The Civil War continues...

Don't know about over there, But here in OZ, you seem to get the same response with just about everything you ask for. They either don't carry it or are out of stock, and if they can be bothered to order it, it takes 3 or

Don't get too upset with your LHS owner --

We have been without a real LHS for some years now, and most of us agree that we miss one. One gent has a small shop of sorts that he runs out of his garage, but it's still not the same. Oh sure, we can order on-line or over the phone, and we do check with each other to see if we can consolidate orders, but it's still not the same as dropping into a well-stocked shop with lots of goodies and even some new stuff for us to fondle once in a while.

Cheers -- \_________Lyman Slack________/ \_______Flying Gators R/C___/ \_____AMA 6430 LM____ / \___Gainesville FL_____/ Visit my Web Site at

I'd maybe cut the guy a little slack.

Enya may be a difficult brand for him to obtain.

And he may just have been looking out for you--thinking that you'd rather have the best price.

I've done more and more shopping in my local hobby shop (Field's) because it's fun to go visit with the staff and the other customers, and go window-shopping as well.

When I need some small parts to finish a plane, I'm grateful that they're there for me.

Marty

He'd probably had a customer or two announce that they didn't want something they'd special ordered 'cause they found it on the internet for less.

This was what drove my cousin to close his bike shop.

How much of that $5,000 was spent in your local hobby shops? A few bucks for nuts, bolts and glue?

| From when I managed a hobby shop, the window shoppers who had | Tower on the speed dial were looking mostly for OS or Super | Tiger when they would stop by.

Oddly enough, I've given Tower Hobbies thousands of dollars, and have never ever called them :)

Assuming Ed's portrayal of the event is reasonably accurate, ill manners and rude behavior do not warrant cutting a little slack. They warrant exactly what Ed is doing!

Again, assuming!

I went to the local hobby shop to buy a new radio this weekend. Believe it or not, absolutely no PCM radios. All "PCM" systems he had were PCM/PPM transmitters with FM receivers. He insisted that PCM is dangerous and isn't as good as FM so he won't sell them. Later he finally admitted that since they're more expensive he can't move them fast enough so he won't stock them.

Dave

As regards MRC and Enya engines. Oddly, few model shops stock them..and too bad because they are fine engines and seem to last forever. MRC started out as the (Model Rectifier Corporation" headed by one Roy Gelber. Back in the early sixties I was in Japan and Model Airplane News wanted me to do a product report on the new to US market Futaba radio. MRC started with them as the first US importer of Futaba. Gelber contacted me in Tokyo and we took a 60 mile train trip to the factory. It was enormous! The R/C division is just a small part of a large industrial complex. They treated us like royalty and even took me out to their private flying field and let me fly a pattern plane. It was Mode One! I had to be real careful but made it up and a few maneuvers and down again safely without crashing the plane or making myself look foolish. In a meeting with the Futaba folks they were having trouble wondering why we insisted on nicads in all our radios. They said that you could get fresh batteries anywhere in Japan...and I had to explain to them that when youbought dry batteries here in the US you never knew how long they had been in a warehouse. Plus they were fascinated with the buddy box idea..which I think ProLine has just come out with. Their radio was on 27 mhz and was in a (transmitter) sort of gold anodized metal case. My article on the visit and the radio was in Model Airplane News. I do not know the issue, but if anyone can find it, I'd sure like to know the issue so I can find a copy for my files. So...MRC carried Futaba and soon they started selling big in the US and soon had a service center out in Calif...and did so for years..until GreatPlanes/Tower and crew bought the franchise. As for MRC, they have intersting stuff and still have the Enya line...seems they really don't merchandise their stuff and that is why it never seems to get to the hobby shops. maybe they sell a lot of Enyas and other aircraft items in the NY and NJ area...but it is NEVER seen down south where I live. Remember MRC is big in HO trains and still has a big line of train transformers...I am not into trains so I don't know what they do with that stuff.... Frank Schwartz in Hendersonville, TN.. Sorry I didn't mean to rattle on so......

Same here... I'll pick up plastic models or smaller accesories but will leave the bigger items for online stuff... Ebay "shops" being the main source.

I spoke to a guy who I bought a flying comabt wing of locally via Ebay.. he said it's a form of advertising and exposure and was prepared to drop a few bucks to do so. The middle man mark up of and overheads of model shops being taken out of the cost.

