# Question about old Johnny Lightning club...



## lflink (Mar 10, 2006)

What was the primary draw that made people want to join the club, and what made it worth the money? Was it the ability to collect the special cars, or another feature?? 
Anyone here have any specific insight as to why they originally joined?


----------



## pickeringtondad (Apr 14, 2005)

*If I recollect correctly, I was told that I would get:*

As a member, you'll receive these benefits:

Four quarterly issues of our colorful club newsletter. Each issue is packed with behind-the-scenes stories of the Johnny Lightning family of people and products, as well as sneak peeks of upcoming programs and new releases. NewsFlash! will keep you a lap ahead of the pack.

Special Rights to buy limited edition cars available only to Collectors Club members in the members-only section of our website. You won't find these rare beauties in any store. These exclusive cars are available to members only and are sure to become treasured additions to your collection.

In addition, when you join the club, you'll receive the official Membership Kit containing: 
An exclusive 1:64 scale car available only to club members monthly insider newsletters, special club members cars.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Of course - what I was told and what I was sold were two different things. Cars were available from different outlets, Slot news was hit or miss. All in all, RC2 and Playing Mantis took a great idea and under delivered, of course this is just my opinion.

Pickeringtondad


----------



## buzzinhornet (Jan 20, 2000)

I joined purely for the slot car stuff. Up coming releases, chance to buy club member slots, etc. But the newsletters were light on slot info, the "club member only" cars were available thru online venders etc. It went more down hill when RC2 took over and needless to say I am no longer a club member...


----------



## Captain Fred (Feb 19, 2000)

I joined for all of the stuff listed above. Then when JL started making slot cars, I renewed so I could get those. I was happy to be a member when they started doing the grab bags too. 

I was kinda surprised that they ended up dumping lots of good stuff really cheap to outside dealers, instead of their loyal club members. I would have loved to buy some grab bags of slot cars. After the RC2 buyout, I heard horror stories about their shipping methods, as well as the fact that they were discontinuing the slots. So, with all of that, I didn't renew again.

Even though I still dabble in diecast, I have no reason to renew now. The club proved to be a joke.


----------



## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

I'd like to see Round2 start a slot car collectors club, but with some well established guidelines that ensure there are real benefits of membership. Tom has indicated that he's interested in such a thing so it might be worth coming up with some creative ideas for what you'd all like to see and posting them here.

Be realistic though. There has to be something in it for the manufacturer too. If both sides don't benefit the program will whither on the vine.


----------



## dlw (Aug 17, 1999)

Well, one thing that would make it worth joining the R2 Club would be the making of special club cars that don't make their way to e-bay dealers.


----------



## JordanZ870 (Nov 25, 2004)

So how to keep the dealers from buying them and reselling them?


----------



## Montoya1 (May 14, 2004)

joez870 said:


> So how to keep the dealers from buying them and reselling them?


Keep the numbers very limited?


----------



## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

The problem with keeping the numbers low is that the factory usually has minimum order quantities (MOQ) for doing a production run. Everything hinges on the MOQ number. The challenge for a R2 collectors club (R2CC) is to either negotiate a MOQ number that results in 100% consumption of the club cars by club members (I'd buy a couple if that's what it took) or sell the club cars to nun members but at a significantly higher price. By "significantly higher price" I mean a price that would compel the non member to become members if they were to buy 2 or more club cars a year out of a run of 4 club cars a year. You'd probably also want to limit the number of cars that could be purchased by club members at the member price so you don't end up pitting members against one another when a member decides to open a side business selling club cars in volume on E-Bay. These are the nitty gritty details that need to be resolved if a club is going to fly.

Another interesting variation would have club members pick from a list supplied by R2 (vote) which car from an upcoming release of new body styles will be the club car. The first run of that body style would be a member's only run with whatever limited production scheme is implemented. So not only would the club car be unique, but it would also be an exclusive body style for the first production run of the new body. In my opinion this would be a *huge* benefit for members. Subsequent production runs would include the member car body style, but in a much different paint and trim scheme. 

Of course the members would pick the most desirable body, which would keep the interest level for the body very high and build the interest level for non members who want the same body style when it releases in the second production run. With this approach the club car acts as a club membership incentive, brand loyalty reward for members, and targeted advertising for the non members who are primed to buy the same body when it comes out in the next release. For RC2, this sort of compounding is the kind of thing that makes the program worthwhile for them.


----------



## Captain Fred (Feb 19, 2000)

There is no way to keep someone from buying & reselling club cars. I'm not bothered if someone chooses to buy an extra or two and sells it for a profit. However, I wouldn't want to see cases of the club cars get sold to outside dealers at a major discount, a few years later. 

If RC2 needed to liquidate their unwanted stock, and they were willing to dump it really cheap, they should have offered it to their club members first. Especially if they were planning on maintaining a collectors club in the future. If we're considered loyal customers, then there is a certain degree of loyalty that I expect from them as well. I felt kinda betrayed by RC2. I felt stupid for paying out the extra money for the exlusives, just to have them be dumped devalued later. 

I think that many of us would like to build a collection of stuff that's going to appreciate in value as time goes on. The way the JLCC was handled, the club exclusive idea ends up being just a sales scam or a lie.


I really wanted the chrome Nissan Skyline and a club Mustang. I refused to rejoin the JLCC after everything that happened. I like my toy collection, but I hate being taken advantage of. Screw me once, shame on you. Screw me twice, shame on me.


----------



## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

Fred, I really want that chrome and blue Skyline too. You should email Jeff at MotorCityToyz and ask him if he has one to sell to a fellow HobbyTalk member. Jeff is a stand-up guy and if he has any he'll make one available at a fair price. He sometimes has inventory on hand that's not listed on his site. Contrary to what some people may think he didn't get sweatheart deals from PM/RC2 and sometimes ended up upside down with inventory after the warehouse clearing deals were made. So he sometimes hangs on to stuff until the price recovers.


----------



## pickeringtondad (Apr 14, 2005)

*Captain Fred and AFX Too*

Jag Hobbies has them listed on his web site for $22.00. There under extractions. 

http://jaghobbies.com/index.htm


Happy hunting,

Pickeringtondad


----------



## lflink (Mar 10, 2006)

Thanks guys. That's some really insightful stuff...

It seems like the biggest gripe is that their 'club only' cars were sold to everyone eventually due to the fact they had minimum order requirements since they were injection molded... What if a quality resin caster were to do the same concept, then there would be no minimum order requirement, since s/he would obviously be producing the cars themselves? Then it would be more of a matter of quality control, and making certain every member got a pristine car. As opposed to the problem of the resellers buying a bunch and popping them up on eBay...


----------



## dlw (Aug 17, 1999)

Bud's HO has the silver chrome Nissan on e-bay.


----------



## Captain Fred (Feb 19, 2000)

*I got one!*

I just picked up one from Epay for $9.99

I don't know if it was anyone that you guys know, but I didn't get any competition for it.

:thumbsup:


----------

