# For Distributors & Dealers Only



## Bob Dugan (May 22, 2007)

Now that TL has stuck it to us..Took a good chunck of the little monies we use to make...What next..? 

Tom has gotten alittle cocky , Release 1 did real well do to us , not his website..He would'nt be able to pay his rent with his web sales..Do you know that he still has over 300 sets of Rel 1 first lap cars left..The only people he was able to sell them to is the few guys on HT..HT is a small group of racers..There is not enough of a following on HT or his website.I'm sure we could have sold them in a Month if they were given to us at our Regular cost..No he made us buy them through his site as well..No discounts at all...We are the guys that sell all his cars..We are the guys that go from show to show..We are the backbone to his success..If we keep letting him S__T all over us it will only get worse..
Its time to take a stand & tell him to stick his backorders for future releases where the sun don't shine..What do we have to loose..As it is now with all the time & work we are putting into trying to move his product we would be lucky if it equals minimum wage..
I have cancelled all my backorders with my distributor today..I will not buy another case till this is corrected..I took a beating on this release , He won't get me again..I am a dealer & yes I use to scalp the whites..That was the only thing that made it possible to make any profit..My distributor never took the whites out before he sent me my cases..Even in the old days when his pullbacks were in toysrus the whites never made it to the shelf..The employees use to take them out before putting them on the shelf..He's not trying to help any collector..He's trying to cash in at our expence...
Show some balls guys & do what needs to be done..
BD


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## SwamperGene (Dec 1, 2003)

So all you "slot cars dealers", got any races set up at your shops you'd care to promote? Any track pics? Race reports? Tuning tips? Customer service stories? Do you have a "store" slot folks can visit? *Can you provide ANYTHING slot related other than a mere desire to take my money?* Lot's of people racing these cars, ya know! We have an X-Traction race happening at The Groove in East Greenville PA, next Thursday night 6:30 PM. $4 entry fee to the shop, winner gets bragging rights and the next house race free. Tuff Ones happening soon after!

Slot Car Racing....experience the fun! Thanks to AW for helping to bring it on. :thumbsup:


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## coach61 (Sep 6, 2004)

Think my Avitar says it all...


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## coach61 (Sep 6, 2004)

SwamperGene said:


> So all you "slot cars dealers", got any races set up at your shops you'd care to promote? Any track pics? Race reports? Tuning tips? Customer service stories? Do you have a "store" slot folks can visit? *Can you provide ANYTHING slot related other than a mere desire to take my money?* Lot's of people racing these cars, ya know! We have an X-Traction race happening at The Groove in East Greenville PA, next Thursday night 6:30 PM. $4 entry fee to the shop, winner gets bragging rights and the next house race free. Tuff Ones happening soon after!
> 
> Slot Car Racing....experience the fun! Thanks to AW for helping to bring it on. :thumbsup:



HUGE STANDING O! too many people whinning about the money Tom will get instead of them..


Coach


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Mysterious cattle mutilations in Texas now solved!


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## lenny (Feb 29, 2000)

SwamperGene said:


> So all you "slot cars dealers", got any races set up at your shops you'd care to promote? Any track pics? Race reports? Tuning tips? Customer service stories? Do you have a "store" slot folks can visit? *Can you provide ANYTHING slot related other than a mere desire to take my money?* Lot's of people racing these cars, ya know! We have an X-Traction race happening at The Groove in East Greenville PA, next Thursday night 6:30 PM. $4 entry fee to the shop, winner gets bragging rights and the next house race free. Tuff Ones happening soon after!
> 
> Slot Car Racing....experience the fun! Thanks to AW for helping to bring it on. :thumbsup:


Hey Gene,
I'll send you a half dozen GTO bodies that you can use as prizes.

Dan 

Dash Motorsports


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## SwamperGene (Dec 1, 2003)

Thanks Coach. Shoot on up to Eastern PA next Thursday if ya get a little time.

 

Cool customer quote..."Well, I really wanted the Red '55 that you're out of, but we have a race coming up so gimme the purple Daytona. $14.99?...not a problem."


