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 ElSecundo |
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Posts: 6167 (07/02/08 09:09 AM) Home Racing Guru! |
hotrodbob51 wrote: I think that's right on target.
I'll tell ya...fellas......you're gonna want more cowbell!
Rock legend Bruce Dickinson |
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Tangmere222 |
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Posts: 435 (07/02/08 09:40 AM) Home Racing Guru! |
Where the gas prices will effect us will be in the driving to an event. Personally, I'm faced with a minimum drive of 50 miles each way to get my fix.
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Reegs |
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Posts: 170 (07/02/08 11:21 AM) Home Racing Forum Veteran |
Tangmere222 wrote: I'm in a similar fix. The guys (and tracks) in the group I race with are 25 to 70 miles away. This has precluded my joining the Friday night series they
run - I can only afford to attend the monthly (or so) Saturday afternoon gigs (yeah, well, okay, ya caught me, I also really don't feel like driving
more'n 50 miles to anywhere |
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ElSecundo |
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Posts: 6169 (07/02/08 11:27 AM) Home Racing Guru! |
But that's going to be true with just about any hobby, right?
Who knows -- maybe this will drive everybody to get a Wii or an XBox 360...
I'll tell ya...fellas......you're gonna want more cowbell!
Rock legend Bruce Dickinson |
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Weirdly |
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Posts: 112 (07/02/08 03:22 PM) |
The only event that would cause the demise of this hobby would be a global nuclear confrontation.
Try not to worry about it too much, okay?
Stop Global Whining
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hotrodbob51 |
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Posts: 959 (07/02/08 03:29 PM) Home Racing Guru! |
Weirdly wrote: I'll try right after Isreal finishes their invasion of Iran. 
Anyone can restore a classic car, but it takes a real Hotrodder to cut one up and make it cool!
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flysquasher1974 |
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Posts: 56 (07/02/08 07:47 PM) |
Lets just say the chinese sources are feeling the pressure of advancements in manufcturing technology. I handle the importing of $30M in sanitary ware
products (toilets and sinks) and ironically everytime the price of oil goes up the better manufacturing in the US looks. Also, distributers have to carry
excess inventory to account for the long shipping lead times associated with chinese sourcing. Those excess inventories are dollars invested that cannot be
liquidated easily. An American company that invests in technology and agility will beat the chinese everytime.
Also consider that all things work in cycles and as the chinese economy strengthens, the chinese workers becomes more interested in creating a better life for themselves. This means higher wages and in turn higher manufacturing costs. Also with all the manufacturing in china the country will run out of natural resources in 20 years. This is something the good ole US has plenty of. If I were betting, south america is the next china and they are closer. Finally, take into consideration that this summer will be a nightmare for exporting for China. I have already seen slowdowns and the Olympics have not started yet! Lets hope those Slotits get on the water soon!!!! |
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ElSecundo |
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Posts: 6174 (07/02/08 10:59 PM) Home Racing Guru! |
flysquasher1974 wrote: This is a very smart post, in my opinion -- thanks for putting it up there! In order for a country to get manufacturing contracts, they have to be able to produce things cheaper. As transportation costs rise, distant countries lose their edge. As wages rise, they lose their edge. This is what happened to US manufacturing -- we got priced out of a lot of markets because of the high cost of manufacturing jobs. Free markets demand inexpensive labor, and it won't be long before China's rising middle class makes manufacturing in China less attractive. In the meantime before that cycle comes around, though, we'll take a beating. But on the positive side, the cheapest possible labor will make the hobby more affordable during the tough times in the US.
I'll tell ya...fellas......you're gonna want more cowbell!
Rock legend Bruce Dickinson |
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jas2060 |
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Posts: 1054 (07/02/08 11:27 PM) HRW Janitor |
Seems sometimes, my posts may provoke commentary. Moreover, fortunately, the majority of times, invoke commentary.
Cheers,
Last Edited By: jas2060
07/04/08 07:11 PM.
Edited 2 times.
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macstout |
Where to start | ||
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Posts: 32 (07/02/08 11:46 PM) |
MARY JO KOPECHNE can you read that name. A woman died
and you find humor in that. I really don't think you would like someone talking about your family members. Cheers back at you Mark C |
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TomSetzer |
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Posts: 617 (07/03/08 02:25 AM) Home Racing Guru! |
Jas, you are right on every point.
Mac. I believe that he was refering to the way Kennedy got away with causing her death, not making fun of it. 
--
Ragnar Tom Slot Car Realm - http://www.slotcarrealm.com/ First you have to finish, to finish first. |
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macstout |
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Posts: 33 (07/03/08 09:32 AM) |
Tom
There is no humor in losing a love one to a car wreck. The AM radio humor is not funny. I usually stay away from the Al and Rush crap, but I do strive to respect a families loss even 40 years later. We all will be judged but not by human flesh. Have a nice day...Mark |
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jas2060 |
Sorry . . . | ||
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Posts: 1055 (07/03/08 03:56 PM) HRW Janitor |
Seems the comment was misconstrued, was not intended to offend. Just example, what can be done if one is in such an enviable position, with questionable moral standards, so edited it out. Frankly, the portion alluded to, was prejudiced from the
get go. For the "what it is worth department," that "moment" turned me away from him, and then
some … as anyone worthwhile. A regular guy, most likely would have spent some "quality time," at the State's expense . . . The US has its
version of Royalty, hence, his ability to get away with a travesty of justice. Such Royalty, just goes by another name in the US.
