March 2013 Model Retailer

Transcription

What’s Selling: How were holiday sales, and were there any hot items? Pages 26, 34 & 42
MARCH 2013
THE HOBBY INDUSTRY’S #1 NEWS SOURCE
iHobby will return to Illinois
(continued on page 4)
The Schaumburg Convention Center will play
host to the 2013 iHobby Expo, which has
been leased to Hobby Show Promotions.
Store layouts:
A method
to the
madness
Make the trip
Why even small dealers should get
to NRHSA's Table Top; and how to
make it happen. (see page 16)
From creating an
attractive entrance to
guiding your customers through your
store, retail expert Tom Shay has design
suggestions and a long list of tips that
will help you create a purposeful and
profitable store layout. It's time to make
your store stand out! (see page 14)
THINKSTOCK.COm
After one year at Cleveland’s International Exposition Center, the iHobby Expo will return to the
Chicago area this fall.
“We didn’t get what we thought we were going
to get out of Cleveland, to be honest with you,”
said Fred Hill, president of the Hobby Manufacturers Association.
The HMA announced on Jan. 21 the show’s
relocation to the Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, Ill. The decision to move the
show came less than three weeks after the HMA
announced a five-year lease agreement with
Hobby Show Promotions, which has assumed
SCHaUmBURg CONvENTION CENTER
Cleveland proved hard to reach for some exhibitors
and attendees, prompting the move
Retail reading
12 books that will help
your hobby store not
only survive but thrive
in today's competitive
retail market (see page 18)
INSIDE
FIRST LOOK
Norscot Cat Articulated Truck . . 12
PRODUCT LAB
Mayfair Games Catan Junior. . . . . 21
RADIO CONTROL
Great Planes Proud Bird EF1 . . . . 23
MODEL RAILROADING
Blackstone HOn3 2-8-0 Steam . . 30
MODELS
Kitty Hawk 1:48 Mirage F.1B. . . . . 38
DIE-CAST
Brumm 1:43 Ferrari 250 GTO . . . . 40
BOOKS
Vol. 39 • Issue 3
www.ModelRetailer.com
Osprey The Pointblank Directive . 45
MARCH 2013
Volume 39, Number 3
F E AT U R E S
W h AT ’ S S E l l i n G
14
BUSinESS BASicS
create a profitable layout
How were your holiday sales, and were
there any hot-selling items?
SpEciAl REpoRT
Small store, big benefit
26
34
42
Retail expert Tom Shay shares how a cleverly designed hobby shop can direct customers and sell merchandise.
16
For some store owners, attending trade
shows can take away from day-to-day
operations; find out why one dealer says
it’s worth it.
18
BUSinESS BookS
12 great reads for retailers
The authors, all experts in the field, show
how to grow your business, understand
your customers and beat the competition.
DEpARTMEnTS
4
inDUSTRY nEWS
iHobby Expo will return to
Illinois; Santa Barbara’s Hobby Central
closes; Märklin hires new general manager;
and much more!
20
RADio
conTRol
MoDEl
RAilRoADinG
MoDElS/
DiE-cAST
pRoDUcTS
12
FiRST look
21
pRoDUcT lAB
Why, how to sell at hobby shows.
The BesT
Brands
in rC
RADio
conTRol
MoDEl
RAilRoADinG
MoDElS
DiE-cAST
BookS & ViDEoS
Our first impression of:
• Norscot 1:50 740B EJ Articulated
Truck
• Looney Labs Treehouse, Pink Hijinks
• Traxxas DR-1 Dual-Rotor Helicopter
• Atomik Metal Mulisha Brian Deegan
Ford Raptor 150 SC Truck
• Slot.it 1:32 1998 Porsche 911 GT1
EVO98
We review two new products:
• Traxxas Nitro Slash 3.3 Rob MaCachren HORIZON
Edition HOBBY DIST INC
• Mayfair
Catan•Junior
MOD • Games
03/01/2013
4C • 1/3 H
BEhinD ThE
coUnTER
23
30
38
40
45
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
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Postmaster: Send address changes to Model Retailer, 21027 Crossroads Circle,
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# 40010760.
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At Horizon Hobby we are passionate about RC hobbies. That passion
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a company owned and operated by individuals as obsessed with RC
hobbies as you are. When Horizon Hobby is on the box, you can be sure
that it comes with the best customer service and support available.
Put the best brands in the business to work in your store.
Call horizon hobby at 800-535-5551 to find out how.
©2012 Horizon Hobby, Inc. Horizon Hobby, 5IVE-T, Blade, ECX, the ECX logo, Losi, the ParkZone logo, E-flite, the Hangar 9 logo, the Pro Boat logo, the HobbyZone logo, the Spektrum logo, TLR, Team Losi and the Horizon Hobby logo are
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3
INDUSTRY
NEWS
BY THE MODEL RETAILER STAFF
iHobby under new leadership
(from cover) management of iHobby.
For several years, the iHobby Expo had
been held in Rosemont, Ill., but in 2012 the
HMA moved the show to Cleveland.
“The bottom line is we knew Cleveland
didn’t make money,” said Dave Swanson,
vice chairman of Hobby Show Promotions,
speaking of the 2012 iHobby Expo. “And
we also knew from our show experience
and from interacting with a lot of exhibitors, we thought there was an opportunity
to get better value for the participants of
the show.”
When Hobby Show Promotions took
over the show, it began researching
other possible destinations. The company
started with a list of about a dozen venues,
Swanson said. That list was boiled back
down to three possibilities: continuing at
Cleveland’s International Exposition Center; returning to the Donald E. Stephens
Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill.; or
moving the show to Schaumburg. “I think
Rosemont, and to a lesser extent Cleveland, had costs that made exhibiting an
4
MODEL RETAILER MARCH 2013
ScHAumBurg convEnTion cEnTEr
Relocation comes shortly after Hobby Show Promotions takes over
The Schaumburg Convention Center is smaller than Cleveland's I-X Center, but
organizers hope it will make the show feel busier.
expensive and sometimes cumbersome
operation,” he said. Obstacles ranging from
parking fees to drayage had driven up the
cost of attendance for exhibitors, dealers
and consumers, Swanson said.
Hobby Show Promotions found what it
believes to be a better value at the Schaumburg Convention Center, which feaVP POWERMASTER
tures free parking
and no restrictions that
MOD • 03/01/2012 • 4C • 1/3 H
require exhibitors to use unionized labor
for drayage or the setup of their booths,
according to Swanson. On top of that, the
new venue is attached to the four-star
Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel.
Another significant reason for iHobby’s
relocation was its accessibility, Hill said.
The HMA polled and contacted exhibitors
and attendees as soon as the 2012 show
MOD • 01/01/2013 • BW • 1/12
METAL
DETECTORS
Call
ended, he said, and what it heard was that
travel to Cleveland was too difficult for
many manufacturers and dealers.
Both hobby manufacturers and store
owners that spoke with Model Retailer
said they found the Cleveland facilities
and hospitality to be top-notch. However,
a number manufacturers said they were
disappointed with the dealer turnout, and
a number of dealers said they were disappointed that some of the industry’s larger
manufacturers didn’t attend.
The move back to Illinois was made
with those larger manufacturers in mind,
hoping they return to the show, Hill said.
“We’re presenting opportunities,” he said.
Swanson echoed that sentiment. Hobby
Show Promotions is owned by Randy
Bachman, who also owns Train Show Inc.,
which organizes the widely successful
World’s Greatest Hobby shows. Swanson
said he and Bachman have organized
two World’s Greatest Hobby shows at the
Schaumburg Convention Center and are
confident that iHobby’s consumer and
trade bases can be drawn to that location.
He cites Chicago’s superior air service and
central location as reasons. “I also think
right, wrong or indifferent Chicago has
a better reputation as a destination than
Cleveland,” he said. “I also think that there
are numerous large exhibitors, or potential
OUTDOOR
OUTFITTERS
800-558-2020
824 N Hartwell Avenue
Waukesha, WI 53186
262-542-7772 • Fax 262-542-4435
MIDWEST PRODUCTS
MOD • 02/01/2013 • 4C • 1/2 V
Quality Projects Start
with Quality Materials
When you start with quality materials, the result is a quality project. When you
stock Midwest's products in your store, you're giving your customers the high quality
products they expect & deserve!
At Midwest, the quality goes beyond a superior product that's easy to sell. Our
products are readily available through distribution. Our full-time sales staff and
customer service departments are readily available, trained and knowledgeable in
your requirements.
Quality products for your customers! Quality service for you! Insist on Midwest's
branded products for your store!
Building Materials
EDITOR’S NOTE
BY JEFF REICH
Balsa
Basswood
Plywoods
Cork Roadbed
Super Sheets
Cellfoam
A focus on shows
With so much space devoted to shows this
month, I'm calling this our unofficial show
issue. Front and center is our coverage of
the changes in management and venue for
iHobby Expo [cover page], which we hope
will lead to even better days for the industry's showcase event.
Inside, we hear from store owners on why
it's worth attending the upcoming NRHSA
Table Top Expo and other trade shows [page
14] and why selling at hobby shows might
make sense for you [page 20], with tips on
how to weigh sales and consumer goodwill
versus booth fees and travel costs.
Kits
Wood Boat Models
Steam Engines
R/C Accessories
(800) 348-3497 | www.midwestproducts.com
©2013, Midwest Products Co., Inc.® 400 S. Indiana St. PO Box 564 Hobart, IN 43642
5
EDITORIAL AND ART
INDUSTRY NEWS
Editor Jeff Reich
Assistant Editor Nick Bullock
Editorial Assistant Jenny Maaske
Publisher Diane Bacha
Model Retailer Industry Poll
Do you plan to attend the 2013 NHRSA Table Top Expo?
Yes, I go every year.
Art Director Tom Danneman
Senior Graphic Designer Scott Krall
Photographers William Zuback,
Jim Forbes
Yes, this will be my first year attending.
ADVERTISING
Ad Sales Manager Rick Albers (x652)
No, I never go.
Ad Sales Representative Paul Steinhafel (x537)
Ad Services Representative Nanette Hackbarth
Production Coordinator Sue Hollinger-Yustus
No, I usually go, but not this year.
K ALMBACH PUBLISHING CO.
President Charles R. Croft
V. P. Editorial Kevin P. Keefe
V. P. Advertising Scott Stollberg
0
10
20
Poll was taken in January via Facebook.
30
40
Percent
50
60
70
80
V. P. Marketing Daniel R. Lance
Ad Director Scott Bong
Corporate Art Director Maureen M. Schimmel
Managing Art Director Michael Soliday
Circulation Manager Linda S. Franzblau
Production Supervisor Helene Tsigistras
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Toll-free: (888) 558-1544 x652, x537
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© 2013 by Model Retailer, division of Kalmbach Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Title and tagline registered
as trademarks.
Printed in the U.S.A.
6
exhibitors, who are in Illinois, particularly
around the Champaign area.”
Convincing those large exhibitors to
attend will be a big focus for Hobby Show
Promotions, Swanson said. “For us, it’s not
a revenue thing,” he said. “For us, it is strictly an issue that we believe the industry
benefits by having its leadership together
with its constituency.”
The Schaumburg Convention Center is
located 12 miles from O’Hare International
Airport and 26 miles from downtown
Chicago. The convention space is about
150,000 square feet, according to an HMA
press release.
The decision to hold the show at the
Schaumburg Convention Center was made
in part because it is a smaller space than
the Cleveland’s I-X Center and Rosemont’s
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. “It’s
fantastic having 1 million square feet,” Hill
said of the 2012 iHobby Expo in Cleveland,
“but we didn’t fill it. And sometimes when
you have too much [space] it makes you
look small.”
As a result, he said, the HMA expects
exhibition space to fill quickly at the Schaumburg Convention Center because space
will be more limited than in recent years.
Other changes to the iHobby Expo
may include a shortened trade day on
the Thursday of the show, Swanson said,
which would allow exhibitors and dealers to save time and money by arriving
Thursday morning instead of Wednesday
night. Hobby Show Promotions also hopes
to avoid pulling attendees into seminars
while the trade floor is open. This could
mean using that Thursday morning as
seminar time for those who plan to arrive
Wednesday night.
“The overreaching theme is value to the
exhibitors,” he said.
Another change being discussed, Swanson said, is adding VIP access for a select
number of “serious hobbyists.” The dozen
or so consumers selected would have
access to the show floor during the trade
portion of the show when no other consumers are around, which he said would
generate publicity.
Hobby Show Promotions also plans to
be more aggressive in marketing to dealers and potential exhibitors, Swanson said.
The relocation process got off the ground
when the HMA agreed to lease the show to
Hobby Show Promotions on Dec. 29.
The agreement is a radical change
from the way iHobby was managed in the
past. Peak Management had previously
worked with the HMA to organize and
direct the show. But the HMA recently
decided that it was spending too much
of its time and resources planning the
annual expo instead of promoting the
hobby industry, which is its true mission,
Hill said. “We’ve got to focus on the hobby
industry, not on trade shows,” he said. “Let
the professionals do the trade shows. Let’s
do what we do best: building good hobby
product and promoting and selling good
hobby product.”
The HMA opened the proposed lease
up for bid and received interest from
three companies, Hill said. Hobby Show
Promotions was awarded the contract
and named Bachman show chairman and
Swanson show vice chairman.
Because the HMA leased the show to
Hobby Show Promotions, the HMA does
not have to bear the cost of iHobby and
will instead share a percentage of the profits. The iHobby Expo, in effect, belongs to
Hobby Show
Promotions
for the next five
WIZBE
INNOVATIONS
years, though Swanson said he and Bach-
MOD • 02/01/2013 • BW • 1/12
man will, of course, consider the HMA’s
input. “Everybody worked to make this a
win-win proposition,” Swanson said.
As part of the lease agreement, Hobby
Show Promotions forgave approximately
$70,000 in marketing and promotional
debt owed by the HMA to Swanson’s other
company, Competitive Intelligence Advertising, as well as to Train Show Inc.
The HMA is handling negotiations with
the I-X Center over the two-year agreement it had originally signed to stay in
CALIFORNIA
Cleveland. —
Nick BullockHOBBY
MOD • 11/1/12 • 2C • 1/12
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Since opening 67 years ago, Hobby Central, located in Santa Barbara, Calif., has
gone out of business three times. After the
first two times, Vern Morseman successfully resurrected the iconic hobby store
and then later resold it.
He couldn’t do it again.
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Hobby Central in Santa Barbara, Calif., held a sale for its remaining merchandise
before closing for good on Jan. 19. The store had been open for 67 years.
could make it successful again,” Morseman said.
Rather, Hobby Central closed for good
this time because he no longer had the
time or energy. “I wasn’t looking for a
buyer this time,” he said. “All of this happened within the last 45 days, where I just
said enough.
“After having a long conversation with
my parents — and I got pretty sick from
the stress back in the third quarter — they
just said, ‘Do you really want to do this
again?’ And I go, ‘No. I have the ability to
save it again. I don’t have the desire to
save it again.’ ”
Morseman, 53, also owns Ventura Hobbies in Ventura, Calif., as well as a manufacturing company. The travel had also
weighed on him, as Hobby Central and
Ventura Hobbies are 36 miles apart.
He is also a private pilot and a colonel
in the Commemorative Air Force, which
takes up a significant amount of his time,
he said.
