# I have only a couple things to add to this topic at this time



## AMX (Nov 1, 2005)

One, although it really doesn't matter, I just thought it would be interesting to add, is that earlier last year I discussed the possibilty of starting Auto World again with a business partner of mine as another online slotcar/hobby outlet and he said it was a stupid idea and laughed....I really wanted to do it for nostalgia and profit sake, plus I just had a feeling - I will have to show him this. This happens to me a lot - I think an idea would be good for a movie or something and a few months later there it is. Happens all the time and is kinda spooky.

And two, you really are expecting a lot from this new venture at this point. I would think that more conventional thinking would prevail here....you have a very limited market here whose main supporters are not known as big spenders. To keep the line alive at all would be quite a success and to add to it even on a small scale would be fantastic. All this talk of track and huge additions is just wishful thinking. I would love to see any continuation of this product and would support it fully by buying several of everything for myself and selling as much product at MAP pricing as I could move if I were given the chance.

But, there is a reason that you don't see HO scale race structures, huge additions to the TOMY line, or anything really new at all in slotcars....it is because the market is just not there. What can be done to expand the market or reinvent the market will remain to be seen, but most kids these days want to come home and surf the internet, play video games and download MP3's not play with cars. The ones whose parents introduce them to it have a fleeting interest. My interest is fleeting at times.

Lets buy some cars..........


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

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## T-jetjim (Sep 12, 2005)

I loved AutoWorld growing up. They offered a ton of stuff with only a few items bearing their name. Most were special issue. But they featured a lot of performance parts - AJ's, LaGanke, etc, not to mention carrying everyone's cars. I am excited about new cars, but do have some loyalty to the guys creating their own hop up parts, tires, bodies. Maybe the new Autoworld could carry some of these products as well and be a true catalog product provider.
There has been some great ideas, but Round 2 can't do them all or they will have a ton of inventory on their hands. I agree with AFX 2, focus on new releases, limit the runs and move on. If they sell track, why not carry someone else's in the catalog?
My two cents!
Jim


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## Mad Matt (Dec 16, 2004)

AMX said:


> One, although it really doesn't matter, I just thought it would be interesting to add, is that earlier last year I discussed the possibilty of starting Auto World again with a business partner of mine as another online slotcar/hobby outlet and he said it was a stupid idea and laughed....I really wanted to do it for nostalgia and profit sake, plus I just had a feeling - I will have to show him this. This happens to me a lot - I think an idea would be good for a movie or something and a few months later there it is. Happens all the time and is kinda spooky.
> 
> And two, you really are expecting a lot from this new venture at this point. I would think that more conventional thinking would prevail here....you have a very limited market here whose main supporters are not known as big spenders. To keep the line alive at all would be quite a success and to add to it even on a small scale would be fantastic. All this talk of track and huge additions is just wishful thinking. I would love to see any continuation of this product and would support it fully by buying several of everything for myself and selling as much product at MAP pricing as I could move if I were given the chance.
> 
> ...


AMX, I almost believe that there is a device to read peoples minds out there..But I guess the main thing is that if you can think of it, at least 3 others probably have as well  
Matt


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## okracer (Mar 11, 2002)

i dont know but i think if there were more ho scale race tracks in more hobby shops it would come back. and then when they find out they can buy a set and have one at home too i think it would work in my heart i think it would


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## micyou03 (Apr 8, 2003)

What's a hobby shop? 

Most of the ones around here are going out of business. The ones that are open are owned and run by people with other full time day jobs and they close too early.


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## okracer (Mar 11, 2002)

we have a hobbytown usa here and i wish they would try it the talked about it but havent done so


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## micyou03 (Apr 8, 2003)

he Hobbytown near me lased just a year, then went out of business.


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## Rawafx (Jul 20, 1999)

My business partner John and I just opened a Hobby Shop Oct. 1st in Clemmons, NC just west of Winston-Salem. We have a 4 by 16 foot Wizz track in the store, also. We are stocking HO slot cars, a few 1/32nd, Lionel and HO scale trains, Pine cars for Cub Scouts. So far we haven't advertised much at all and we are starting to get some floor traffic. There are two R/C hobby shops within 1/2 hour of us and neither one is open on Sundays. Another hobby shop in nearby Kernersville closed their doors last month. We are now about the only place in the W-S area, other than the Hungates at the mall, and they do not make any effort to help customers. We are working with several Cub Scout packs. We will be letting them use our Activities room for free to work on their pine cars. The local HO train club has invited us to come to their meetings to let everyone know what we have to offer and more importantly, to get input from them on what their needs are in the way of equipment/parts/accessories/etc. This club built a train layout earlier this year for the town of Hamlet, NC. The town budgeted $100, 000 to build this layout for their civic center. The club spent over $20,000 just on locomotives. The train-specific store here in W-S wouldn't even offer to help them get any equipment for that project since he only sells "O" gauge and will not do anything with HO. That same guy's brother-in-law has been in our store buying train equipment. He won't buy anything from his brother-in-law any more because we have treated him a lot better. And that is one of the keys to being successfull, you must always treat your customers well. 
Oh, our business hours are Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 10AM-9PM, Tuesday and Thursday 10AM-7PM, and Sunday 1-7PM. Yes, we stay open late. Too many places close early and customers who get off of work at a normal time still can't get there. 