Cheers,
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Weirdly |
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Posts: 114 (07/04/08 12:59 AM) |
Jas, thanks for making total sense out of the situation we now find ourselves in.
My neighbor is a retired Texaco engineer and told me this week that the US is "swimming" in oil. He also said that there hasn't been a refinery built in this country since 1976. The most recent estimate of Iraq's reserves is 350 trillion barrels, you do the math, but even at 85 million a day like the current drawdown, we'd be swimming in oil for an extended period of time. When people are fat and happy they don't deem it necessary to look at the long term hence the environmental movement, another name for pantheism, springs to the forefront. It happened first in my profession, the timber industry, and put 350,00 people out of work. The fat cats in the city should protest the killing of live trees and not wipe their azzes for a whole year, call it a boycott. Nuclear power is 2 cents a kilowatt hour to produce and the state just imploded the cooling towers of the WPPSS nuclear project here in WA state about 18 months ago. As you know, we are a blue state and have been headed backwards for a very long time with leftists running the show. Thanks again for spelling it out in detail and I hope everyone comes to their senses by the time the election rolls around because things can still get a whole lot worse and probably will before they get better. and now back to our regulary scheduled programming.................. 
Stop Global Whining
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Da Vols |
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Posts: 4680 (07/04/08 06:33 AM) HRW Moderator |
"and now back to our regulary scheduled programming..."
Gentlemen, please do before this post has to be closed...nothing wrong with what is being said, but unless we're talking about nuclear plants, oil well derricks, or wind farms as part of one's track's scenery, we're veering off to the political and we all know what happens eventually. To that affect, the theme I've noticed is this "what, me worry" thinking - without a doubt 1/32nd slot car racing will continue, but as rising prices make RTR's less affordable because of less disposable income, fewer purchases will be made and less purchases will lead to less releases. As mentioned, HO and 1/43rd scales even with a 50% price increase will still be relatively inexpensive and 1/24th scale will continue to remain economical - it is 1/32nd that is so dependent on the purchase of a complete car that it is at the mercy of an unstable economy. We here on HRW and other North American forums are deeply entrenched in this hobby...but us members make up such a small amount of the overall purchasing power - even those who amass hundreds in their collections - that our perspective that life will go on is skewed somewhat by our addiction. It is still too early to see the "tell" if things will deterioate...if the energy crisis can be stabilized in the very near future then disposable income will catch up in due time and all will be right, but if the uncertainty continues, well, we here will continue to enjoy playing with our adult toys...at least as long as the lights stay on... 
Da Vols - Bruce & Harriet & Kali
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flyslotter |
Bravo to Flysquasher1974 | ||
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Posts: 48 (07/07/08 07:10 PM) |
This, my friends, is called the power of the free market -- a rising tide lifts all boats.
A good thing to remember the next time organized labor and leftist politicians want to deny free trade agreements with economic powerhouses like Colombia. |
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stev123 |
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Posts: 3083 (07/07/08 07:47 PM) Lee Marvin of slot cars |
Nope... The guys who buy the most of these cars will always have money.
Even me, as broke butt as I have been still have most of my cars. It's gonna be tough for guys who, like me are on the edge, even even before the pimps in the oil industry started pulling an "enron" on us. But hobbies are hobbies. I'm always gonna find a way to get new toys. Who's with me? ride the bus put the money towards a slot! My cars are paid for, that helps a ton, by the way! 
Steve
I kneel next to the track one eye slowly squinting
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Chaparral 2D |
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Posts: 1008 (07/08/08 01:53 PM) Home Racing Guru! |
I dunno. I figure with my collection and investment, I'm worth a *heck* of a lot more business than someone who buys an x-hundred dollar plastic digital or
analog set for the kids and then gets bored and re-sells on E-Bay. Maybe worth 5-10 of those guys by myself, conservatively?
Bob |
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Smith Speedway |
Ain't no thing | ||
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Posts: 1530 (07/11/08 07:36 AM) Home Racing Guru! |
Our perspective is a little different. Boss Bodies was started because I wanted cars that no one produced. I just wanted a @#$! Nova in 1/32 scale and nobody
made one. The European driven market scoffed at the idea. So, I made my own. Then, I figured that maybe we could sell a few of the things to help support my
habit. Three years later we have over 60 models and sales have continued to rise slowly, but very steadily. We have also seen a marked increase in repeat
customers. Our cars are certainly not masterpieces, but for racers they're not bad. We're comfortable in that niche. We were fortunate earlier this
year when we ran out of plastic and couldn't find another load. We were buying enough at a time to sustain us through 4 - 6 months. There were simply no
small loads available unless we wanted to go to thin plastic like the other clear body manufacturers. That wasn't acceptable. We ended up having to buy
an industrial roll that, at current production levels, will last eight years. That means that the rising price of plastic will not affect us, and will not
cause a price increase. It's a sustainable product at its current price (unless the kids start charging us more to make them).
We're expecting our sample piece of our new adjustable 1/32 scale chassis shortly. It's made in Iowa. You'll be able to put together a car for under $40 that might not be as pretty as the RTR's, but it will look pretty good and smoke them all on a no-mag track. All parts of the car will be made in the USA except for the motor. We think the current market conditions aren't going to affect us very much. Either way, we produce product because we want things that aren't being made. I realize that there are a few adjustable 1/32 scale chassis out there, but we think the prices are prohibitively high. So, not only hasn't the state of the economy hurt us, our sales are actually up from this time last year. Keep smiling slotheads. Big manufacturers who are market-driven may back off, but there are enough cottage industries so that slot car racing will absolutely not die. Not now, not ever. |
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