Show them, sell them

Transcription

Cut your expenses by going paperless
JUNE 2010
10 new PRODUCT REVIEWS
RESOURCES FOR SUCCESSFUL HOBBY RETAILING
Demonstrations hook customers and net sales
Blade mCX2 review
page 18
Speed sales with
Pinewood Derby
PLUS
Vol. 36 • Issue 6
What’s Selling: retailer
demo success stories
www.ModelRetailer.com
• CPSC defines “children’s products”
• Card maker backs brick-and-mortar
• Distribution deals for GP, InterMountain
• The Edge: put your logo everywhere
ON THE COVER
Cut your expenses by going paperless
JUNE 2010
10 new PRODUCT ReVIewS
RESOURCES FOR SUCCESSFUL HOBBY RETAILING
Demonstrations hook customers and net sales
Blade mCX2 review
page 18
What’s Selling: retailer
demo success stories
Speed sales with
Pinewood Derby
PLUS
Volume 36,
Number 6
ModelRetailer.com
Visit our Web site for these bonus
Product Lab reviews:
• Nuns On the Run
Mayfair Games
• 1:16 Slash VXL Traxxas
• 1:10 Sand Scorcher 30th
Anniversary Tamiya
Plus the latest news, business
articles and much more!
• CPSC defines “childrens’ products”
• Card maker backs brick-and-mortar
• Distribution deals for GP, InterMountain
• The Edge: put your logo everywhere
In-store demonstrations
can be a retailer’s most
effective sales tool. Turn the
spotlight on your products
and get your customers
excited. Photo/Jim Forbes
PRODUCTS
F E AT U R E S
12
14 FIRST LOOK
Our first impression of seven
new products:
• Osprey Publishing Finishing and
Painting Techniques
• Privateer Press Formula P3 Modeling
Drill & Pinning Set
• Tamiya 1:24 Aston Martin DBS
• Acrylicos Vallejo RLM Colors
• Voyageur Press Baldwin Locomotives
SPECIAL REPORT – The art of the demo
Now more than ever, showing is selling.
Here are some pointers to get you started
or to help you refine your pitch.
16
BUSINESS BASICS – death to paper!
Get rid of the stacks of invoices and
receipts with a handy little scanner and
simple software.
• Broadway Limited Imports HO-scale
Pennsylvania I1sa
22
• Moebius Models 1:32 Colonial Viper
Mk. II
18
PRODUCT LAB
We review three new products:
• E-flite Blade mCX2 RTF
30
• Mig Productions 1:35 Hover Tank
• Autoart 1971 Mustang Mach 1, 2008
Mustang GT Bullitt
22
30
40
42
48
49
50
radio control
model railroading
42
MOdels
DIE-CAST
SPECIALTY
IN THE NEXT ISSUE
You’ve outgrown your current location and it’s time to
relocate. Dealers talk about
their experiences moving their
stores, and what to watch for.
GAMES
SLOT CARS
DEPARTMENTS
6
EditoR’S note 8
INDUSTRY NEWS A fair to remember.
CPSC defines “children’s products,”
Panini backs Main Street and much more.
17
Behind the counter Profit from pinewood derby.
W H AT ’ S S E L L I N G
What is your favorite product demonstration
success story?
26
radio control
36
model railroading
44
MOdels/ DIE-CAST
MODEL RETAILER (ISSN 0191-6904, USPS 395-730) is published monthly, except two issues in October, by Kalmbach Publishing Co.,
21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612. Periodicals postage paid at Waukesha, Wis., and additional offices.
Postmaster: Send address changes to Model Retailer, 21027 Crossroads Circle, P. O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI, 53187-1612. Canada Publication Mail Agreement # 40010760.
MODEL RETAILER JUNE 2010
EDITOR’S NOTE
by HAL MILLER
EDITORIAL OFFICE
21027 Crossroads Circle, Box 1612
Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
Phone: (262) 796-8776 Fax: (262) 796-1383
Web site: www.ModelRetailer.com
E-mail: [email protected]
A fair to remember
EDITORIAL AND ART
Editor Hal Miller
It’s my turn in the barrel this month to
the onlookers. “You don’t want to die early
Associate Editors Sue Brettingen,
Tim Kidwell
write a feature story. The topic, as you
because you didn’t eat enough fruits and
Editorial Assistant Jenny Maaske
might have guessed from the cover, is
vegetables, do you?” After looking around
product demonstrations.
at their neighbors, they shake their heads
One of the first things that comes to
mind when I hear the words “product
Art Director Tom Ford
Photographers William Zuback,
Jim Forbes
reflexively indicating “absolutely not!”
Publisher Terry Thompson
The mop salesman asks one woman if
ADVERTISING
she has trouble getting the dirt out of the
Ad Sales Manager Rick Albers (x652)
corners. The knife salesman asks if your
Ad Sales Representative Aaron Jors (x537)
bread tends to mash or tear when you cut
Ad Services Representative Tracy Beardsley
it with your current knives.
Production Coordinator Sue Hollinger-Yustus
Heads nod vigorously in the affirmative.
K ALMBACH PUBLISHING CO.
When the presentation is over, you
President Gerald B. Boettcher
watch many of those people forking over
Executive Vice-President Charles R. Croft
their money for whatever the product is
Wouldn’t it be nice if all your customers just walked up to you and did this?
and toddling blissfully away to the funnel
V. P. Editorial Kevin P. Keefe
cake booth, knowing when they get home
V. P. Advertising Scott Stollberg
the product is going to change their lives.
V. P. Marketing Daniel R. Lance
The truth is, the products at the fair, or
Ad Director Scott Bong
their equivalents, are available in stores
Corporate Art Director Maureen M. Schimmel
Managing Art Director Michael Soliday
365 days a year. The same people watching
the demo have probably walked by them
demonstration” is the state fair. Inevitably,
any number of times, not knowing they
in one of the buildings, there’s a guy — fre-
needed these items in their lives. But once
quently excited and possibly shouting —
someone shows them how they work and
showing you how the Brand X mop will cut
how they address everyday “problems” the
your cleaning time in half or the Brand Y
potential customers are having, the light
knives will let you cut an aluminum can so
comes on and they reach for their wallets.
thin you can see right through it. Oh, and
Flim-flammery? No way. Whenever you
there’s the always easy-to-use juicer you
can get a roomful of people you’ve never
can feed everything into including scrap
met to give you money for a product,
lumber that will add 30 years onto your
that’s good sales. The basics are the same
life. Oak is very high in fiber, you know.
no matter what you’re selling.
The salesman or -woman banters with
Production Manager Annette Wall
Assistant Circulation Manager Janice Zimdars
TO ADVERTISE
Toll-free: (888) 558-1544 x652, x537
TO SUBSCRIBE
Toll-free: (800) 558-1544 x818
CUSTOMER SERVICE
(Weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central time)
Toll-free: (800) 558-1544 x818
Subscription rates: Distributed free to qualified hobby
shop owners and managers. Others – U.S.: $85/year. International, payable in U.S. funds: $85/year, surface mail.
© 2010 by Model Retailer, division of Kalmbach Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Title and tagline registered
as trademarks.
Show them how it works. They’ll buy.
Printed in the U.S.A.
Send your comments to Hal Miller at [email protected].
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INDUSTRY
NEWS
BY THE MODEL RETAILER STAFF
CPSC defines ‘children’s products’
In an attempt to further define what a
children’s product is, as outlined by the
Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act
(CPSIA), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) proposed an interpretive
rule to provide guidance concerning what
factors must be considered when deciding
what is and isn’t a children’s product.
When the CPSIA went into effect in 2008,
it changed the definition of a “children’s
product” to “a consumer product designed
or intended primarily for children of 12
years of age or younger.”
The struggle over what is and isn’t a
children’s product has caused a great deal
The Edge
Getting the word out
Sue Furman of The Hobby Shop
in Wilson, N.C., said that she’ll put
their logo on anything, be it a hat,
shirt, bag, pen or calculator.
She decided that CafePress.
com was an easy solution. “We
can slap our logo on everything
they’ve got in their inventory, and
we don’t need to spend a penny
to do it,” Sue said.
The Hobby Shop has a link to
its CafePress goodies on its website and keeps the margins low;
around $1–2, since the goal is to
promote the store.
“One of the best parts about
CafePress is that customers ... can
purchase anything they want in
the comfort of their own home,”
she said.
The Hobby Shop also has shirts
printed locally and writes them
off as a marketing expense.
“You say something nice about
us — we give you a shirt. We
see one of our bumper stickers
on your car at the grocery store
— we give you a shirt,” Sue said.
“Our goal is to get our name out.”
of consternation among toy, hobby and
clothing manufacturers — especially small,
independently owned operations — and
specialty retailers. One of the biggest concerns has been the cost associated with
independent testing of items for lead and
phthalates, which can run into the tens of
thousands of dollars.
The rules interpretation takes into account
a number of different factors, including
product presentation, physical location in
retail outlets, foreseeable uses and misuses,
and common public perception.
One factor is made abundantly clear: the
CPSC does not consider a manufacturer’s
Card producer Panini
backs brick-and-mortar
In what might be a first for a hobby manufacturer, collectible sports card manufacturer
Panini America (formerly Donruss) officials have
announced changes to the company’s distribution network that will address the effect online
sellers have on brick-and-mortar retailers’ margins.
Among the company’s products are NFL and
NBA cards, including the Adrenalyn XL tradingcard game.
Speaking April 12 to a meeting that included
more than 100 hobby shop owners at the
Sports Collectibles Industry Summit in Las
Vegas, Panini Vice President Mike Anderson said,
“We are no longer turning a blind eye to the
problem that has been killing margins for hobby
stores,” according to the Beckett Media blog site
(blogbeckett.wordpress.com).
Anderson and Panini hobby sales director
Rodney Alsup gave details of the company’s
plan, to start this fall. It includes:
• Re-authorizing all brick-and-mortar hobby
shops; only authorized stores will be
able to purchase and sell Panini product
directly
• A clear distinction between wholesale
and retail businesses. “You are one, or
you are the other,” Anderson said. “And
label regarding age to be a “determinative”
factor in ascertaining age appropriateness. In other words, just because a package may be labeled “for ages 13 and up”
doesn’t mean that the product won’t be
considered for children.
The CPSC has posted the new guidance
and is asking for comments before a final
draft is written. To read the proposal, visit
www.cpsc.gov/businfo/frnotices/fr10/
childproduct.pdf. Comments on the interpretation must be received by the CPSC
by June 21. Instructions for submitting
comments are included with the proposed
guidance. — Tim Kidwell
never the twain shall meet.”
• Reducing the wholesale distribution network from approximately 50 entities to as
few as four in the U.S.
• Establish a no-tolerance policy for distributors who sell to non-authorized retailers. “If
people do not abide by the policy, we’re
done with them,” Alsup said. “No warnings.”
• A no-tolerance policy for retailers who
attempt to wholesale product, rather than
selling directly to collectors. “Again, no
warnings,’’ Alsup said. “They will be blacklisted.”
Jeff DeGraw, an Illinois dealer, said Panini’s
presentation addressed his concerns so thoroughly “it was like they were listening in on our
retailer welcome meeting [Sunday] night. This
was clearly our No. 1 issue, and they’re taking a
stand in support of us.” A Colorado-based dealer,
Mike Fruitman, had just two words: “Thank you.”
Panini representatives also said during the
meeting the company is willing to implement
a minimum advertised price (MAP) program;
however, many of the distributor and retailer
qualifications may address the new-release pricing issues.
More details on the changes are coming this
summer, including the formation of a brick-andmortar standards committee.
GP goes with Looney
Great Planes has agreed to distribute the
Fluxx and Aquarius line of card games
from publisher Looney Labs.
Looney Labs is famous for its award-winning Fluxx games, along with other favorites such as Chrononauts and Treehouse.
Publishing games since 1996, Looney Labs
focuses on creating non-electronic card
and board games that can be enjoyed by
both children and adults.
“We are featuring the games in our Holiday Early Buy program, which runs May
1st through July 9th,” said Debbie Hampe,
a buyer with Great Planes Model Distributors. Looney Labs also distributes direct to
retailers as well as through all major game
wholesalers.
Magazine advertising
moves readers to action.
More than half of readers took action
on magazine ads or had a more
favorable opinion about the advertiser.
Call Model Retailer for information on
how to move your readers to action.
Source: Affinity Research
1-888-558-1544 ext. 537 or ext. 652
Historic gets new line
Historic Sales, a distributor of military history and railroad products to the hobby
industry, has added Panzerstahl model
tanks and armored fighting vehicles
(AFVs) to its product lineup.
“We are thrilled to bring Panzerstahl
products to North America,” said Rick
Apple, chief executive of Historic Sales.
“The quality of its die-cast models is
second to none, and, as a European company, they have keen insight into what
collectors of World War II-era models are
looking for.”
The first 10 Panzerstahl products available from Historic Sales include Panzer
IV tanks, in addition to Wirbelwind and
Ostwind vehicles. Deliveries are expected
to begin this June. For more information,
call 800-291-3454.
A s s o c i at i o n s
Chicago SuperShow
Following successful debuts in Orlando
and Anaheim, the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) Craft SuperShow consumer
event will come to the Chicagoland area
for the first time this summer. The show,
to be held July 30–31 at the Donald E.
INDUSTRY NEWS
THIS MONTH’S BIG NUMBER
53
The average age of plastic
modelers, according to a
Kalmbach Publishing Co.
poll. Hobbyists in this
age demographic tend
to have more disposable
income, children who are
getting ready to leave
home, and time to spend
doing what they want.
Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill.,
is expected to draw more than 8,000 crafters
from across the country and feature exhibitors
showcasing craft products and supplies.
Expert crafters will assist attendees with
hands-on projects and make-n-take demos
both on and off the show floor. Dozens of
workshops from across multiple sectors of
the craft industry are intended to inspire consumers to try new crafts and learn advanced
techniques. Features include the Super Crop, a
large group scrapbooking event, and the Kids
Zone, a child-friendly activity and crafting area.
Tickets go on sale June 1.
Fox’s new distributor
InterMountain Railway Company has agreed to
distribute Fox Valley Models’ product line. Fox
Valley products are recognized in the marketplace as prototypically accurate, finely detailed
and niche driven, designed to meet specific
needs of N-scale modelers.
Patch hires new VP
Business Briefs
VISIT US ON THE WEB
For up-to-the minute
industry news, bonus content and the Hobby Industry Directory, visit us at
www.modelretailer.com.
You can also follow us on
Facebook and Twitter —
search for: Model Retailer.
Telephone and fax numbers remain
unchanged for now. Customers should use
the old address for all written correspondence
prior to May 1. The company will be closed for
the move from April 27–May 6.