Santa Barbara, where the store has been
located for its entire existence, has also
changed, and not for the better, Morseman
said. “Santa Barbara is not that friendly of
an environment anymore,” he said. “I’m an
American Indian, and my family has been
here for 13,000 years, and it’s just not the
town that my family was part of creating.”
Hobby Central, which was originally
known as Atkins Hobbies, held a sale to
try and get rid of its merchandise before
it closed on Jan. 19. The remaining stock,
which Morseman said was fortunately not
a lot, was moved to his Ventura store.
8
Morseman started at Hobby Central as
an employee, working for Tom and Vern
Atkins, the original owners. After climbing
up the ladder to a management position,
he eventually left the business altogether.
He said he found out later that he was
considered the “heir apparent” and so returned to eventually fulfill that role. Later
he left Hobby Central to open Ventura
Hobbies, but whenever the Santa Barbara store fell into difficulties, Morseman
returned to save it.
“I feel fortunate that I get to close the
family business, and no one else does,” he
said. “It’s kind of completion for me.” — N.B.
Fire wrecks shop in
Milwaukee area
Dennis Jones, whose family owns three
Happy Hobby stores in the Milwaukee
area, got a phone call from a relative
around 11 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. The rela-
tive had just watched a news story about
a hobby shop that caught on fire in West
Allis, Wis.
Dennis knew that the Happy Hobby on
80th Street and National Avenue, managed
by his brother, Scott Jones, was the only
hobby store in that area.
By the time Dennis Jones and his family
arrived, the building had been ablaze for
nearly two hours. “We were there from,
like, 11:30 to 6 in the morning,” he said.
The West Allis Fire Department received
the first call on the fire at 9:44 p.m. on Dec.
31. Firefighters placed the fire under control by about 3:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, but small
fires continued to burn at the location until
about noon, Lt. Jay Scharfenberg said. By
then, not much remained of the store that
had been selling hobby products for more
than 20 years.
“There’s some stuff that’s still good in
there,” Jones said, “but not a lot. ... Walls
that were covered with plastic things,
radio-controlled cars, helicopters, all that
stuff that was on the walls, there’s no sign
of it anymore.”
Fire officials called the building, estimated at $160,000, a total loss. A low estimate
of the building’s contents was $300,000,
Scharfenberg said. Jones said there was
probably closer to $500,000 worth of
inventory lost.
The cause of the fire was still under
investigation.
The fire was considered a box alarm, or
second alarm, fire, meaning firefighters
were unable to confine the blaze to its
initial space and were forced to pull everyone out of the building because it was in
danger of collapsing, Scharfenberg said.
He called it an “unusual event” and said fire
departments from more than half a dozen
surrounding communities were called in
for help.
Jones, whose father opened the first
Happy Hobby and whose family has been
Police tape surrounds what's left of the West Allis, Wis., Happy Hobby following a
Dec. 31 fire. Fire officials called the building a total loss.
INDUSTRY NEWS
in the business since 1974, said his family
is unsure if it will reopen the store. — N.B.
will also provide operational leadership for
Märklin and will be responsible for development of sales and marketing initiatives
and dealer development.
Broyles is based in Connecticut and can
be reached on his cell phone at (203) 2432963 and by email at [email protected].
Hobbico unveils its
new logo
Revell to hold third
annual Model Kit
Championships
Märklin hires new
general manager
Märklin Inc. announced Jan. 2 the hiring
of Eric Broyles to the position of general
manager.
Broyles comes to Märklin after spending
seven years driving the growth of Melissa
& Doug LLC in the position of national
sales manager. He began his sales career
at Icon International helping Fortune 500
companies trade their excess inventory for
local and national advertising. Broyles then
used his skilled sales insight to embark on
a software and technology sales career
with great success at ARC, TouchPaper
Corp. and Enamics.
In his new position, Broyles will use his
extensive sales experience to drive growth
for Märklin, Trix and LGB products, in partnership with Wm. K. Walthers Inc., Märklin’s
exclusive distributor in North America. He
10
Illinois-based Revell Inc., a leader in the
world of model kit building, announced
on Dec. 27 the launch of its third annual
GearZ/Revell Model Kit Championships.
Held in conjunction with Stacey David,
model enthusiast and host of the popular
Speed Network show GearZ, the Model Kit
Championships will be open to novice and
advanced model builders.
The contest will run from Feb. 1 through
May 15. Entrants will be required to build
one Revell or Monogram brand model and
submit up to five photos of the completed
model for judging in one of seven categories. This year, Revell will expand the contest to include new entry categories and
offer more ways to win.
The Junior Open Class will be for ages
15 and younger and is open to any of the
qualified Box Stock kits (muscle, aircraft
and trucks). Two winners will be named in
this class.
In the other three classes — Modern
Muscle Cars, WWII Aircraft and Trucks —
Mayfair releases
White Glove Demo for
A House Divided
Glover is back for a 62nd episode of Mayfair Games’ White Glove Demo.
Mayfair announced Jan. 14 that it has
released another video review featuring
Glover, every gamer’s favorite board-game
demonstrating, disembodied hand. The
latest White Glove Demo shows how to play
the classic Civil War game A House Divided.
This was Mayfair’s 62nd White Glove
Mayfair GaMes Movies
To accompany its global expansion, Hobbico, the hobby industry’s leading manufacturer and distributor of radio control
and general hobby products, has released
a new company logo.
Hobbico introduced the new logo on
Jan. 10. The updated look represents Hobbico’s move to become a major force in
the global hobby industry, according to a
press release.
Founded in 1986, Hobbico now develops and manages 40 industry brands. It’s
most recent acquisitions include Revell of
Germany, ARRMA Durango of England and
California-based Axial.
“These new partners do more than
increase Hobbico’s depth of high-demand
product,” the release said. “They also provide an exciting opportunity to progress
into new markets around the globe.”
Hobbico designed the new logo to
bear a resemblance to its predecessor, the
release said, “maintaining an important
connection to Hobbico’s rich heritage.”
there will be one novice and one advance
Box Stock–class winner, and one novice
and one advanced Unlimited-class winner.
A panel of expert judges will review all
entries. Models will be awarded points
based on their creativity and originality,
use of the kit, adherence to the theme, fit
and finish, and use of color. The entry with
the most points in each category will win.
There will be 14 grand prize winners.
Prizes to be awarded include the Revell/
GearZ trophy with a name inscription, a
year’s worth of Revell new releases (maximum of 12 kits), products from Badger
Airbrush, a $50 ModelCars.com gift card, a
jacket bearing the Revell/GearZ Mode Car
Championship logo, and an assortment
of products from Revell/GearZ licensors,
including T-shirts, hats and more.
More information, eligible kits, rules and
updates will be available on www.revell.
com starting Jan. 14.
Glover reviews A House Divided in Mayfair's lastest White Glove Demo.
G-S HYPO
Demo episode. The company said it plans
to continue releasing new episodes until it
has a demonstration for every active game
in its catalog.
The White Glove Demo episodes are
available on Mayfair’s YouTube channel
(www.youtube.com/user/mayfairgames
movies) or at www.mayfairgames.com.
Lion Rampant
partners with
Schmidt Spiele
Games titles such as Dog, Vampires of the
Night, Peek-a-Boo! and Magician’s Kitchen
will soon be available in North American
versions.
Lion Rampant Imports and Schmidt
Spiele announced Jan. 10 a new partnership for distribution and sales in North
America. In addition, Lion Rampant will
once again distribute Schmidt’s line of
puzzles. North American
retailers can expect to see
an extensive catalogue, in
addition to special regional
offerings.
Lion Rampant was
founded in 1992 and is a
leading specialty board
game distributor. The company services all of the U.S.
and Canada.
“Lion Rampant has been growing a
solid and deep distribution network,” said
Jochen Kurzke, head of export at Schmidt
Spiele. “With their special know-how in
the game business, they are the perfect fit
to take care of our worldwide ... products.
This way, especially, our children's board
games, under the brand Drei Magier, and
our puzzles will find their way to the hearts
of children and their parents.”
Schmidt Spiele has deep gaming roots,
tracing its company history back over 100
years. It is located in Berlin, Germany, and
is one of Europe’s most successful game
and puzzle producers with a worldwide
distribution network.
“Schmidt has a long history and solid
reputation in Europe and especially Germany, and I am very happy to partner with
them,” Lion Rampant President Ross Fleming said. “I believe these games are unique,
challenging and wonderful for families.
In my opinion, Schmidt’s puzzle quality is
second to none and is a great addition to
our lineup.”
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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.
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
1:50 Cat 740B EJ aRtiCulatEd tRuCk
Stock No.: 55500
MSRP: $115.95
Availability: b2bReplicas
Target consumer: Fans of
heavy-duty haulers and Cat
power, plus model railroaders
First impression: Although
this 1:50-scale die-cast metal
Cat 740B EJ articulated hauler
wears the iconic Caterpillar
color, there’s far more to this
big earthmover than a coat
of yellow paint.
Norscot’s model is both a
functional and accurate representation of a dump truck
that boasts a unique 42-ton
capacity ejector body.
The ejector mechanism
on the model features a
telescoping hydraulic ram
that traverses the payload-
clearing blade from the
headboard to the flip-down
tailgate. Throughout the
1990s, Caterpillar refined
this unloading technique for
haulers working in areas with
restricted overhead clearance
or on steep slopes where
raising the body might risk
vehicle stability.
The model’s working rear
suspension pivots like the
real thing. This feature, along
with the oscillating hitch,
allows the model to be realistically displayed in extreme,
attention-grabbing poses.
At the front end on the
model, a rubber exhaust
stack and hydraulic lines, plus
plastic walkway stanchions
and safety rails, provide flexible yet realistic detail that’s
durable enough to hold
up to repeated handling.
A separately applied black
Tree house, pink hijinks
Stock No.: LOO-046 (Treehouse), LOO-15 (Pink Hijinks)
MSRP: $16, $12
Availability: ACD Distribution, Alliance Game Distributors
Target consumer: Gamers of
any skill level
First impression: Looney
Labs continues to expand its
pyramid gaming system with
Treehouse and Pink Hijinks.
Each game is packaged in a
pyramid-shaped, zippered
pouch, making the games
highly portable.
For two to four players,
Treehouse includes 15 pyra-
12
norscot
plastic grille, stamped with
the universally recognized
Cat graphic, offers a sharp
accent to the nose, which
is intentionally sloped for
improved visibility from the
cab. Inside the cab, the gray
plastic dashboard details and
side-by-side seats are not as
well defined. Even so, there
are numerous other features
aimed to get Cat collectors
excited about this fine model.
Why you should stock it:
The numerous working parts
on this model are sure to
wow collectors of haulers and
construction vehicles. Fans of
Caterpillar power will appreciate the radical display poses
that are unique to this type of
vehicle, but don’t forget the
appeal to model railroaders
working with contemporary
O-scale (1:48) trains.
— Kent Johnson
Looney Labs
mids, two dice, a rule sheet
and gameboard. Players
must rearrange their pyramids to match the set in the
center of the table, using
only the moves rolled on the
custom die.
A bonus game, Pharaoh,
is included, with gameboard
and die. The bag also contains
a pocket guide to the Looney
Pyramids game system.
Pink Hijinks is a two-player
game for ages 14 and older,
and takes approximately
5–10 minutes to play. The
bag contains nine pyramids,
one die, a rule sheet and
gameboard. Players roll the
die each turn to determine
the pieces they move. The
first player to fill the row on
their side of the grid
with three of the
same-sized pyramids wins.
Why you
should stock it:
These games are
small, easy to
transport and appeal to players at all
skill levels.
Andrew Looney
and his colleagues have
designed 11 other games
that can be played with the
pyramids, and fans have
designed even more.
Be sure to stock the Looney Pyramids accessory
products your customers
will need to expand their
pyramid gaming, including pyramid booster packs,
single replacement pyramids,
gameboards, dice, game
accessory cards, empty storage tubes and publications
of pyramid game rules.
— Jenny Maaske
Dr-1 Dual-roTor helicoPTer
trAxxAS
Stock No.: 6308
MSRP: $99.99
Availability: Various distributors
Target consumer: Helicopter
beginners, customers who
like the Traxxas name
First impression: A helicopter? From Traxxas?
Absolutely. It looks good
just sitting on the shelf, in its
box that features the usual,
eye-catching Traxxas graphics. The box has a window
so your customers can see
just enough of the heli to see
that it’s solidly built.
The heli comes with four
AAA batteries; a 450-mAh,
3.7-volt LiPo battery with a
USB charger; and a 2.4-GHz
transmitter. The radio features an LCD readout that
shows battery status and
trim adjustments. Your customers also get an extra set
of blades and a small Phillips
screwdriver to put batteries
in the transmitter.
Even with flying products,
Traxxas provides a solid customer experience. The heli is
a durable unit, featuring aluminum side plates, tail boom
and skids. Its size makes it
perfect for the house or gym.
The instructions are easy
to understand and nearly
anyone can be up and flying
in minutes. It will withstand
early crashes quite well.
And tell your customers
to try flying this heli in the
dark. The blue light that indicates that the heli is bound
to the transmitter is bright
enough to shine through the
body so the pilot can follow
the aircraft.
— Hal Miller
1:18 MeTal Mulisha Brian DeeGan ForD raPTor 150 sc Truck
Stock No.: 9101
MSRP: $99.99
Availability: Various distributors
Target consumer: Those
new to the hobby; shortcourse racers looking for a
smaller scale or less-expensive alternative
First impression: That’s a
nice price for a 4-wheel-drive
R/C truck and an included
Venom 7.2-volt, 1,000-mAh
NiMH battery.
This tiny truck looks
toy-sized, but its powerful
brushed V370 motor, oilfilled adjustable shocks, scale
short-course style wheels
and tires, and waterproof
two-in-one, 2.4-GHz receiver
and speed control make it
capable of some difficult offroad runs.
The officially licensed Ford
Raptor features The General Lucas Oil Championship
sponsor markings. And
1:32 1998 Porsche 911 GT1 eVo98
tive to their traditional 1:10scale rides.
— Nick Bullock
Slot.it
Stock No.: CA23a
MSRP: $64.95
Availability: Hornby America
Target consumer: Slot-car
racers who value fine body
detail and performance
First impression: This crisp
white Porsche 911 GT1
EVO98 is new from Slot.it and
continues its strong lineup of
LeMans and GT racers. This
one is from the 1998 Oscher-
Brian Deegan’s
Metal Mulisha
brand is popular
with younger
generations.
Plus, aside
from four AA
batteries, this
truck is completely ready to
run, making it a
great introduction to shortcourse truck
racing. Or, for more advanced
R/C truck racers, it could
make an inexpensive alterna-
Atomik
sleben 500, the opening
round of the FIA GT Championship season in Germany.
Like Slot.it’s other racers of
this genre, it features an offset Anglewinder motor with
200 gram-cm of torque at 12
volts, plus a superior
magnet for good
road-holding ability.
Slot.it cars are finely
detailed and run
well right out of the
box. Although this
is an analog car, it is
SSD-chip compatible
so it can be made to run on
Scalextric Digital tracks.
This one looks great with
red striping on the roof down
the rear cowl and with a bold
black wing with Porsche
emblazoned across in white.
