GO container arrival

[Cjent]

Oh, yeah. 3D printing of cars. Great idea! But how long will manufacturers stand for it?
That said, when the technology reaches that level and it can be done from home, I may try it! Until the above mentioned happens.

:text-threadjacked: Sorry, Dave. The 1/43d guys are an unruly bunch, I am happy to say. :music-rockout:

[masmojo]

[masmojo]

Trains are a good analogy here, originally there was Standard Gauge, then O & S then HO came along and overtime became the dominant scale! WHY? Because it was the perfect balance between engine size and layout size that someone could build in their house.

In my opinion, 1/43 IS THAT scale for slot cars!! It's as simple as that!

Honestly, if size and cost were no object I would probably build and be interested in 1/24 scale, But there is a downside even to that . . . it's just not realistic and I would have to make other sacrifices.

[Ember]

If I may interrupt with an unpaid political broadcast...

Revolution does not come from major players. It comes from the little guys.

I have long thought that 1/43 is a scale with potential. There are so many supporting items already available for the scale. Figures, static kits, scenic items, diecasts, etc. I've tried driving a couple of Carrera Go cars (one of our news agents started selling them, so now our toy shop does too) and some of the SCX Compact. The SCX ones feel more like the bigger scale cars to drive.

But a 1/43 scale revolution will need to be lead by passionate hobbyists, much like it was in 1/32. It will take a Salvatore Noviello (RIP) or a Maurizio Ferrari to champion the scale to produce a true 1/43 performance alternative. (Hmmmmm.... can you imagine Salvatore or Maurizio in 1/43 scale? They'd be tiny. ;) Sorry.) Someone with a passion for the scale, a vision and some backing.

TechnoSlot make a nice chassis for scratch builds and conversions. Immense Miniatures do a lovely little adjustable chassis. Support those who are making the attempt. And in the mean time gather your numbers together and lobby as a group. Many people with one voice speak louder than individual.

You guys mention the price of Kyosho D-Slot being unsustainable. Indeed it may be. But at least they have made an attempt. They can not bring the prices down if they are not manufacturing the numbers to spread the tooling and development costs. You guys need to prove to manufacturers that the numbers exist to warrant the outlay.

Please accept my apology for the interruption. Regular broadcast will resume shortly.

[DaveKennedy]

Well you're welcome to your opinions Mas... forgive me if I disagree with them.

[OldDogMotorsports]

WHEW WEE....didn`t know I was stirring up such a ruckus over (TOY CARS) but many good points have been brought out,maybe we should send this post to the manufacturers??? :scared-eek:

[DaveKennedy]

sure, why not? :text-welcomewave:

[Cjent]

Mas, I have a motto "I don't wanna make money, I just wanna sell slot cars!". My accountant will testify that is the truth. :roll:
That said, it would be great if Carrera would do more cars we like but I too scratch build (probably need to gather some latest examples for pictures) and it is the best scale for the home racing, no doubt. I wouldn't be in the business nor on this forum for so long.
In the next year I will most likely be leaving the sales side, but I will forever be a member of this forum.
BTW, watch the website in July and emails and Facebook page for some real "money losing" sales on existing stock. :text-thankyouyellow:

[OldDogMotorsports]

[masmojo]

[DaveKennedy]

:angry-soapbox:
They don't solicit opinions largely because they either don't know who to ask. Why would they enter into the boards and ask? There would be little consensus. This happens at trade shows when you can have longer discussions with companies face to face... trust me when I tell you that i had these discussions when i was just doing Slot Car News (and still had my day job as a news photographer) and i have them all the time at NY, Chicago, Germany, Las Vegas and where ever you get people from the industry together. If you want to influence the hobby... you must go to trade shows and meet the people who will make what you want. I know you have passion for the hobby but message boards are not the best place to try to influence the hobby. Most companies as you should be aware NEVER participate on them. Correct me if i'm wrong but it's pretty much me and Maurizio from Slot It on the boards... maybe i'm wrong....

Ok so cards on the table... years ago Spirit of all people approached me about their plans to do a high end 1/43 line. They wanted full interiors, lights, highly detailed models... everything that you always say you want Mojo.
"OK wow great" i said... "how much do you think you will sell them for?" i asked... "over $80.00 for a car" "OMG no" I replied explaining that maybe if they made something closer to somewhere around $40.00 (or less) that it would sell. They said that was impossible.

Yes it would be cool if everything was made in every scale and to the liking of everyone. But in reality you have to have a targeted focus for product lines. GO is a targeted line at mass market. I support that fully and would never want to do anything to change that. This is my second company and now nearly 8 years making slot cars... trust me when I tell you that changing the focus of a product line is NOT something you want to do. If there can be models made that appeal to the hobbyists then so much the better. If there can be changes made to suit the hobbyist more... so much the better. I try every year to have more sets with flatter track and no loops. Mine is one of many (and frankly one of the lowest voices in the chain of things) opinions taken about products. I'm fine with that. GO is a strong selling line i want to keep it that way. Each year we sell more GO and Battery Op sets in more places to more people than before.

