lord697

What have you guys found cheaper? Ordering from the internet, or visiting you local hobby store?

Im trying to buy a trainer. But if I buy from the LHS I have to pay taxes.... but.. internet I have to pay shipping.

Anyhow what do you guys think? Think LHS could beat internet prices?

dr_wogz

My Feedback: (3)

You'll have to define cheaper..

(Working in an engineering, I've seen what 'cheaper' can mean on paper: company A makes parts for $100 with a 2% reject rate. Company B makes the same parts for $80, but they have a 20% reject rate... Which is then cheaper?)

Noty only is price important. buying from teh LHS, menas you get someone to talk to, and hopfully some honest answers. Also, being the LHS, the kit will most likely be familiar to teh guys at the feild. Seeing that probably buy there too.

Ordering from across an ocean, you do run the risk of damages during shipping, and then trying to get replacement parts, and then finding someone who has some expereince with that particular model / brand to help you fix it. Assuming you're ordering from one of the big US places (Check out www.ecmc.com too!!)

The big named guys, like SIG and Great Palnes should be fairly popular where you are. Your best bet, IMHO, is to see what is avaliable at the LHS, and then order that particular plane from the internet.. that way, you've got the best of both worlds! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

Sometimes, you can talk the LHS down if you show up armed with the latest price from the internet and shipping costs. Sometimes he'll match it.. Seeing that it'll be a big $$, he might be willing to make the deal..

timfly1

My Feedback: (1)

Hi
I buy from hobby shops mostly. Because on line buying is getting risky these days online shops not getting orders out or correct Plus The high shipping. At the hobby shop I can look for what I want see it up close open the box ask questions. Hobby shops sometimes have specials or deals.
I like to browse hobby shops. Only when I cant get what I want at the hobby shop will I go on line, and I never go to e-bay no real deals there.
I have four hobby shops to choose from and no taxes. in Newhampshire.

ballgunner

My Feedback: (1)

Don't know how close your nearest LHS is but mine is 90 miles away. We had a local hobby shop for a time. He ordered his stuff from Tower Hobbies and sold it to us at the catalog price. He usually had large enough orders to avoid the shipping costs but we had to pay local sales taxes which are higher than the shipping costs for $100 US. By the way Tower charges $7.99 shipping in the US but for an order of $150 shipping is waived. Statistics have shown that it takes a population of 200,000 for a hobby shop to provide a living wage for the owner. I sort of know. I've been in the business both as a manufacturer and LHS proprietor. Our population is about 14,000.
I agree that the best way for everyone is the LHS and I would certainly support one if it were any place within 30 miles. One other advantage to internet is that they do enough business to stock almost everything available to the trade. Tower is, I believe, owned by Great Planes who also own Hobbico, Dynaflite and some others as well.
They are the US distributors for Futaba and OS too. There are very few items you cannot get from them. We also have Horizon, Hobby People, Omni-models and Hobby Lobby to name a few. There are a lot of individual manufacturers who have websites and do sell on the internet. The answer to your question has so many possible variables that a straight yes or no answer is almost impossible. You should visit your local field and check with the other pilots on their buying methods and then decide what's best for you. I am not familiar with the internet sites for hobbies in OZ so I can't be much help there. I realize that the shipping costs for overseas from the US can be quite high. I am only sure of what works for me here. The only advantage of internet as opposed to LHS is the wide variety of materials that LHS might not stock if he only gets a call for one a year.

LouW

Like ballgunner said, it all depends. There is no easy yes or no answer. I personally buy as much as I can from my local hobby store, even when it costs a little more. I want him to be there for the long haul. He orders in such quantity that he doesn’t pay shipping costs, and gives a little break on the catalog price, which is usually enough to cover the sales tax. He places orders every week and will order anything I ask if it is available through his suppliers. About the only stuff I mail order is balsa. He recently donated several thousand dollars to the local club to cover the cost of a concrete runway at the flying field. If you have a LHS within a convenient driving distance, by all means support him. But in a case like ballgunners, 90 miles would compel me to order most things through the mail.