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## SwamperGene (Dec 1, 2003)

lenny said:


> Hey Gene,
> I'll send you a half dozen GTO bodies that you can use as prizes.
> 
> Dan
> ...


Thanks Dan! I'll shoot you my new address...your stuff is always appreciated and goes over great with the guys. I wait 'til the race is over to announce them, then split 'em up...top 4, bottom 2. Gotta love the smiles.


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## mamilligan (Feb 1, 2003)

SwamperGene said:


> *Can you provide ANYTHING slot related other than a mere desire to take my money?*


How about providing orders to manufacturers so they have an idea of how many units they are going to sell before they sink a ton of money in tooling. I know, it is hard to see but dealers and distributors do a big service to manufacturers by promoting the product and commiting to buy product. 

Would you sink your own money into putting out a product if you didn't know if you could sell any? The dealers fit the role of retailer in the hobby world. Over the years they built the market for JL and now AW products. 

If you don't understand why the dealer network being upset is such a big deal, you need to learn about retailing.


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## SwamperGene (Dec 1, 2003)

I certainly understand the retail supply chain, including how inflating exclusive items then tanking on regular product hurts from top to bottom, most notably how it hurts the real shops with _real overhead_ trying to keep this hobby afloat especially when it was them who brought the cars to the masses in the first place. I don't think too many people on this board have a clue as to how many _non-collectors_ across the country have these cars in their boxes, it is astounding. If every person posting on the slot portion of this board stopped buying, I don't think it would mean squat to the sales volume of anyone's cars. At our race tonight we had 3 racers who happily ordered new first lap sets this week, two of them never even heard of hobbytalk. So just think, three of the "Ain't gonna do it" guys just got replaced in one measly little town. How many unique posters participate in these slot forums here....a couple dozen, _maybe_. Funny thing is, I think Tom is starting to understand this.


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## Bob Dugan (May 22, 2007)

SwamperGene said:


> So all you "slot cars dealers", got any races set up at your shops you'd care to promote? Any track pics? Race reports? Tuning tips? Customer service stories? Do you have a "store" slot folks can visit? *Can you provide ANYTHING slot related other than a mere desire to take my money?* Lot's of people racing these cars, ya know! We have an X-Traction race happening at The Groove in East Greenville PA, next Thursday night 6:30 PM. $4 entry fee to the shop, winner gets bragging rights and the next house race free. Tuff Ones happening soon after!
> 
> Slot Car Racing....experience the fun! Thanks to AW for helping to bring it on. :thumbsup:


Hey Gene when you layout 30,000.00 in one shot & then can't recoup your money , Then you can talk..Until then you have nothing to say here..
The way we sell our product benifits you the most..If we sell the whites to a true collector at an inflated price that inables us to sell the regular cars at a discount to you racers.Also who gets stuck with the usual 2 out of 6 cars that just don't sell..Not You..Its Us..We get stuck giving them away at cost just to move them...With us not being able to sell whites to get some of our investment back it will boost the price you racers pay..Believe me there are more racers than collectors..So who gets hurt in the long run YOU DO..
So next time you want to jump into a thread thats not for you , Think before getting into it..
Bob Dugan

PS: I have lugged truck loads of product to the Philly Show many times & probably know you..


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## tlowe (Oct 11, 2005)

How do you know the number of Round 1 First Lap car sets we have left?! It's less than 100! It's been 90 days so we will start selling individual cars soon.

We have less than 50 IWheels sets left....which I think is FANTASTIC given that we sell them in sets, don't have a super website yet and we started selling them in in May (beginning of summer and a lot of consumers are not thinking about slot cars right now.) We thought they would take about 2 weeks to sell which looks to be the case.

Can the AW distributors that post on the site let everyone know who you are and list the stores (and what city and state they are in) that sell AW products. Thanks!

This will be my last post and read on Hobby Talk. Way too much strange gossip and people posting things that are untrue. It's just too fustrating reading posts from people that have no idea what they are talking about or want to try and bruise what I am building for their personal gain. 

I am sorry if I offended anybody with the thread I started a few days ago. Auto world will continue to grow the brand through great products, marketing and an awesome website that will be up in a few months.