The decaling is precise as are
the mirrors, lights, gas caps
and gold wheels, along with
labeled Pirelli PZero tires.
Slot.it continues to expand
the LeMans and GT racer field
with a bevy of new models.
These perform well and look
great, making them attractive
to your slot fans. Use magnets and slick tires as excellent add-on sales to boost
your profits.
— Mark Savage
13
BUSINESS BASICS
Create a profitable layout
Retail expert Tom Shay shares how a cleverly designed hobby shop
can help direct customers and sell merchandise
By Nick Bullock
H
obby stores aren’t quite snowflakes
— a few of them are very similar. But,
especially in this industry, most are
unique in some way.
In some stores, it’s the products sold
that make them unique; there are plenty
of stores across the country that specialize
in model railroading or radio-controlled
vehicles. Other stores offer special services,
such as repair shops, racetracks or used
product sales.
One often overlooked route to uniqueness, however, is a store’s layout. In fact,
too often store owners use the exact
opposite strategy when considering their
store’s layout, said retail expert Tom Shay
of Profits Plus. “The majority of [retailers]
look at other stores and say, ‘That’s how
it’s done in this industry,’ ” he said. “And my
experience is that’s probably the best reason why to not do it that way.
“When a customer walks into your store,
don’t you want them to say, ‘Wow, this
place is different!’ from the first moment
they walk in?”
Shay is a firm believer that store owners
should study their store. As a fourth-generation employee of his family’s retail business, he observed the purchasing habits
of retail customers in his family’s store and
across the country. Shay has since compiled an extensive list of store-layout tips
that will make any hobby shop stand out.
Make an entrance
Every customer starts a shopping experience the same way: by walking through
a store’s entrance. It’s often a store’s first
opportunity to make or reaffirm an impression, and it shouldn’t be squandered.
Right off the bat, many stores make a
mistake by partially blocking or crowding the entrance, Shay said. He’s seen too
many stores with doubles doors, yet one
side is locked, he said. That’s a roadblock
customers don’t need.
14
Beyond that, the most effective stores
create a large “landing zone” as soon as
a customer enters, Shay said. This allows
for customers to walk in, look around and
determine where to go. That way, the store
can use the strategic placement of signs,
merchandise or demos to draw the customer through the store.
The other advantage of the open
entrance is that it is the perfect place to
arrange a special display. Shay gave the
example of the grocery store Super Bowl
display. Think of the elaborate field goal
posts made from 12-packs of Pepsi in supermarkets across the country every January.
Vendors pay a lot of money for that type of
retail real estate, he said. So take advantage.
For storefront displays — or displays of
any kind for that matter — Shay has one
caveat: Change the displays often.
How often will depend on several factors, he said. If a store owner has few or no
other employees, he or she may have to
live with a display for a little while. Location also matters. If a store stands on its
own, away from major roads, displays are
less effective and thus require less attention. If a store is in a strip mall, however,
window displays should be changed as
often as every three days, Shay said. “I
know people are going to cringe when
I say three days,” he said. “But it’s so easy
to do.” Changing a display can even be as
simple as taking what is in the left window
and putting it in the right window, he said.
And if changing a display is only feasible
a few times a year — say for each season
— then always display a season ahead,
Shay said. That way, even if customers see
the display but don’t walk in the store,
they’ll know where to go when it comes
time to buy that seasonal item. Big-box
stores do this all the time; that’s why swim
suits are on display in March and back-toschool supplies are on display in July.
Basically, however often a store would
like to see a returning customer is how
often it should change its displays. If customers walk or drive by and see the same
window display as last week, they may
assume nothing is new in the store and
keep on driving.
Another must-have layout feature is a
place for carts or baskets near the front of
a store; it won’t hurt to have baskets available throughout the store as well. Why?
“A person mentally stops shopping when
their hands are full,” Shay said. He sees it all
the time in grocery stores, and the same
rule applies to all other types of retail.
Quite simply, when customers have carts
or baskets, they want to fill them.
Designing for profit
It may be easy to move into an existing
store and just fill up the shelves in the
places they already were. Or to assume
with the right signs and service, customers
will be directed to the must-sell items.
But don’t underestimate the sales power
of a well-designed store. The right aisle
configuration can be just as effective as a
great sales team, if not more so.
“When you’re in the store,” Shay said, “I
want to move you about to see what else
I’ve got.”
There are three basic store designs, all
with pros and cons, according to Shay.
The first design is the “Power I.” The
most important feature of this design is
the main, or “power,” aisle, down which
customers will be drawn. The main aisle
should span the entire length of the store,
forming a letter “I.” Perpendicular to the
main aisle should be smaller, side aisles.
The important thing to note with the
Power I is that no aisle should be a dead
end. The biggest advantage of the Power
I is that it will fit the most merchandise,
which will make it ideal for small stores, or
stores that will be packed to the gills with
available products. The biggest drawback
of the Power I is that when customers walk
down the main aisle, they won’t see what
is down the side aisles until they reach
them. This will make it difficult to pull customers down the side aisles, Shay said.
The second design is the “Power T.” The
Power T is similar to the Power I in that
there should be a main aisle with side
aisles running perpendicular. With the
Power T, however, about two-thirds to
three-fourths of the way through the store
the first main aisle should end and a second main aisle should run perpendicular
to the first main aisle. The two main aisles
should form a letter “T.” Above the cross
member of the “T” should be more side
aisles that run perpendicular to the second
main aisle. The advantage of the Power T
is that it will effectively draw customers
to the outside walls, which will allow the
store to create more focal points for highmargin items or items it must sell. The biggest disadvantage of the Power T is that
it doesn’t allow for as much merchandise
as the Power I. This design may be best for
stores that don’t quite have enough products to fill the space, Shay said.
The third and final design he suggested
was the “Loop” or “Racetrack.” The Loop
is the design used by many department
stores. It’s most important feature is a
main aisle that should run in a circle (it’s
actually more of an octagon) around the
store and back to the entrance. Perpen-
dicular to each side of the octagonal main
aisle should run secondary aisles. Inside
of the main aisle should be more secondary aisles that run parallel to the faces of
the octagonal main aisle; this prevents
customers from cutting straight through
the inside of the loop and forces them
to weave through rows of merchandise.
The biggest advantage of the Loop is that
it will provide countless focal points to
which customers may be directed. The biggest disadvantage is that it requires a lot
of square footage.
Space limitations will obviously dictate
a store’s layout to a certain extent, but by
simply understanding the goal behind a
specific layout — moving customers to
specific items — store owners will be at an
advantage over the competition.
Shay had two other tips to keep in mind
when designing a store layout.
First, the positioning of shelves and
aisles isn’t the only way to move customers through a store. Noise — such as music
or that of a radio-controlled display helicopter — as well as signs can both effectively draw a customer to desired locations
within a store.
Second, he said to remember that a customer will eventually need to walk back
out of a store. Therefore the layout and
product displays should be aesthetically
pleasing not only from the front of the
store to the back, but also from the back
The Power I, The Power T ANd The LooP
Power I
Power T
Loop or Racetrack
Entrance
Entrance
Entrance
Power I
Pros: It allows for the
greatest amount of
merchandise.
Cons: Customers are
only drawn to the back
wall, resulting in fewer
focal points.
Power T
Pros: Customers are
drawn to the back wall
and the side walls,
resulting in more focal
points.
Cons: It allows for less
merchandise.
LooP or
rACeTrACK
Pros: It allows for the
greatest number of
focal points.
Cons: It requires a lot
more space.
of the store to the front; otherwise, a sales
opportunity could be missed.
Stocking options
Now that the aisles are planned, the shelves
can be filled. But how?
The first thing to consider, according
to Shay, is saving the customer time by
grouping similar items. This should not be
done entirely for the customer’s benefit;
by grouping similar items, a store creates
additional add-on sales opportunities. For
example, display some high-margin paints
or glues near the plastic models — not all
of the paints, but just a few.
This may defy convention, but it does
so with good reason. Store owners have a
tendency to stock all of the paints in one
aisle and all of the models in another, Shay
said. Instead, simply put the idea of paint
into the mind of a customer that came in
looking just for a model kit. This will often
result in an impulse buy of a higher-margin item, or it will draw the customer over
into the paint aisle.
Another shopper tendency that, when
understood, can result in greater sales is
that customers usually look at merchandise in only the first 25 percent of a side
aisle, Shay said. Think about it: Most shoppers have peeked down a grocery store
aisle looking for the spices, but turned
away when they aren’t on the first 10 feet
on either side. This goes double for stores
that don’t have signs over their aisles stating what merchandise is where.
But the reason the 25-percent rule holds
true is because of the power of the main
aisle. This makes one part of the store
more effective than all the rest: the end
cap. “Those displays on a per-square-foot
basis can outdo the rest of the sales floor
two to one,” Shay said.
The products on an end cap don’t necessarily need to relate — and often shouldn’t
— to the products in the adjacent aisles,
he said. But an end cap also shouldn’t be a
collection of dissimilar items; there should
be something of a theme, with one main
product and a number of accessories.
When it comes to end caps, however, the
most important tip of Shay’s is to change
them often, similar to storefront displays.
Again, this can be as simple as moving the
entire end-cap display to the other side of
the aisle. “The amazing thing is people will
go, ‘Oh, I didn’t know you carried this,’ ” he
said. “Well, the last two or three weeks it’s
been on your right. Today I moved it on
your left, and now you see it.”
15
SPecial rePort
Small store, big benefit
For some store owners, attending trade shows can take away from
day-to-day operations; find out why one dealer says it’s worth it
By Nick Bullock
W
ade Van Ryzin, who owns Galaxy
Science and Hobby Center Inc.
in Appleton, Wis., with his wife,
Christine, is forced to reduce his
store’s hours when he travels for a hobby
trade show.
Still, that won’t stop him from heading
to Las Vegas for the 2013 National Retail
Hobby Stores Association Table Top Expo.
The 20th annual event runs April 28–May
1 at The Orleans Hotel, and Van Ryzin
wouldn’t miss it.
“Making time to go there is something
you have to be committed to doing in a
small store,” he said.
Last year, the Table Top Expo welcomed
more than 200 dealers from about 100
stores, and this year’s pre-signups are
ahead of that pace, NRHSA President Bruce
Throne said.
The expo, which is open to non-NRHSA
members, has a little different feel compared to other hobby shows, according
to Van Ryzin. Since it’s a table top show,
there are no booths separated by a curtain,
which allows him to see the entire show
floor at once. “You’re not going to miss
something,” he said. “If something catches
your eye, you go over there and look.”
Also, every single event is open to both
vendors and dealers, Van Ryzin said, which
encourages a more informal interaction
between store owners and manufacturers.
“Some of the best deals have been done
across a lunch table,” he said.
For Van Ryzin, the show is also something of a vacation. He can relax and casually talk to his colleagues in the industry,
while at the same time gather product
and merchandising ideas for his store.
For this year’s show, NRHSA will be
doing “something special” to celebrate the
show’s 20th anniversary, Throne said. The
annual bowling tournament, a favorite of
attendees, will also return.
The expo continues to grow, he said,
16
attendees of the 2012 NrHSa table top expo in las Vegas test radio-controlled
cars (left) and rocket kits (right). Similar hands-on demonstrations will take place
at this year’s show, which runs april 29–May 1.
because its organizers pay attention to the
requests and suggestions of the attendees.
“We have aggressively listened to what
they said in the surveys,” Throne said. “They
wanted more learning at the show, so we
said, ‘All right, we’ll do more seminars.’ ”
The Table Top Expo will also have numerous product demonstrations, including a
flying field for radio-controlled aircraft and
an R/C boat pond, which is another reason
Van Ryzin will be there.
“You can look at all the fliers and you
can go through all the Internet sites and
you can do all of that stuff that you want,”
he said, “but there’s nothing like watch-
NeeD to KNoW
What: 2013 NRHSA Table Top Expo,
20th anniversary
Where: The Orleans Hotel, Las
Vegas, Nev.
When: April 28–May 1
More info: www.nrhsa.org/expo
ing or actually flying a new helicopter or
new airplane that’s going to give you the
insight into what that plane or helicopter
can actually do when your customer asks
you, ‘What do you think?’ When you can sit
down and tell them, ‘Well, I’ve flown this,
and here’s what I think,’ it gives you a level
of expertise that you are not going to find
by looking at an Internet site.”
That’s why Van Ryzin is willing to leave
his store in the care of someone else while
he makes the trip to Las Vegas. He’ll inevitably fall behind on such tasks as cleaning
or bookkeeping, but neither his departure
nor the reduced hours appreciably affect
sales, he said.
Plus, Van Ryzin’s customers always
understand — and often appreciate —
that he is spending his own time attending a hobby trade show in order to improve the store.
Early last year, he said some health
problems forced him to reduce the store’s
hours. “Ninety percent of the customers
came up later and said, ‘It’s about time you
guys took some time off,’ ” Van Ryzin said.
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BUSINESS BOOKS
12 great reads for retailers
The authors, all experts in the field, show how to grow your
business, understand your customers and beat the competition
By CHUCK LEDDy
O
perating a hobby shop is far from
easy, even in the best of times. To
be successful in today’s challenging
economic climate, you need all the
guidance you can get. The dozen books
listed below are recommended resources
that can help you along the way, from
starting a retail business and growing it
to hiring employees, designing your store,
attracting customers, and much more.
Specialty Shop Retailing: Everything
You Need to Know to Run Your Own
Store by Carol L. Schroeder (Wiley, $39.95).
Schroeder shares her experience and
wisdom to help you grow your business
into an award-winning success. This third
edition updates the classic guide with
additional strategies for competing against
big-box retailers, taking advantage of the
Internet and improving profitability — and
it includes more than two dozen easy-todownload forms that can be customized
for your use.
Specialty Shop Retailing covers every
aspect of opening and operating a retail
store, including niche marketing, promotion and customer service. Based on
her own experience and interviews with
dozens of the most successful specialty
retailers in the U.S. and Europe, Schroeder
offers practical solutions to some of the
field’s most daunting challenges, such as
negotiating a lease and diversifying the
product mix.
Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping,
Updated and Revised for the Internet,
the Global Consumer, and Beyond by
Paco Underhill (Simon & Schuster, $16).
Retail guru Underhill is back with a completely revised edition of his witty bestselling book on our ever-evolving consumer
culture — full of fresh observations and
important lessons from the cutting edge
of retail.
18
New material includes: 1) the latest
trends in online retail — what retailers are
doing right and what they’re doing wrong
— and how nearly every Internet retailer
can drastically improve how it serves its
customers; and 2) a guided tour of the
most innovative stores, malls and retail
environments around the world. The new
Why We Buy is an essential guide, offering
advice on how to keep your customers and
attract new ones.
and author of eight books on the subject,
offers advice on writing a business plan,
finding a great location, hiring and keeping skilled staff, meeting the expectations
of today’s consumers, and promoting and
differentiating your business. A bonus CD
includes forms, templates and samples
to simplify your business, from managing employees and inventory to tracking
financial performance, creating sales and
adding signage to your store.
Retail in Detail by Ronald L. Bond (Entre-
Hire Your First Employee: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Finding, Choosing
and Leading Great People by Rhonda
peneur Press, $19.95). Since it was first
published, Retail in Detail has established
itself as a down-to-earth guide for small
retailers. This fourth edition has been
fully updated for today’s rapidly changing retail environment in the Internet
age. New sections contain specific tips on
using the Web for marketing and two-way
communication with customers, and on
getting started as an online retailer, including choosing a domain name, processing
credit cards, shipping and receiving, and
other Web-specific issues.
