# Targeted ages



## GTPguy (Oct 17, 2008)

Why do the major HO manufacturers/ distributors target different age groups with their cars. AFX ( and Life-Like?) target 8+, and Auto World targets 14+.
The product is the same.

I know that there is a marketing angle to draw in the youngest ages, but aren't the parents buying those sets/ cars for their kids anyway? 

And wouldn't an older targeted age group bypass some of the ridiculous child safety issues that AFX struggles with, while allowing them to replicate any livery they could license?

I'm interested in AWs ability to sell the next release of funny cars with Patron and Tap It liveries. To me it has great appeal to get these replicas of the real thing, not some similar color scheme with blank or generic logos in place of the actual sponsors.

Of course it remains to be seen how AW actually handles these liveries, but seeing that they target an older age group, that might make it possible to use the real sponsors.

I wonder how the differences in ages came about.


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

We've always said, if you made slot cars off limits to kids under 18, every kid in America would have a collection.


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## old blue (May 4, 2007)

I believe it is the perception of toy vs hobby. The 8+ set requires little maintenance but allows for little customization. The 14+ set comes with hop up kits and more options. A 14 year old does not want a set that says 8+ and a parent of an 8 year old does not want a toy that comes apart into 20 parts. And the word livery never played a part in this whole scenario.

WE, on the other hand, don't care what age limit there is, after all, this is our second childhood.

Just thinking out loud.
Old Blue


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## pshoe64 (Jun 10, 2008)

There are some seriously bizarre safety rules tied to each age group for items that have small removable parts and can be classified as toys. I've spoke with Steve Russell at Racemasters about this topic a lot. My beef was the knurled axles that started showing up on AFX SRT and Mega G chassis a couple of years ago. These were "required" by US import law to cover the choking hazard rules for small parts like wheels and tires. SO, now you remove a wheel and the inside of the hub strips. The older you make the age groups, the fewer restrictions. I think that's why there are no knurled axles on the AW cars.

Back in the early 90's Federal law restricted what could be replicated on a "toy" (model car, slot car, diecasts etc) so we got "DALE JR" and "RUSTY" sponsored NASCARs instead of the Budweiser and Miller Genuine Draft that were the actual sponsors. So what was the end result??? We now have a "collectible" category that instantly ramps the price up on every related item that someone under 21 shouldn't "play" with or see. 

I guess my gripe with all this is: I played with slot cars from the age of 6 as did my friends. None of us swallowed parts or even attempted something like that, because our parents taught us common sense. I painted models that had tobacco or alcohol sponsors and never smoked and didn't think of drinking until I was 18 (legal age back then). We also played on playgrounds with monkey bars over pavement and rode our bicycles without helmets. And we survived because we didn't do stupid stuff. We had fewer lawyers then trying to protect us from everything.

Yeah, this is one of those hot button topics for me. Like when we were kids in class, one jerk does something irresponsible and all of us have to pay for their actions.

Rant over, Thanks for giving me a place to vent, please go about your normal activities...

-Paul


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## GTPguy (Oct 17, 2008)

Paul, you gave some good examples there. 

So why would AFX want to keep their age target so low and have to deal with all those restrictions, while AW is selling the same product and not having to deal with them just because they set a highter target.

I would think the same people are buying cars from both companies.
And if most of the sales are coming from older people, why not target that age group and have more flexibility on how you can design things (which should be cheaper since you don't have to rework your designs after the cars don't pass the child safety laws).

As far as the alcohol advertising rules go, is 21 really the cutoff for selling cars with those liveries, or is it lower. It will be interesting to see AW's next funny car release which supposedly has some of those.


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

One of the few things I learned from putting slot videos up on Youtube was that the absolute majority of viewers were 45 - 60 year old males. We're talking like 85+% almost all through the video's lifespan. That speaks volumes of where the target age of potential users are. I'm curious if others videos come out showing that same age group. It's easy enough to go into the stats of a video that you posted to see. Anyone want to check and see??


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

pshoe64 said:


> There are some seriously bizarre safety rules tied to each age group for items that have small removable parts and can be classified as toys. I've spoke with Steve Russell at Racemasters about this topic a lot. My beef was the knurled axles that started showing up on AFX SRT and Mega G chassis a couple of years ago. These were "required" by US import law to cover the choking hazard rules for small parts like wheels and tires. SO, now you remove a wheel and the inside of the hub strips. The older you make the age groups, the fewer restrictions. I think that's why there are no knurled axles on the AW cars.
> 
> Back in the early 90's Federal law restricted what could be replicated on a "toy" (model car, slot car, diecasts etc) so we got "DALE JR" and "RUSTY" sponsored NASCARs instead of the Budweiser and Miller Genuine Draft that were the actual sponsors. So what was the end result??? We now have a "collectible" category that instantly ramps the price up on every related item that someone under 21 shouldn't "play" with or see.
> 
> ...