Rapido is moving
Patch Products recently named Ron Hayes as
the new corporate vice president of product
development, design and engineering.
Hayes has more than 30 years of experience
developing some of the most recognizable
brands and licenses in the toy industry, such as
Batman Forever, Star Wars, Nerf, Play-Doh and
Looney Tunes.
Effective May 1, 2010, Rapido Trains is moving
into a new facility. The new address is:
445 Edgeley Boulevard, Unit 1
Concord, Ont. L4K 4G1
Canada
PLANET HOBBYTYME
64-c Oakland Ave., East Hartford, Ct.,
800-441-3302 fax 860-291-9814
Email [email protected]
HOBBIES Http://www.hobbytyme.com
A WORLD OF EXPERIENCE
A WAREHOUSE OF
Academy Models, Accurail, Accurate Miniatures, Activa, Adica Pongo, AFV Club, AFX, AG Industries, Airfix, Amaco, Ambroid, American Craftsman, AMT, Aoshima, Arii,Artesiana Latina Ships,
Atlantis Models, Atlas Brush Co., Atlas, Atlas O, Auto World, Aztec, Bachmann, Badger, Bandai, Bar Mills, Bare Metal Foils, BLMA, Blueline, BMC, Bob Smith, Boley, Bowser, Brightboy, Broadway
Bronco Models, Bull Frog Snot, Caboose Industries, Caferio J Wings, Cal-Scale
Canadian Warplane, Carl Goldberg, Caterpiller, Chameleon, Chooch Enterprises,
Circuitron, Classic Airframe, Classic Metal Works, Classic Warship Publication
Con-Cor, Concord, Cyber Hobbies, Czech Models, Deluxe Innovations, DPM,
Detail Masters, Digitrax, Dragon, Donegan Optical, Dragon Armor Diecast,
Dragon Figures, Dragon Wings, Dremel, Dubro, Dumas, Easy Models,
lue, Encore, Envirotech,
Eduard Model Kits, Elmer's Glue, Emhar, Encore Models, Enviro-Tech,
Estes, Evergreen, Excell, F-Toys, Fine Mold Models, Firefly Flagman,
Floquil, Forces of Valor, Fox Chapel, Fox Engines, Fox Valley, Fujimi
Futaba, Gallery Models, Gayla, Gearbox, Glencoe, Griffon, Guillows,
Gunze Sanyo, Harris, Hasegawa, HaT, Heller, Hobbico, Hobby Boss,
Hobby Express, Hobbycraft, Humbrol, ICM, IMEX. Industrial Rail,
Italeri, J.L. Innovations, JTT Trees, JWD Loads, K&S, K-Line, Kadee,
Kalmbach, Kato, Keystone Locomotive, Kinetic, LaBelle, Launchpad
Life-Like Racing, Lindberg, Lion Roar, Lionel, Mabuchi Motors,
Mantua, Master Airscrew, Master Box Limited, Microbrush, Microscale,
Midships, Midwest, Miller Engineering, Mini Art, Mini Highways, Minicraft,
Model Expo Tools, Model King, Model Power, Model Shipways, Moebius,
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New Rail Models, NJ International, Northeast Scale, Oregon Rail Supplies, Pactra,
Paintworks, Panda, Park Plastics, Peg Hooks, Pegasus, Perfect Science, Pheonix Toys, Pine Pro, Pinecar, Plastruct, PM Models, Polar Lights, Polly Scale Model Paints, Precision Craft by Broadway LTD
Price Labels, Quest Model Rockets, Railway Express Miniatures, Rapido Trains, Revell Germany, Revell Monogram, Rix/Smalltown/Pikestuff, Roden Plastic Kits, SCX Road Racing, Signature Diecast,
Slinky Science, Soar Art, Squadron, A. Green, Starlight Model Rocketry, Sword Models, Tamiya Paints/Kits, Targa, Tasca, Testors Paint/Kits, Thumblers Tumblers, Top Flite, Tortoise-Circuitron,
Train Control Systems, Trainman, Trainworx, Transcona Yard, Traxxas, Tristar, True Line Trains, Trumpeter Models, Varta Batteries, Verlinden, War Game Factory, Warriors, Whitman Coin Collector,
Wiffle Ball, Williams Brothers, Williams Trains, Woodland Scenics, Xacto, Xtra Kit, Xuron, Yankee Models, Yat Ming, Zap/Pacer, Zona, Zvezda
Hobbytyme Distributors
Celebrating 30 Years! Providing The Best Service on Planet Earth!
1-800-441-3302
10
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precisiontools
= pleasant profits
Profit from selling Xuron® brand hand tools
– the more you sell, the more you profit.
• Quick Inventory Turns
• Attractive Profit Margins
• Support of a Worldwide Distribution Network
• Factory Warranty
• Customer Satisfaction
Xuron Corporation manufactures high quality precision tools
for all hobbies and crafts. Call or email for free catalog.
This could be…
Made in U.S.A.
your ad
1-888-558-1544
Aaron Jors, ext. 537
Rick Albers, ext. 652
62 Industrial Park Road
Saco, ME 04072 207-283-1401
[email protected] www.xuron.com
THUMLER’S
TUMBLER
ROCK POLISHING
Professional Quality
Rock Polisher
An Exciting Hobby for the Entire Family. An Ideal Gift!
There are very few people who have
not at one time or another carried
home a pocketful of interesting or
"pretty" rocks from a hike or vacation
trip. It is a natural interest and
curiosity we all experience, for in the
world of Nature, surely few things
are more important than earth and
rocks beneath our feet.
METAL
DETECTORS
Call
OUTDOOR
OUTFITTERS
800-558-2020
824 N Hartwell Avenue
Waukesha, WI 53186
262-542-7772 • Fax 262-542-4435
MODEL A-R1 Special Kit No. 102
3 lb. Capacity tumbler. One rubber barrel.
Deluxe kit contains Model A-R1 tumbler
(pictured above) which has larger motor
than Model T, set of 4 grades of polishing
abrasives, generous supply of polishing
rock, jewelry findings.
The tumbling of stones is as old as
the earth, for Nature has been doing
so in may ways since the beginning.
Glaciers, wind, rivers and the oceans
provide an incessant tumbling of
Nature’s variety of rocks.
Model B No. 140
8 Models to choose from. Call for FREE Brochure!
1(800) 225-1017 fax: (253) 833-2349
[email protected]
www.thumlerstumbler.com
TRU-SQUARE METAL PRODUCTS / P.O. Box 585 • AUBURN, WA 98071
11
FIRST
LOOK
information on selected products to help you sell today
1:24 Aston Martin DBS
Prod. No.: 24316
MSRP: $71
Availability: Tamiya America
Target consumer: Car modelers and fans of James Bond
First impression: Just as the
full-size car is a masterpiece
of engineering, so is the
Tamiya kit.
Unlike some of Tamiya’s
Tamiya
other sports car kits, the DBS
features an opening hood
with a good facsimile of the
crowded engine bay. The
front and rear suspensions
are well represented but
should go together easily.
Detailed painting
instructions cover the
engines, chassis and interior with decals for instruments, photo-etched
metal grilles and pedals,
masks for the windows,
and self-adhesive metal
transfers for the mirrors and
badges.
Why you should stock it:
— Aaron Skinner
Formula P3 Modeling Drill & Pinning Set
Prod. No.: PIP 93096
MSRP: $12.99
Availability: Contact William
Schick at [email protected] for wholesale and
distributor information
Target consumer: Miniatures
modelers
First impression: This is the
nicest modeling drill/pin vise
set I have
ever seen
— and I’ve
owned
quite a few.
It has a
heavy-duty
handle,
free-spinning base and two
double-ended chucks to
accommodate practically any
size bit a modeler will use.
Another nice feature of
this set is that it comes with
Painting and Finishing Techniques
ISBN: 978-1-84603-263-9
MSRP: $19.95
Availability: Call
718-433-4402
or e-mail osprey
[email protected]
Target consumer: Specifically beginner
and intermediate armor and
12
aircraft modelers who want
to learn better finishing techniques
First impression: Author
Gary Edmundson walks readers through
many fundamental skills for
modelers, from
paint and color
choices to finishing figures.
Fans of James Bond movies
know that Aston Martins
have frequently featured as
the spy’s ride while on her
majesty’s service.
Now, thanks to Tamiya,
your customers can build
Aston Martin’s top-of-theline DBS, which debuted
in 2006’s Casino Royale
before entering the market the following year.
Privateer Press
two
.85mm
bits and
12 brass
rods. It
is the
complete
drill and
pinning package.
Privateer Press has started its
own line of hobby products
to cater to the hobbyists
who build its miniatures and
play its tabletop wargames,
Warmachine and Hordes. If
you carry these products in
your store, the packages will
be instantly recognized.
The set is a great purchase
for any modeler who likes
to build metal miniatures or
resin kits. Privateer also provides other bit sizes to match
larger rod diameters.
— Tim Kidwell
Osprey Publishing
Just about a whole book
could be devoted (and has
been) to any single skill set,
be it airbrushing, finishing
with pastels or using artist
oils for washes. Edmundson
does a good job of delivering
instructive overviews with
nice photos.
Modelers are always looking
for guidance and ways to
improve their skills. They also
like seeing what other mod-
elers are doing to get that
great finished appearance.
Beginners can benefit
greatly from the advice and
techniques shown in Painting and Finishing Techniques.
Intermediate-level modelers
will find some of the information more of a refresher, but
they are guaranteed to pick
up two or three new tricks
that will take their modeling
to the next level.
— T.K.
Model Air RLM Colors
Acrylicos Vallejo
Prod. No.: 71166
use airbrushes
MSRP: $27
First impression: This
set contains six acrylic
paints premixed for
Availability: Check
with your favorite
hobby distributors
Target consumer: Modelers who
Baldwin Locomotives
Availability: Quayside
Publishing Group
MSRP: $40
Target consumer:
Model railroaders, train
enthusiasts, history
buffs
First impression: The
Baldwin Locomotive
Works has a long and
HO-scale Pennsylvania I1SA
MSRP: $399.99
Availability: Multiple
model railroad distributors
Target consumer:
Pennsylvania Railroad
steam fans — and
there are a lot of them
out there
First impression: BLI
has captured the heft
of the “Hippo” with
this model. It comes
in variations with the
original or “modern”
1:32 Colonial Viper Mk. II
Prod. No.: 912
MSRP: $29.99
Availability: Contact
your favorite model
distributor or visit www.
moebiusmodels.com
Target consumer: Scifi modelers and fans of
works wonderfully. Coverage is thin and won’t
obliterate fine detail;
the colors are opaque;
and a little paint goes a
very long way.
Why you should
stock it: The set is easy
for modelers to use
and for you to stock.
The colors are the
basis for finishing
Luftwaffe aircraft and
they’re gathered into
one set. They are ready
to use in an airbrush,
which makes them
perfect for inexperienced users.
— T.K.
Voyageur Press
ISBN: 978-0-76033589-5
Prod. No.: BLI-20502056, depending on
variant
use with an airbrush:
dark grey blue, hellblau RLM 78, cam.
green, German grey,
olive drab and pale
grey blue. Also
included is a
bottle of matt
varnish and
thinner medium.
This paint
storied history. During
the company’s heyday, it built more than
2,000 locomotives a
year and sold them to
railways around the
world. This 160-page
hardcover, written by
railway historian Brian
Solomon, includes an
abundance of photos
and publicity images
from the Railroad
Museum of Pennsylvania, but the text also
reflects the careful
research Solomon put
into the book.
Why you should
stock it: This book
contains enough
details to please the
most technical-minded
train enthusiasts and
model railroaders, but
also provides a larger
perspective on the role
Baldwin played in the
nation’s history and the
evolution of railroads.
— Sue Brettingen
Broadway Limited Imports
headlight and either a
short or long tender.
BLI also claims to be
the first to have the
proper tender coal
board contour.
All models feature the company’s
Paragon 2 sound and
control system with
synchronized smoke
and chuff.
Why you should
stock it: Pennsy steam
is popular all over the
country. These I1s
should have strong
sales pull.
— Hal Miller
Moebius Models
the new Battlestar
Galactica TV series
First impression:
Finally! Moebius
has answered the
pleas of all those
BSG fans and modelers
with a kit that is both
well engineered and
affordable.
markings for either
Apollo or Starbuck’s machines.
A beautiful resin
pilot figure is
included. Assembly is complex.
Molded all in white,
with a clear canopy and
display stand, the Viper
has nice detail and
Why you should
stock it: Battlestar
Galactica remains very
popular, even though
the initial story arc has
ended. Syfy is continuing the franchise with
Caprica.
Modelers will be
very pleased with
Moebius’ production
of the Viper.
— T.K.
13
Special report
The art of the demo
Now more than ever, showing is selling. Here are some pointers
to get you started or to help you refine your pitch
By hal Miller
Y
ou can tell a customer all you want
about a product. You can advertise
it to them, too. But the best way
to get them to open their wallets,
without a doubt, is showing — and telling
— them what the product can do.
Much of the world learns more quickly
when it’s shown something rather than
told about it. The world buys more quickly
that way, too.
Think about “as seen on TV”-type products
and infomercials. In 30 seconds, the companies can demonstrate the product enough
to sell thousands of units. Come on, admit it:
you may never have bought anything off TV,
but you’ve at least entertained the idea.
You can do the same with hobby products. Some lend themselves immediately
to demonstration, such as micro helicopters. Mike Wenig at TPA Hobby Center, Hollister, Mo., citing the Blade series of helicopters as an example, says his customers
get hooked when they see “how easy they
are to fly and repair — parts are readily
available — and on a calm day, they can
be flown outside. Using these two methods, we sell quite a few.”
Sometimes you have to go outside your
shop. Clarence Ragland of ABC Hobby
Shop in Lockport, N.Y., says he asks every
customer who comes into his shop if they
would like to fly an R/C plane. “We have a
flying field two miles from our shop and I
convince them to take the sticks for a minute or two,” he says. “By that time, they are
convinced enough to come back to buy a
complete trainer outfit.”
Wenig says he’s also seen plenty of success
demonstrating model-railroad products,
too. He says MRC’s Prodigy digital command
control (DCC) system has proven especially
popular. “We have a layout with four engines
pulling over 60 freight cars. Need I say
more?” His store has also added DCC decoder installation as a service for its customers.
Distributors like Horizon Hobby and
Great Planes encourage dealers to demo
products in their stores. Both offer a free
demo version of some products when a
certain quantity of product is ordered.