Bond helps brick-and-mortar retailers in
evaluating product vulnerability to competition from Internet retailers. This guide
also contains many specific examples and
case studies, based on the author’s experiences starting and successfully operating
three retail stores and a bed and breakfast,
as well as on the experiences of dozens of
other successful entrepreneurs.
Retail Business Kit for Dummies by Rick
Segel (For Dummies, $34.99). This practical guide shows you how to start and run
your business in today’s marketplace, from
nourishing your original dream to managing daily operations, establishing connections with customers and increasing your
sales, both via the Web and at a brick-andmortar shop.
Segel, an international retail expert
Abrams (Planning Shop, $24.95). If you
want to grow your business, you will need
some help. Hire Your First Employee guides
you through everything you need to make
the decision to hire, find the right people
and manage your team. It’s all here, including the hard facts regarding taxes and
regulations. Whether you’re just launching
your business or have been in operation
for years, if it’s time to hire you’ll want this
book to guide your growth.
Abrams explains all the nitty-gritty
details about taxes and complying with
regulations, figuring out how much to pay,
conducting interviews and background
checks, developing benefits and personnel
policies, becoming a leader and manager,
and much more.
It’s Okay to Be the Boss: The Step-byStep Guide to Becoming the Manager
Your Employees Need by Bruce Tulgan
(HarperBusiness, $23.99). Managing people
is harder and more high-pressured today
than ever. You have to do more with less.
And employees have become high maintenance. In this practical guide, Bruce Tulgan
puts his finger on an under-management
epidemic affecting managers — and offers
another way.
His clear, step-by-step approach to be-
coming the strong manager employees
need challenges bosses to spell out expectations, tell employees exactly what to do
and how to do it, monitor and measure
performance constantly, correct failure
quickly and reward success even more
quickly. Tulgan opens your eyes to the undisciplined workplace that is overwhelming managers and frustrating workers,
helping bosses to accept the all-important
responsibility of managing people.
Loss Prevention and the Small Business by J. Robert Wyman (Butterworth-
Heinemann, $50.95). Most small-business
owners grapple with the day-to-day
challenges of sales and marketing, never
realizing that the shadow of shrinkage is
expanding daily. Ravaged by theft and
paperwork losses, an already-tight profit
margin can shrink into oblivion.
Loss Prevention and the Small Business
opens the eyes of owners and managers
to the reality of shrinkage in all its guises,
including shoplifting, fraud and embezzlement. Armed with this awareness, businesses can utilize the many suggested
strategies to inhibit losses and aggressively pursue those persons and processes
responsible for it. This comprehensive
guide helps you create a dynamic, proactive plan for protecting hard-earned profits from the menace of internal and external loss.
The Specialty Shop: How to Create
Your Own Unique and Profitable Retail
Business by Dorothy Finell (AMACOM,
$16). Nearly 2 million small specialty shops
open annually in the U.S., and more than
500,000 of those fail. The Specialty Shop
shows you how to establish a business
you’re passionate about and that makes a
profit. Finell has traveled the world looking for fascinating, creative and successful
stores. She describes more than three
dozen, including gift shops, toy stores and
others such as Papier Mâché, a mask shop
in Venice, Italy.
Based on interviews with shop owners,
Finell offers advice on everything new
owners need to know, from pre-planning,
decor and display, finance and customer
service to marketing and community
relations. Filled with lively vignettes and
beautiful photographs, this book will show
prospective owners how to open and nurture the shop of their dreams.
Start Your Own Successful Retail
Business by Jan Kingaard (Entrepreneur
Press, $15.99). In every community, large
or small, you’re likely to see a variety of
stores: hobby shops, gift shops, bookstores, hardware stores and more. Their
inventory may be totally different, but the
steps involved in running them profitably
are very much the same.
Retail experts take the mystery out of
success and show how to do all you need
to gain a competitive advantage, including selecting merchandise that will fly off
the shelves, setting prices, designing your
store to encourage purchases, running
operations, managing the cash register
and computing daily profits. These experts
also offer how-to advice on tracking inventory, preventing theft, hiring great employees and training them to provide stellar
customer service.
The Budget Guide to Retail Store Planning and Design by Jeff Grant (ST Media
Group, $24.95). The perfect learning tool
for opening a store or renovating an existing one, this book offers a nuts-and-bolts
approach to the planning and execution
of a store. It covers budgeting for a design
and working with designers, plus store layout and colors, ceilings and spaceframes,
interior signage, lease analysis and negotiation, storefronts and signs, retail floor
coverings, wall and floor fixtures, and putting it all together.
Grant owns Trio Display Group, a retail
design, supply and consulting firm in La
Jolla, Calif. His specialty is gift, apparel and
sports-related stores. He has experience
in store planning, fixturing and lease/
legal negotiations, and his book includes
an invaluable retail-lease checklist and
appendix of store plans.
Marketing Your Retail Store in the
Internet Age by Bob and Susan Negen
(Wiley, $34.95). As an independent store
owner or franchisee, your biggest competitive advantage is the personal relationship
you have with your customers, something
online stores lack. In Marketing Your Retail
Store in the Internet Age, the Negens show
how to create new customer relationships
and do more with the customers you
already have.
Using both time-honored tactics and
new high-tech marketing ideas, the
Negens adapt the best of what worked for
mom and pop and expand it for the 21st
century. This marketing guide puts more
than 20 years of real-life retail experience
in your hands. Follow the advice in this
practical, effective guide and turn the personal touch into a competitive advantage.
Retail Success! by George Whalin (Willoughby Press, $25). Retail expert and
author Paco Underhill describes Retail Success! this way: “Running a store is harder
than it looks from the outside. [It] means
understanding layout and merchandising.
It means being able to lead and inspire
employees. It means delivering on your
promise to the customer consistently day
after day.
“The great merchants of the 20th century learned the details of their craft the
hard way — by doing it. They succeed[ed]
by guts, instinct and [the] ability to stay
focused. If they were lucky, they had a
mentor: someone who brought insight
out of chaos. Someone who was willing to
teach and help revisit the fundamentals.
For every merchant or aspiring merchant
who has missed having that personal mentor, there is George Whalin.”
Chuck Leddy, a member of the National Book
Critics Circle, is a Boston-based book critic
who writes regularly for The Boston Globe
and other publications.
19
BEHIND THE COUNTER
By TOM PALMER, SOUTH SIDE TRAINS, MILWAUKEE
Why, how to sell at hobby shows
JEREMy TOPczEWKI
In September 2012, Bonnie Domrois talked
with retailers about the pros and cons of selling at a show or swap meet. This month we
get a first-person look at the topic.
H
ave overstocked inventory? Looking
for more sales opportunities? Trying
to figure out what type of stock to
bring to a show? These are some of
the questions you must ask yourself before
deciding to participate in a show or swap
meet. Before committing to an event, you
need to answer these questions and determine whether a show is worth your time
and money.
Are the attendees buyers or browsers?
I remember traveling more than 300 miles
to participate at a two-day model train
show. We had 12 tables and a van full of
model trains to sell. On paper, the numbers were great: reasonable table fees and
more than 20,000 paid attendees.
The reality was something else. The
clown in the booth next to us sold balloon
swords, and he probably had three times
the sales we did. Although it was billed as
a model train show, the event was really
a model train display show. Consumers
were there to look at model trains, not buy
them. We grossed less than we paid for gas
to get there — not to mention our hotel,
food, exhibit fees and other expenses.
What exposure will my business gain?
Shows afford your business an opportunity
to participate in the “shameless art of selfpromotion,” otherwise known as advertising. As we know, advertising is easy to buy
but very hard to quantify. If a show has a
specific theme related to my merchandise,
I can be assured that the attendees are
interested in the items I’m selling. And no
matter what I sell, the advertising benefits
are well worth the time, energy and cost of
participating in the show.
How do I know what to sell?
Five years ago, I decided to participate in
a nationally recognized show. But my first
year there was all about research. I bought
20
Trainfest, held annually in Milwaukee, features booths from more than 100
hobby shops and other vendors.
a two-day ticket and studied the show
from a consumer’s point of view. On the
first day, I jotted down notes as to what
type of merchandise vendors had on sale
and paid close attention to booth sizes.
Then I watched consumer traffic.
On the second day, I studied vendor
booth layouts and sales procedures. Later
I noted what vendors did and did not sell
during the show. I also kept in mind the
amount of goods sold per vendor in relation to the cost per booth.
I’ve since returned every year as a vendor,
and it has been a profitable show for me.
By studying other vendors, I realized that
the busiest ones tailored their merchandise
to the show. They had neat, well-stocked
booths and efficient, customer-friendly
checkout procedures. I’ve tried to replicate
those successes by buying specific merchandise for a show, maintaining an easyto-manage booth with plenty of staff and
increasing the number of purchase points
for the consumer. Although I’ve tweaked
my game plan over the years, those initial
observations helped me construct a successful formula for a profitable show.
Can I sell old items at the show?
Selecting merchandise for a show is similar
to a comedian selecting jokes for a performance: Know your audience and everyone
will be happy. One trap many retailers fall
into is bringing old, marked-down merchandise to unload it. This strategy only
leaves a bad impression with attendees.
New customers will think your store only
carries outdated inventory, while regulars
will wonder if they've paid too much in
your store. When selecting merchandise
for a particular show, I make sure it represents the selection and price point I have
at my store.
What will it cost?
The actual hard costs of a show can vary a
lot — from $1 per square foot for a table,
to upwards of $4 per square foot for a
booth. Overall, sales and consumer goodwill need to outweigh incidental costs,
such as food and lodging, when determining the profitability of attending a show.
In the end, if I gain good exposure for my
store and recoup my expenses (or better), I
will count the show a success.
PRODUCT
LAB
REVIEWS AND MARKETING IDEAS FOR ITEMS IN YOUR STORE
Traxxas' Nitro Slash 3.3 is speedy, solid
Product: No stranger to speed, Traxxas
designed the 2WD Nitro Slash 3.3 to go
fast. Built around a beefy TRX 3.3 racing
engine with a blue-anodized aluminum
head, the power train features a singlespeed, three-gear transmission; a steelcomposite planetary gear differential; and
an adjustable slipper clutch. Thick telescoping driveshafts transfer all that power
to the licensed BFGoodrich tires for
gravel-spitting, tarmac-chewing, sandspewing action.
Completely ready to run, the package
also includes a TQ 2.4-GHz radio, an EZStart electrical starting system with a battery pack and a wall charger, a fuel bottle,
and a bag of tools and accessories to help
get a newbie racer going.
Performance: The Slash 3.3 does not
fail to impress. Breaking in the engine was
a snap. The engine needed a little throttle
the first couple of attempts to get it going.
After that, I had to work to get it to quit.
The glow plug didn’t foul and the factory
carb settings were dead on. I wrapped the
head in a towel secured with rubber bands
and had no trouble getting it up to temp.
The narrow, blue-anodized chassis has
a clean layout, allowing for unimpeded
access to the 150cc fuel tank, the hightorque throttle and steering servos, and
the sealed battery and receiver boxes.
Once it was broken in, I put the Slash
through its paces on gravel, moderately
long grass, pavement and hard-packed
sand — and was thoroughly impressed
with its speed. It's a little slow off the line,
but its top end is incredible. Out of the
box, the shocks are a bit soft for my liking,
but they are fully adjustable.
VITAL STATS
Product: Nitro Slash 3.3 short-course
truck, Rob MacCachren Edition
Maker: Traxxas
Stock number: 44054
MSRP: $695
Availability: Check your favorite
distributor
Of course, the Slash also lives up to
Traxxas’ durability standard. Flipped, rolled,
jumped — the Slash accepted without a
whimper. However, I found the Slash more
bucking bronco than thoroughbred stallion. Racers will likely never get to see the
Slash's full-speed potential in anything
but the longest of long straights. It can be
pushy in turns and won't hesitate to turn
over if you aren't attentive.
Marketing: The Slash 3.3 is a great
truck from Traxxas. It's a joy to drive, and I
grinned each time I started the engine for
another session.
Make sure you ask interested customers
where they intend to drive the Slash 3.3. I
cannot stress this enough: It's fast! It goes
far very quickly, especially at full throttle,
and is hard to control at that speed, more
so for the inexperienced driver. If they're
BOTTOM LINE
• Super fast
• Durable, powerful and welldesigned
• Not for the inexperienced
planning to drive it around their suburban
backyards, steer them toward something
else. It may seem counterintuitive, but,
in the long run, your customer will thank
you. And it will save you a lot of headaches
after unhappy phone calls or visits.
I don't recommend the Slash 3.3 for
anyone under 14 or anyone without some
R/C driving experience on their résumé. Of
course, parents are the final arbiter, but it's
best to let them know that when properly
tuned, the Slash will hit speeds of about
50 mph. That will do some serious harm to
the dog, the back of the garage or someone's shin.
Customers will need a total of eight AA
batteries for the receiver and transmitter,
and that wouldn't make a bad up-sell. Ask
if they have a temperature gauge. If not,
this would be a good time for customers
to pick one up.
For nearly 30 years, Rob MacCachren has
driven in nearly every sort of off-road race
imaginable, from motorcycles, to buggies,
to short-course trucks. If off-road racing
is big in your area, use that popularity to
your benefit by putting the MacCachren
edition Slash front and center while piping
televised races into your store.
— Tim Kidwell
21
PRODUCT LAB Catan Junior offers fun for kids of all ages
Product: Ahoy Mate! Set sail for the
islands of Catan. There’s pirating to be
done! Catan Junior, a game designed
by Klaus Teuber and offered by Mayfair
Games, brings yet another variation to
the well-known series of Catan board
games to the marketplace. This version is
designed specifically for kids ages 6 and
older, but its fast play and familiar strategy
make it a fun choice for adults as well.
Catan Junior includes a two-sided game
board, 106 resource tiles, 32 ships, 28
pirate lairs, a ghost captain figure, one die,
and easy setup and play rules.
Performance: The purpose of the
game is to build a network of routes that
connect various islands, using your ships
and pirate lairs. The winner of the game
is the first player to build all of his or her
pirate lairs on the game board.
The game includes an impressive number of game pieces. Not to worry, though,
as the instruction booklet is set up to get
you started quickly. It will probably take 10
minutes to be ready to play the first game,
but after that, the board can be set up in
much less time.
Catan Junior includes many of the highquality pieces found in other Mayfair
products, particularly the heavy card stock
game board, resource tiles and cards. The
ships and pirate lairs are made of colored
plastic, but for a game targeting children,
the plastic parts are molded rather thin,
and I’m not sure how well they will stand
up to rough handling. They are perfectly
suitable for normal game play.
Like its bigger family members, including the original Settlers of Catan, Catan
Junior is a resource management game.
Each of the islands has a number (one
through five), and players collect resources
by the roll of a single die. A player can collect resources even when it’s not his turn,
which is a great game feature — especially
for kids — because it keeps all of the players involved in the game at all times.
There are five types of resource tiles in
the game, and on a player’s turn, combinations of them are used to perform one
of three actions: purchase a ship, build a
pirate lair, or buy a Coco the Parrot card.
