 3 miles from my house (just NE of philly). Awesome guys! When I walked in they were busy but he took a moment to ask me if I needed any help. Then he saw me eye-humping his computer (very nice IBM) with a flight sim on it and a airplane R/C controller hooked up. He just said "go ahead, give it a try". I ended up playing the game for about 20 minutes and then just chatted with the guys for about an hour abour random stuff.

Longer story short - these guys are worth my business and I'm gonna try to support them in any way possible even if the part is 5 bucks instead of 3 (plus shipping) or if I have to wait a few days for them to order it for me. That kind of shop deserves to stay open.

My $0.02... can I have my change now? ;)

-Alan
 
Not a problem Plaid! Thanks for the link. I'll have to keep them in my pit bag. I take my truck and car down there for the Nephews to play with and you never know when you need spares! :P
 
My luck with the LHS has been hit or miss. My best experience was at a LHS near my parents home in Royal Oak, MI. It was a Rider's. I went in to get info on a battery charger and buy some other stuff.

The salesman was honest with me and friendly. He saved me money on a couple of things that I didn't need, and helped me find alternatives. His attitude that day caused me to give his shop repeat business. He could have taken me for a ride and instead he educated me. I think that is an example of a good ambassador to the hobby, as well as a good shop.
--Ray
 
I called and asked the LHS if he had a shaft for my buggy. Instant reply was no way (he's got thousands of parts for about everything) So the neighbor kids need fuel.

I go in and take three neighborhood kids that didn't his shop exsisted. (it's a hole in the wall)
One buys a spur and two gallons of fuel.
One buys 10 glow plugs (at 4x online prices) 1 gallon of fuel and a glow ignitor.
One trys, but can't afford a gallon of fuel, a plug and a spur. I tell him to keep his cash I flip out $25 for a gallon of fuel, $7 for a glow plug, and $5.00 for a spur.

Me, I see a shaft hanging on the wall, I take it out, measure it (it's for an XTM Maxx conversion) and it looks like it will fit my buggy. Now I know he's special ordered this and some chump never came to pick it up thats $25 out of his pocket. So I buy this shaft instead of getting one online.

I get the shaft home, and I mis-measured it's 1/4" too short. I ask my wife to take it back for me. She walks in and before she says a word he starts in on her.

"Your husbands always trying to half ass something, I can't sell that piece of poop without it being sealed I can't take it without a sealed plastic bag. He should know better than that, people like him are going to drive me to the poor house"

His Beef, I buy all my R/C's here from rcnt used I just can't afford new kits for my three kids. I buy all my support stuff from him. Everytime he sees a used R/C come in for parts he's pissed I didn't get it retail from him. I am also always digging through his trade ins and buying used.

He doesn't see the fact that Me+me three kids, + the three I bring in will more than make up for the $50 he made on the kit.

That night, (I have a shrink wrap machine) I seal it up just like factory, I take it in, and immediately Oh no I can't take that back it's not sealed no one will want it. My response, OH you will it's nice and sealed. He begrudgingly gave me my money back.
(it wasn't about the money)
BTW I will never come back to this shop again, and when I fill the car with kids neededing fuel, we'll just go elswhere.

If I hadn't just cut his revenue I would have beat the poop out of him. I just can't belive he was too chicken poop to discuss my online buys, so he attacks my wife instead.. phht.. He had no idea the only reason I even picked up the shaft was to get him out of a bad special order. I figured if it fits.. great he's got rid of his part, and I got mine. If not, no harm.. I bring it back and order one from him..whatever.

Just about any LHS you walk in and say "I saw this online do you have it" They freak.. the word online..ebay online forum...three reactions.. one run in fear, two talk poop about online, three realize your smart and help to support you in anyway they can (fuel plugs spurs etc)
 
My LHS will be in between "Talk poop about online" & "Realized your smart and help you to support you"

At the end, the price will still 20 - 30% more then what I could get from online store. I understand they mostly unable to bet online price. I still willing to buy if they show me a good attitude and try not to BS with me.
 
wigsplittah said:
I hear that, California has 8.25% sales tax. times 0.08.25 to your total, it can hurt the pocket =). California is too expensive. I've been in the bay area my whole life and I'm pondering the thought of relocating. Maybe somewhere it snows and you won't live in poverty making 40k. :p

It also depends on wich county you are in o.c. is 7.25 and l.a. is 8.25 its not much but it does help. I think its real stupied on how they can do that. :2cents:
 
My LHS Beats Tower prices...I don't even check anymore....they'll still say to buy from online stores is a gamble cause how many kits have we all gotten that were a little off in some way.....ususally something stupid like a mismatched hole or something the LHS would just swap out....
 
Tower Hobbies is a distributor thats the only reason they are cheap. And they are ruining the hobby because they sell car and trucks to ppl whove never been in the hobby and offer no assistance after the get them. Then they come into my LHS and bitch and whine that it dont run right cuz Tower Hobbies (Great Planes) sold them crap fuel. And say that its the hobby shops fault that they bought a car online that dont run. I dont understand it but it happens everyday... Support your local shop cuz theyll be there for you since you know nothing and theyll be able to help 99% of the time. Thats if they are ran right.
 