Additionally, both offer flight simulator
kiosks — Phoenix for Horizon; RealFlight
for Great Planes — so customers can at
least try the products electronically, no
matter what the weather.
Don’t underestimate the impact of
video, says Bob Jacobsen, Horizon’s dealer
development director and former store
owner. “This works so well for products you
can’t demo in the store, and while not as
powerful as a [live] demo, is still very effective.” He adds, “We produce many different
videos that dealers use with great effect.”
Some people just seem to be born to
sell. If you don’t think you’re one of them,
you can still put together an effective demonstration with just a few simple tips:
Before the demonstration
Learn everything there is to know about
your major products: recently released
items, what’s hot, and consistent sellers.
Practice your demonstration in front of
a test audience before delivering it to a
customer. It doesn’t hurt to script a demonstration, either. If it takes 10 seconds to
turn on the DCC system when you’re showing someone a locomotive, have some
“patter” to keep the customer engaged
while your hands are busy.
Make it an event
OK, you might say, “But my
store is small, and most of the
time, I’m the only one here. I
can’t be tied up doing a demonstration for 20 or 30 minutes if I have other customers
to deal with.”
That’s true; you could be
losing several other sales
while trying to make one, and
that’s just not good economics. But demonstrating the
product for several people, or
a crowd, makes sense.
14
Pick a time when you
think traffic might be slow to
demonstrate a product. Post
fliers at least a week ahead of
time announcing what day
and time you’ll be doing it,
and be sure to mention it to
your customers throughout
the week. If you have a store
e-mail announcement list, tell
everyone on it. In other words,
build some buzz around it.
If you can build a crowd,
there’s a good chance others
in the store will stop shopping
long enough to watch the
demo. You won’t sell the product to everyone, but you’ve
built some traffic during what
was supposed to be a slow
time.
Still can’t get away to demonstrate the product? Enlist
one of your customers or
someone from a local club
who you know can show the
item to full advantage. Chances are they’ll do it for free or
for some sort of discount.
Classes are another event
that let you demonstrate
products for a mass audience.
TPA Hobby Center’s Mike
Wenig says, “Several times a
year we have workshops and
seminars for the consumer
explaining how specific product work. It creates product
awareness and gives consumers much more confidence.”
That confidence often translates into more sales.
How to demonstrate paint — for a big audience
Most often, dealers think
about demonstrating things
that move: R/C vehicles,
model locomotives and slot
cars. So how do you demonstrate something that doesn’t
really do a lot on its own, like
paint?
Have a look at Michigan
Toy Soldier Company’s YouTube Channel (www.youtube.
com/user/MichToyCo), which
features a number of different
video demonstrations using
a variety of paints and other
finishing products.
Store employee Dave
Youngquist— also master
painter for figure manufactur-
er W. Britain, does a great job
selling products, even though
he really doesn’t promote
them directly. When showing
the audience painting and
weathering techniques, he’s
sure to mention the brand of
whatever paint he’s using to
do it, or the figure or model
he’s using the technique on.
Michigan Toy Soldier’s channel features other painters
each with a different specialty.
The demos are filmed in the
store for a live audience, then
are uploaded to the YouTube
channel. Each video gets hundreds and sometimes thousands of views.
Have your employees write down
questions they would have if buying the
product and determine the answers for
each one. If you can be an expert on your
product and know more about it than your
competitors, chances are the customer will
not only buy from you the first time, but
will make repeat visits.
Test your equipment before a customer
wants to see it; never just assume it will
work. Also, have everything handy that
you need to do your demo. For example,
if you’re demonstrating an electric radiocontrol truck, have batteries charged and
ready to go. Also, be sure batteries are
installed in the radio.
If you’ve managed to get the customer
interested enough to see a demonstration,
don’t give them a chance to lose interest
while you go to the back room and hunt
for something.
Always try use equipment you’re familiar
with, too. Using unfamiliar gear entails
more risk.
Prepare your mind. Feeling a little nervous
before giving a demo is entirely normal. To
help ensure a smooth performance, take
a deep breath, hold it for 3 to 5 seconds,
then slowly exhale. Get yourself centered
and flexible.
During the demonstration
Simplify the presentation. It’s a myth that
customers will think they have to have
the product you’re demonstrating simply
because it has lots of features. The reality is feature-rich demos generally leave
the impression that a product is overly
complex. Simplify your demo so that it
highlights a small handful of features, all
of which are of high value to the customer.
But how do you know what’s important to
the customer?
Ask the customer several direct questions
to evaluate how well they know the type
of product you’re presenting. Be conversational. For instance, you might ask,
“So, how long have you been flying R/C
planes?” or “Have you ever installed a DCC
decoder?”
Unless you’re familiar with the customer,
a good rule of thumb is to assume he
knows nothing about the product you’re
demonstrating. Adjust your communication to speak on his level, and avoid using
jargon. Sure, it makes you look cool, but if
the customer doesn’t understand, it could
cost you a sale.
Then, identify a problem area in their
hobby that the product will satisfy. Remember, you’re not demonstrating how the
product works, but rather how the product
will help the customer. The features you
demonstrate should be tied directly to a
customer problem or opportunity.
Be memorable. Try to determine the best
visual display to impress customers and
help them to remember what they saw for
at least several days. Do something unexpected or unconventional. But don’t leave
them hanging with unanswered questions.
Have a backup plan. Inevitably, a presentation is going to go south on you. Be
familiar with models similar to what you’re
showing to demonstrate the same types
of features. While it might not be the same
product, having something to say at least
keeps the conversation going and the customer interested.
Be flexible. The customer may very well
want to take control of the demo. By all
means, go along with the customer’s suggestions, as far as you’re able. The last
thing you want is to annoy him by sticking
to the script when you’ve got him involved
in actually using the product!
After the demonstration
Get their information. If possible, collect
the customer’s e-mail address or phone
number so you can follow up with them
later. When you contact them, be sure to
reference something memorable from
your demonstration that will help them to
remember who you are. Be sure you’re the
one to call. Don’t leave this important follow-up to someone else.
Say thank you. Be sure to thank your new
customer. If it’s a big sale, you might even
consider sending them a personal, handwritten thank-you note and a coupon.
15
Business Basics
Death to paper!
Get rid of the stacks of invoices and receipts with a handy little
scanner and simple software
By John Kaufeld
Y
ears ago, the computer geeks promised us a paperless society. They lied.
Instead, we got an avalanche
of paper. Your store is awash in it:
packing lists to file; receipts to organize.
And no matter how hard you try to keep
everything in order, the one document you
need right now always takes the longest to
find — or you can’t find it at all.
Good news: the computer geeks are
back again, but this time they might actually help.
By combining the right software with a
scanner, you can get rid of the paper once
and for all and turn yourself into an organizational maven at the same time.
Best of all, all of this high technology
costs less than you think, and works so
well that you might not believe your eyes.
The hardware
First, you need a computer in your office.
You can find scanner and software packages for both Windows or Macintosh, so
the details there don’t matter.
This computer also doesn’t need to be
the biggest, best, or fastest machine on
the planet, although you do want plenty
of free hard-disk space to store your documents. Regular backups are vital, so the
computer should have either a DVD or
CD burner, and probably an external hard
drive plugged in through the USB port.
Your local computer store can help you
with the details.
Scanner technology has changed over
the years. Although you can still find big
flatbed scanners on the market, a small,
portable document scanner will do a better job for your business needs.
The Fujitsu ScanSnap S300 (or the S300m
for Mac users) scans both sides of a document in one quick pass. It’s one of the fastest small scanners on the market. Its included software recognizes a blank page when
it sees one, so single-sided sheets won’t
16
A portable scanner
can help turn your invoices
and receipts into PDFs you can easily
store and organize on your computer.
take up as much space in your computer.
It features a simple document feeder
capable of holding about 10 sheets of
paper. You can mix and match page sizes
freely. Just flip open the top, stack your
packing lists, lunch receipts and business
in the document feeder and hit the scan
button. The scanner smoothly runs them
through and drops them onto the desk in
front of the machine.
Software to scan the paper monster
For software, you can use a general-purpose organizer like Evernote, or a more
focused receipt-oriented solution such as
Paperless (Mac only) or NeatWorks (Mac
and Windows, but only available with a
scanner bundle on Windows).
Evernote is a combination of desktop
software and a free web-based service. (If
you plan to rely on it for your business, I
recommend paying the minimal monthly
fee for their “pro” web account.)
Every document you add to your local
copy of Evernote automatically gets
backed up into your secure online account.
There, the Evernote servers convert the
scanned images into searchable text
through optical character recognition and
then send the updated information back
to your computer. The system recognizes
and converts both printed text and handwriting. (Yes, it’s pretty amazing!)
If you carry a Blackberry, iPhone, or
other “smartphone,” you can download an
Evernote app for your device. You get on-
the-go, searchable access to everything in
your Evernote account, anywhere you happen to be. This can be very useful at trade
shows or conventions.
Many people consider NeatWorks from
The Neat Company (www.neatco.com) the
gold standard of receipt scanning. It covers
all of the bases you need when it comes
to capturing information from receipts,
including sorting, filing and categorizing.
NeatWorks handles normal, non-financial documents as well, but that isn’t the
system’s real strength.
You can get NeatWorks for Windows
as part of a scanner and software bundle
(with your choice of a portable scanner or
a desktop model), or as stand-alone Mac
software to use with your scanner.
Paperless, a Mac-only solution from Mariner Software (www.marinersoftware.com),
mixes the best of Evernote and NeatWorks.
It organizes normal, day-to-day documents, plus it understands the world of
receipts. In that way, it offers the best of
both worlds. Paperless also performs optical
character recognition, so it turns your scans
into searchable documents.
Paperless doesn’t include the online
storage side of Evernote, so backups are
vital if you use this as your office organization solution.
Ridding your office of paper will simplify
your life. Your accountant will love you
at tax time (even the IRS likes scanned
receipts). Your documents will be at your
fingertips, and you can focus more of your
attention on the business of your store.
With the advances in scanner and software technology, now’s definitely the time
to take the paperless office plunge.
John Kaufeld left his heart in specialty retailing, but still hopes to find it again someday.
He helps retailers of all kinds with marketing,
publicity and customer connections. You can
reach him at [email protected].
BEHIND THE COUNTER
by Bonnie Domrois, Greenfield News & Hobby, Greenfield, Wis.
Profit from pinewood derby
Greenfield News & Hobby stocks a full
line of pinewood derby products, taking
advantage of the hobby’s growing popularity. If you don’t already carry pinewood
derby products, don’t be afraid to get in
the race.
Where to begin
The most important thing you can do
when stocking pinewood derby supplies is
to carry a full line. Consumers of pinewood
derby supplies want to come in and make
it a one-stop shopping experience. Often
the parents that are gathering the supplies
are trying to do this between soccer practice and dinner, with little time to waste on
places that carry only a few items.
What to carry
Build your line as if you were building your
own pinewood car.
First you’re going to need the wood.
Most manufacturers of pinewood derby
supplies offer the traditional block. They
also offer precut blocks shaped to look like
racecars, trucks and hot rods. Precut blocks
are beneficial for customers trying to
throw together a car at the last minute.
When your customers’ cars are ready,
they’ll need to paint them. Chances are
you already stock paint, and that will cut
down on your initial investment.
Decals are abundant in pinewood derby
circles. They are kid-friendly and come as
dry transfers or peel-and-stick. Also available are body skin transfers that are similar
to decals, but cover the entire car.
Wheels and axles are a necessity, but be
sure that you stock products that are BSA
(Boy Scouts of America) approved. Most
wheels and axles are BSA approved, but
a few come modified and are considered
illegal for competition. Graphite lubricant
comes in a tube and is another requirement for your pinewood derby arsenal.
Zinc weights come in multiple forms and
sizes. It’s a good idea to carry a couple of
each type, because the shape of the car
will vary. Weights come in half-circles, flat,
and round, and are self-adhesive, screw-in,
or sink-in. Most cars will use more than
This display shows different car shapes and finishing techniques.
one type depending on the design of the
car and how much weight it needs.
Another weight choice is tungsten. It
comes in balls, flat discs, small cubes, and
putty that can be filled into crevasses in
the car. Tungsten is dense and heavier
than zinc, so less is needed to give the car
the proper amount of inertia. However, it
does cost a bit more.
How-to books are also a good idea to
carry for the beginners.
Many companies offer kits that include
the basics that a person would need to
build one car: the wood block, wood
sealer, weights, paint, decals, wheels and
axles. These are a great introduction to the
hobby.
Beyond the basics
With pinewood derby cars, it seems that
there are always those who want to do
just a little extra. For them, think about
adding products such as a car display
kit, wheel turning mandrel, pro-hub tool,
wheel alignment tool, canopy and cockpit
sets, windshield kit, drivers, and axle polishing kits.
We keep a digital scale on the service
desk next to the pinewood derby supplies
for customers to weigh their cars. We’ve
found that it helps to bring people into the
store and increases our sales potential.
Additional sales alert!
Most hobby shops stock paint, sandpaper, striping tape, saws, tool kits, sanding
blocks and glue. Cross-merchandise these
items with a pinewood derby display. Train
your employees to recommend related
products to help maximize your sales.
Ready ... set ... go!
Getting started may be easier than you
think. Brands include Pinecar, Jackal
Hobbies, Pine Pro, Revell and Pinewood
Extreme. Microscale offers water-slide
number decals. Pinewood derby supplies
are readily available from Horizon Hobby
and Great Planes.
The popularity of pinewood derby has
grown and expanded past its traditional
BSA roots. Other organizations such as the
Girl Scouts, Pioneers and pinewood derby
adult leagues use the same supplies. Don’t
cater to only one bunch of people. The
more you offer to more groups, the greater
your bottom line will be.
Bonnie Domrois is the cashier manager at
Greenfield News & Hobby. She’s been there
for more than eight years, and is also a
model railroader.
17
PRODUCT
LAB
REVIEWS AND MARKETING IDEAS FOR ITEMS IN YOUR STORE
Blade mCX2: excitement evolved
Product: The mCX2 is another step for-
ward in the evolution of the coaxial ultramicro helicopter. Available in both RTF and
BNF versions, the mCX2 has the aggressive
looks of its much older sibling, the CX, with
the size advantages of last year’s darling,
the mCX.
As you might expect, there are some
hardware upgrades over the mCX, such as
a bigger LiPo battery (120mAh as opposed
to 110mAh), more powerful motors, and
heading lock for better control. The flashing LEDs are a very nice touch, too.
The serious difference is the new
adjustable swashplate. It allows the pilot
to select between more or less sensitivity
for more aggressive flying and faster airspeed. This feature, combined with selectable dual rates, sets the mCX2 apart from
other helis in the line.