Players must connect their pirate lairs by
ships to expand their shipping routes.
Coco cards have a variety of functions
that are useful at various times during
game play. These include being able to
move the ghost captain to another island,
building ships or lairs for free and collect-
22
they need to build ships and pirate lairs,
thus speeding up the game.
In addition to the market, players may
also swap resource tiles with the bank;
however, the cost to do so is two resources
of one type for one resource from the
bank, making the bank the least costeffective option.
The game board is double-sided: One
side is for a two-player version, the other
for three or four players. The game works
very well with all combinations of players. A typical game lasts 15 to 30 minutes,
depending on the number of players.
ing extra resource tiles. Also, the player
holding the most Coco cards at any time
controls the ghost captain’s island, allowing him to place one of his pirate’s lairs
there without the need of a ship to connect it to his route.
A neat feature of Catan Junior that is different from the original Settlers of Catan is
the addition of a market. The market is at
one end of the game board and contains
five stalls. At the beginning of the game,
each stall is stocked with one of the five
resource tiles. On a player’s turn, a resource
tile may be swapped for a tile in the market. Swapping resources in the market
is done on a one-for-one basis, enabling
players to more readily collect the tiles
VITAL STATS
Product: Catan Junior
Maker: Mayfair Games
Stock number: MFG3025
MSRP: $30.00
Availability: www.mayfairgames.com
Marketing: Catan Junior is a fast and
fun game to play, whether you know any
of the other Catan games or not. Junior is
a smart addition to Mayfair’s Catan family because it’s a perfect introduction to
resource management-type board games.
Once a customer has learned how to play
Catan Junior, he will be ready to enjoy the
bigger, more complex Settlers of Catan,
with all of its plug-in expansions, and similar board games. From a marketing standpoint, that’s a great thing for both Mayfair
and the shop owner.
Catan Junior is a fun and easy starting
point for all new board gamers, yet its fast
play and strategy is appealing to experienced players as well.
— David Popp
BOTTOM LINE
• Fast-paced play
• Great introduction to resourcemanagement board games
• 2–4 players
• Good for ages 6 and older
radio control
BY Nick Bullock
Surface VehicleS
1:10 robby Gordon edition
dakar SlaSh 2Wd racinG truck
Traxxas
This ready-to-run truck (No. 5804, MSRP
$274.99) comes with a TQ 2.4-GHz radio
system; a Titan 12T 550 modified motor; a
brushless Ready Magnum 272 metal-gear
transmission; an XL-5 electronic speed
control; a Power Cell 7-cell, 3,000-mAh
NiMH battery; and a charger. It is capable
of speeds faster than 30 mph with the
included optional 23-tooth pinion gear.
1:18 Metal MuliSha brian
deeGan ford fieSta rally car
aTomik
Featuring a licensed Ford Fiesta body
with Brian Deegan Metal Mulisha graphics, this ready-to-run rally car (No. 9100,
$99.99) has a 4-wheel-drive powertrain,
oil-filled shocks to handle rough terrain,
a waterproof two-in-one 2.4-GHz receiver
and speed control, scale 15-spoke rallystyle wheels and rally tires, a brushed 370
motor, and a Venom 7.2-volt, 1,000-mAh
NiMH battery and charger.
run Slash (No. 6708L, MSRP $629.99) features a low-center-of-gravity chassis, TQi
2.4-GHz radio, docking base and Velineon
Brushless System. Also included with the
Ultimate that weren't with the standard
Slash: a Power Cell 2-cell, 5,000-mAh LiPo
battery; an AC 2-cell and 3-cell LiPo charger; hard-anodized, PTFE-coated 13-mm
bore GTR aluminum shocks with 3.5-mm
titanium nitride shock shafts; and factoryinstalled speed, temperature and voltage
telemetry sensors.
Meridian 10 cc arf
aircraft
Proud bird ef1 SPort racer arf
GreaT Planes
1:10 SlaSh 4x4 ultiMate Sc
racinG truck
Traxxas
The new Ultimate version of the ready-to-
large battery compartment. It accepts O.S.
and RimFire motors.
Designed by pylon racer Jim Allen
for advanced pilots, this aircraft (No.
GPMA1260, MSRP $199.99) was made to
be both a competitive EF1-class racer and
an everyday sport plane. When equipped
with the recommended power system, it
is capable of speeds faster than 100 mph.
The Proud Bird features an all-wood, builtup airframe; a cowl and wheel pants made
from fiberglass; a magnetic hatch; and a
HanGar 9
This new airplane (No. HAN5015, MAP
$229.99) was designed to fit the Evolution 10-cc gas engine (No. EVOE10GX). It
features tricycle landing gear attached to
the fuselage, flaps for an expanded flight
envelope, a hatch on top of the fuselage
for access to the radio gear and EP battery,
two-piece plug-in wings, a pilot figure, and
an instrument panel.
enGineS and PartS
10Gx 10-cc GaS
r/c enGine
evoluTion enGines
Made to power .46to .6-size models,
this engine (No.
EVOE10GX, MAP $199) features a 4.8–8.4volt ignition case that is half the size of
traditional cases, which allows for more
23
RADIO CONTROL
mounting options. It also has a broad
torque range that supports propeller sizes
from 11x7 up to 13x8.
ANNIvERsARy DECORATIvE
LICENsE PLATE
Pro-Line
1973 FORD BRONCO CLEAR BODy
Pro-Line
Designed for popular monster trucks with
longer wheelbases, this clear body (No.
3393-00, MSRP $38.95) fits a T-Maxx 3.3,
E-Maxx 3.3, Revo 3.3, Savage, Summit
and E-Revo (with trimming). It features a
detailed grille headlights and body-molding trim. It requires extended rear body
posts, which aren't included, and is made
from genuine GE Lexan.
ACCEssORIEs
PRO-BOND TIRE
GLuE
Pro-Line
This new glue (No.
6031-00, MSRP
$9.95) has a hold
strength of 3,200
psi, the strongest of
any tire glue available, according to Pro-Line. It comes in a
soft, squeezable round bottle, and includes
two of Pro-Line's new Translucent Yellow
Pro-Bond Applicator tips, which are reusable and made for the round bottle design.
ERI ASSOCIATES
MOD • 01/01/2013 • BW • 1/12
Slot Car & RC
Wholesaler
No
Retail
Sales!!
Traxxas, Kyosho, Associated, HPI, MIP,
ProLine, JConcepts, Parma, Hitec, LRP
Tekin, Integy, Team Epic, RPM, Tamiya,
Lunsford, BSR, Dubro, Imex, MRC,Ofna
and much more
ERI Associates / DISTRIBUTOR
50 North Harrison ave, unit 14
Congers, NY 10920
[email protected], ERIRacing.com
845 268 5090
24
This oversized stamped plate (No. 991332, MSRP $29.95) measures 24x12 inches
and is designed similar to the classic blackand-yellow plates from the hot-rod era. It
is a California plate, from where Pro-Line
was created.
sTRONGhOLD
sOLO ChARGE
BOx
mounted to a baffle between the charge
and the Strongbox Containment System.
It also features a 500-watt circuit and
allows charge rates up to 25 amps. It can
take input voltages up to 26 volts and can
handle NiMH, NiCD, LiPo, LiFe, Li-Ion and
lead-acid batteries.
Venom
Featuring a shatterproof polycarbonate window and a
stamped-aluminum
case, this charge box (No. 0672, MSRP
$69.99) was designed to help contain fire
and gasses by dissipating the pressures
at a controlled rate. It is rated for lithium
batteries up to 60-watt hours. It also
comes with a long-lead balance block, a
snap latch, an aluminum handle and rubber feet.
sTRONGhOLD 25-AMP DC BATTERy
ChARGER
Venom
This charger (No. 0667, MSRP $232.99)
features a self-extinguishing, shatterproof
polycarbonate window as well as interior
LED lights. It requires no external charge
GUILLOW
INC
or balancePAUL
wires Kbecause
all outputs
are
MOD • 02/01/2013 • 2C • 1/12
uNIvERsAL BALANCING BOARD
Hitec
Designed to work with all Hitec X and H
series chargers, this balancing adapter
(No. 44178, Street $15.99) includes EH, TP,
XH and HP balancing ports. It allows for
balancing of all major brands of lithium
chemistry batteries and is compatible with
2S–6S packs. It also features a hard plastic
bottom case.
MORGAN FUELS
MOD • 07/01/2012 • BW • 1/12
MOD • 01/01/2013 • 4C • 1/6 V
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
• FAXPRODUCTS
(847) 674-7363
DU-BRO
WE SELL DEALER DIRECT
MOD • 03/01/2013 • 4C • 1/2 H
DUAL CONTROL
- NEW PRODUCTS FOR 2013 -
Long Dual
Servo Arms
Heavy Duty Dual
Control Horn
A new servo arm design for large
aircraft. This dual arm allows for
straight and in-line movement
of the control surface. Made of
long fiber composites, this arm is
super strong and will provide the
maximum security.
New control horn design is made
from high strength nylon and is
perfect for large aircraft. The dual
arm feature allows for even, in-line
movement of the control rod.
NEW
Heavy Duty
Clevis Horn
System
Mounting system for large aircraft,
can be configured as a pull-pull or
two single control horns.
Self-adjusting, will mount at 90º to
center line of the control surface.
NEW
Available December 2012
Available December 2012
Available January 2013
NEW
DU-BRO Products, Inc | (800) 848-9411 | www.dubro.com | facebook.com/dubrorc
25
What’s selling: RaDiO COntROl
COMPILED BY JENNY MAASKE
?
how were your holiday sales, and were
“I couldn't keep the Ares Quadcopters on
the shelf.”
Scott Hill
HobbyTown USA
Lafayette, La.
“This season started off slowly but picked
up the week before Christmas. This is par
for our location. We seem to get busy the
week before Christmas and a couple weeks
after. R/C cars sold well, and to our surprise, the Heli-Max 1SQ did very well. We
also sold a nice amount of gift certificates.
John Brown
Brownie's Pro & Sport Hobbies
Staten Island, N.Y.
"Holiday sales were down considerably
until Dec. 20, then the floodgates opened.
We ended up being slightly ahead for the
season. R/C helicopters and quads were
hot sellers. The biggest seller was the
Traxxas QR-1, followed by the DR-1 and
Blade Scout, mCX, mCX2, Red Bull and
CX2. Traxxas Stampede XL-5 and Rustler
trucks were popular, as well as the ECX
Torment and Ruckus. Revell and Pegasus
planes flew off the shelves. Any R/C items
under $200 and plastic models under $20
were hot items."
Kimberly Miller Gordon
Turn 4 Hobbies
West Boylston, Mass.
“[Sales were] up 13 percent. The Ares Ethos
Quadcopter was the hottest seller. We sold
more Lionel FasTrack than ever. Lionel selling sets to Amazon hurt our set business
but boosted accessory sales.”
Steve Noel
HobbyTown USA
Orland Park, Ill.
WIN THIS PRIZE!
W RTH
MORO
E
$ THAN
300
RETAIL
!
Win this Tamiya 1:12 Midnight
Pumpkin "Black Edition" R/C truck in
our next quarterly drawing. Just participate in the What’s Selling survey.
Email Jenny Maaske at jmaaske@
modelretailer.com or call 262-7968776 ext. 260 for more information.
Congratulations
Jim Mcnabb from raceplace
Hobbies in Quakertown, Pa.
He received a tamiya Ferrari
599XX tt-01E r/C car. thanks
to all the retailers who returned the survey!
Read more responses at www.ModelRetailer.com.
HORIZON HOBBY DIST INC
MOD • 03/01/2013 • 4C • 1/3 H
Your next best seller!
HobbyZone® Firebird Stratos™ (HBZ7700)
•
•
•
•
•
Just $129.99
Everything needed to fly in one box
Virtual Instructor™ flight assistance technology
Sleek construction with beginner-friendly features
Long-range 2.4GHz proportional control
Put one of the season’s hottest sellers to work on
your bottom line. Call your Horizon Hobby Sales
representative right away at 800-553-5551.
Designed, Built and Backed.
Horizon Hobby is a world leader in
innovative RC fun. Every one of our products is backed by unbeatable service and technical support that lets you sell with complete confidence.
© 2012 Horizon Hobby, Inc. HobbyZone, Firebird
Stratos, Virtual Instructor and the Horizon Hobby logo
are trademarks or registered trademarks of Horizon
Hobby, Inc. 37044
26
Sponsored by:
What’s selling: RaDiO COntROl
Store
Vehicles
Aircraft
Boats
Accessories
Dreamboat Hobbies
Warren, Pa.
Slash
Traxxas
Firebird Stratos
ParkZone
Zig Zag Racer
HobbyZone
TQi Adapter and Sensors
Traxxas
Jake's Performance Hobbies
Rohnert Park, Calif.
Slash 4WD
Traxxas
Firebird Stratos
ParkZone
Impulse 17, Miss Geico 17
Pro Boat
Rock crawler accessories
Various makes
Evolution Hobbies and Raceway
Casco, Maine
Various models
Arrma
1SQ
Heli-Max
Spartan, Blast
Traxxas
LiPo batteries
Giant Power
Staten Island, N.Y.
B4.1 RTR
Team Associated
1SQ
Heli-Max
Impulse 31
Pro Boat
3PRKA 3-channel FHSS radio
Futaba
HobbyTown USA
Westminster, Colo.
Dominus 10SC and 10TR
Helion
Gamma 370
Ares
Blast
Traxxas
Primal charger
Radient
Galaxy Hobby & Gift
Mississauga, Ont.
Monster Jam, Stampede
Traxxas
QR-1 Quad-Rotor Helicopter
Traxxas
Miss Geico 17
Pro Boat
DX3C
Spektrum
HobbyTown USA
College Station, Texas
Dominus SC, Animus
Helion
Ethos QX 75 Quadcopter
Ares
No trend
Batteries
Venom
HobbyTown USA
Gainesville, Fla.
Dominus TR
Helion
Ares
Blast
Traxxas
Chargers
Radient
Turn 4 Hobbies
Stampede XL-5, Rustler XL-5
Traxxas
Firebird Stratos
ParkZone
Blast
Traxxas
LiPo batteries, chargers
Duratrax
Pop Pop's Trains, Hobbies & More
Eminence, Mo.
1:10 Stampede 4WD
Traxxas
Kestrel 500SX
Nine Eagles
No trend
Batteries
Various makes
Hub City Hobby
Hattiesburg, Miss.
Slash VXL 2WD
Traxxas
Mini Vapor
ParkZone
Blast
Traxxas
LiPo battery car packs
Dynamite, Venom
HobbyTown USA
Lafayette, La.
Dominus SC
Helion
Ares
Mini Alligator Tours
AquaCraft
Reaktor Brushless System
Radient
The Spare Time Shop
Marlborough, Mass.
1:16 Slash
Traxxas
DMZ helicopters
Imex
No trend
Fuel
Various makes
HobbyTown USA
Orland Park, Ill.
Dominus TR
Helion
Ethos QX 75, Gamma 370
Ares
No trend
Primal, Ascend chargers
Radient
location
manufacturer
manufacturer
manufacturer
HORIZON HOBBY DIST INC
manufacturer
Lists are based on retailer reports of hot-selling items in MOD
each category.