Bob Weichbrodt
"Rawafx"
A and H Hobbies
Clemmons, NC


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## T-jetjim (Sep 12, 2005)

Bob-

SOunds like you have a great plan for custoemr service in an area that has hobby needs. Good luck and please open a second store in West Palm Beach!

Jim


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## micyou03 (Apr 8, 2003)

Rawafx said:


> Oh, our business hours are Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 10AM-9PM, Tuesday and Thursday 10AM-7PM, and Sunday 1-7PM. Yes, we stay open late. Too many places close early and customers who get off of work at a normal time still can't get there.
> 
> 
> Bob Weichbrodt
> ...


Your hours are great. I have a big problem getting to these stores because of their hours. Most close at 5 or 6PM and i work til 5PM. Then if I'm busy or don't want to skip dinner the one day they stay open til 7:30 I'm hosed. I think many small businesses can compete with the bigger stores and do well if they were willing to be open whrn people aren't working. Working people are the ones who have money to spend, why not be open when they can spend it?


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## boss9 (Apr 19, 2002)

A good point Micyou—

I live approx. 100 miles from the nearest shop which has slot stuff, So I have to leave quite early if I want to catch them when they’re open. Also it’s usually an all-day affair.

I remember being on a day trip with the wife and coming home through PA. I decided on a detour to Scranton to visit the home-base of the original Auto-World. I arrived late, but someone was inside and he let us in and allowed us the time to browse and make a (hefty) purchase. That was fantastic and a great business move which turned into a very good sale for them. Customer service on the top level. :thumbsup: 
He was a nice guy and very knowledgeable to boot. 

I sorely miss that place and the catalogs…. 


Cheers..


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## Mad Matt (Dec 16, 2004)

micyou03 said:


> What's a hobby shop?
> 
> Most of the ones around here are going out of business. The ones that are open are owned and run by people with other full time day jobs and they close too early.


Hobbyshops are dying out badly in my area too... If I drive about 30 minutes to Joliet, IL there are a couple down there, but otherwise squat.
Although I think it would be easier for kids to get into Slot car racing if there was at least one track set out there that was accessable that the parents could buy for their kids for Christmas, especially since they are making the cars, they might as well make a track set that you can run em on 
There are/were the tyco sets, once a blue moon (although I like the gray track as you can see the Black JL Buick GN flying around the track).


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## Mad Matt (Dec 16, 2004)

okracer said:


> we have a hobbytown usa here and i wish they would try it the talked about it but havent done so


I have a Hobbytown by me...looks like a tornado ran through there, very messy, and all the prices (at least in this one) were steep..only when they are clearing out Slot stuff do they have good deals (Got a 4 lane AFX SGPLUS set for 120 where they were 199)
Plus it seems like all most of the hobbystore have around me are the new AFX cars which are mostly out of my range with the exception of said clearance..The problem with this is that when they are put on Clearance that usually means they are getting rid of all their Slot car stuffs.


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## Rawafx (Jul 20, 1999)

Mad Matt,
Where are you located at??? Have you ever been to Don's Hobby World in Glenwood, Illinois??? He used to be one of the best hobby shops of the southern suburbs. He was at 18447 S Halsted St. The phone number I have for them is 754-7988(I don't know if the area code is 312 or 708). I haven't lived in Illinois/Indiana since 1989 so I may be a little out of touch with the area, lol!! I was back there though in July for a car show in Peotone.

Bob Weichbrodt
A and H Hobbies
Clemmons, NC


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## speedbuggy (Nov 12, 2005)

Rawafx said:


> Mad Matt,
> Where are you located at??? Have you ever been to Don's Hobby World in Glenwood, Illinois??? He used to be one of the best hobby shops of the southern suburbs. He was at 18447 S Halsted St. The phone number I have for them is 754-7988(I don't know if the area code is 312 or 708). I haven't lived in Illinois/Indiana since 1989 so I may be a little out of touch with the area, lol!! I was back there though in July for a car show in Peotone.
> 
> Bob Weichbrodt
> ...


 Dod's hobby world went out of bisness about o 5 yaers ago or so i live in chicago heights went there every weekend the only other hobby shop i know of is in woodridge on 75th and lemont road


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## tjd241 (Jan 25, 2004)

*The only game in town...*

Nowadays, even being _"the only hobby store in the area"_ doesn't guarantee you'll make it. Even if you try to make your shop all things to all hobbyists... it just doesn't seem to matter. Being able to afford retail space in a half decent location is only the tip of the iceberg too. We all probably have one sorta close to us, but chances are they don't have a very robust selection of HO slot stuff. At least that's the case in and around my home in CT. Few and far between is the way it's going to be I'm afraid. Places like NJ Nostalgia Hobby and Bud's HO in Cortlandt Manor, NY are RARE. But they have (to their credit) evolved into online sellers as well as having a retail store location too. There is perhaps no other formula that will work these days and even then it must be a struggle. The places we remember from our youth are probably gone for good. Anybody from CT remember Bob's Hobbies in the Brooklawn section of Bridgeport, or how about Irv Yurdin's in downtown Bridgeport?? I dream about those places now. Kinda dingy, out-of-the-way, yet wonderful places.  tjd


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