VITAL STATS
Product: mCX2 RTF
Maker: Blade
Stock No.: EFLH2400
MSRP/Street: $159.99/$119.99
Availability: Horizon Hobby
18
Performance: Smooth. From take-
off through flight to landing, everything
about the mCX2 is crisp and clean. Apart
from a slight tweak of the rudder trim,
I didn’t have to make any other adjustments, and the heading-lock feature works
beautifully. All you have to do is point
the mCX2 in a direction and let go of the
sticks. It just sits there in mid air, purring
away, awaiting your input.
Switching the swashplate to the more
aggressive mode is as easy as popping off
the lower end of the rotor head links with
needle-nose pliers, rotating the plate and
popping the links onto the longer set of
control balls.
Flying the mCX2 after changing the
swashplate settings turns a kitten of a heli
into a cheetah. At full throttle, the mCX2
races across rooms and can really surprise
you with its speed. With the speed comes
more agility, but too sharp a turn and you
might fall out of the sky. This is definitely
the mode for the most fun with the mCX2!
Marketing: The entire Blade line practically sells itself. Without question, bust
one out of the box for an in-store demo.
If you’ve sold other Blade products, you
know that a demo is probably going to
be your best bet for sales. Show the flight
differences between an mCX2 with the
normal swashplate setting and the more
aggressive one.
Also, don’t forget to demonstrate how
to toggle between high and low rates on
the controller, and the control differences
between them.
Once customers see this ultra-micro
superstar’s flashing lights, killer looks and
ease of control, you’ll have a hard time
keeping them in stock.
With the release of the mCX2, Horizon
Hobby is breaking out the Blade lineup
into its own brand, rather than keeping
it under the E-flite banner. It has also
launched a new Web site (www.bladehelis.com) dedicated to the Blade helicopters, which features video, manuals, tips
and user support. Don’t hesitate to use it
as a resource center and sales tool in your
store.
Reviewed by Tim Kidwell
BOTTOM LINE
• Beginner-friendly
• Adjustable swashplate settings
• Flies wonderfully, looks great
PRODUCT LAB Mig Productions’ Hover Tank offers modelers artistic license
Product: Mig’s new 1:35 Hover Tank is
the latest edition to its Fantasy line of kits.
The tank is cast in resin and includes a small
fret of photo-etched metal parts and black
and clear rubber tubes. There is a onepage color sheet of instructions with some
assembly shots on one side and detail shots
of the finished model on the other.
Unfortunately, the instructions, while
required, aren’t as helpful as they could be
in assembling the hover tank; they mostly
show where the parts go on an already
assembled model.
Assembly: Caution customers that
some care should be taken when removing resin parts from their plugs. If stressed,
resin can fracture, and if the heavier parts
are dropped, they can easily break. I used
a razor saw to remove the parts from most
of the plugs and cleaned them up with
sprue cutters and a file.
The tank’s hull comes in two pieces. The
lower hull had a huge plug that I removed
using a motor tool and a medium burr.
Remind your customers to wear dust
masks for this sort of work, since resin
shavings are a respiratory irritant. Also,
resin has a distinct odor, so if your customer doesn’t have a dedicated workshop,
they might want to warn their family that
there may be a weird smell from the kit.
The photo-etched fans and grilles are
very nicely detailed and went on without
any fuss. The legs to the crab-like hover
tank are articulated and can be modeled
retracted or deployed. I drilled the leg
joints with a 5/64" bit to accommodate the
pins. I modeled them deployed and used a
painter’s palette to support the hull while
positioning and gluing the legs.
VITAL STATS
Product: Hover Tank resin kit
Maker: Mig Productions
Scale: 1:35
Stock No.: F 35-652
MSRP: $80
Other products used: Acrylicos Vallejo RLM Colors II (No. 71166) and
Winter Weathering Set (No. 72220);
Mig Productions Dark Wash (No.
P220) and Neutral Wash (No. P222)
Availability: Visit www.migproductions-usa.com or e-mail rick@
migproductions-usa.com
All of the pieces fit together well and
were very clean, requiring no filling.
Marketing: One of the great things
about sci-fi models is the complete artistic license they afford modelers when it
comes to finishing.
What’s useful to know here is that techniques for finishing World War II or modern
armor are just as relevant for finishing a
sci-fi piece. Advice can be garnered from
a number of resources. I used an article by
Bill Plunk in the May 2010 issue of FineScale
Modeler as a guide. Osprey Publishing has
just published a new title, Painting and Finishing Techniques (ISBN: 978-1-84603-263-9,
$19.95), which covers everything from preshading to finishing with oils.
With this information, you might be able
to snag hardcore armor builders who may
have otherwise passed.
Consider stocking some 1:48- and 1:35scale aircraft and armor decals nearby that
have interesting nose art and numbers.
These are a low-cost add-on that can really
help a modeler spruce up the kit.
Practically all of the painting was done
with Acrylicos Vallejo Model Air and Model
Color paints. The wide ranges of colors airbrush very well, go on evenly and provide
great coverage.
Mig Productions makes a line of enamel
washes and pastel pigments that modelers can use to dirty up the hover tank and
make it look like it’s seen a lot of action.
BOTTOM LINE
• Nice detail
• Minimal touch-ups required
• Unclear instructions
Provide a supply list with finishing suggestions that use some of these products. It
may take a little work, but it may also help
you make multiple sales.
Reviewed by Tim Kidwell
ModelRetailer.com
Visit our Web site for these
bonus Product Lab reviews:
•1:16 Slash VXL
Traxxas
•Nuns On the Run
Mayfair Games
•1:10 Sand Scorcher
30th Anniversary
Tamiya
Plus the latest news, business
articles and much more!
19
PRODUCT LAB Calling all Mustang collectors: Autoart has a model for you
Products: The Mustang marque remains
extremely popular today, even if not at the
frenzied level it was in the mid-1960s when
the pony car was a new and exciting departure for Ford and the rest of the Detroitdominated U.S. auto industry. Some think it
was the last great idea and styling venture
of what was Detroit’s golden age.
Autoart continues mining that gold with
a variety of new additions to its expansive
Mustang collection. Interesting to us are
two new models, the 1971 Ford Mustang
Mach 1 in bright white, and a jet black
2008 Mustang GT Bullitt. Each has a suggested retail price of $114.95.
By 1971 the muscle car era was winding
down. But Ford had launched the Mach 1
model in 1969 as a “tweener” model, just
up from the sporty GT, but not as racy as
the Boss, which had been winning TransAm races with the likes of Parnelli Jones
and George Follmer at the wheel.
1971 Mustang Mach 1
VITAL STATS
Products and stock nos.: 1971 Mustang Mach 1, white (No. 72824);
2008 Mustang GT Bullitt, black (No.
73067)
Maker: Autoart
Scale: 1:18
MSRP: $114.95 each
Availability: Gateway Global
When the Boss disappeared after 1970,
the Mach 1 was king of the lineup, still
maintaining its fastback looks. But the car
kept getting longer and heavier. The story
goes that Ford designers were not happy
with this model’s final styling, which was
heavily influenced by some newcomers
from cross-town rival GM. So “Ford” is not
anywhere on the car, only Mustang and
Mach 1 labels, plus “351 Ram Air” lettering
on the black hood.
Several engines were available, but this
one boasts the Boss 351 (4-valve Cleveland) engine that pounded out 330 horses.
Styling changes included flush door handles, a honeycomb grille with Mustang’s
pony logo, color-keyed racing mirrors and
three large vertical taillight lenses.
The Mach 1 (sounds fast!) made an
appearance in the James Bond thriller “Diamonds Are Forever,” which helped implant
it in many a Boomer’s mind, as did the
appearance of the 1968 GT Fastback in the
famous Steve McQueen thriller, “Bullitt.”
20
2008 Mustang GT Bullitt
That’s where the other model comes in.
This black beauty is the 2008 Bullitt version
of the freshly restyled Mustang.
Performance: The Mach 1 is well
executed, with chrome window, light and
grille trim. The white-and-black paint job is
pristine, and the 351 Ram Air lettering on
the black hood is crisp.
As with most Autoart 1:18-scale cars, the
hood, trunk and doors are also functional.
The under-hood detail is excellent, with
good plumbing and wiring and a realistic
black-and-blue air filter cover. It looks
impressive when you open the hood.
Inside, the giant faux-wood steering
wheel really stands out, and the gauges
have a realistic look. Door trim is good,
and the vinyl sport bucket seats appear
ready for driver and passenger.
The 2008 Bullitt model is nearly as
impressive, but is all black with no chrome.
The wheels look like brushed metal, to
maintain the darkened look of this slick
black-lacquered beast. Behind them are
massive disc brakes. In back, you’ll find two
monster dual chrome-tipped exhausts.
Lights are extremely realistic, with
good lenses, and the mesh grille appears
authentic. Under the hood is a welldetailed V8 that will be a hit with your
power-hungry car collectors. Like the
hood, the trunk and doors also open to
reveal solid detailing.
And as with the snazzy Mach 1, the
Bullitt’s interior detail is excellent, with
realistic gauges and sharply executed seats
front and rear.
Marketing: It’s hard to go wrong with
Mustang models, although these two are
likely aimed at separate ends of the diecast demographic. The 1971 model will be
popular with your Boomer customers who
may have owned one, or wished they had.
The black 2008 could tickle the buying
bug among younger collectors. However,
the price tag here is high enough that
you’ll want to target these at your upperend shoppers.
Remember too that setting up a display
with these 1:18 models as the keystone
makes for an eye-catcher. Stock up on a
variety of Autoart’s 1:43 Mustangs and
other 1960s and ’70s models and then
feature these newcomers as the best of the
best! Younger and less die-hard buyers can
better afford the smaller scale, while serious pony car fans won’t mind spending a
few bucks for these primo larger models.
Reviewed by Mark Savage
BOTTOM LINE
• Superb detail, engines/interiors
• Many moving parts
• Popular makes
RADIO CONTROL
BY TIm Kidwell
Aircraft
SkyFly Max EP RTF Flyzone
The old pod-and-boom design is revisited
with the new SkyFly Max (No. HCAA2511,
MSRP/Street $249.99/$199.99). Made from
Aerocell foam, it includes a 4-channel Tactic
2.4GHz radio system, brushless motor and
LiPo battery. Distributed by Great Planes.
Champ RTF
HobbyZone
Customers can teach themselves to fly
with the Champ RTF (No. HBZ4900, MSRP/
Street $119.99/$89.99). The plane includes
a 3-channel Spektrum DSM2 radio system,
1S 3.7V LiPo battery and DC charger, and
instruction manual. The Champ comes
completely assembled. Distributed by
Horizon Hobby.
LR-1A Pogo 15e ARF
E-flite
The Pogo (No. EFL4200, MSRP/Street
$199.99/$139.99) is a sport plane that can
also perform as a pylon racer. Requires
three mini servos, radio system, battery,
ESC and electric motor, or engine and fuel.
Distributed by Horizon Hobby.
Tires
Accessories
Big Joe 3.8"
1:16 E-Revo Extended Wheelbase Suspension Arms Pro-Line
Traxxas
Sold in pairs, the Big Joe (No. 1103-13,
$49.95) is pre-mounted to a black Tech 5
wheel, which is a direct fit for 17mm hex
monster trucks. Includes high-density
foam inserts and features sidewall ribbing
for extra support.
Drivers can increase their stability and confidence with a wider wheelbase. These arms
(No. 7132R, $8) extend the E-Revo’s wheelbase by 10mm, are easy to install and help
racers increase their speed in turns. Includes
upper and lower right and left arms.
22
!!! 1:16 E-Revo Wheelie Bar
Traxxas
If your customers like to ride their wheelies, then this is the item for them! The
Wheelie Bar (No. 7184, $15) is easy to
install, has four positions for different
wheelie angles, replaceable wheels and a
patent-pending design.
PushRod Exits
Du-Bro
Du-Bro has three new pushrod exits to
protect the edge of your customers’ aircraft. They are simple to install with the
included template. The new sizes include
a hooded pushrod exit (No. 951) for up to
2-56 pushrods/.072" dia.; an unhooded
exit for up to 4-40 pushrods/.093" dia. (No.
952); and an unhooded exit for up to 2-56
pushrods/.072" dia. (No. 953). Each exit
retails for $1.99.
Machined Xray Suspension
components
Team Epic
Machined aluminum knuckle arms (No.
TEP4000, $44.99) and 1- (No. TEP4001,
$49.99) and 2-degree (No. TEP4002,
$49.99) rear hub carriers for the 1:10 XRAY
Boaters everywhere have come to rely on Octura Models for
the best RC Model Power Boating needs such as:
PROPELLERS - METAL & PLASTIC
MOTOR MOUNTS
UNIVERSALS
RUDDERS
THRUST BEARINGS
STRUDDERS
WATER PICK-UPS
DRIVE DOGS
PROP SHAFTS
TAIL NUTS
PROP BALANCER
STRUTS
FLEXIBLE SHAFT HARDWARE & MORE
Why spend more for less...insist on
genuine Octura Model Marine Supplies!
OCTURA® MODELS, Inc.
7351 N. Hamlin Ave. • Skokie, IL 60076 • (847) 674-7351 • FAX (847) 674-7363
WE SELL DEALER DIRECT
23
RADIO CONTROL
electric touring cars are stronger than
stock and flex less for positive handling.
Each pair comes packaged with ball bearings and are anodized black.
Cars & Trucks
1:10 RC10B4.1 Brushless RTR Team Associated
Based on the winning RC10B4 platform,
this buggy (No. 9039, $389.99) comes with
a 3-channel 2.4GHz radio system, Reedy
3300kv motor, brushless ESC with LiPo cutoff, pre-mounted tires on dish wheels and
much more.
Boats
Shockwave 26 Brushless RTR Pro Boat
Available in three trim schemes, the Shockwave 26 Brushless (No. PRB3150, MSRP/
Street $359.99/$239.99) comes with a
2.4GHz radio system and BND technology
built in. Features include a sealed inner
hull, watercooled ESC, and a steerable
drive system with skid fins. Available from
Horizon Hobby.
Tools
clear Lexan. Decals, window masks and
overspray film included.
Batteries
Heat Shrink Tubing Sets
Du-Bro
Now customers can simplify their wiring
by using black heat shrink tubing for negative connections and red for positive ones.
Available in 1/8" (No. 938) and 3/16" (No. 939)
diameters. Four red and four black tubes,
11/2" long come in each pack. Each pack
retails for $1.70.
clear .030" Lexan, it can be used with or
without the wing. Includes decals, window
masks and overspray film.
RC992 Palm Charger Model Rectifier Corp.