Pshoe64 for President!


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

*I vote for planetary crop-dusting with iridium.*



pshoe64 said:


> ******
> 
> I guess my gripe with all this is: I played with slot cars from the age of 6 as did my friends. None of us swallowed parts or even attempted something like that, because our parents taught us common sense. I painted models that had tobacco or alcohol sponsors and never smoked and didn't think of drinking until I was 18 (legal age back then). We also played on playgrounds with monkey bars over pavement and rode our bicycles without helmets. And we survived because we didn't do stupid stuff. We had fewer lawyers then trying to protect us from everything.
> 
> ...


*******

Giggle...Paul, problem is that it's been going on for some time now. What natural selection used to weed out as a matter of course is now YOUR problem...they've made it that way.

IMHO, the interesting part is; that the harder they rail against Darwinism the stoopider things get....er....uh....duh...."one of them thar inverslee proporshunal reelayshunships". 

Never a good comet or asteroid around when ya need one...aye?


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## cwbam (Feb 8, 2010)

http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008

http://consumerist.com/2009/08/mattel-primary-reason-for-toy-safety-law-gets-exempted-from-it.html

who has the best lobby ? and lobbies? 

small hobby producers got %#%&$


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

A government of the lawyers, by the lawyers, for the lawyers...

What ever happened to parenting responsibilities??


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## pshoe64 (Jun 10, 2008)

It was asked about why some products are listed for younger audiences from one producer versus another. Toys R Us and Walmart! When I was in the hobby retail business I went to the NY toy fair every year. A veteran of the event taught me a neat trick. Go to the opening day the minute the doors open for retailer/wholesalers. Look at everything displayed and write down what looks like a winner. TRU went through on a "private showing" at or around 9:00 AM. Everything not wanted by the TRU buyers was pulled from display by Noon before the public gets a view. You would not believe the cool ideas that were never produced because someone that bought for 1 store had enough power to sway what was manufactured. If they producers couldn't get that big guaranteed sale, they didn't risk the capital. There's a great book out there called "Toyland". It covers all this and much more. Very interesting read. I'm a capitalist by nature, but I sure do miss that "mom and pop" store that was in the neighborhood. One you didn't need a map to find the isle that had the good stuff you were looking for.

-Paul


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## sethndaddy (Dec 4, 2004)

Funny, I thought autoworld was going after the under 7 age group and the afx stuff was tuned towards the "serious" racers.(older dudes).


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## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

Yeah this is one of those things where I just don't understand why AFX doesn't just up the age guideline and get away from the whole "toy" bidness entirely. Any law that basically forces you to design a new chassis and kill the SG+ is a stupid law that should not be followed and instead worked around, IMHO. :freak:


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## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

And one of my old bosses once told me "If the system doesn't work, work the system." There's a lot of wisdom in that.


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## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

Oh, and I agree - Paul for President. "Monkey bars everywhere" :thumbsup:


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## win43 (Aug 28, 2006)

Dang safety regulations. 

"Please remove baby from stroller before folding stroller" :freak:


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## tasman (Feb 17, 2007)

I'm surprised anything can be sold in the USA! When someone can be awarded a large settlement because they spill hot coffee on themselves and it was McDonald's fault for not putting a disclaimer on the cup anything goes!

I could be wrong but I think most new AFX sets are not purchased through Toys r Us or other toy retailers, so why bother labeling the product for ages 8and up. (the last time I was in a Toys r Us I asked a clerk if they carried slot cars and the clerk said "I don't even know what that is.")


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## oddrods (Feb 6, 2007)

There is more to the McDonalds story than most realise. The coffee pot used to make the coffee that day was known to be broken. The thermostat was broken and yet the manager chose to put it in service. The temp was so hot that it litterally melted the bottom of the cup and poured scalding hot coffee onto her crotch. 

And now you know....the rest of the story.


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## 22tall (Jul 28, 2002)

The melting point of styrofoam is around 30 degrees higher than boiling water. 

Lawsuit info http://www.lectlaw.com/files/cur78.htm

See where some lady in Texas is suing Jerry Jones? She sat on a black marble bench outside a Cowboys facility and got 2nd and 3rd degree burns on her butt. She said there are no warning signs.


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## oddrods (Feb 6, 2007)

Thanks.
Apparently now _Iknow the rest of the story_


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