RC Rocks

A few months ago, my daughter’s teacher asked if I would do a show and tell of RC products. I know we have all been in a situation where you want to do something, but it is a fair amount of effort, and you try to find a reason not to, but after the fact, you are thrilled you took the time. This was definitely one of those moments for me.

For the show and tell, we brought a EF Mash Heli, a Phase3 Rookie Airplane, and a XTM XT2 Nitro Buggy. I asked Craig, our master R&D car expert to come for the display because he can launch a car like no other. From the moment we arrived the 20 kids, mostly 7 & 8 year olds were primed and ready. The teacher told us they had been counting down the days for our show, which was both exciting and a bit of added pressure as these kids wanted action. Due to wind, we could not fly the Rookie but hopefully another day. We flew the indoor Mash heli which definitely had the kids attention. Craig emptied a battery and the kids wanted more, but since we were on a time limit (can you believe they had to learn about things other than RC?) Craig showed the XT2 and then we headed outside. I must say it was really cool to have kids so amazed and they were ready for some noise and jumping. Craig had brought some small skateboard jumps and set them up in a way to allow for about a 60 foot runway. The kids took their places along the grass infield, and yes they kept wanting to move closer, Craig fired up the buggy and the kids went nuts as he hit the gas and the buggy took off. After a few test laps, Craig lined up the ramp and launched the buggy about 25 feet. I will admit that I was too busy talking to the teacher and watching Craig that I did not realize that in the time it took Craig to get the buggy around the grass and do a jump, another 10 classes of about 240 kids and teachers had come out to see “what was going on.” What had been a demo for 20 kids was now well over 260 kids, parents, and teachers. Craig and I made eye contact and I could see he was going to kick it up a notch so he moved the ramp back to allow for greater jumping space and then he set the car up and hit the throttle. The buggy may have hit 45mph and went airborne 40 feet through the air, and as it did, there was silence as 500+ eyes followed the buggy through the air. When it landed all the kids yelled, clapped and gave a collected WOW! and Craig looked like he had just won the worlds, it was that cool. Craig did a few more jumps and when he thought he was done, was about to shut the buggy down when a teacher asked for 1 more jump, with the kids adding a collective Please. It was one of those moments when you just feel blessed to be doing things you love, and I will not forget it. It was so much fun that we are working on setting up demos for schools on an ongoing basis. Its a lot of work, but I think the response speaks for itself.

BH T-28

Just thought I would pass this on. Today we received our latest shipment of the BH T-28. This has been our most popular scale warbird and is back in stock, but please be aware that stock is limited. Hobby People stores will begin to receive stock beginning tomorrow. Take good care, and great modeling.

Options

Over the past 5 years, the RC industry has experienced an incredible seismic shift in the electric powered products. Clearly, airplanes have been at the forefront of this change, with park flyers allowing modelers to fly in smaller areas and with greater frequency. The evolution has been tremendous with brushless power systems and high performance lipo batteries. Electric helicopters have really transformed the category as now more and more people have the option to fly helicopters . Most recently, the power and performance of the brushless and lipo revolution have hit the car/truck market. Traxxas and Castle Creations have been leading the way and the results are incredible, as drivers are experiencing what the pilots already know, electric gives more performance, faster and with great torque. It is really an amazing phenomenon. I don’t think this means nitro will go the way of the dinosaur, I think it means the hobby is giving RC’ers much greater choices. Unlike any other time in RC, modelers have options that truly will make their experience even better.

Nitro, Electric, Park Flyer, 2.4g, 1/8 scale, 1/10 scale, 1/18 scale, Gas, Scale, Sport, amazing opportunities, The selection is as great as the personalities in the hobby, and I believe we are moving into a growth period for the hobby. The hobby has always been about choices, and there never has been greater choices, with the quality we are seeing today. From toy RC from spinmaster to high performance RC from Associated and BH model, the hobby has something for everyone. This is what I really love about the hobby, there are compelling options for every personality.

So get outside and start enjoying RC. We are here for you. Take good care.

BH Spitfire 91 ARF “Special Buy”, and Toledo

We just received another shipment of the BH Spitfire 91 ARF, and I am happy to say we made a special buy that we are passing on to Hobby People customers. For 1 week only, you can take advantage of our special buy and save $40, and with shipping rewards, you can save additional $$$$$$$. This is a great flying bird and will be a great addition to any pilots fleet, and with the savings, you can buy some servos, or other needed items as well.

We will be sending out an email blast with this offer as well as the revo as well.

This past weekend, we sent a team of Hobby People staff to the Toledo Show. Wow!! Mike G. is on a plane coming home and will be posting his thoughts about the show. He and I spoke on the phone for about 2 hours over the weekend, and only after the show ended for the day, as he and our team were so busy. He was as excited as I have ever heard him as the modelers that came to our booth were lovers of aviation and passionate about RC. For those of you who know Mike, he was a kid in a candy store. I am hoping he will post pics as well. I really believe these shows are a great opportunity for modelers and the modeling industry to share experiences and ideas which will make the hobby even greater. I hope to see you at the next show in your area. For those in Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County and all surrounding areas, we look forward to seeing you at RCX in 2 weeks.