The SuperBrain Palm Charger can charge
up to 12-cell NiCd and NiMH packs; 12V
lead acid/gel cells; and balance charge 1to 4-cell LiPo, Li-Ion and LiFe batteries. The
RB992 retails for $79. Available exclusively
from MRC.
Bodies
1:16 Dune Buggy (E-Revo)
1:8 Bulldog D8
Parma PSE
Pro-Line
Sporting modified fenders, Parma’s new
Dune Buggy (No. 10237, $21.99) is a direct
fit for the Traxxas 1:16 E-Revo. Pulled from
Pushing the unique, low-CG cab-forward
design, the Bulldog for the Hot Bodies D8
(No. 3327-00, $28.95) is molded from .040"
24
E-mail Tim at [email protected].
Unless otherwise indicated, contact information for all companies mentioned can be
found in Model Retailer’s Hobby Industry
Directory at www.ModelRetailer.com.
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What’s selling: RADIO CONTROL
?
COMPILED BY JENNY MAASKE
Test driving any of the Traxxas vehicles
usually is the selling point, and my manager can really drive.
Theresa Hoff
HobbyTown USA
Sioux Falls, S.D.
What is your favorite product
demonstration success story?
You can’t beat demonstrating the new
helicopters. If any customer indicates a
mild interest in them, I pull one out and
fly it around inside the store. It nets a 50%
chance of making a sale. Just don’t demonstrate them until you can fly them half
decently.
William Ott
Modellbahn Ott Hobbies, Inc.
Gilbertsville, Pa.
The Blade mCX continues to be very
popular, and the Novus series is gaining in
popularity.
Stuart Ruben
Wheels & Wings
Casper, Wy.
We have been invited to our town fair,
now three years running, to demonstrate
R/C products. We have been given a large
roped-off area to perform in, and without
WIN THIS PRIZE!
a doubt we are the highlight of the show.
During this two-day event, our booth and
store is quite busy selling what people saw
demonstrated.
Steve Brockman
The Hobby Shoppe
Orangeville, Ont.
The E-flite Blade mCX flies in our shop
many times a day and usually results in a
sale, if not that day, then a few days later.
Larry Bennett
RC Hobbies Plus
Lafayette, Ind.
Great Planes RealFlight flight simulator.
It has done a lot to let people know their
limitations and that lets me put them on
an item more in line with those limitations.
Don Dietz
D&S Hobbies
Florence, S.C.
W RTH
MORO
E THAN
24
RETAIL0
!
$
We have been selling E-flite helicopters
since their introduction. I fly them in our
shop to demo them for customers very
often. The CX, CX2, CX3 and mCX are small
enough to fly in a small area. When my
customers see me fly them in an area only
a little bigger than the heli itself, the sale
gets made at least 50% of the time. The
other 50% come in later to make their purchase! Hands-on and showing the product
really works.
John Brown
Brownies Pro & Sport Hobbies
Staten Island, N.Y.
The best and only success story I can think
of is with the E-flite Blade mCX helicopter.
One demo and usually anyone in the store
is hooked.
Kimberly Miller
Turn 4 Hobbies
West Boylston, Mass.
You can win this Tamiya Subaru
Impreza R/C kit in our next quarterly drawing. All you have to do
is participate in the What’s Selling survey. E-mail Jenny Maaske
at [email protected]
or call 262-796-8776 ext. 260 for
more information.
Congratulations
Craig Nelson of Action
Hobbies in Tempe, Ariz.
He received a ParkZone
Micro Citabria and four
SKS DVDs. Thanks to all the
retailers who returned the
survey!
26
Sponsored by:
What’s selling: RADIO CONTROL
Atlantic
North
Central
South
Mountain
Pacific
Store location
Dan’s Crafts & Things
Rochester, N.Y.
The Hobby Shoppe
Orangeville, Ont.
RC Hobbies Plus
Lafayette, Ind.
D&S Hobbies
Florence, S.C.
Wheels & Wings
Casper, Wyo.
Hillcrest Hobbies
Yuba City, Calif.
Vehicles
Stampede, Slash
Traxxas
Slash, Savage X
Traxxas, HPI
Aftershock, E-Revo
Losi, Traxxas
Slash 4x4
Traxxas
2.4GHz models
Traxxas
Various models
Traxxas
Aircraft
Blade helicopters
E-flite
Super Cub
HobbyZone
Blade helicopters
E-flite
Blade helicopters
E-flite
Blade helicopters
E-flite
Ultra Micro P-51
ParkZone
Boats
Mini Rio, Zig Zag Racer
AquaCraft
Apache
Pro Boat
Mini Wildcat
AquaCraft
Bandit II
Thunder Tiger
No trend
No trend
Accessories
manufacturer
LiPo batteries
Venom
Batteries, chargers
Venom, Hot Bodies
Radios, servos
Spektrum, Hitec
Onyx batteries
DuraTrax
Servos
Various makes
Paint
Tamiya
Store location
Brownies Pro & Sport
Staten Island, N.Y.
St. Marys Hobby Center
St. Marys, Ohio
River Eagle Hobbies
Boonville, Mo.
Hub City Hobbies
Hattiesburg, Miss.
Hobby Action
Tempe, Ariz.
Loose Caboose Hobbies
Napa, Calif.
Vehicles
Slash 4x4
Traxxas
Rustler
Traxxas
E-Revo
Traxxas
Short-course trucks
Traxxas, Losi, HPI
Slash 4x4
Traxxas
No trend
Aircraft
Micro J-3 Cub
ParkZone
CP Pro2
E-flite
Blade mSR
E-flite
Blade mSR
E-flite
Super Cub
HobbyZone
Firebird Commander
HobbyZone
Boats
Volere 22 EP
Pro Boat
Villian IV
Traxxas
Volere 22 EP
Pro Boat
Blast
Traxxas
WidowMaker 22
Pro Boat
Zig Zag Racer
HobbyZone
Accessories
Huey body for CP Pro
E-flite
8.4V batteries
Traxxas
No trend
manufacturer
The Car Stand
Overdose Racing
LiPo batteries, chargers
Dynamite
Blade CX3 parts
E-flite
Store location
Family Hobby & Crafts
Vestal, N.Y.
PopPop’s Trains
Eminence, Mo.
HobbyTown USA
Sioux Falls, S.D.
The Place
Charlottesville, Va.
HobbyTown USA
Longmont, Colo.
Race Prep Hobbies
Simi Valley, Calif.
Vehicles
No trend
Stampede
Traxxas
Various models
Traxxas, Losi, HPI
Ten-T truggy
Losi
Slash 4x4
Traxxas
SC10
Team Associated
Aircraft
Blade helicopters
E-flite
Cobra helicopters
Various makes
Super Cub
HobbyZone
Blade mSR
E-flite
Proto helicopter
Revell
Mini Super Cub
HobbyZone
Boats
Zig Zag Racer
HobbyZone
Blast
Traxxas
Blast, Villain, Nitro Vee
Traxxas
No trend
No trend
WidowMaker 22
Pro Boat
Accessories
Parts
E-flite
Power Up program
Traxxas
Glow plugs, batteries
Various makes
Parts
Traxxas
DX3e radio
Spektrum
LiPo batteries
Various makes
manufacturer
manufacturer
manufacturer
manufacturer
manufacturer
manufacturer
manufacturer
manufacturer
manufacturer
manufacturer
Lists are based on retailer reports of hot-selling items in each category. Survey was taken in April.
Success Sells
HobbyZone Gives Them a Great Start –
They Give You More Business
HobbyZone planes let anyone experience first-flight success.
The kind of success customers rave about and that keeps
them coming back for more instead of a refund.
Champ
HBZ4900
See the difference HobbyZone success can make in your
bottom line. Call Horizon Hobby toll free 1-800-535-5551.
©2010 Horizon Hobby, Inc. HobbyZone is an exclusive brand of Horizon Hobby, Inc. 28024.T
28
MODEL RAILROADING
by JENNY MAASKE
locomotives
HO PRR Mikado MÄrklin
This steam locomotive (No. 441-37976,
$649.98) features an mfx digital decoder,
a powerful can motor with a bell-shaped
armature and a flywheel mounted in the
boiler, and separately applied grabirons
and details. Figures of a locomotive engineer and fireman are included.
HO USRA Heavy and Light steam Mikados
USRA Heavy Mikados are available in
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Chicago &
North Western; Missouri Pacific RR; New
Haven; Nickel Plate Road; Southern Ry.;
and Western Pacific paint schemes. Light
Mikado schemes include Canadian National, Florida East Coast, Lehigh & Hudson,
Maine Central, National Ry. of Mexico, New
York Central (Indiana Harbor Belt report-
ing marks), Pennsylvania, Rock Island and
Union Pacific. Both versions also available painted but unlettered. Models are
equipped with Paragon2 sound and control system with Auto Pilot. Price is $249.99
each. August delivery is expected.
HO GE AC4400 diesel Athearn
N EMD E6 and E7 diesels
A-B sets (powered A unit, non-powered B)
are available in Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe;
Baltimore & Ohio; and Union Pacific paint
schemes. Individual powered A and B units
are available in AT&SF; B&O; Rock Island;
Missouri Pacific; Pennsylvania; Southern
Pacific; and Southern Ry. paint schemes.
Models are equipped with Paragon2 sound
and control system with Auto Pilot. A-B sets
are $249.99 each; powered A and B units
are $199.99 each. Delivery is expected in
October.
New paint schemes on Athearn’s HO-scale
GE AC4400 diesel locomotive ($109.98)
include BNSF Ry. (post-2005 lettering), CP
Rail, Ferromex and Ferrosur. Three road
numbers each. Details include flush-fitting
windows, prototypically accurate horns
and McHenry scale magnetic knuckle couplers. Delivery is expected in August.
ROlling stock
HO 0-6-0 saddle tank switcher
bachmann trains
Bachmann’s HO-scale 0-6-0 tank locomotive ($125.00) is DCC-equipped, with metal
detail parts, an operating headlight and
painted crew figures. The model is available
in the following road names: Santa Fe (No.
81812), Union Pacific (No. 81813), Midwest
Quarry & Mining Company (No. 81814),
Colorado Mining Company (No. 81815) and
Weyerhaeuser (No. 81816). An undecorated
model (No. 81811) is also available.
HOn3 D&RGW long caboose Blackstone models
Blackstone Models is offering its HOn3
model of the D&RGW Long Caboose
($79.95) in the five D&RGW road numbers
and multiple heralds. Each version is also
produced in a weathered paint scheme
($83.95). Caboose versions include molded
detail variations such as ladder dimensions, window moldings, awnings, cupola
grab irons and a detailing kit.
N freight cars
micro-trains line
New paint schemes include a 40-foot
boxcar painted gold and lettered for Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (No. 02400250,
$16.70), a 40-foot drop bottom gondola
with scrap wood load lettered for Southern
Pacific (Nos. 08300081, 08300082; $21.40),
30
MODEL RAILROADING
a 39-foot single dome tank car with
red, black and white Koppers logo (No.
06500670, $21.40), a 40-foot boxcar lettered for Pennsylvania RR (No. 02400180,
$19.90), a Canadian Pacific plug-door boxcar painted aluminum with red script writing and logo (No. 07400040, $19.30) and
a 40-foot despatch stock car lettered for
Great Northern (No. 03500170, $13.70).
HO UP 48-seat diner
walthers
The sixth car in Walthers’ UP City Streamliner series is a 48-seat diner (No. 932-9540,
$64.98). The model is based on cars built
by American Car & Foundry in 1949 and
features factory-installed and -painted
grab irons, prototypically green-tinted windows and Proto-Max couplers. Also available undecorated (No. 932-9541).
N Flatcar with load
Bachmann Trains
These N-scale flatcars are available in four
versions: container load, crated load, pipeload or steel load. Available road names
include Maine Central, Pennsylvania, Santa
Fe, Seaboard, Union Pacific and Western
Maryland. Each is $15.
sets
HO American freight car set
MÄrklin
This set (No. 441-45642, $559.98) consists
of 10 different freight cars from several
American railroads, including double-door
boxcars lettered for New York Central and
Great Northern Railroad; livestock cars
lettered for Armour Livestock Express and
Chicago & Northwestern; hoppers lettered
for Minneapolis & St. Louis; Delaware, Lackawanna & Western; and New York, New
Haven & Hartford; tank cars lettered for
Humble Petroleum Products and Texgas
Union Texas; and a caboose lettered for the
Pennsylvania.
scenery
structures
HO Fire Station No. 3
Woodland Scenics
Woodland Scenics has added Fire Station
No. 3 to its line of DPM Select Building
Kits. Fire Station No. 3 (No. 12400, $44.99)
features period-authentic ornamentation,
hinged engine bay doors and molding that
allows easy installation of wiring for interior lighting.
32
S land o’ Corn backdrop kit BPH Enterprises
BPH is offering an S-scale version of its
SceniKing “Land o’ Corn” photo backdrop
kit. The kit (No. U042, $81.95) features farm
scenes printed as individual panels on
Make the 2010 iHobby Expo™
Your Most Successful Show Ever
I
t’s important that everyone attending the iHobby
Expo™ – exhibitors, dealers and consumers
– get the most out of their experience for
optimal success. The HMA Show Committee has
developed a three part series of tips and tools
to assist our exhibitors, buyer attendees and public
customers have the most successful show ever!
Before the show:
Exhibitors – for maximum success, plan your
show experience.
Some exhibitors are experiencing only moderate
success during the trade portion of the iHobby Expo™.
Many exhibitors gauge success by orders written
at the show as well as response from the dealers in
attendance. These are certainly good guidelines by
which to evaluate whether a trade show is successful.
But in making a post-show evaluation of success, it
is important that exhibitors maximize their efforts
before, during and after the show to place their
products in the market using all opportunities available.
The HMA Show Committee offers these guidelines to
exhibitors who are perhaps not exploring all avenues
available to them in the way of show specials,
promotions and continuity of product placement to our
attending retailers. Remember that the iHobby Expo™
(Expo) is the only major hobby expo in the USA, and the
only Expo combining trade and consumer hobby shows
into one event. Be prepared for both.
1.
Update your online exhibitor profile at
www.ihobbyexpo.com so dealers will know
you’re exhibiting.
2.
Include information about the Expo in all customer
correspondence during the year.
3.
Construct a show special. Dealers have
committed travel expenses and their valuable time
to attend our show, they are looking for ways to
offset these costs by taking advantage of specials.
4.
Meet with your attending staff in advance of
the Expo to be sure everyone knows the
program, the products and the specials.
5.