Mitch

Gotta agree on the quality of service at local hobby shops. Two shops here are part of a chain and when I mention control line they treat me like I am not going to buy anything. Well... last year I bought props, fuel, fuel line, glue, wood, and engine parts from them... it all added up. Only one shop actually treats me like a customer and that one is privately owned and not part of any chain. He doesnt carry much in CL but he does treat me like a customer and not someone who can be ignored. I know CL is only about 5% of the local market but we are active and we do spend money... enough with the rant... let's go fly! Bob Furr

"See ya in the circle!"

At least you have an LHS to boycott. The only ones we have in Corpus Christi are either high end heli only or car only. There is one small shop in CalAllen that carries plane stuff and is really very good but it is too far from where I live especially now with gas prices through the roof. Consequently, most of my shopping is online or saved until I can make the trip to CalAllen for a large purchase.

G'day sport

I'm not inclined to complain about what I want,; rather the prices are getting a bit rich I reckon in OZ

Where do you buy your stuff from may I ask? Years ago (1980's) I use to get all my stuff out of Hong Kong and I'm at a loss to find their address now that I need them. If you can help with addresses I'd be most obliged.

Catch you

DN

Hong Kong? Don't you just go to Singapore and turn right?

Cregger:

You fail to realize that businesses go out of business for good reason. Most local hobby shops aren't price competive. From a service point of view, they have nothing to offer either. They used to be a place to gather and BS, but today, from my experience, they couldn't offer conversation to a corpse.

There's a couple in my area that sell RC stuff. Neither one appears to be knowledgeable about the hobby. I don't believe they even fly. In the personal relationship department, they can best be described as aloof and unfriendly.

I am happy to say that I get 99% of my supplies from Tower. Except for a few items, they can fill my orders. I can also say that I haven't spent a lot of money over the years either. Tower has some incredible buys if one is patient and carefully shops. For example, I got my 9C Super with S3151s for only $334 this year, and I have never made an order where I haven't saved at least $25.

Tower is also good on returns as long as they are done in 30 days. I used to be a member of the Super Saver Club, but I let it expire. They constanty send me coupons for free shipping over $50. Another alternative is:

Ciao,

Mr Akimoto

Well it appears there's hope for the LHS after all if Mr A. claims mail order to be the way to go!

As for engines, Enya has never done me wrong. And when I can pick up two Enyas for the price of a single OS or YS, I save more than a measly $25.

You really are an ignorant ass and a damn stupid know-it-all, though you don't know s*it.

Not every hobby shop is as you describe the ones in your area. I use two in the Portland, Or. area. One is a small shop that's been around for over 40 years that I know of, but probably much longer. The guys that work there are flyers, and offer good advice. The inventory is very good, having a wide variety of new and *used* planes, engines, motors and related parts. We support the shop by purchasing most of our goodies there instead of buying over the internet. They are very competitive, but I buy there if I can even if they are a little higher. What I get in return, is having a good place where I can drop in and get what I need, when I need it. Today, all I bought was two magazines, but I had the pleasure of talking with the shop guy and a newby looking for what radio to buy.

When a local shop goes out of business it can say more about jerks like you than the shop itself. Any day we lose a hobby shop should be a sad day.

Good riddance to you.

Bow Wow (AKA Bowey):

The hobby shops deserve an ignorant foul-mouthed bastard such as yourself. The only way any of them could possibly stay in business is with stupid customers like yourself.

You're obviously an old disgusting field geezer who doesn't have any friends except for the pseudo relationships you have managed to form at the local hobby shops and the flying clubs you belong to whose membership is other unfortunates with nothing to do or places to go.

Advice? Who is so stupid and ignorant as to require advice about something so simple and trivial as a model plane? The modern hobby enthusiast doesn't need the advice of some old fool in an antiquated smelly run down old dump of a store when he can quickly find out what he wants to know from the Internet.

Things and times change and nearly always for the good. Hobby shops are disappearing and good riddance. One good thing about it too is I'll never have to run into some old stupid low life like you.

Ciao,

Mr Akimoto

Chucky:

You will probably need two or three Enyas to match the longevity of one OS. Guys like you are living in the past hanging on to dreams that are long past, and you would cut off your nose to spite your face.

Now you had better get out to the field to joing the mumbling and muttering of your old field geezer friends. Tell them Mr Akimoto said Hi!

Ciao,

Mr Akimoto