Survey•was
• 03/01/2013
4Ctaken
• 1/3inHJanuary.
A Blade-Quality Experience
for Just 50 Bucks!
Blade‰ Scout CX™ Heli (BLH2700)
•
•
•
•
Just $49.99
Designed by Blade heli experts
2.4GHz control and heading hold gyro
Easy enough for anyone to fly
Put one of the season’s hottest sellers to work on
your bottom line. Call your Horizon Hobby Sales
representative right away at 800-553-5551.
Designed, Built and Backed.
Horizon Hobby is a world leader in
innovative RC fun. Every one of our products is backed by unbeatable serser
vice and technical support that lets you sell with complete confidence.
© 2012 Horizon Hobby, Inc. Blade, Scout CX and the
Horizon Hobby logo are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Horizon Hobby, Inc. 35986.T
28
Tamiya America, Inc.
36 Discovery , Suite 200
Irvine, CA 92618
1.800.826.4922
www.tamiyausa.com
MODEL RAILROADING
by JENNy MAASKE
LOcOMOTIvEs
HON3 2-8-0 sTEAM
Blackstone models
Blackstone’s second offering of 2-8-0 consolidations includes a Denver & Rio Grande
Western (Royal Gorge Route Herald, No.
B310209-S; Flying Grande lettering, No.
B310201-S; post-wreck version with Flying
Grande lettering, No. B310210-S), Denver
& Rio Grande class 70 (No. B310211-S) and
Rio Grande Southern (No. B310212-S).
Unlettered versions (Nos. B310214-S,
B310215-S) are also available. Each model
costs $499.95; weathered, $554.95.
ROLLING sTOck
Z 2,420’ wAFFLE-sIDE GONDOLA
HO FLATcAR wITH PIGGybAck
TRAILER
N EMD F40PH DIEsEL
american Z line
BacHmann trains
kato Usa
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe is the latest paint scheme on American Z Line’s
2,420 cubic-foot waffle-side gondola. The
model features etched-metal details, metal
wheelsets and AutoLatch knuckle couplers.
A single car (No. 91248-1) costs $34, and a
four-pack (No. 90248-1) costs $120.
These cars feature movable ramps and E-Z
Mate Mark II couplers. Road names include
Santa Fe with a Navajo Freight Lines trailer
(No. 16701), Baltimore & Ohio with a Rea
trailer (No. 16702), New York Central with
an NYC trailer (No. 16703), Reading with a
Reading Trailer (No. 16704), Atlantic Coast
Line with a Yale Trailer (No. 16705), and
Western Maryland with a Western Maryland trailer (No. 16706). Each costs $39.
New road names include Metra “City of
West Chicago” (No. 176-9101), “Village of
Winfield” (No. 176-9102) and “City of Elmhurst “(No. 176-9103). Each model ($120)
features an injection-molded plastic shell,
a split-frame mechanism, and directional
head, ditch and taillights.
O cALIFORNIA ZEPHyR
sTREAMLINED DINING cARs
atlas o
HO ALcO PA DIEsEL
mtH electric trains
New A-A sets include Lehigh Valley, Missouri Pacific and Nickel Plate Road. Each
model features a plastic body, die-cast
metal chassis and Mars light. Directcurrent models cost $349.95; with ProtoSound 3.0, $529.95; with Proto-Sound 3E+,
$569.95.
30
New cars include Amtrak “Silver Diner”
(Nos. 3001194-1, 3002194-1) or “Silver
Restaurant” (Nos. 3001194-2, 3002194-2);
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy “Silver Cafe”
(Nos. 3001191-1, 3002191-1); Denver &
Rio Grande Western “Silver Banquet” (Nos.
3001192-1, 3002192-1); and Western Pacific “Silver Platter” (Nos. 3001193-1, 30021931). They feature selectable interior lighting
(track or battery), sprung diaphragms
and knuckle couplers. Three-rail models
cost $149.95; two-rail, $154.95. Delivery is
expected in the third quarter of this year.
N wOODcHIP GONDOLA
delUxe innovations
Greenbrier Leasing Corp. (Burlington
Northern or Northern Pacific patchout) is
the latest paint scheme on DeLuxe Innovations’ deep-rib woodchip gondola. Singles
(Nos. 106011, 106021) cost $19.95 each;
2-packs (Nos. 106012, 106022) cost $39.90;
and a 3-pack (BN only, No. 106023) costs
$59.98. Delivery is expected in the second
quarter of this year.
MODEL RAILROADING
HO H30 COvERED HOppERs
bowser
Road names on Bowser’s Executive Line
H30 covered hoppers include Pennsylvania
(circle keystone, Nos. 40704–40709; shadow key, Nos. 40710–40715; yellow, Nos.
40734–40739), Penn Central (green, Nos.
40740–40745; green MOW, Nos. 40746–
40751), Norfolk & Western (Nos. 40752–
40757) and Conrail (Nos. 40758–40763).
MSRP is $29.95. Fall arrival is expected.
ACCEssORIEs
N fREIGHT CARs
Micro-Trains Line
New ready-to-run cars include a 60’ Great
Northern boxcar with double plug doors
(Nos. 12200301, 12200032; $26.10), a
Williams Brothers three-bay Ortner rapiddischarge hopper (No. 12500120, $24.90),
a 50’ Pennsylvania fishbelly flatcar with
a lumber load (No. 04500140, $19.65), a
Decker meat packer refrigerator car (No.
04900640, $26.95), a 50’ Canadian Pacific
standard boxcar with a plug door (No.
03200170, $19.10) and a 50’ Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe gondola with a fish-belly side
and drop ends (No. 04600080, $16.25).
brick construction, a recessed entry with
display windows, wall-mounted signs with
a roof brace, and printed interior details.
The store can be built in three different
eras: 1950s, 1970s and today.
sCENERy
O sCENIKING ROLL-OuT pHOTO
bACKDROps
bPh enTerPrises
sTRuCTuREs
HO RAILCAR REsTORATION &
CHARTER sHOp buILDING
waLThers
This Cornerstone kit (No. 933-4024,
$49.98), part of Walthers’ Railcar Restoration & Charter series, was designed for
easy construction. Modelers can set the
scene with three HO-scale WalthersProto
cars made especially for this series.
HO HObby sHOp
waLThers
This new Walthers Cornerstone kit (No.
933-3475, $29.98) features single-story
32
New offerings include nine rural and six
urban scenes that connect seamlessly in
a variety of combinations. Scenes include
Hardwood Forest-1 (No. K101), Hardwood
Forest-2 (No. K102), Limestone Cut (No.
K103), Old Quarry (No. K104), Quarryside
(No. K105), Rogers Road (shown, No. K106),
Town Square (No. K107), Commerce District (No. K108), The Main (No. K109), East
Street (No. K110), County Road Three (No.
K111), Corn & Bean Land (No. K112), Agribelt (No. K113), Pleasant Street (No. K114),
and East End Farm Supply (No. K115). The
scenes are printed on non-glare, 24-pound
paper and cost $49.95 each.
HO, N AssORTED DECALs
MicroscaLe indusTries
New assorted decals include tank car data
for American Car & Foundry 17,360-gallon
cars, ACF 13,000-gallon acid cars, LPG tank
cars and Trinity 17,600-gallon cars (Nos.
MC-5019, 60-5019, MC-5020, 60-5020);
Ontario Northland new image diesels (Nos.
87-1395, 60-1395); Herzog and RailGon
assorted gondolas (Nos. 87-1396, 60-1396);
Union Pacific heavyweight passenger cars
(dark olive scheme, Nos. 87-1397, 60-1397);
and modern graffiti (Nos. 87-1364,
60-1364). HO decals cost $7 per sheet; N
decals cost $5.75.
Email Jenny 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.
MOD • 12/01/2011 • 2C • 1/6 H
High
Performance!
The Micro
Engineering
line of Rail,
Flex-Trak™,
Turnouts,
Bridge kits,
Structure kits,
G-Trak ™,
Wheel Works™ vehicles, and Detail parts.
Keep a good stock on hand.
EMERY DISTRIBUTORS INC
MOD • 10/01/2012 • 4C • 1/6 H
Specializing in O gauge trains; but much more. The thing we
never do: compete with our customers. We don’t sell retail.
Van Buren Productions
Coffe mugs: 6 train and 6 military available.
Decorative Slates: 6 miitary and 2 train available.
Recently added lines include:
Lionel NASCAR die-cast,
including train sets shipping Dec.
JT Mega-Smoke, Quest Rockets
Atlantis Model, Billy V (bagged
plastic figures), JTT Scenery,
Kids Touch plastic trains,
Van Buren Productions, high
quality coffee mugs and slates
featuring train photos and WWII
military drawings.
3800 Glover Road, Easton, PA 18040 Phone 800.221.6178
Fax 866.591.6029
DIGITRAX
More information at: www.emerydistributors.com
MOD • 02/01/2013 • 4C • 1/2 H
Ph 800-462-6975
Fax 636-349-1180
MARKLIN
INC
www.microengineering.com
MOD • 07/01/2012 • 2C • 1/12
LGB
G Scale
Garden Trains
Only available from Walthers,
the exclusive North American
distributor.
For more
information
call toll free
800-877-7171.
walthers.com
File: A-General, High performance, de
Size: 1/12 page square, 2.25" x 2.375
33
What’s selling: model railroading
?
Now on ModelRetailer.com
“It was a successful holiday season. Lionel
FasTrack and the Lionel Scout set were hot
sellers this year.”
Mike Niedzalkoski
Niedzalkoski's Train Shop
Jeannette, Pa.
“[Sales were] lower than last year. There
were no Athearn train sets or Atlas track
available.”
Chuck Bickhaus
Silver Spike Hobbies
Denton, Texas
“Holiday sales were somewhat slower than
previous years, with almost no interest in
Christmas staples such as slot cars, telescopes, microscopes and wood-burning
kits. O-scale train set sales were strong.“
Lou Dussia
Dreamboat Hobbies
Warren, Pa.
WIN THIS PRIZE!
“Lionel train sales were soft because of
Lionel going direct to the consumer and
offering free shipping, cutting out their
loyal dealers. In general, sales were up —
mostly midrange and lower-priced items
went. High-ticket items still were a tough
sell. North Jersey is still trying to recover
from Hurricane Sandy. People are trying to
get back to normal.”
James Pentifallo
Ridgefield Hobby
Ridgefield, N.J.
“I'm sorry to say we didn't do as well as
last year, but only by a quarter less. We feel
good about our sales because other businesses in our area have closed because
Christmas was bad, so their whole year
was bad. We had a great first five months,
so the year was almost equal to last year.
We didn't have any one item selling more
than another. We had a lot of shoppers
W RTH
MORO
E THAN
50
RETAIL0
!
$
“After a rather flat year, our holiday sales were excellent!” said Bill
Longcor from Feels Like Home
LLC, Newton, N.J. Visit www.Model
Retailer.com to read more of his
response and those of others.
who looked at a product and then barcoded to buy online. We tried to stop as much
as we could, but were very nice about it.“
Nancy Lammle
Roger's Railroad Junction & Hobbies
Lodi, Calif.
“This holiday was good, but not great. I
finally sold the three R/C cars I had since
spring. There were no hot items with us
this year. It was spread out pretty well
between trains and R/C items. As far as
sales, the amounts weren't as good as last
year. I didn't run out of anything except
Lionel items. Maybe one day they will realize they should have stock during the biggest sales time of the year.”
Allen Fenton
Al's Trains & Hobby LLC
Bedford, Ohio
You can win 30 N-scale train cars
from Micro-Trains in our next
quarterly drawing. All you have
to do is participate in the What’s
Selling survey. Email Jenny Maaske at [email protected]
or call 262-796-8776 ext. 230 for
more information.
Congratulations
nancy lammle from
roger's railroad Junction
& Hobbies in lodi, Calif.
she received a prize package of Woodland scenics
products. thanks to all the
retailers who participated.
34
MOD • 03/01/2013 • 4C • 1/6 V
Send Your Very Own
CUSTOMIZED
Marketing Message
MOD • 3/1/13 • 2C • 1/6 V
MOD • 03/01/2013 • BW • 1/12
How-to Book
STYRENE
MODELING
88 pages of time-saving tips
$16.95
and techniques
Plus $5.00 S&H
KPC
MOD • 3/1/13 • 2C • 1/12
Visit ModelRetailer.com
for news and product updates
Model Retailer ’s PNA
CALL TODAY to find out more!
1-888-558-1544
Rick Albers, ext. 652 • Paul Steinhafel. ext. 537
Call or write for free product information
18620-F 141st Ave. NE, Woodinville, WA 98072
Toll-free: 877-376-9099 Fax: 425-402-7948
www.EvergreenScaleModels.com
ATLAS
MODEL RAILROAD COMPANY
MOD • 03/01/2013 • 4C • 1/2 H
ATLAS BUYER’S CHOICE
“EASY AS A, B, C” TO JOIN!
Atlas ABC Program Update:
Hundreds of retail stores across the country have already signed up for the Atlas Buyer’s Choice (ABC) Program. This historic
offering gives dealers the choice, for the very first time, of purchasing all Atlas model railroad products direct from Atlas at
volume discount pricing.
The ABC program puts dealers in close communication with Atlas to answer dealer/customer questions, and to place and deliver
guaranteed pre-orders direct from Atlas. Special online ordering programs will be available for ABC dealer participants.
Starting 2013 approved ABC program dealers can order all Atlas track and accessories, (N, HO and O) as well as all scales of
rolling stock and motive power, both new and in-stock. Dealers must fill out a one page application and receive approval. Atlas
will send approved dealers an Order Assistance Package.
Should you have any questions regarding the above, please don’t hesitate to contact Dawn Carey at 908-687-0880 ext. 7015 or
Jorge Rosado ext. 7151. Applications available on line at http://download.atlasrr.com/ABC.pdf
Atlas All Scales Ordering Guide (shown at right) is available now. Contact sales reps above to find out more information.
JANUARY 2013
Sincerely,
ALL SCALES
Tom W. Haedrich, CEO
Atlas Model Railroad Co. Inc.
[email protected]
Easy as A, B, C!
A wholly owned subsidiary of Atlas Model Railroad Co., Inc.
A wholly owned subsidiary of Atlas Model Railroad Co., Inc.
ATM-MR-Febiss-Half-0113.indd 1
35
1/24/13 1:04 PM
What’s selling: MODel RailROaDing
Store
Sponsored by:
Scale
Locomotives
Rolling Stock
Accessories
Niedzalkoski's Train Shop
Jeannette, Pa.
HO scale
N scale
Other
Athearn Genesis GP7
Bachmann 0-6-0
Lionel 4-4-2
MTH gondolas
Atlas 100-ton hoppers
Lionel Heinz vat cars
Bachmann E-Z Track
Bachmann E-Z Track
Lionel FasTrack
HobbyTown USA
HO scale
N scale
Other
Bachmann diesels
No trend
No trend
Walthers Trainline cars
Atlas boxcars
MTH tank cars
Woodland Scenics landscape material
Woodland Scenics figures
JT's Mega-Steam Smoke Fluid
Ridgefield Hobby
Ridgefield, N.J.
HO scale
N scale
Other
Atlas
Kato
Lionel, MTH
Bachmann
Atlas
Lionel, MTH
Bachmann
Bachmann
Lionel, Bachmann
Loose Caboose Hobbies
Napa, Calif.