To those true supports (distributors & collectors) I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity. Feel free to contact me directly at [email protected]. I will try to respond to your e-mails.

Thank you and have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Tom Lowe
Auto World


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## coach61 (Sep 6, 2004)

Thanks Tom Good luck to the whinning massies, thanks a lot your a bunch of useless wanna be' And I know a heck of lot more about selling then a vast majority here. Llook at BDR systems I OWNED it for years till Dell and Gateway started producing spastic pieces of crap for 500 bucks and having 4 international offices became way to expensive to justify. Now we lose our connection I hope your all very happy.. Like I said guys NOTE who was crying the blues in here and buy else were from now on. We know were we truly stand with them and I noticed a lot of guys who said they would never be back on HT here like a pack of vultures to promote their own crap. and pick at the bones and stir the pot.. 500 Sellers 3-4 crying the blues in public.. wonder if there will be 495 selllers in a few weeks.. I know if I hated a product so much and was so bloody smart, I would change product lines.. May I suggest Baby pacifiers.. 


Dave


And don't bother replying ( the whinners) you have made enough bull it will take weeks to clear off the board.


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## Jerome Bee (May 1, 2007)

*Message For Bob Dugan*



Bob Dugan said:


> Do you know that he still has over 300 sets of Rel 1 first lap cars left..The only people he was able to sell them to is the few guys on HT..HT is a small group of racers..
> 
> I am a dealer & yes I use to scalp the whites..That was the only thing that made it possible to make any profit..
> BD



Bob Dugan,

FLAMETHROWERS ARE ON:

You are FULL OF YOURSELF! You DO NOT have valid or true information regarding what stock Auto World does and does not have - so YOU stick it where the sun doesn't shine and quit spewing BS on this message board!

You just admitted to scaping the whites - You are the EXACT entity that Tom is trying to remove from the supply chain!!!! Understand???

The White Thunders were not meant to be scalped. It's guys like you that have caused ALL THE CHANGES TO BE MADE. You SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED!!!

Have a NICE day.

Jerome :wave:


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## Bob Dugan (May 22, 2007)

I am a dealer not a distributor..Toms problem is with the distributors that scalp the whites..Not the little guy doing the shows..


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## videojimmy (Jan 12, 2006)

Hey Coach.. 
Since you're such an expert on marketing, why haven't YOU ansewered my simple question... who gets hurt if the cars are sold individually? 

Instead of calling people who have a different point of view names, why not post some answers? 

This is the only question I've been asking, and I've asked it in just about every one of my posts and still not one of you so called "experts" has been able to come with an answer. I find THAT very interesting. hmmmmm.... 

All I wanted to do spend MORE money with AW, but I didn't want to be forced to spend money on MORE on cars I didn't want, just to get the few I did want so tell me oh wise one... what's wrong with my position and my very simple, yet still unanswered question?


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## coach61 (Sep 6, 2004)

videojimmy said:


> Hey Coach..
> Since you're such an expert on marketing, why haven't YOU ansewered my simple question... who gets hurt if the cars are sold individually?
> 
> Instead of calling people who have a different point of view names, why not post some answers?
> ...





If you twits had of not caused the scalping problem to start Tom would not have done this. I have agreed elsewere I do not agree with Toms marketing scheme, BUt its his company not Mine.. I'm 46 and retired..So yes I know a heck of alot more about making money then the likes of you...Its toy cars you are not going to get rich doing this. If you think you are your the most gulliable person I have ever meant. I have a warehouse somewhere full of Xt MB's I"ll give you a good deal you can go scalpe them ok? some have white on them can I charge you double? ta ta little boy don't play in the big leagues your not equiped.


Coach


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## pickeringtondad (Apr 14, 2005)

*videojimmy*

I think your answer came from Tom himself:

"It's been 90 days so we will start selling individual cars soon." 


Just a guess, but 90 days after the release you'll get what you've been asking for. :thumbsup: 

Pickeringtondad


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## micyou03 (Apr 8, 2003)

I remember reading that 90 day thing a long time ago. I did forget about it though.


