by 4380r » Thu Jan 17, 2019 5:57 am
Can only speak from our experience, getting out club started in 1995, still going strong, averaging 13 to 15 racers per event this season.
First, just know that if you assemble a group of guys to race, you will need to, ALL of you/them, to continually recruit new members. The racers will come and go frequently as their lives and interests change. I'd say conservatively that we've had 300 members in our club over the years...at low times getting 4 to 6, best times 20+ per event. The last two seasons probably saved our club as attendance and new blood has rebounded.
We started the club before the internet forums became ubiquitous (more on the viability of forums for recruiting later). Back when we started, there was a print newsletter called the Vintage Slot Racing News (VSRN) that came out more or less monthy, usually more, for 100 issues. I had a Revell Americana (it's 4 lane layout) set, with a Trik Trax lap counter, and wanted to race. I saw an ad in VSRN from a guy in York looking for people to race with. A little over an hour from where I lived in MD, went up to visit him, and we became 2 of the 3 founding members.
At the same time, I was collecting vintage slots, and I started going to a couple of large toy shows to set up a table to BUY slots, I wasn't selling anything. There I met another guy, who had a 2 lane Eldon layout at home, and he became the 3rd of three founding members.
I began advertising in the local newspaper, both to buy vintage slots and recruit members. Through that, member 4, known here as EcurieMartini, joined the group. The other toy show guy and I started doing toy and slot car shows together, setting up a track to allow people to run. To this day, I still do that, now with my 3 lane Scalextric track, and we continue to pick up a couple of new members that way each season.
Sometimes I'll go on ebay and search for people 'local' to me, say 100 mile radius, selling 1/32 slot cars. I reach out to some of them, guys who look like they are selling off their modern cars (nobody to race with?)...and let them know we are a club they can race with. Have picked up a few very hard core members that way.
I used to go to hobby shops, when we had any around (at all, let alone ones that sold slot cars), and I'd buy a couple of cars, and while checking out ask if I can put some flyers in their slot car case. The guy is standing there with $100 of my money, almost always allowed the flyers. Picked up at least 3 guys that way.
Of late, I've begun advertising on Craigslist in the groups section. That's been good and less so. On the upside I've heard from 4 different people who seem very interested, but haven't come out yet. On the down side, CL got rid of the personals section, but the vermin who visited those sections have migrated to the Groups section, and apparently looking for slot car racers is code for some people for some other types of activities.
I've offered new cars to either former members who haven't raced for two seasons who come back, or new guys who've never raced. One or two that way.
Finally, another member is good friends with guys from another club, and we can usually count on 3 guys from that club at our events.
Recruiting/marketing never ends. You're never 'done.' You have to be creative, put in some time and money.
Now, about advertising on forums...I post almost all of our activities here and all the other usual forums. I think over the last 10 years, MAYBE 1 or 2 have come out as a result of learning about us online. go figure. A site full of slot racers, many in our region, but when it comes to actually coming over to someone else's basement, the motivation seems lacking.