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this story beats all! please read you want believe!

my lhs had the nerve to intervene in my personal life and tell my at the time g/f that i had brought another female in the store with me! tell me that aint slack? all they do at my lhs is talk poop about everybody! they never have anything i need,and i mean never! its basically what the owner is running or nothing,and I'm sorry,but i have more skills than to just drive straight for 1.5 seconds! been known to take parts off 1 customers vehicle that is in to be repaired,and put on another! not once,but twice i have received work after they repaired it,and it was beyond repair from not being fixed the first time! better yet,fixes something,but leaves other things untouched to gain more business! as for repairs,they come last to owner repairs! to top it all off r/c driver just praised them for putting on a event! i could go on and on about this place ,but oh well! being in r/c for almost 17 yrs, and seeing this place in business makes me sick,they ruin the sport around here! i feel like just giving up and saleing out!
 
rcguru30 said:
my lhs had the nerve to intervene in my personal life and tell my at the time g/f that i had brought another female in the store with me! tell me that aint slack? all they do at my lhs is talk poop about everybody! they never have anything i need,and i mean never! its basically what the owner is running or nothing,and I'm sorry,but i have more skills than to just drive straight for 1.5 seconds! been known to take parts off 1 customers vehicle that is in to be repaired,and put on another! not once,but twice i have received work after they repaired it,and it was beyond repair from not being fixed the first time! better yet,fixes something,but leaves other things untouched to gain more business! as for repairs,they come last to owner repairs! to top it all off r/c driver just praised them for putting on a event! i could go on and on about this place ,but oh well! being in r/c for almost 17 yrs, and seeing this place in business makes me sick,they ruin the sport around here! i feel like just giving up and saleing out!
Great story but it's not like that every where you will always find this type of atmosphere in any retail bussiness just pictured yourself @ the dealership getting your real car repaired. or buying a new car & then next week they had it on sale for $2,000 less or going to the supermarket to buy your favorite cereal on sale then to find out it is out of stock.
all this crying & complaining it's a part of life just enjoy the hobby for what it is. (& I hope the crying & complaining comment does not offend anyone)If it does get a pacifier LOL
 
710baby said:
Great story but it's not like that every where you will always find this type of atmosphere in any retail bussiness just pictured yourself @ the dealership getting your real car repaired. or buying a new car & then next week they had it on sale for $2,000 less or going to the supermarket to buy your favorite cereal on sale then to find out it is out of stock.
all this crying & complaining it's a part of life just enjoy the hobby for what it is. (& I hope the crying & complaining comment does not offend anyone)If it does get a pacifier LOL
:shrug:
I think you missed the whole point of his post man....lower the doseage...JK
 
Plaidfish said:
:shrug:
I think you missed the whole point of his post man....lower the doseage...JK
I did not miss anything I noticed that this thread blew up & just felt I had to ad to all his good points So I guess you missed also :jk:
 
wow ,where you coming from?

710baby said:
Great story but it's not like that every where you will always find this type of atmosphere in any retail bussiness just pictured yourself @ the dealership getting your real car repaired. or buying a new car & then next week they had it on sale for $2,000 less or going to the supermarket to buy your favorite cereal on sale then to find out it is out of stock.
all this crying & complaining it's a part of life just enjoy the hobby for what it is. (& I hope the crying & complaining comment does not offend anyone)If it does get a pacifier LOL

where does anything you said have to do with anything in my post? you absolutely made about much of sense as a sack of potatoes! "enjoy the hobby" thats funny, how can someone when the people that are saleing the product that makes the hobby go around are not even remotely professional enough to do business and not sit around and talk poop about every tom peepee and hairy that walks through their door! dude before you quote somebody again, please take the time and really read and understand what someone is trying to say! oh,and by the way hope i didnt offend anyone,lol,suck on this paci! :boxing:
 
i would love to suport my lhs i live in the uk and buy ALL my parts from american ebayers I'm runing a savage, i needed the output shaft from the diff
lhs price 15.50 thats about 28 dollars plus 1 maybe 2 weeks wait cos he has to order it on ebay i can get a complete diff for just 20 dollars so wheres my incentive to buy from the lhs. All i get from them is fuel and thats it. i know there hands are tied price wise to an extent but i can't afford to run my truck at there prices thank god for you yankie ebayers cheers :cheers:
 
I've noticed that's typical in UK when anybody wants something a little different from what MTV shows....you want a specialty comic book or something there's a shop that says "I can get that for you"...but they are really looking to get it at some bargain basement price before they can actually get goods in hand for their customer......I would have to say if I was the UK...I'd be a hardcore E-Bayer too...or I'd move to the states...HAHAHAHA sorry had to be the little american poop...I have to put up w/ my friend's crap about how England is better...and I ask then why do you live HERE?????.......
 
i wouldnt say englands better just diffrent but your savage parts are a hell of lot cheaper even than our ebay so i always by from state side ebayers and stuff the lhs who in general is not upto speed with the latest mods never has any stock other than what the owners are running and wants to sell you whatever they can. :thumbdown :angry:
 
now that's how I feel about...can't we all just get along.......agree w/ the hobby shops that only sell what the owner runs...we have those here too...luckily in a 20mi radius from my house there are about 30 shops to choose from....I lucked out when the closest one was the best one.....my friend wants to get a condo right around the corner from it cause he'll be closer.....that's going too far to support your LHS...
 
I too buy from both, but, my LHS gets 75% because If I do encounter a problem, with my heli or planes, I can get "hands-on" advise. Try getting that from Tower. Also, I work on all the cars/trucks/buggies that come into my LHS for repair.......try sending your R/C to Tower, or any other on-line shop, to have them tune it or replace the engine or whatever it needs. Guess I'm lucky as well, my LHS has treated me like gold. Sure, we've had some disagreements but it all worked out. All I'm saying is that the LHS plays a very important role in this hobby. just my thoughts on the subject. Enjoy!!
 
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