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## mamilligan (Feb 1, 2003)

coach61 said:


> If you twits had of not caused the scalping problem to start Tom would not have done this.


I don't know why you feel the need to attack people for expressing their opinion. Simply calling people names doesn't resolve anything.

The problem is that there are too many cars so the street price is too far below the list price. The only way for the dealers to get their investment back is to sell the chase cars for high prices.

You are right, nobody is getting rich selling slot cars. If the dealers can't break even I doubt they will be back. Then AW is on their own for selling cars. If they can make it, great for them. Just don't expect to see the same deals you get from dealers today unless AW needs to dump product for some reason.

Everybody blames the scalping of chase cars for the problem. They don't understand that the street price of the other cars is close to the price distributor charge dealers. There is just no way to keep pumping product into a saturated market and not have to discount. If dealers can't sell chase cars they can't stay in business.


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## Bob Dugan (May 22, 2007)

mamilligan said:


> I don't know why you feel the need to attack people for expressing their opinion. Simply calling people names doesn't resolve anything.
> 
> The problem is that there are too many cars so the street price is too far below the list price. The only way for the dealers to get their investment back is to sell the chase cars for high prices.
> 
> ...


Thank you for understanding..You hit it on the head..


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## micyou03 (Apr 8, 2003)

Actually in this post it says 120 days.

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=125718

Read #12 in Tom's letter.


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## coach61 (Sep 6, 2004)

I do have one final thought, a lot of guys are getting upset because I show them no respect, theres a reason you earn it by not saying things you didn't think through.. Tom will be on his own selling.. gee on the internet, were most of the guys saying it sell his cars? DOH!l..Shows.. AW attend a lot of shows.. so whats the point? I would respect you a lot more if you didn't continue to prove my point. Plus let it die.. you expressed your opinion and we all sat here like nice guys and said boy that lad is upset. But no you dragged your friends in here who NEVER post or have said they are taking thier little car toys and going home have started with the crud. I think every written word is important and read it.. You folks complaining may want to read becasue all I see is a stablization of the market coming this way as the little boys stop low balling, scalping and causing hell go away and back to what ever they do.. (See Coach was nice I didn't say go back to BK as the fry guy). I love this hobby and have a lot of respect for a lot of the people involved, even guys who have posted how mad they are with VALID reasons other then they can no longer make a buck.. Thats YOUR problem not ours. adjust your marketing skills and focus on what you do make a buck off, Tom has made it plain you kids needs to move out and get your own money. I respect your right to express yourself but when ya flog the dead horse after the maggots have arrived you show a lack of tact, little kids do that, not adults and as for me name calling I am pretty sure I was called Mr Know it all first.. I seldom fire the first shot, But I have no problem sending it back if ya give your going to take, thats life ...


Anyways I swore I was done taking about this but I felt you needed to know YOUR BEATING THE SAME HORSE it will not go any faster...PLEASE giveit a rest pretty please?


Dave


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## Jerome Bee (May 1, 2007)

Why have none of you naysayers answered Tom's question?

Who are the AW "distributors" posting on this board? Show yourselves and tell us the stores that you deal with that carry your product? Real distributors don't sell product on eBay!


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## micyou03 (Apr 8, 2003)

The brick and morter stores I used to go to for JL slots stopped selling them because they couldn't make money on them. One guy sold me al his inventory to make room for R/C stuff that he could make money on.

There is still one place I could go, but the AW rel 1s were marked $17.89 plus tax. I could get them delivered to my door for less than that. Plus, I save money on gas.


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## videojimmy (Jan 12, 2006)

First off coach, you arrogant SOB... I'm not a scalper, nor dealer... I'm just a guy frustrated that I can't buy the cars I want unless I submit to some inane marketing scheme, and as an AMERICAN I'm excersing MY RIGHT to express my dissatifaction with it. If you have a problem with that, I care not you... BUT if you wanna break this down to name calling fine... email me and we'll take there. I can sling it with the best of them. 

Make sure brush your teeth before you kiss Pope Tom's ring, OK? 

Hey since you're so rich and so happy to brag about it... how about trading me a set of iwheels for a few of my DVD's... put your money where mouth is.... that is, if you're really the wealthy tycoon you say you are. 