Askalon

My Feedback: (1)

I want to buy from my LHS. It is a bit higher but I know if anything happens I can go back to them. Also, they started where if you have am AMA card, you get a discount that equals the taxes. Not much, but it is some and it is nice. Now I just need to get the $$$ so I can buy that Hanger 9 Extra Eazy 2 and get to the field.

lord697

First off thanks for the responces guys. Very detailed responces. Considering I have 7 hobby shops within 15 miles of me, I decieded to visit them, in truth I only did go to 4, but regardless I decieded before purchasing a huge investment from the internet, the brick and morter structure is a good first step.

I have to tell you, as soon as I walked into these places I could smell the BS. First they are significantly more expensive than anything I can get online, and when you factor in 7.75% tax, it would be rediculous. But what makes me mad is when these guys in the LHS talk down to customers. True I am a n00b and dont know about planes, but I do know what I want and when a person tells me thats garbage I start to wonder. This last guy I just came from was perhaps the funniest of all. Hes wearing a shirt from an a manufacterer (dont want to name which one) and I ask him if he could possibly order a Hanger 9 Alpha Trainer. He looks over at someone else working behind the counter and laughs, and says another one of those. Ok so I guess a few people have been in asking for those planes, fair enough. Now he starts to say ah those are worthless, yada yada yada, talks up the planes he has are much better. Well first its a bias opinion considering youre wearing their shirt, they probably pay you. Second he shows the trainer hes talking about and the price is astronomical. Now he starts talking me down, telling me why I need this and why this is better. Thinking he has a sale he starts showing me what else I need, electric fuel pump, I say well cant I just use manual cheaper and does the same thing and isnt fancy. No this plane requires strictly electric. Need a starter, cant use a chicken stick. One other thing, I cant remember now what it was, but something you dont need as a starter. POINT being, LHS are about making the money. And I understand they want that customer, and of course they should be the good sales men. But it makes a begineer just shake his head and think this hobby is just a bunch of men looking out to sell the most expensive stuff, out to make the biggest profit, and dont have your best intentions in mind.

Long story short, thank goodness there are places like this on the internet when one can get an unbiased opinion, atleast an opinion not motived by greed. It seems, and I did not realize this prior, that each hobby shop stocks 1 or 2 main manufacturers that they have a deal with. One will have stricktly SIGs, the other sticktly Great Planes, the other stricktly Hanger 9....

But anyhow, I have choosen to purchase off the internet. I even weighted the notion that these guys support the local airfields, of which there are 2 within 10 minutes drive from me. None of the 4 I visited support them. Oh well. Internets cheaper, means I will use it.
Again thanks for your thoughts guys.

ballgunner

My Feedback: (1)

Welcome aboard. Sure glad we could help. The only thing bothering me now is the green tinge of envy on my face because you have so many hobby shops so close by and that's to say nothing of all those flying fields. I've been retired since 1977. Then I didn't know such a paradise existed or I would have come straight to Australia to begin with. Too old now but happy you have so many good things going for you.
All the best.

LouW

lord697, I’m sad to hear that LHS’s in Australia are such a sorry lot. Please try the other three. Surely one of them will be helpful and reasonable. I have dealt with hobby shops in several states since 1946, and for the most part, they have been helpful, and their prices were reasonable. As a kid, they took time to guide me and help my limited funds stretch a little. One of them even let me sweep up the place and help out a little in exchange for some model stuff, even though I don’t think he really needed my help. Now as an old man, I find the two shops close to me are very accommodating and I can’t beat their prices on the Internet. One proprietor started out knowledgeable primarily in the car and train field, but built a R/C aircraft model and has made a true effort to become more competent in that area. Since many of his customers are airplane people, he has increased his stock of airplane stuff, listening to input from his customers, and will order anything he can for you. Both shops support R/C clubs in their separate areas, with their time and donations.