If you do not plan to sell your products to the
public from your booth on the consumer days,
arrange with some of the retails stores (who set
up in the rear of the hall on Saturday and Sunday)
to either buy a selection of your products to sell
at the show, or to supply them on a consignment
basis. Either way, your goal on these two days is to
place as much of your product in the hands of the
attending consumers as possible.
During the Show:
1.
Create an attractive display.
2.
Be attentive… Talk to the customer!
3.
Make it simple for the dealer to buy your products.
Remember, you MUST have something to offer
on the show floor to entice the dealers
After the Show:
1.
Organize a list of the dealers from whom you took
cards, with contact name and info, and send the
list to your distributors (if applicable) for follow up.
If you do not sell through distributors, be sure to
follow up all leads with a call.
2.
Talk to industry colleagues to see how they create
show success.
3.
Communicate any successes, concerns or issues
with the HMA office at 973-283-9088. We’re here to
help all exhibitors have a successful show before,
during and after!!!!
Dirt track at the 2009 iHobby Expo™.
www.ihobbyexpo.com
33
MODEL RAILROADING
8½ x 14-inch paper and assembles to more
than 16 feet long.
ELECTRONICS
HO DIGITAL SOUND DECODER
SOUNDTRAXX
SoundTraxx recently introduced its new Tsunami TSU-KT1000 Digital Sound Decoder,
designed to replace the light board in Kato
HO diesel locomotives. Each 14-function
TSU-KT1000 decoder has a 16-bit digital
sound system and produces up to 22 individual sounds. Two board-mounted LEDs
are included, along with two additional 3.3V
outputs. Retail price is $119.95 each.
HO, O WAVING
AMERICAN
FLAG
ACCESSORIES
SCENIC
ADHESIVE
MINIATRONICS
Miniatronics is
offering a waving
American flag in
HO ($59.95) and
O ($64.95) scales,
available with 50
or 48 stars. The
unit includes a
planter base with
greenery, flagpole with attached American flag, power
source and installation instructions. To
complete installation, a 1½-inch hole must
be cut into the tabletop.
T’S CUSTOM
TREES
Scenic Adhesive
is the latest
product from T’s
Custom Trees.
Ideal for all scenery needs, Scenic
Adhesive (No.
4716, $5.49) dries
to a matte finish
and comes packaged in a 16-oz.
bottle. For more
information, call
503-314-5637 or
e-mail tharris@
tscustomtrees.
com.
E-mail Jenny at [email protected].
Stock your shop with
sound locomotives that
make GREAT PROFIT.
•Paragon2 HO Sound Locomotives
•PUFFING SMOKE in Steamers
•Auto-Pilot Equipped=Hands-Free Operation
•Load-dependent sounds and speed
•MAP protected
LGB
is Back!
And only available from Walthers,
the exclusive North American
distributor.
For more
information
call toll free
800-877-7171.
Broadway Limited Imports, LLC
Call: 386.673.8900
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Quality since 1926
MSRP $179.98
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ARIZONA TRAINS & HOBBIES
ATTENTION RETAILERS
WHOLESALE TO THE TRADE ONLY
Are you looking for a distributor that will treat you fairly no matter how large or small your orders are?
Try ARIZONA TRAINS & HOBBIES. We feature great service at competitive prices. Our prices remain the same 1 piece or case lots.
We sell to retail stores only. We do not compete with our dealers.
We Proudly Distribute
Atlas • Atlas-O • QSI • Lionel • K-Line • Ready Made Toys • Aristo-Craft • Bachmann N thru G • Kato • Plasticville • USA Trains
Kalmbach Publications • Miller Engineering • Excel Hobby Tools • All World Scenes • Super Smoke® • Woodland Scenics
Midwest Products • Boley • Classic Metal Works • IMEX • Broadway Limited • MRC • Z-Stuff for trains • Timberline Trees
We Now Carry MTH!
ARIZONA TRAINS & HOBBIES
15605 Broadway Center Street, Gardena, CA 90248 • Toll Free: 877-889-2005 • Phone: 310-965-0005 • FAX: 310-965-0006
MODEL RAILROADING MART
Visit Our Web Site: www.aztrainsca.com
MODEL RAILROADING MART
CLASSICS
MONTH 2000 www.ModelRetailer.com
MODEL RETAILER
MOD-RR0610.indd 35
35
1
5/3/10 9:02:20 AM
What’s selling: model railroading
?
how much we know about our products
and allowed them to try new hobbies
firsthand.
John Donalies
Dan’s Crafts & Things
Rochester, N.Y.
Woodland Scenics came out with a demo
kit for hobby stores. It makes doing a scenery demo great. I charge a small materials
fee for our scenery clinic classes. We spend
about an hour with each class member
completing their own little “hillside.” Then
we have social hour with refreshments
where customers spend time looking
around the store and making purchases!
Bill Longcor
Feels Like Home LLC
Newton, N.J.
We set up an N-gauge cloverleaf layout
on a 4 x 4-foot board using all knuckle
couplers, one locomotive and an 18-car
train. We let it run and run and run. It rarely
ever became uncoupled. It sold most of
the last holdouts still using the old and
worthless (are you listening, manufacturers?) NMRA/Rapido couplers. Convincing
customers of the reliability of the “new”
WIN THIS PRIZE!
N-gauge knuckle couplers was easy. Now
if we could just convince the last holdouts
in the manufacturing world as easily. That
would be something!
Roy Ballard
Napa, Calif.
Last year, we ran a series of free demonstrations from February to May. We kicked
it off with a model railroad DCC demo
presented by NCE, which overflowed our
classroom with people. Topics taught by
our staff members included knitting, wood
ship building, rock crawlers, perler beads,
R/C car body painting, airbrushing, jewelry
making, Alumilite casting and scenery. We
advertised these events as our 35th Anniversary Demo Days and had something
scheduled for every Saturday from 1 to 3
p.m. It was a lot of work to keep the schedule going, but it reminded our customers
W RTH
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Our store has held various workshops that
teach the hobbyist the basics. However,
the best demo was our “Built in a Day”
event. The local club, Ganaraska Railroad
Modelers, along with 15 of our customers
built our in-store HO layout from benchwork to operation in one day. It was a
great day and resulted in an increase in
new customers and even a few club members. Having the layout in the store has
helped us demo products from Digitrax,
Atlas and Woodland Scenics, too. I change
things up and whenever I add something
new, it sells.
Colleen Dobie
The Doll House and Train Emporium
Port Hope, Ont.
Layout building classes. They have a lot of
hands-on demonstrations for our participants.
Gary Stanley
The Whistle Stop Train Shop
Troy, Ohio
You can win this package of
Bachmann products in our next
quarterly drawing. All you have
to do is participate in the What’s
Selling survey. E-mail Jenny
Maaske at [email protected] or call 262-796-8776 ext.
260 for more information.
Congratulations
James Otten of PopPop’s
Trains, Hobbies & More in
Eminence, Mo. He received
28 N-scale train cars from
Micro-Trains. Thanks to all
the retailers who returned
the survey!
36
New! Just for You!
Digitrax.biz for
Dealers only.
SDH164D $49.95 msrp
6 FX3 Functions
28mm Round Speaker
1.273” x 0.67” x 0.25”
New Digitrax SoundFX Decoders:
Sound, Motor and Functions
All-In-One Decoders for N & HO
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
• Full Digitrax Series 3 mobile decoder feature set:
Speed Tables
Simplified Scaleable Back EMF
Advanced Consisting
Transponding
Supersonic Motor Drive
Decoder Lock and so much more!
SDN144PS $49.95 msrp
4 FX3 Functions
18mm x 13mm Oval Speaker
1.22” x 0.405” x 0.164”
Short 8 Pin Harness for HO
1 Amp Continuous / 2 Amp Peak Rating
FX3 Functions
Includes speaker and 330uF capacitor
Preloaded with diesel & steam sounds
Additional sounds available for free download
Fully customizable sounds
No external sensor for sound workload changes
No programming booster needed
No in-rush current problems
Superior performance and reliability
Complete Train Control
Digitrax, Inc. 2443 Transmitter Road, Panama City, FL 32404
Phone 850 872-9890 / Fax 850 872-9557 www.digitrax.com
37
Sponsored by:
Atlantic
Central
South
Mountain/North
Pacific
Store location
Toy Train Emporium
Cherry Hill, N.J.
The Whistle Stop Train Shop
Troy, Ohio
The Place
Charlottesville, Va.
HobbyTown USA
Longmont, Colo.
Napa, Calif.
HO scale
Locomotive
Rolling Stock
Accessories
Bachmann 2-10-4 Santa Fe
No trend
Buildings
Athearn, Atlas
Bachmann, Athearn
Couplers, buildings
Athearn
Athearn
Atlas track
Roundhouse 2-6-0, 2-8-0
InterMountain tank cars
No trend
Walthers Trainline GP9M
Atlas bulkhead flats
Blair Line wood RR crossings
N scale
Locomotive
Rolling Stock
Accessories
Model Power steam
Atlas freight cars
Buildings
Atlas, Kato
Micro-Trains, Atlas
Track, scenery
Atlas
Atlas
Atlas track
InterMountain SD40-2
Athearn hoppers
No trend
InterMtn. SP Cab Forward
Atlas Trainman
Kato Unitrack
Other
Locomotive
Rolling Stock
Accessories
Lionel Heritage series
Lionel Heritage series
MTH buildings
No trend
No trend
No trend
Lionel
Lionel
Lionel
No trend
No trend
No trend
SuperStreets, K-Line vehicles
Bachmann On30
Bachmann Plasticville
Store location
RR Model & Hobby Supply
Winsted, Conn.
DLH Locomotive Works
Springfield, Ohio
Trains of Ocala
Ocala, Fla.
The Doll House & Train Emp.
Port Hope., Ont.
Reed’s Hobby Shop
La Mesa, Calif.
HO scale
Locomotive
Rolling Stock
Accessories
Athearn AC44
Atlas bulkhead flats
Track, buidings
Athearn SD70ACe
ExactRail
Microscale decals
Mike’s Train House SD70
Athearn freight cars
Atlas track
Bachmann Peter Witt cars
Athearn tank cars
Mini Metal Trailways Bus
Athearn
Athearn
Woodland Scenics
N scale
Locomotive
Rolling Stock
Accessories
Atlas GP35
Atlas, Micro-Trains
No trend
No trend
No trend
No trend
Kato SD70
Micro-Trains circus cars
Kato track
Bachmann TTC PCC Streetcar
Atlas piggyback flats w/trailer
Athearn Intercity Bus
Atlas
Atlas, Athearn
Woodland Scenics
Other
Locomotive
Rolling Stock
Accessories
Atlas O RS3
No trend
No trend
No trend
No trend
No trend
Williams by Bachmann
Lionel
MRC Pure Power Dual
No trend
No trend
No trend
Atlas O
MTH
MTH, Woodland Scenics
Store location
TF Train & Hobby
Denville, N.J.
River Eagle Hobbies
Boonville, Mo.
Train Town Toy & Hobby
Ashland, Va.
Winona Garden Railway
Guelph, Ont.
Just Trains
Concord, Calif.
HO scale
Locomotive
Rolling Stock
Accessories
Atlas GP40
Atlas cabooses
No trend
Bachmann 2-6-2 with tender
IHC MOPAC passenger set
Track, prebuilt buildings
Atlas
Athearn, MTH
Model Power buildings
No trend
No trend
No trend
InterMountain Cab Forward
ExactRail
Woodland Scenics
N scale
Locomotive
Rolling Stock
Accessories
Kato
Micro-Trains
Kato Unitrack
Bachmann 4-8-4
No trend
No trend
Kato, Athearn
Atlas, Bachmann, Athearn
Model Power buildings
No trend
No trend
No trend
No trend
Kato passenger cars
Woodland Scenics
Other
What’s selling: MODEL RAILROADING
Locomotive
Rolling Stock
Accessories
Eishindo T gauge
Märklin Z-scale cars
Eishindo T gauge
USA Trains Heritage
No trend
No trend
Lionel, Williams by Bachmann
MTH, Lionel
MTH
USA Trains GP9
Aristo-Craft 3-dome tank cars
Aristo Revolution
Bachmann Spectrum On30
San Juan On30
O-scale figures
Give Your Customers more
ChoiCes in rollinG stoCk
Athearn brings you and your customers more – complete
attention to detail, prototypical accuracy and a wide selection
of roadnames and road numbers.
Give your customers more with Athearn.
© 2010 Horizon Hobby, Inc. Athearn® products are distributed exclusively by Horizon Hobby, Inc.
38
28208.T
Stock Up today on a SUre-Sell
athearn lpG early and late tank cars
Athearn delivers again. We’re bringing you and your
platforms, die-cast end frames, wire grab irons and
customers tankers like no others with the all-new LPG
McHenry ® scale ARR upper and lower shelf knuckle
Early and Late Tank Cars in HO scale.
couplers. The cars include prototypical Early and
Late body styles.
These newly tooled Ready To Roll
®
models come
straight from the prototype manufacturer’s drawings
Stock up today to bring your customers the tankers
with roadnames and numbers not reproduced by
they’re looking for. Visit Fast Serve or call your sales
any other manufacturer. They feature photo-etched
representative today.
other available modelS
Full WalkWay (Early Model)
96403
96404
96405
96406
96407
96408
96409
96410
96411
96400
Etched Platform, Center
Procor #29874
Procor #30338
Procor #40325
UTLX #950286
UTLX #950298
UTLX #950333
UTLX “The Tank Car People” #950246
Undecorated Early
oFFset WalkWay (Late Model)
$34.98
$34.98
$34.98
$34.98
$34.98
$34.98
$34.98
$34.98
$34.98
$34.98
Etched Platform, Offset
96412
96413
96414
96415
96416
96417
96418
96419
96420
96401
UTLX #952566
UTLX #952853
UTLX #953017
Procor #33496
Procor #33497
Procor #33498
GATX #203182
GATX #203198
GATX #202959
Undecorated - Late with offset platform
Etched End Platform
$34.98
$34.98
$34.98
$34.98
$34.98
$34.98
$34.98
$34.98
$34.98
$34.98
Laser Sharp Graphics
© 2010 Horizon Hobby, Inc. Athearn® products are distributed exclusively by Horizon Hobby, Inc. For additional information or your nearest Athearn dealer, visit www.Athearn.com or call us toll-free at
800-338-4639. Some factory-painted, pre-production models shown.
28206.T
MODELS
BY TIm Kidwell
Aircraft
parts, lower and upper hull and tracks. The
engine cover grille is photo-etched metal.
Includes markings for the Russian Army.
Distributed by Stevens International.
Testors Classic Aircraft Kits Testor Corp.