HO scale
N scale
Other
Athearn Southern Pacific GP9R
Kato diesels
Williams by Bachmann diesels
Walthers flatcars
Bachmann three-dome tank cars
Bachmann On30 tank car
Micro Engineering Code 83 Flex Track
Model Power buildings
Piko switches
Silver Spike Hobbies
Denton, Texas
HO scale
N scale
Other
Athearn Genesis GPs
Kato GEVOs
No trend
MTH steel reefers
InterMountain 6151 covered hoppers
No trend
NCE decoders
Walthers building kits
No trend
HobbyTown USA
Westminster, Colo.
HO scale
N scale
Other
Athearn SD70 with DCC and sound
No trend
No trend
Bachmann freight cars
Bachmann freight cars
No trend
Bachmann E-Z Track, Atlas track
Bachmann E-Z Track
Lionel FasTrack
The Spare Time Shop
Marlborough, Mass.
HO scale
N scale
Other
Bachmann GP9 NH
No trend
No trend
Mantua
Model Power
No trend
Bachmann E-Z Track
Bachmann prebuilt structures
No trend
PopPop's Trains, Hobbies & More
Eminence, Mo.
HO scale
N scale
Other
Bowser Missouri Pacific FT-A/B units
Model Power 4-6-2 Semi Streamline
Bachmann G White Pass & Yukon
Walthers
Micro-Trains wood reefers
Lionel boxcars
Classic Metal Works cars
Branchline Meat Packing Plant
Lionel O & O27 tubular track
Roger's Railroad Junction
Lodi, Calif.
HO scale
N scale
Other
Broadway Limited
Atlas
No trend
Athearn
Micro-Trains
No trend
Woodland Scenic figures
Woodland Scenic figures
No trend
HobbyTown USA
Orland Park, Ill.
HO scale
N scale
Other
Walthers Trainline DCC
Kato Metra set
No trend
Walthers Trainline
Kato Amtrak set
No trend
Soundtraxx DCC decoders
Kato train station
Lionel tunnels
HobbyTown USA
LaVista, Neb.
HO scale
N scale
Other
Athearn Amtrak F40PH
Bachmann Union Pacific GP40
Lionel Santa Fe freight set
Walthers 40’ Conoco tank car
Bachmann 50’ Union Pacific reefer
Lionel Polar Express Hot Chocolate car
Kalmbach Livestock & Meatpacking
Kalmbach Intro to Model Railroading
Lionel FasTrack
Feels Like Home LLC
Newton, N.J.
HO scale
N scale
Other
Bachman steam
No trend
MTH RailKing diesels
Freight cars
No trend
MTH Premier freight cars
True Scene Fusion Fiber
No trend
Scott's TVS-4 Transient Voltage Suppressor
location
SceneMaster_Vehicles_MOD_ThirdAd 1/21/13 11:26 AM Page 1
Lists are based on retailer reports of hot-selling items in each category. Survey was taken in January.
WM K WALTHERS INC
MOD • 03/01/2013 • 4C • 1/3 H
SHIFT ACCESSORY SALES
INTO HIGH GEAR!
Take advantage of the industry’s most experienced and knowledgeable
team of model railroading distribution, merchandising & sales experts.
• Most Lines & Items In Stock
• Low Minimum Orders
• Same Day Shipping
• New! Web Based Ordering System
• In-Store Merchandising Support
• Margin Improving Programs
WALTHERS FAMILY OF BRANDS:
Trains are just the beginning when it comes to building realistic HO Scale
model railroads. With Walthers SceneMaster, it’s easy to stock and sell the
affordable accessories your customers need, including our newest vehicles:
• Licensed Replicas of Common
• Positionable Parts on Many Models
International® Trucks
• Fully Assembled & Painted - Die Cast
• Great with Cornerstone® International
Metal & Plastic Parts
Truck Dealership Kit (#933-4025,
• See the Complete Line at
available separately)
WalthersScenemaster.com!
• Must-Have for HO Model Railroads & Collectors
International 4300 Series
Dual-Axle Semi Tractor
949-11530 $9.98
Fire Department Utility Truck
949-11892 $9.98
Tree Trimmer
949-11742 $14.98
Single-Axle Dump Truck
949-11633 $9.98
EXCLUSIVELY FROM WALTHERS:
Garbage Truck
949-11770 $14.98
Dual-Axle Dumpster Carrier
949-11630 $14.98
First Response Fire Engine
949-11893 $14.98
Utility Truck w/Bucket Lift
949-11752 $14.98
Single-Axle Box Van
949-11292 $9.98
Single-Axle Semi Tractor
949-11590 $9.98
Tank Truck w/Trailer
949-11670 $19.98
(Not Shown)
You Can Get It From Walthers!
NEW!
• Fast and Easy One-Stop Shopping
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& 300 Different Suppliers
• All Popular Scales from Z to G
• Products for Every Skill Level
Contact us at 1-800-877-7171 ext. 7336 or [email protected]
to learn more about how we can get train sales rolling in your store today.
A Family Owned and Operated Company, Serving Model Railroading Since 1932
International® and other International Truck trademarks are licensed by International Truck Intellectual Property Company, LLC. ©2013 Wm. K. Walthers, Inc.
MODELS
BY JennY Maaske
AIRcRAfT
This kit (No. 2858, $41.95) consists of more
than 190 parts on 10 sprues and photoetched parts. The completed model is more
than 12” long, with a wingspan of nearly 6”.
Distributed by Stevens International.
MPCRKT005, $19.99) includes an 18” parachute and is compatible with an Estes or
Quest A8-3, B6-4 or C6-5 engine.
ARMOR
1:72 G.91R LIGhT fIGhTER
BOMBER
Meng
A lighter version of the Fiat G.91, the G.91R
(No. DS4, $39.95) can be assembled in
one of two versions: R/1 or R/3. The landing gear, canopy and brake can be built
open or closed. Three marking options
are included. It is distributed by Stevens
International.
1:72 f-14A Vf-1 “WOLf PAck”
AcAdeMy
This U.S. Navy twin-engine aircraft
includes a detailed cockpit interior and
landing-gear compartment, engraved
panel lines, and under-wing weapons. The
kit (No. 12504, $35) comes with Cartograf
decals for two versions: VF-1 Wolf Pack and
VF-24 Fighting Renegades. It is distributed
by MRC.
1:48 MIRAGE f.1B
KiTTy HAwK Models
TruMpeTer
This new kit (No. KH 80112, $59.95) is
engineered with a two-seat cockpit, wheel
wells and an undercarriage. It features
detailed intake openings and a detailed
exhaust nozzle, drooped flaps and slats, a
refueling probe, a centerline drop tank and
various weapon loads. It is distributed by
Pacific Coast Models.
This kit (No. 5555, $42.95) contains more
than 460 parts on 11 sprues, including a
metal gun barrel, individual track links and
photo-etched parts. It is distributed by Stevens International.
kISS RARO-1
ExPLORER
Mpc/round 2
Part of the KISS Album
Series Rockets collection,
the RARO-1 Explorer (No.
MPCRKT002, $21.99) can
be built in less than an
hour and flies up to 260
feet! An 18” parachute
is included. Engine and
igniters, recovery wad
wadding, a launch pad and
a launch control unit
are sold separately.
The rocket is compat
compatible with an Estes or
Quest C6-5 engine.
Mpc/round
Mpc
pc//round
ound 2
TruMpeTer
38
fIGuRES
ROckETS
Star trek
kLInGOn BIRDOf-PREy
1:48 MIG-21-f-13 fIShBED
1:35 SOVIET BMP-1 InfAnTRy
fIGhTInG VEhIcLE
This licensed Klingon
Bird-of-Prey rocket (No.
1:35 GERMAn ELITE InfAnTRy
RuSSIA 1941-’43
drAgon
The four figures in this set (No. DRA6707,
$16.95) are dressed and armed to reflect
the variety of gear worn by troops on the
Eastern Front between 1941 and 1943.
They carry a range of weapons, including a
MG34 machine gun, MP40 machine pistol
and Kar 98k rifle. Distributed by Dragon
Models USA.
Email Jenny at [email protected].
HY82601
1:16 Scale Pz.Kpfw. VI Tiger I
MMD Directly Imports
Both HobbyBoss and
Trumpeter Products
HY83209
1:32 Scale P-61B Black Widow
Profit + Lines
50% Off
TR02854
1:48 Scale Russian MiG-23MF Flogger B
No Minimum Orders
TR05539
1:35 Scale Russian ChTZ S-65
Tractor with Cab
e
Get thes
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merch
MMD!
There are no minimums; you
can order as much as you like.
1-800-527-0674
Tel: 972-323-0525 Fax: 972-242-3775
e-mail: [email protected]
www.militarymodel.net
DIE-CAST
BY Nick Bullock
CARS
1:18 Grease 1950 OLDSMObILE
ROCkET 88 CLub COupE
Auto World
Straight from the movie musical Grease,
this 1950 Oldsmobile (No. AWSS103,
$87.99) features chrome details, a body
painted in Crest Blue, a roof painted
Serge Blue and a gray interior. The hood
opens to show the Oldsmobile Rocket
303-cubic-inch, overhead-valve V8 engine,
and the trunk opens to show a detailed
spare wheel. Both doors open as well. The
steering wheel and the front wheels turn
together, and the car also features detailed
wheel covers, headlights and taillights. It is
available from Round 2.
AIRCRAFT
1:43 1962 FERRARI 250 GTO
Brumm
New from Brumm are these Italian-crafted
Ferrari 250 GTO replicas (Nos. R508-01–
R508-06, $39.64). They are available in red;
green; yellow; silver with red, white and
blue stripes; metallic blue with a single
white stripe; and black. They come in four
different chassis types and feature detailed
interiors with no driver figure, detailed
headlights and taillights, and a detailed
undercarriage. Each car also features the
Ferrari horse painted in silver on the grille,
and decals of the Ferrari logo and leather
belts on the hood.
1:18 Christine 1958 pLyMOuTh
FuRy
L1154H batteries for the working headlights. It is available from Round 2.
1:72 AvRO LAnCASTER - JOhnny
WALkER
Corgi
This replica (No. AA32619, $189.99) is modeled after the aircraft that was at the forefront of many Allied bombing campaigns
during World War II, including Operation
Chastise. The Lancaster completed a
total of 102 missions, with the historic
Tirpitz raid being its 100th sortie. It is currently available for pre-order, and arrival is
expected in the first half of this year.
1:18 ORAnGE kOEnIGSEGG CCX
Auto World
AutoArt
This new die-cast replica (No. AWSS102,
$87.99) from Auto World depicts the 1958
Plymouth Fury from the movie Christine,
based on the bestselling Stephen King
novel. The replica features front and rear
license plates, under-the-hood detail,
interior improvements, trunk coloring and
exterior finishes that are all accurate from
the movie. The car also includes three
New from Autoart is this CCX (No. 79001,
$204.90), the latest iteration of the Koenigsegg CC family. It features a detachable
roof that can be stored in the trunk at the
front of the car, a fully functional suspension, a replica engine and piping system,
and damper support for the engine cover
and bonnet. The model also replicates the
CCX's specially designed doors.
40
1:48 FOkkER DvII
Corgi
Introduced in 1918, the Fokker DVII was
one of the finest fighters of World War I. It
proved its superiority over Allied fighters
by hanging on its propeller without stalling so that it could engage enemy fighters
from below. This 1:48-scale replica (No.
AA38905) costs $64.99. It is currently available for pre-order, and arrival is expected
in the first half of this year.
rior, a full working suspension, an opening hood, a detailed engine, a die-cast
trailer with opening trailer doors, and a
detailed trailer interior. It is available from
b2bReplicas.
consTrucTion
norsCot
This new Caterpillar (No. 55286, MSRP
$146.95) from Norscot is expected to arrive
in March. The 1:50-scale die-cast replica
features a movable loading conveyor
belt, a detailed rotor, a detailed collecting
conveyer, oscillating tracks and a detailed
operator station. It is available from
b2bReplicas.
Trucks
1:64 Harley-DaviDson
inTernaTional lonesTar wiTH
3000D-X Dry van Trailer
Die-Cast Promotions
This new truck and trailer (No. 32675,
MSRP $69.99) features five-stop positionable front wheels, a detailed tractor inte-
1:50 caTerpillar pM200 colD
planer
1:87 liebHerr lTM 1750-9.1 Truck
MounTeD Mobile crane
Wsi
Featuring rubber-like tires with realistic
tread, a detailed interior, swiveling outriggers, an extendable boom and a working
drum with a key, this mobile crane (No.
08-1113) has an MSRP of $70. Other highlights of the replica include a crane operator's cab that swings out into a working
position and realistic counterweights. This
much-anticipated replica was expected
to become available from b2bReplicas in
February.
Email Nick at [email protected].
B2BREPLICAS.COM
MOD • 03/01/2013 • 4C • 1/6 H
REPLICARZ
MOD • 03/01/2013 • BW • 1/12
TM
Distributors of Quality Toys
and Collectible Models
Norscot - NZG - Universal Hobbies
WSI - Spec-Cast - Sword - Bruder
Eligor - Tonkin Replicas - ERTL
Greenlight - Maisto & more...
U.S. Master Distributor
www.b2bReplicas.com - Phone (417) 206-9700 - [email protected]
41
What’s selling: models/die-Cast
?
Now on ModelRetailer.com
“Excellent. Our business was up 45 percent
over last year. Hot-selling items included
Settlers of Catan, Pandemic, 7 Wonders,
Flames of War, Warhammer 40,000, cribbage and various party games.”
Dave Laderoute
The GameShelf
Thunder Bay, Ont.
flurry of new releases that arrived between
Thanksgiving and New Year's. We also
experienced greater-than-usual sales of
SnapTite and similar models intended for
young beginner modelers.”
Nat Richards
Military Hobbies
Orange, Calif.
“November was better than December,
although we beat last December. For the
year, business was up about 25 percent.
Trent Miniatures and Ainsty Castings were
the hot items for the Christmas season.”
Richard Brooks
Recreational Conflict
Owensboro, Ky.
“Sales were down from Christmas last year.
R/C helis and quads seemed to be the hotselling items. We did sell quite a few Estes
and Quest rockets. I haven't seen sales of
those items spike in previous Christmases.”
Tim Foster
HobbyTown USA
“Good. Certainly better than 2011, but still
limited by the economy. I see modelers
being more cost-conscious and looking for
bargains. Hot-selling items included the
“Train sets and rockets seemed to sell
better just before Christmas. Of course,
the new Trumpeter 1:200 Bismarck was a
hot item despite the high price on it. Oth-
WIN THIS PRIZE!
W RTH
MORO
E THAN
40
RETAIL0
!
$
“I haven't gone over all the figures,
but I think I'm down from last season," said Sean Cormier from Evolution Hobbies & Raceway, Casco,
Maine. Visit www.ModelRetailer.
com to read more of his response.
erwise, it was just a lot of general items.
Sales for December were about the same
as last year.”
Scott Millican
Elm City Hobbies
Hanwell, N.B.
“Sales for December were noticeably
weaker than last year. Our board game
section did quite well, up about 15 percent
over last year, with Ticket to Ride, Elder Sign
and the entire Settlers of Catan line being
strong sellers.”