Also thanks for proving my point for me... there's a REAL disconnect bewteen wealthy, entitled twits like you and the salt of the earth working guys like me... as your tone, your arrogance, and your ego have shown us all.

And to pick-man... From what I understand, you can buy the iwheel cars individually, ONLY if you submit to buying another COMPLETE set of standard cars first... was I wrong about that?


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## videojimmy (Jan 12, 2006)

And another thing coach... if you don't like this thread... then why do you come here and stir crap up with your name calling and insults? I see you didn't answer my question about how the selling of individual cars would hurt AW, an you're the self proclaimed business guru. 

Does the word HYPOCRISY mean anythig to you? Maybe you should have one of your low paid hacks look it up for you... or maybe, just because your rich and arrogant, you think that only YOU'RE are entitled to express your opinions, is that it? 

in any case, take your own advise.. if you don't like it, don't read this thread any longer.


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## videojimmy (Jan 12, 2006)

Man, the arrogance here is amazing... real distributers don't sell on ebay? 

Really? I can name a few of them who do.


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## pickeringtondad (Apr 14, 2005)

*videojimmy*

His site says individual cars will be available after 90 days, another post says 120 days, I'm really not sure where the real number lies and the specifics, but I'd be willing to bet that after 90 to 120 days, Tom will clear out the 2nd release as individual cars.

Pickeringtondad
AKA
Bob


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## TK Solver (Mar 18, 2004)

How did you buy an individual chase car before this new plan? Didn't you have to buy a case of cars (even though you may not have wanted all the cars in the case) and hope there was a chase car included? Or you could buy one through an on-line auction from someone who got one they wanted to sell. It seems to me you'll still have this second option and nothing will be different UNLESS you want to choose the new option of buying a set from AW along with a chase car. You don't have to do that though. You can still wait for the inevitable on-line auctions to start just like always.

Now you can say that you just want to be able to buy one specific chase car from AW and maybe they'll decide to do that sometime down the road but I don't see how the current plan made your purchase more difficult than before.


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## coach61 (Sep 6, 2004)

videojimmy said:


> First off coach, you arrogant SOB...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I think Toms model sucks myself read what I wrote .. and never call my mom a bitch again you little piece of trash.
as for the rest I saw blah blah blah.. you had nothing of interest to say..now as for your DVDs funny I was thinking of it , but seeing you are of the lets call people mom's name level I would suggest no one does.. you owe my mom a apology.. no one let alone you gets to call my mom that see you at slotfest SON!

EOM to quote your dad


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## SwamperGene (Dec 1, 2003)

Bob if you were at any Philly shows I probably didn't check your table out if I saw inflated whites on it. I walk by those tables..._always_. I'd give the true hobby supporter the few extra bucks for the regular cars anytime, hell I didn't even go to the last two as the show scene is becoming a joke as well due to the influx of non-participant dealers who do nothing but stack cars on tables and take money. 

I'm fine with $14.99 or so a car, so are many, many others. Before this commodity crap started any hobby shop welcomed the new releases, they sold out every time because no games were played, whites were in retail cases at SRP...it was a great beginning. _Dealers bought, within reason, what they could sell because they know the slot business._ Then the pushers saw the gotta-have-it's needing a fix, so speculation began, stupid prices for chase cars fueled the idiots with NO customer base or knowledge of the slot car business to start with. The markup on these cars is great for normal businesses who don't overpurchase cuz they are in it merely for the $$$. And I agree Tom's marketing is not the answer but again the blame falls on the scalpers and at least it is a step in the right direction to push them out of this hobby so things can get back to friggin' normal. These cars are to fun to lose.

Let me ask you a question, Mr. Slot Car dealer...how come none of you are on SCI beating up on Steve Russel for case deals so you can do us all the glorious favor of selling them to us using those keen slot marketing skills?

And FYI, yes, I am a dealer. 



And a racer, too!


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## tomhocars (Oct 19, 2005)

Anyone know any good jokes.I could use a funny story. Thanks Tom Stumpf


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## hankster (Jan 1, 1998)

Time to close this thread


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