Traxxas Revo - Hot Price

We made a very special buy on the Traxxas Revo! We have a sale price of $496.99, which is a savings of $23. This is for a limited time only, so jump on it while you can for this incredible truck. My son and I have a Revo and it just rocks!! For more savings, only at HobbyPeople.net, we offer an additional savings of up to $24.83 with shipping rewards. Shipping rewards is our way of saying thank you for shopping with Hobby People. Here’s how it works, with every item you add to your cart, we offer you a shipping reward which helps offset the shipping cost. There is no limit to your savings, so take advantage of our already low prices with Shipping Rewards, only at HobbyPeople.net

So much happening in RC in April

If you are into RC, April is really a big month.   There are a number of shows that Hobby People is attending, Toledo this weekend, April 3rd, and RCX in Pomona California, soon after.    Shows, while a lot of work, are one of the real highlights of being in the hobby.   Seeing so many modelers cruising the halls, looking for their favorite companies, is just a very cool vibe.   One of the great evolutions of these shows is the live demos, which give the experience much greater effect.

What else is happening, the US is thawing out and cars, planes and helis will be out in force at tracks, parks and flying fields across the US.    We have been attending many club events and there is such a good feeling about the great products that are being offered and the chance to use them in good weather is just to great an opportunity to pass.

On another note, what is really interesting right now, with the slowing economy and ridiculous gas prices is that we are seeing customers come back who have been too busy doing other things.   A good friend of mine called today and asked about some RTF planes and parts as he wants to get back to flying.    Not one to pass on a chance to ask a ?, I asked why the renewed interest?   He told me that the hobby is one of the best values, is great fun, and he can spend lots of time on it if he wants.   With gas prices so high, he isn’t driving as much and the hobby is calling.   Rock on!!!  Glad to have friends coming back as RC is a great hobby.

Welcome back!!!

RCX

Today we met as a team to discuss RCX.   I must say that I am more excited for this years show than I have been in years.   I just have a really good feeling that the promoters are going to bring an energy packed, airplane, helicopter and car show that will showcase what makes our hobby so special.   Additionally, we have so many new products to showcase that I think all of our customers are going to experience a wow!   We will be showing many new models from VQ and from BH Models, the new Cypher, as well as the new Rage RTR.   We will be showing the new RDS8000 as well as a new Secret Radio and new hi torq servos from Airtronics, new XTM, and so much more.   I believe Traxxas will be there to showcase much of their new Brushless systems which are truly world class, and to extend the great service they deliver to their customers.   As always, I look forward to seeing many planes flying, helicopters doing some amazing things, and some great drivers making RC cars and trucks do things that make me shake my head in admiration.

See you all at RCX, and be sure to get your tickets at Hobby People as we offer the best discounts.   Enjoy the hobby!!!

AMA Show and Great Time with Modelers

Well this weekend was the AMA Hobby show in Ontario California.   Our Hobby People team was on hand and was really glad to speak with so many model airplane fanatics.   Friday and Saturday were exceptionally busy while Sunday was slower, which allowed better and more detailed conversations.    We showed the new Airtronics RDS8000 (which we hope to begin shipping in limited quantities this week), the new EF Cypher 400, and Rage Electric 18th scale 4wd Truck as well as many new airplanes from BHModels.     Clearly the hobby is very dynamic with great products, as well as truly innovative hobbyists, and we are honored that so many of you came by to visit and share your time with Hobby People.

As those of you who attended know, I was unable to attend, but I was there in spirit.  My team was very grateful for all of you who made their experience at the show so rewarding.

Have a great week.

Happy New Year

Well, I just wanted to wish all the hobbyists out there a giant thank you for shopping with us at Hobby People. We are fortunate and are grateful to all of you.

Going into 2008, we have started a Shipping Rewards program which will help pay for shipping of your goods from Hobby People. There is no limit to your savings, and in fact, you can actually save more than the cost of shipping. We have chosen to discount your merchandise for a number of reasons, one being it will reduce the sales tax for our California and Nevada customers, and 2 being, we want to reward you for each and every item you buy. I really like the program and we have seen a huge spike in orders which tells me that our low prices combined with our Shipping Rewards are a hit! We will continue to offer you ways to buy great products at low prices, and to make 2008 a great hobby year.

For all of our airplane customers, keep an eye our for more airplanes from BH Models, with our shipment of T28s coming in within 2 weeks. We are just about sold out of this shipment, so if you have been eyeballing a T28, please get your order in now to ensure you get one. The T28 has been our most popular ARF and just continues to get more popular. Thanks.

You should also take a look at the Vinh Quang Models as our next container will be here within 2 weeks. These terrific scale models have been hugely popular and we are really proud to offer them at Hobby People

So, for all you modelers out there, thanks and we will continue to release great Helicopters, Cars, Trucks, Airplanes, Boats, and the best of Radio Control.

Rambling

The other night MikeG went to the Scale Squadron, meeting and came in the following day on cloud nine. Going to a club meeting, especially a really good club like ScaleSquadron, and being able to talk about airplanes, RC, flying, and everything related was a perfect evening. What you should know is Mike is one of the really good guys, who happens to passionately love the hobby. His father John, worked with us for 30 years, and in fact, was our first employee. John essentially brought Mike into the hobby as soon as he could hold a transmitter and Mike has never put it down. I received about 15 emails from Mike that evening telling me about the meeting, but more about the tremendous energy he experienced. So a big thank you to the club for the invitation, as well as for all you do to welcome new modelers!

I wanted to also thank all of the clubs that really make the hobby special and help introduce RC to so many. Although the hobby allows for private time, I think the hobby is about sharing, and clubs, tracks, flying fields, and hobby stores are the perfect environment to get involved. None of us live in a vacuum, so get out and share your passion, join a club, participate in some of your local hobby store events, and help others to find great experiences in the hobby.

Take good care,
Matt

PS: I am really excited as our newest catalog just mailed to our customers. I’m really proud of my art department, product development and buying teams, as there is so much new product. So for you on our mailing list, enjoy. For all of you that aren’t, sign up now and we will get in the mail soon.