Testors is repopping and rebranding 11 of
its classic 1:48- and 1:72-scale aircraft kits,
including the Spirit of St. Louis, the Gee
Bee Racer and the Nieuport 17. Each kit
retails for $7.49. An assortment display is
available (No. 8100). Call Testors at 1-800435-2942 to learn more.
1:35 U.S. Army M4 Crew PTO Warriors/Squadron
Products
1:35 M1132 Stryker Engineer Squad Vehicle (ESV) with LWMR
Mine Roller/SOB
Trumpeter
A new variant of the Stryker (No. 1574,
$49.95), this kit contains over 700 plastic
parts and rubber tires, and allows builders
to model the impressive looking LWMR
assembly used to find buried mines. Includes
photo-etched jerry-can mounts and machine
guns. Imported by Stevens International.
Figures
1:12 Little Boy
Masterpiece Models
A solid, resin-cast body, multipart resin
tail-fin assembly and finely detailed accessories make this a showpiece model. This
kit (No. MMPT005, $64.99) includes parts
for the loading trailer. E-mail Rick Lawler
at [email protected] for
wholesale information.
Armor
1:35 Russian BMP-3 Motorized Infantry Combat Vehicle (MICV)
Trumpeter
Completely new tooling! The BMP-3 kit (No.
364, $49.95) comes with over 700 plastic
40
This kit (No. 25106, $28) matches Tamiya
figures with Italeri accessories to create a
handy set. The figures are in relaxed poses.
Includes a hoist, workbench, jack, gas cylinders and more. Some tools, such as the
vise and spanners, are made by Tamiya.
28mm British Firing Line Wargames Factory
Part of the Wars of
Empires range of
miniatures, this kit
(No. WGF-WE001)
allows customers to
build 20 multipart
British soldiers suitable for the Zulu War of 1879 and other
late 19th century conflicts. MSRP is $14.95.
E-mail [email protected] for
distributor information.
Perfect for customers needing crewmen appropriate for
WWII’s Pacific Theater.
The blister pack (No.
WA35666, $34.99)
includes two 3/4 figures
and two 1/2 figures for
placement in open M4
hatches. Distributed by MMD.
1:35 Korean War USAF Ground Crew Warriors/Squadron
Products
Is your customer
building a diorama of
a Korean War airfield?
This blister pack (No.
WA54037, $29.99) contains two 1950s era
U.S. Airforce aircraft
maintenance men,
standing bundled against the cold. Distributed by MMD.
Fantasy & Sci-Fi
1:35 WWII U.S. Field Maintenance Yard
Games Workshop
Blood Angels Death Company
Tamiya
This box set (No. 99120101084, $33)
contains seven acrylic paint colors, sandy
paste, a sepia wash, two Toray brushes, a
palette, sponge and color chart.
set (No. 73197, $19) are four colors: yellow
ochre, brown iron oxide, natural umber
and light slate gray. Each 30ml pot comes
with a childproof top to help avoid spills.
contains 94 plastic pieces, including five
backpacks, five jump packs, 20 shoulder
pads, eight heads and a host of weapons;
enough to build five Blood Angel Space
Marines. Models supplied with 25mm
round bases.
BB-Senshi Sangokuden
Paint Marker Set
Gunze-Sangyo
Warpaints Set
The Army Painter
This new paint set includes a 150ml spray
can of either black (No. ST5106) or white
(No. ST5107) primer, 10 colors of acrylic
paint in 15ml squeeze bottles and two
brushes. Available in June. Set retails
for $37.50. Contact Bo Penstoft at bo@
thearmypainter.com for distributor info.
Pigment Set No. 2
Acrylicos Vallejo
Just what modelers need to get that grimy,
used-in-the-field look. Included with this
Perfect for adding color to Bandai’s BBSangokuden Super-Deformed Gundam
kits. This set of six paint markers (No.
GNZGMS118, $23.95) includes one waterbased black for panel lines, and five
alcohol-based colors: silver, gold, metallic
green, metallic blue and metallic red. Distributed by Dragon Models USA.
Blood Angels Baal Predator
Games Workshop
The Blood Angels Baal Predator kit (No.
99120101086, $49.50) includes 110 plastic pieces. The kit features a number of
Blood Angel icons for customization and
a choice of a bare head or helmeted tank
commander.
Paints & Pigments
CLASSICS
REBORN
round2models.com
Winter Weathering Set
Acrylicos Vallejo
This useful set (No. 72220, $45) includes
everything a modeler needs to get a great
weathered winter look on his model. It
41
DIE-CAST
BY Sue Brettingen
cars
1:64 County roads 4 greenlight collectibles
The County Roads Series (No. 29670)
includes replicas of a 1968 Chevy C-10
with toolbox, 1970 Pontiac GTO, 1977
Dodge Ramcharger, 1987 Pontiac Firebird
Formula, 2006 Ford Crown Victoria (Laconia, N.H.) and 2010 Ford Taurus SHO. Each
retails for $5.99. Call 317-287-0800 or visit
www.greenlighttoys.com.
1:64 motor world 2 greenlight collectibles
GreenLight’s Motor World line showcases
vehicle brands from around the globe.
Each replica features a metal body, plastic
chassis and authentic detailed wheels. The
second in the series includes a 1953 Cadillac Eldorado, 1955 Chevy Bel Air, 1956 Ford
F-100 truck, 1965 Shelby Cobra S/C 427,
Land Rover Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz
Sprinter, Mini Cooper, Volkswagen Samba
Bus, Volkswagen W30, BMW Z4, Jaguar
XK and Lamborghini Gallardo. The entire
case (No. 96020) retails for $34.99; each car
retails for $2.99. Call 317-287-0800 or visit
www.greenlighttoys.com.
1:18 1983 volkswagen beetle minichamps
Volkswagen’s production of Beetles in
Mexico began in 1967. In 1983, Mexican
Beetles received new front seats with
adjustable headrests. This replica of the
1983 Beetle 1200 model (No. P150057100)
retails for $68.95 and is available from
Replicarz.
1:18 honda ballade Autoart
Honda produced the subcompact Ballade from 1980 through 2000 and sold
it throughout Japan, Europe and South
Africa. Blending elements of the Civic and
the CR-X, the Ballade received a major
42
facelift in 1999. This replica (No. 73262,
$114.95) includes a right-hand steering
wheel, authentic to the market in which
the actual car was driven.
trucks
1:53 kenworth w900
dump truck tonkin replicas
Tonkin’s replica of the Kenworth W900
dump truck comes with a detailed interior,
working suspension, steering front axle,
opening hood and toolbox, functional
dump bed and bed cover, and a trailer
hitch. Available in white (No. 090139) or
black (No. 090186), each model retails for
$69.95. Available from b2breplicas.
1:64 Harley-Davidson
international transtar coe
die-cast promotions
Die-Cast Promotions produces a variety
of Harley-Davidson replicas, and not just
motorcycles. This tractor with petroleum
tanker (No. 81107, $59.99) is one of the
newest offerings and will be available in
June. For more information, call 563-5833468 or visit www.ffertl3.com.
construction
This model (No. 55265, $173.95) of the Caterpillar D11T track-type tractor comes in
an antique bronze finish. The tractor blade
tilts forward and backward and raises and
lowers. The model also features realistic
grab rails and handles and a detailed cab
interior. Available from b2breplicas.
military
1:50 Caterpillar D11T
1:32 german 3-ton cargo truck
norscot scale models
forces of valor
The Germans made extensive use of the
3-ton version of the Opel Blitz cargo truck
during World War II. This replica (No. 80061,
$50.95) includes a driver, articulating features, realistic weathering and intricate
detail. A July-August arrival is expected.
Available from b2breplicas. E-mail Sue at sbrettingen@modelretailer.
com. Unless otherwise indicated, contact
information for all companies mentioned can
be found in Model Retailer’s Hobby Industry
Mack Granite Flatbed Truck
Distributors of Quality Toys
and Collectible Models
TWH Collectibles - Norscot - Spec-Cast
Tonkin Replicas - Greenlight - Bruder
M2 Machines - Eligor - Sword Models
Phone (417)206-9700
[email protected]
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43
What’s selling: models/DIE-CAST
?
Metal detectors, showing how simple they
are to use and the fun they can have finding
all kinds of objects. Try to relate the metal
detecting to fishing and how you never
know what you are going to catch. I show
items I have found and how by doing a little
research, they too can find great treasures. I
sold nine in the last month myself. It doesn’t
sound like a lot, but five of them cost more
than $1,600 each.
Pat Barcello
Columbus Trains and Hobbies
Columbus, N.J.
About five years ago, we had a nice display
cabinet that contained about 10 years of
my personal competition plastic models
knocked over by a customer. I spent the
next several weeks rehabbing these prized
models near the front counter, and it
sparked a huge plastic model revival during an otherwise slow period for plastics.
WIN THIS PRIZE!
No, I haven’t been tempted to repeat the
disaster!
Carl Dann
Smoky Mountain Trader
Cleveland, Ga.
We demonstrate a lot of different items
in the store; some because they are just
fun to do; some because the item in the
box does not do it justice; some as formal classes; and some on the spur of the
moment.
The digital sound systems in Lionel and
MTH trains cry out to be heard. The difference between an air whistle and a full
sound system cannot be appreciated by a
novice until demonstrated.
The Blade mCX helicopter is my favorite
to fly around the store. Customers are
always impressed with the way the little
bird hovers when you remove your hands
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E THAN
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from the controls.
Woodland Scenics rock molds and plaster don’t look too exciting hanging up, but
[when I] make a few rocks in a class, I sell
tons of them during the next few weeks.
Static displays of things in progress,
while not an active demonstration, work to
show the behind-the-scenes steps of how
things get done. My HO layout will never
be finished because we want to show the
raw plaster, foam and unballasted track
sections next to the finished scenes. The
doll house kit under construction and the
game in progress serve the same purpose.
Art Garrison
Family Hobby & Crafts
Vestal, N.Y.
At a convention some years ago, I ran a
demo game of Looney Lab’s Chrononauts,
which had just been released a week or
two before. I had a full table of players
and several people watching. It was a
Sunday morning, which means sales are
typically slow, but by the time the convention ended, two hours after the end of the
demo, I had sold out of every copy of Chrononauts I had in stock.
Scott Thorne
Castle Perilous Games
Carbondale, Ill.
You can win these 13 plastic
model kits in our next quarterly
drawing. All you have to do is
participate in the What’s Selling
survey. E-mail Jenny Maaske at
[email protected] or
call 262-796-8776 ext. 260 for
more information.
Congratulations
Mike Wenig of TPA Hobby
Center in Hollister, Mo. He
received six die-cast models from Autoart. Thanks
to all the retailers who
returned the survey!
44
New!
NEW PUBLICATIONS THIS MONTH!
A View From Here - 3 View Plans......$14.95
Structures A-Z ...................................$15.95
2010 On30 Annual ............................$14.95
Carstens
PUBLICATIONS, INC.
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2006 Top Fuel Hydro
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RETAILERS: Send for free dealer
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Phone: 973-383-3355
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Orders: 888-526-5365
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by Bad Ass Diecast
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If it’s Diecast, we have it!
Railroad Model Craftsman
Railfan & Railroad
Flying Models
On30 & HOn3 Annuals
Locomotive Quarterly back issues
Model Helicopter World
Marine Modeling
Military in Scale
Radio Race Car International
R/C Model World
R/C Jet International
Quiet Flight International
Electric Flight International
Plans & Construction Guide
2005 Top Fuel Nitro World Champion
Speed Sports #1
All the top lines of models in stock
Hobby Magazines,
Books and Annuals
Magazines =
Increased Sales!
Call today! • 1-800-588-1544 ext. 818
45
What’s selling: Models/Die-Cast
Atlantic
North
Central
South
Mountain
Pacific
Store location
AAA Hobbies and Crafts
Magnolia, N.J.
Uncle Bill’s Hobby
Calgary, Alta.
PopPop’s Trains
Eminence, Mo.
D&S Hobbies
Florence, S.C.
Hobby Action
Tempe, Ariz.
Hillcrest Hobbies
Yuba City, Calif.
Vehicles
1:35 Tiger II
Tamiya
1:35 armor
AFV Club
1950s pickup trucks
AMT, Revell
Mustang
Revell
Tanks, hot rods
Revell
1:25 Hurst Oldsmobile
Revell
Aircraft
1:32 BSG Viper Mk. II
Moebius
1:48 E-2C Hawkeye
Kinetic
Single-stage rockets
Estes
No trend
WWII planes
Various makes
Focke-Wulf 190D-9
Eduard
Ships/Die-Cast
Aircraft carriers
Trumpeter
1:350 ships
Trumpeter
No trend
No trend
No trend
1:72 I53 Submarine
Lindberg
Accessories
Tube glue
Testors
Paint
Polly Scale
No trend
manufacturer
Glue, paint
Testors
Glue, brushes
Testors
Tools
Squadron
Store location
Turn 4 Hobbies
West Boylston, Mass.
The Hobby Shoppe
Orangeville, Ont.
St. Marys Hobby Center
St. Marys, Ohio
AAA Hobby Supply
Marietta, Ga.
Prairie Unique
Terry, Mont.
Military Hobbies
Orange, Calif.
Vehicles
Zingers
MPC
Tanks, street cars, trucks
Revell
1:25 models
AMT, Revell
Super Value Pack series
Dragon
Muscle cars
Various makes
M35A2
AFV Club
Aircraft
manufacturer
Mini rockets
Estes
Planes, helis
Revell
1:48 WWII models
Various makes
Weekend Edition
Eduard
Jets
Various makes
1:48 Predator
Italeri
Ships/Die-Cast
No trend
Destroyers, battleships
Revell
Wooden sailing ships
Various makes
1:32 BSG Viper Mk. II
Moebius
WWII models
Various makes
No trend
Accessories
manufacturer
Glue, paint
Testors
Glue, paint
Testors
Promotional Paint Set
Testors
Mr. Hobby products
Gunze Sangyo
Paint, glue
Various makes
Paint
Various makes
Store location
Brownies Pro & Sport
Staten Island, N.Y.
The Hobby Centre
Ottawa, Ont.
River Eagle Hobbies
Boonville, Mo.
Smoky Mountain Trader
Cleveland, Ga.
Small Soldier
Calgary, Alta.
Napa, Calif.