Scott Thorne
Castle Perilous Games & Books
Carbondale, Ill.
“Sales were slightly above last year. My
biggest seller was gift certificates.”
Gary Emery
Hill Country Hobby
San Antonio
You can win these nine armor
and ship model kits from Dragon
in our next quarterly drawing.
Just participate in the What’s Selling survey. Email Jenny Maaske
at [email protected]
or call 262-796-8776 ext. 260 for
more information.
Congratulations
scott Millican from Elm City
Hobbies in Hanwell, n.B.
He received 19 books from
various publishers, including squadron and osprey.
thanks to all the retailers
who returned the survey!
42
TRUSTED
TITLES
STRONG
SALES!
How-to projects,
track plans,
Hobby
and more
MODEL R AILROADER ’S HOW-TO GUIDE
Store
Old farmhouse
Interlocking
tower
Building scale models is a rewarding and creative
hobby. If you’re new to the hobby, or looking to brush
up on the basics, this is the first book you should
read. Essential Skills for Scale Modelers explains the
techniques needed to build, paint, weather, and display
your models. These are some of the skills you’ll learn:
• Spray-painting and airbrushing
MODEL R AILROADER ’S HOW-TO GUIDE
S C A L E M O D E L E R ’ S H OW-TO G U I D E
Essential Skills for
SCALE MODELERS
AARON SKINNER
• Handling clear parts
Painting Backdrops for Your Model Railroad
FOR MODEL RAILROADS
Build on the Basics
Essential Skills for Scale Modelers
SHELF LAYOUTS
Modeling the ’50s: The Glory Years of Rail
Building
STRUCTURES
for Your Garden Railway
BACKDROPS
PA I N T I N G
F O R YO U R M O D E L R A I L R O A D
The Model RailRoadeR’s Guide To
Steel MillS
• Applying decals
• Using metal finishes
Water tank
Section
house
Team track
HOT SPOTS GUIDEBOOK
• Working with photoetched metal
Removable link in front of window
Wooden elevator
The book features chapters on building armor, aircraft,
automobiles, ships, and figures. FineScale Modeler
associate editor Aaron Skinner provides step-by-step
photos and clear instructions that show you how to
construct these models:
• KV “Big Turret” tank
Passing
siding
• Mitsubishi Zero
• Tiger tank
THE SMALL TOWN ON THE PRAIRIE
(HO scale)
• Morris Mini Cooper
• USS Cole guided missile destroyer
Combination depot/
freight house
• F-80 Shooting Star
• Moe of The Three Stooges
Agricultural merchants
Loading ramp
Barn and silo
www.KalmbachBooks.com
$21.95
U.S.
Danneman
Farmhouse
Skinner
Wind-pump
and tank
12446
HOT SPOTS
GUIDEBOOK
Great Places to Watch trains
ISBN 978-0-89024-791-4
5 2 1 9 5
Removable link
across doorway
9
Jack Verducci
#12457
$21.95
780890 247914
0
64465 12446
6
Mike Danneman
Iain Rice
#10-8400
$17.95
#12419
$19.95
#12456
$19.95
#12446
$21.95
#12425
$18.95
BeRnaRd KeMpinsKi
#12435
$21.95
#01116
$24.95
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THESE TITLES IN STOCK!
CONTACT YOUR DISTRIBUTOR OR ORDER DIRECT:
Phone 1-800-558-1544, press 3
Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CST.
Outside the United States and Canada
call 262-796-8776, ext. 818.
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
P19127
Sponsored by:
What’s selling: Models/die-Cast
Store
Vehicles
Aircraft
Ships/Die-Cast
Accessories
Staten Island, N.Y.
1:25 1950 Olds Coupe 2'n1
Revell
1:48 P-51D Mustang
Revell
1:75 Nina Sailing Ship
Heller
Sanding sticks
Stevens International
Military Hobbies
Orange, Calif.
1:35 T-62
Trumpeter
1:32 He 219 Uhu
Revell
1:700 USS Iowa
Trumpeter
Paint
Tamiya
K/C Hobby
Archdale, N.C.
M1 Abrams
Tamiya
MiG 29 Fulcrum
Revell
USS Carolina
Trumpeter
Paint
Testors
Hill Country Hobby
San Antonio
1:25 Bounty Hunter Funny Car
MPC
1:48 F-4B Phantom II
Academy
1:200 Bismarck
Trumpeter
Paint sets
Andrea
Loose Caboose Hobbies
Napa, Calif.
Chevy Impala
Lindberg, Revell
F-117 Nighthawk
Hasegawa
1:350 Black Diamond Pirate Ship
Revell
Perfect Plastic Putty
Deluxe Materials
The Spare Time Shop
Marlborough, Mass.
1:25 SnapTite kits
Revell
1:32 He 219 Uhu
Revell
Titantic
Various makes
Various items
Vallejo, AK Interactive, Mig
HobbyTown USA
LaVista, Neb.
T-28 Tank
Dragon
E-4B 747 Airborne Command
Revell
USS Arizona
Trumpeter
Finescale Modeler
Kalmbach
PopPop's Trains, Hobbies & More
Eminence, Mo.
Ford Shelby Mustang GT500
Revell
P-38 Lightning
Revell
No trend
Paint
Model Flex
Elm City Hobbies
Hanwell, N.B.
New releases
Trumpeter
New releases
Airfix
USS New York
Bronco
Paint; weathering products
Vallejo; AK Interactive
Roger's Railroad Junction
Lodi, Calif.
Autos
Revell
Rockets
Estes
Various models
Billing Boats
Paint, CA glue
Testors, Bob Smith Industries
HobbyTown USA
Oshkosh, Wis.
Armor
Trumpeter
Various models
Revell
Various ships
Constructo
Cement
Ambroid
Jass Collectibles
Red Deer, Alta.
Classic cars
Various makes
Rockets
Estes
1:18 diecast
Various makes
Paint sets
Testors
Turn 4 Hobbies
Muscle cars, WWII tanks
Revell
Snap kits; rockets
Revell, Pegasus; Estes
No trend
Glue, paint
Testors, Tamiya
HobbyTown USA
WWII armor
Revell
WWII planes
Revell
No trend
Glue, paint
Testors
location
manufacturer
manufacturer
manufacturer
ROUND 2 LLC
MOD • 03/01/2013 • 4C • 1/3 H
Lists are based on retailer reports of hot-selling items in each category. Survey was taken in January.
LATEST
INNOVATION FROM AMT!
KITS MOLDED IN 2 COLORS!
Round 2 is known for innovation within the model kit industry. AMT® is
innovating again with the introduction of select model kits to be molded in
the standard color–white and in a color. Kits molded in color are expected
to appeal to modelers new to kit building and parents building a kit with
their child. On pack stickers clearly state the color of the body inside.
ALSO AVAILABLE IN TWO COLORS:
1967 Shelby® Cobra GT-350 and 1958
Fury “Christine”
Visit www.round2models.com
Opel GT, emblems, and vehicle model body designs are Adam Opel AG Trademarks used under license to Round 2, LLC. Shelby®, CARROLL Shelby®’S PHOTOGRAPH, LIKENESS & VOICE®, GT-350®, THE Shelby® MODIFICATIONS TO CREATE THE SHAPE AND DESIGN OF THE 1960S Shelby® GT-350 VEHICLE™ ARE
REGISTERED TRADEMARKS AND/OR THE TRADEDRESS OF CARROLL Shelby® AND CARROLL Shelby® LICENSING, INC. (Shelby®). COBRA AND THE COBRA SNAKE DESIGNS ARE TRADEMARKS OF FORD MOTOR COMPANY USED UNDER LICENSE. TM & ©2013 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All rights reserved.
Plymouth Fury and its trade dress are used under license from Chrysler Group LLC. © Chrysler Group LLC 2013. AMT and design is a registered trademark of Round 2, LLC. ©2013 Round 2, LLC, South Bend, IN 46628 USA. Product and packaging designed in the USA. Made in China. All rights reserved.
44
manufacturer
books & Videos
by NICK bULLOCK
Military History
U.s. Marine Corp F-4 pHantoM ii
Units oF tHe VietnaM War
Osprey publishing
From the Osprey Combat Aircraft Series,
this book (ISBN: 978-1-84908-751-3, 96
pages, softcover, $22.95) draws on the
direct experience of U.S. Marine Corp aircrew to tell the story of the Phantom II's
missions in Vietnam. It features more than
30 pieces of original color artwork, specially commissioned scale drawings, and archival photography from around the world.
italian
MediUM
tanks
Osprey
publishing
Detailing the
design, development and operation of the Italian
medium tank
force, this book
(ISBN: 978-184908-775-9, 48 pages, softcover, $17.95)
is written by Filippo Cappellano, a lieutenant-colonel of the Fanteria Carrista (tank
corps), and Pier Paolo Battistelli, a scholar
of Italian and German politics and strategy.
The book features color artwork, illustrations and cutaway art.
tHe pointblank direCtiVe:
tHree Generals and tHe Untold
story oF tHe darinG plan tHat
saVed d-day
Osprey publishing
From L. Douglas Keeney, the author of
15 Minutes: General Curtis LeMay and the
Countdown to Nuclear
Annihilation,
Annihilation this
book (ISBN: 978-184908-933-3, 272
pages, hardcover,
$27.95) looks at
the politics and
personalities
that rescued The
Pointblank DirecDirec
tive, the U.S. Air
Force's plan to
cripple German aircraft
strength and gain air superiority over the
D-Day beaches.
soViet air
deFenCe
aViation:
1945-1991
hikOki
publicatiOns
This book (ISBN:
978-1-90210925-1, 320 pages,
hardcover, $56.95)
tells the complete
story of Soviet
interceptor aircraft, including the IA PVO's
order of battle, aircraft types, and accounts
of specific intercepts and incidents. It features more than 400 black-and-white and
color photos, as well as color profiles. It is
written by Yefim Gordon, a leading Russian
aviation author, and Dmitriy Komissarov,
an authority on Russian and Soviet aviation. It is available from Specialty Press.
battle FliGHt: raF air deFenCe
projeCts and Weapons sinCe
1945
hikOki publicatiOns
Chris Gibson, bestselling author of Vulcan's Hammer, wrote this book (ISBN:
978-1-90210-926-8, 176 pages, hardcover,
$49.95). It offers an in-depth examination
of Britain's air defense history up through
the present day, from anti-aircraft guns
to interceptors. The book details the development of radar-guided weapons and
airborne early warning systems. It features
200 black-and-white and color photos
and illustrations. It is available from Specialty Press.
Hitler's eaGles:
les:
tHe lUFtWaFFe,
e,
1933-45
Osprey publishing
This book (ISBN:
978-1-78096-283-2,
400 pages, hardcover, $40) tracks
the turbulent
history of the
Luftwaffe from
its earliest days,
as the world's
most advanced air force, to its
downfall. It details the Luftwaffe's combat
experience as well as its human and matewww.ModelRetailer.com
45
BOOKS & VIDEOS
rial aspects. Author Chris McNab, an expert
on military history and technology, has
published more than 25 books.
USN DESTROyER VS IJN DESTROyER: ThE PAcIfIc, 1943
Osprey publishing
From Osprey's Duel collection, this book
(ISBN: 978-1-84908-623-3, 80 pages, softcover, $18.95) examines four key night
battles between these destroyers. It also
analyzes the evolving capabilities of both
destroyer fleets and how the battles off the
Solomons heralded the end of the finely
honed Japanese destroyer force. It features
full-color and profile artwork, as well as
numerous photographs.
MODEL RAILROADINg
LOcOMOTIVES
haynes publishing
The second title in the new Realistic Railway Modelling series, this all-color book
(ISBN: 978-1-84425-636-5, 176 pages,
hardcover, $44.95) features photos and
diagrams and seven themed chapters. It is
written by Iain Rice, one of Britain's bestknown model railway authors. It is available from Quayside Publishing Group.
MAKINg MODEL RAILwAy
BUILDINgS
The CrOwOOd press
In this book (ISBN: 978-1-84797-340-5, 272
pages, paperback, $34.95), author Andy
McMillan, a life-long modeler and historian, provides an overall understanding
of the purpose of making buildings for a
model railway. He covers their construction
and positioning and how to light them.
Topics include railway and non-railway
model buildings, modeling attitudes, the
use of scale, levels of detail, regional verAMERICA The book
nacular, and HORNBY
railway architecture.
will be available from Quayside
Publishing Group in mid-March.
MODELINg
MOD • 01/01/2013 • 2C • 1/12
MODELLINg LUfTwAffE JETS AND
wONDER wEAPONS
Osprey publishing
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
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This book (ISBN: 978-1-78096-160-6, 192
pages, hardcover, $39.95) is a complete
guide to building and finishing the Luftwaffe jet arsenal. It features hundreds of
color photos, step-by-step instructions,
techniques for experts, and ideas for more
creative modeling.
Email Nick at [email protected].
Ultimate Colle
ColleCtibles
true to scale | authentic detailing | fully assembled
DRR-60578
1/72 Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf. L Late
Production, Pz.Rgt.25 7.Pz.
Division, South Russia 1943
DRR-60584
1/72 IJN Type 2 “Ka-Mi” Amphibious Tank, The 27th Naval
Special Ground Base Guard,
Aitape July-August 1944
DRR-60555
1/72 M4A3E8 Sherman, 714th Tank
Battalion, Germany 1945 “St. Louis Blues”
DRR-60630
1/72 88MM FLAK 36,
STALINGRAD 1942
DRR-60637
1/72 Sd.Kfz.251 Ausf.C
+ 3.7cm PaK 35/36 Pz.
Gren. Rgt 12. 4.Pz.
Division, Kurland 1944
DRR-60530
1/72 VK.45.02(P)V,
Germany 1945
DRR-60644
1/72 Flakpanzer 341
mit 2cm Flakvierling,
Germany 1945
DRR-60529
1/72 Ersatz M10 Panzer
Brigade 150, Ardennes 1944
official distributor
Dragon Models USA, Inc.
1315 John Reed Court
City of Industry, CA 91745
www.dragonmodelsusa.com
Phone: 1 (626) 968-0322
Fax: 1 (626) 968-0234
DAKAR TrucK
Edition
Unmistakable in his sinister black and vivid orange race trucks,
Robby Gordon is a fan favorite and a top contender when the green flag
drops on the famous Dakar Rally. And now you can drive Robby’s ride
yourself with the Traxxas Robby Gordon Edition Dakar Slash!
The award-winning Traxxas Slash puts you in the driver’s seat for intense, high-flying off-road
action. The full-size Dakar race truck embodies the spirit of Traxxas R/C with its 6.0 liter LS2 V8 racing
engine, sand-shredding horsepower, 20-inch suspension travel, and desert-conquering durability. The Dakar
Slash brings all the action home so you can experience high-speed head-to-head competition no matter
where the terrain takes you--even water, mud, and snow thanks to Traxxas’ exclusive waterproof electronics!
Titan 12T Motor and
XL-5 Waterproof ESC
TQ™ 2.4GHz
Radio System
SCT
Off-Road Tires
7-Cell Battery Pack and
Free Charger Included
Photos, Details, and More at
Traxxas.com
© Copyright Traxxas 2013. 5804-1P-Robby-Gordon-130109

March 2013 Model Retailer

Transcription

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