There are 4 companies that make (made) 1/43, right?
Carrera
Artin
Kyosho
SCX
Which of these companies has been successful over many years selling this scale? Which company continues to present new products each year in this scale? If others have tried and now stopped to make 1/43 it should tell you something about the sale viability of what they tried to do.

I'm in a chatty mood as I said in another thread soooo... enjoy this moment of candor...

[DaveKennedy]

And yes I know that it can always be said that the "potential is there for this to be a bigger market" well... potential is wishing you can wish in one hand and... well... you know....

[masmojo]

Dave, yes nice of you to be so chatty! We have spoken on the phone about this before, so I know how you feel and I know you have a limited voice. BUt I also, know that both the 1/32 and 1/24 lines @ Carrera have made great strides since you have been there. Maybe, it's coincidence, but I doubt it!

Yeah, 4 people who have made 1/43 If you count Artin who are really a little smaller and we don't count Jouef!
But, nobody has really "nailed it"
You were @ SCX when Compact came out so maybe you have some insight on this, But for the life of me I have never been able to figure out why the first compact set came with the "Tuners" Talk about a model that had almost no appeal whatsoever, but still those sets were really great, the cars ran good and the next year we got DTM's and F-1 cars!!!?? Both of these were good as well, but cars based on racing series in Europe, but were to be sold in the US!!??? ahhh? OK???? BUt, still I guess they did OK then we started getting the Good stuff, Porsches and Ferrari's and then later the Gurney Cuda! BUt, I guess by that time SCX was falling on hard times and Target withdrew the contract! Close, Close, but no cigar!!! 1/43 was REALLY gaining big momentum @ that time and then Whooosh GONE!!

$80 Spirit? well, I would have bought one or two, but nobody else would! LOL
But, I really don't feel that the level of detail that Spirit would have put into a $80 cars is really warranted at this scale. Many years ago this issue of detail came up in the 1/32 area. A vocal minotiry thought that full interiors was crucial, BUt we did a poll and found out that an overwelming majority were fine with partial interiors; basically a bit more then a driver card, but not a full interior! Does the little plastic driver really need his feet and a footwell for them?? I say NO not really!

I really am OK with the level of detail in the Carrera Go! cars, if we could just get reasonable ground clearences and a bladed guide instead of a PIN, You would not hear anything out of me except the Cha-ching of me spending money!!

Toy fairs, well I would love to, but although I can be persuasive, I also have a somewhat abrasive personality, that many don't appreciate! Surprise right?

Do the Manufacturers read these forum's? Well, I am sure they do, but do they really read them? I dunno?

[DaveKennedy]

I have no real insight about Compact sets while I was there. The Tuners set was at best half a thought about how to make an appealing set for a market that no one really is sure exists. They made Tuners not only in 1/43 but also in 1/32 if you remember. This would have been about the time that Carrera also made a Fast and Furious set. At the time I don't think that aiming slots at a Tuner market was a good idea since that market was more about a subculture and now the tuner style of car is much more mainstream.
Since the Fast and Furious series of movies has continued and even maybe gained strength as a theme I think that you might see more Tuner or maybe more likely Drift themes creep back into slot offerings. (not that i'm giving you hints here about Carrera at all to be clear but as a trend I could sure it that theme return and maybe get more strength)
Though I still doubt that people who live and die Tuner types of cars will be interested in slot cars. They are more about youthful activities whereas people that are interested in slots have solidly stood behind classic cars of all varieties and modern cars with racing decorations.
I do think that at some point there will have to be more newer eras of cars done between 1970 and the current era... but i won't say what because I won't give my thoughts to anyone from another company that might be reading this. LOL

I really don't like to take much of the credit for this since i'm a small part of a large team. I let them hear my voice and make suggestions where I can. Though I can claim a few successes with the Cobra and Cheetah, adding to the Pro Nascar and Cuda from SCX.

Message boards are viewable by the public and VERY searchable for Google so I don't want in any way to give you the impression that I don't value the input of folks here and other boards of course i do. I do hope to maybe just give a little view into how the industry works from my point of view and that yes you can in fact have a voice and a VERY direct voice but it's usually best done face to face and trade shows open the public give you a very good chance to do that. I strongly suggest IHobby for that. I will be there and I believe that my friend Maurizio will be there in addition to the folks from Ninco (MRC) and i would guess Bryan from SCX (though he and i don't talk much these days as you might imagine). I post when i'm going to be visiting dealers and the events I do (I'll be doing quite a few this year especially in the next 3 months) so if you see i'm going to be close and you're able to come see me... come give me an earful. I do this for a living, it's my job to listen and pass along what I hear to my boss and the folks in Austria. No one has ever accused me of being shy about discussing slot stuff with people... feel free to come and say Hi.

[OldDogMotorsports]

OH YEAH just blame it on me! :lol: I`m sure you guys know that it doesn`t bother me at this stage of my life :lol: but anyway I do respect and appreciate all the input thats came with this post,and I know you Dave do everything you can to help this scale out so with that I say Thanks,btw I still remember the first time you and I locked horns,you were trying to help some vender with tires,I didn`t know you and thought you were trying to cut in on our venders on the 1/43 board :laughing-rolling: thanks for all the input guys!