Vehicles
1:25 Ford 3 ’n 1
AMT/Round 2
1:24 2009 Challenger
Revell
Long Tom
Various makes
1:35 WWII armor
Dragon
1:35 Cdn. 40mm Bofors
Bronco Models
1925 Ford 3 ’n 1
AMT/Round 2
Aircraft
Visible Space Shuttle
4D Vision
1:32 Spitfire Mk. IX
Tamiya
No trend
1:72 military models
Hasegawa
WWI models
Eduard
B-25 bombers
Revell
Ships/Die-Cast
1:700 Titanic
Academy
1:350 Graf Spee
Academy
1:700 Hornet
Tamiya
1:700 ships
HobbyBoss
1:350 Graf Spee
Academy
1:535 USS Missouri
Revell
Accessories
Acrylic paint
Tamiya
Sanding sticks
Alpha Precision Abrasives
No trend
Complete Airbrush Kit
Testors
Resin kits
Alpine Miniatures
Cement value pack
Testors
manufacturer
manufacturer
manufacturer
manufacturer
manufacturer
manufacturer
manufacturer
manufacturer
manufacturer
!
EW
N
Model Boats now available!
Hobby shops, please contact:
Phone 1-800-558-1544, ext. 818 • Fax: 262-798-6592
for more information to start your standing order.
46
P10806
Kalmbach Publishing Co. is proud to be the exclusive U.S.
distributor of Model Boats! This British monthly is packed with
a wide range of articles to interest all model boat builders of
all skill levels. Place your order now!
SPECIALTY PRODUCTS
BY SUE BRETTINGEN
toys
themed racing decals, race them on 1:64scale Hot Wheels tracks and watch the
flashing LED marbles roll to keep pace with
their cars. Available in six styles: Volcano
(shown, No. 08624), Cats Eye (No. 08621),
Confetti (No. 08622), Cyclone (No. 08623),
Police Chief (No. 08625) and Fire Chief (No.
08626). Each retails for $7.99. Call 714-7776425 or visit http://skullduggery.com.
Übercutter patch products
vamplets vamplets
Vampires are all the rage, so why not
include these plush baby versions of them
in your store? The first six characters in the
series measure from 8½ to 10 inches tall
and retail for $15.95 each. Clockwise from
top left are: Cadaverson Nightshade (No.
55204), Burton Creepson, Jr., (No. 55205),
Count Vlad Von Gloom (No. 55203), Midnight Mori (No. 55201), Lily Rose Shadowlyn (No. 55200) and Evilyn Nocturna (No.
55202). For more information, call 727-2106142 or e-mail [email protected].
Hexbug nano hexbug
Hexbugs are robotic creatures that behave
like real bugs. Small enough to fit in your
hand, they also crawl and flip over. When
ordering, you’ll receive random colors.
Batteries are included. Each Hexbug Nano
(No. Hexbug-Nano-Single) retails for $9.99.
For more information, call 903-453-0804 or
e-mail [email protected].
Handy for crafters and modelers, the
ÜberCutter (No. U00650, $19.99) delivers precise, straight cuts, common angles
and everything in between, and can
cut through Popsicle sticks, balsa wood,
straws, leather, wire, string and elastic for
jewelry making, tongue depressors, cardboard, pipe cleaners, scrapbooking materials and more. Safe for ages 5 and up.
educational
arts & crafts
lauri lacing and learning
patch products
paper weaving
light up marble racers alex toys
skullduggery
Suitable for ages 3 and older, this kit (No.
1427, $12) provides crafters with materials and instructions to create four colorful
woven pictures. Available from Horizon
Hobby.
Light Up Marble Racers combine the racing excitement of mini-toy sports cars
and the classic amusement of marbles.
Kids customize their Marble Racers with
48
Patch’s new Lauri Lacing and Learning
kits provide children, ages 3 and up, with
opportunities to develop their fine motor
skills. Go-Togethers (shown, No. 2592)
invites children to lace together similar
objects; Opposites (No. 2590) challenges
children to lace together contrasting items.
Each kit retails for $9.99.
E-mail Sue at sbrettingen@modelretailer.
com. Unless otherwise indicated, contact
information for all companies mentioned can
be found in Model Retailer’s Hobby Industry
games
BY TIm Kidwell
Wargames
Board Games
Tide of Iron: Fury of the Bear
Fantasy Flight Games
Voltron: Defender
of the Universe
Privateer Press
codex: Blood angels
games workshop
This 96-page codex (No. 60030101012,
$25) gives Warhammer 40,000 gamers all
the rules they need to field a Blood Angels
army; it also includes detailed background
information, bestiary, accompanying artwork and a full-color “‘Eavy Metal” showcase. A copy of the game is necessary in
order to use the contents of this book. Call
410-689-2421 or e-mail [email protected].
Players take control of the mighty Voltron,
Defender of the Universe, or the fiendish
Lo-Tron of the Drule Empire in this standalone strategy board game (No. PIP 50030,
$49.99). The game comes with everything
players will need to re-enact all the battles
from the ’80s TV show, including dice, miniatures, play mat and rulebook. A retailer
launch kit is available, containing eight
games and two limited edition Mega Voltron figures (PIP 50033, $399.92).
The Fury of the Bear expansion (No. TD06,
$79.95) adds Soviet forces, new vehicles,
winter terrain, and new scenarios to the
Tide of Iron game. Includes 100 figures, and
nine new Eastern Front map boards. Available in July.
Kids Games
Hordes:
Primal
Mk II pigzup! Privateer
Press
Take control
of a mighty
warlock and
his horde of
fierce warriors and
monstrous
warbeasts in
this 30mm
tabletop miniatures wargame. Hordes:
Primal Mk II is available in soft (No. PIP
1033, $29.99) and hardcover (No. PIP1034,
$44.99) and provides the complete game
rules, history of the world of Immoren and
profiles for soldiers and warbeasts.
blue orange
Constantinopolis
Fantasy Flight Games
Can you become the wealthiest trader?
Constantinopolis (No. ST06, $59.95) is a
game of economy and trade based in the
world of the 7th century Byzantine Empire.
Players win by building trade routes, making money and earning fame. For 2–5 players, a game can be played in about two
hours. Available in July.
Filled with perky little wooden porkers, this
game (No. BLG00370, $19.99) challenges
players with matching cards to stack up a
designated number of piggies with the right
color on top. The first player to get rid of all
their cards wins the game. Pigzup, intended
for two to four players, ages 4 and up, takes
about 15 minutes to play. Available from
Horizon Hobby.
49
SLOT CARS
BY TIm Kidwell
Cars
Race Sets
1:32 MOSLER MT 900 R ‘GRAVITY’
HO Off-Road Racers Ninco
Life-Like
Here’s a new decoration of the successful
Mosler MT 900 R in a Lightning version
(No. 50560, $89.98). Features include a
Lexan interior and ProRace Evo hubs, a
32/11 gearset, transparent chassis with
motor support, new NC-12 motor, 2.48mm
calibrated axles and ProRace screws. Distributed by MRC.
Now slot-car fans can experience the
furious fun of no-holds-barred, off-road
ATV racing action! This set (No. 433-9087,
$119.99) measures about 3' x 5' when
assembled and comes with two ATVs, a
water track, jump and obstacles. Available
from Walthers.
straightaway and battle it out in the corners. Includes digital lane-change sections
and replacement brushes.
Always with you in Mind!
WE SHIP FAST! Dealers only!
We Specialize In:
PLASTIC MODELSESTES, TESTORS PAINT
1/24 & 1/32 Scale SLOT CARS
R/C PRODUCTS & CARS
1010 N. Van Buren, Unit B
Enid, Oklahoma, 73703
1-800-543-5743 / (580) 234-3433 Fax
MasterCard
1:32 GT Heroes 1:32 Ferrari Competition
Carrera
Carrera
The GT Heroes 132 Digital Race Set (No.
30136, $419.99) comes with three cars:
a Nissan GT-R GT500 Hasemi Motorsport
Super GT 2008; a Porsche GT3 RSR V.I.P.
Petfoods Racing Nürburgring 2007; and a
BMW Z4 M Coupe Schubert Moors 2008.
Features include almost 30 feet of track
with Black Box and digital lane-change
sections, three digital hand controllers, and
replacement contact brushes.
The Digital 132 Ferrari Competition race
set (No. 30147, $309.99) features “Race” and
“Geneva Motorshow” versions of the Ferrari 599XX. The set includes over 20 feet of
track with digital lane-change sections, two
digital hand controllers, transformer, guardrails and replacement contact brushes.
1:32 Motor Monsters
Carrera
Another in Carrera’s Digital 132 line, this
set (No. 30145, $259.99) includes a model
of the ’73 Sunoco Porsche Audi No. 6 and
the ’72 McLaren No. 5 cars. With nearly
30 feet of track, drivers can blast down a
50
NEW!
Building
STRUCTURES
for Your Garden Railway
Perfect for your garden railroad
CUSTOMERS
Structures for garden railways are just like structures for other model railroads
except they must survive in the outdoors. Building Structures for Your Garden
Railway is the first comprehensive guide to cover everything readers need to
know about building structures that will stand up to the elements. Compiled from
the popular “Garden Railway Design & Construction” column in Garden Railways
magazine, noted expert Jack Verducci shares his knowledge about researching,
planning and drawing, selecting tools and materials, and building. From bases to
roofs including walls, windows, doors, lighting, and painting—it’s all covered for
your customers!
12457 • $21.95
This photo of the prototype barn/garage shows the inspiration for my building.
2
Drawings are placed in clear plastic page protectors which can be used as templates to cut
timbers to correct size. The timbers are glued and nailed with the pin nailer.
Plank-on-frame construction
For this project, I’ve selected a small
wooden outbuilding in Silverton Colorado as my inspiration. It looks like it
was originally a small barn or carriage
house with an added annex.
First, build a frame. I use a framing
system similar to the method in which
old barns where made. It is a simple
frame built up from 6" x 6" beams.
Mill the lumber using a table saw.
See chapter 3 Tool for details on milling wood. Next, cut the timbers to
length as per the plans. Then, nail the
framing together. Since a pin nailer’s
pins do not have heads, they will not
hold by themselves, and you must apply
a little glue must to the wood. I use a
drop of Titebond III. The pin will hold
the timbers together while the glue
dries.
After the frame is assembled and
has time to dry, pin and glue the boards
and battens in place. To add strength
to the pins, insert them at an angle,
and alternate the angle as you pin each
plank. This will help bind the planks in
place.
The walls can be pre-assembled, or
you can build the frame as you would
do with a full-size building. In either
case, add 6" x 6" corner pieces where
the interior walls come together. Roof
rafters can be built the same way as
the wall framing. Once the rafters are
complete, pin and glue the roof battens
in place.
Select your roofing material. The
full-size building has traces of wood
shingle, tar paper, and corrugated metal.
It may have had three or four different
types of roofs over its life span, so you
have options of what type of roof you’d
like to add.
If you choose to build a structure that is not board-on-batten but
something like clapboard or novelty
siding, you need a frame with more
vertical studs. Modern buildings use a
standard stud spacing of 16 inches, but
older structures have 24-inch spacing
between studs.
For this type of frame, you can make
a generic framing jig with wooden
blocks as guides. The blocks will space
the scale studs 16 or 24 scale inches.
Lay the stud in place in the jig. Assemble the frame by gluing and pinning the
upper and lower plates to the studs.
Start installing the planks. Use a
drop of Titebond II, then pin the plank
to the studs. Remember, the pins in a
pin nailer have limited holding power.
Rotating the nailer about 20 degrees
one way and then 20 degrees the opposite way as you add pins to form a
stronger attachment.
I call this a “generic” framing jig because there is no provision for doors or
windows. You will have to decide where
these openings will be located, then add
appropriate headers and rough sills. To
do this, pin up your frame, leaving out
the studs where the windows and doors
will be located. You can then remove
the frame from the jig, and add the
headers and sills.
This same method can be used to
build any plank-and-frame structure. In
some cases, you may be using scale 12
inch beams. In this case, you can use an
18-gauge brad since this size of lumber
is less likely to split when being nailed.
Plank-on-solid construction
This method is similar to the method
used in chapter 7 using Masonite and
wood battens. I making a model based
on a small Colorado row house. Instead
of a frame, I cut walls from Masonite.
Next, I cut planks from wood using
the methods discussed earlier. Before assembling the walls, I cover the
Masonite with the wood planks, using
Titebond III. So the walls would fit
together neatly later, I left a slight
Jack Verducci
The walls can be nailed and glued together. The nice thing about this
A solid wall is cut out, then redwood strips are glued to the wall.
method is you will have details on the inside as well as outside.
2
The wall is completely planked over. Window and door openings are
An ABS roof was fitted. More on this in chapter 9 on plastic fabrica-
cut out using the solid wall as a guide. This should be done after the
glue has thoroughly dried.
tion and chapter 10 on roofing.
overhang of planks. It is easier to cut
out the doors and windows with a scroll
saw than it is to cut them later with a
jig saw. Once the planks are glued in
place and allowed to dry, cut out the
door and window openings.
Glue the walls together with Titebond I. In each interior corner, I added
a .5 x .5 inch reinforcing piece. Pin and
glue corner moldings and wood trim
pieces in place. I used a sheet of Masonite as a sub roof, and engraved ABS
plastic as the final roof material. I used
Grandt Line windows, doors, and trim.
They are made of styrene and painted
primer gray, with a final coat of green
acrylic paint.
My intention is to let this building weather naturally. Since I used
redwood, I could start the weathering
process by brushing on some baking
soda and water (2 tablespoons to one
cup of water). Paint the solution onto
the wood and let dry.
Cutting scale lumber can be dangerous with the wrong equipment. You
must have a zero clearance table so
small pieces of lumber do not fall down
into the saw or worse yet, kick back.
This can be made by using a piece of
plywood or Masonite as a table. On
most table saws, you can use you existing fence. Set it so it is exactly parallel
to the saw’s blade. Lower the blade,
then place a piece Masonite on the
table so it is flush to the fence. Secure it
with clamps, then turn the saw on and
run the blade up through the Masonite.
You will now have a zero clearance
table.
You can make or buy a set of simple
gauges. These will help you align your
fence and set the size you need. Each
one represents a board width.
A 23-gauge pin nailer is a great tool
to have. In fact, it is a must have if you
plan to build structures out of scale
lumber. These pins have no heads, so
they should not be reinforced with glue.
A trick to a better nail grip is to nail at
an angle and reverse the angle at every
19
18
Make sure you have this title in stock!
Contact your distributor or order direct:
Phone 1-800-558-1544, ext. 818
Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CST.
Outside the United States and Canada
call 262-796-8776, ext. 818.
P10869
Fax 262-798-6592
E-mail [email protected]
Trade Web site Retailers.Kalmbach.com
Mail Kalmbach Publishing Co.
21027 Crossroads Circle
P.O. Box 986
Waukesha, WI 53187-0986

Show them, sell them

Transcription

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