My thoughts on expanding scalextric and this hobby.

[wetspot]

First let me say, There are some fine people in this hobby and I enjoy it so much. To me Its not so much about running the cars around for hours. I run them for a few..then tinker with them...love it! Which got me thinking about how to reach more people. I'm an electrician we use alot of tools in the trade. Why not sell this hobby like they do battery drills (as one example)? The drills, saws, ect. are inexpensive compared to the batteries...they sell you one drill your going to buy many of expensive batteries for the life of that drill.
If the cost of the track was lower (there kinda up there in price for a good big track) not them lil figure 8's. It would attract more into this hobby. They should want to get a track in every home!!!... then you got them hooked. Make your money on cars cars and more cars , no one will be satisfied with just 2, 3, 4,5, I'm thinking 10 or 20 or more and then there's the other stuff like boarders, guard rails, buildings, digital, power supplies, controllers ect ect. If life changes put the track away for another time you got it for life. If they enjoyed it they would probably go out and get involved in there local tracks and support them as well. It might be crazy thinking on my part I dunno. At least it might get a few kids off video games.

what do you think? thanks for reading.
Wet.
p.s. if this post is in the wrong place please move....I looked but thought this was a good spot.

[dinglebery]

Personally I think $100+ for a car is crazy, LeMans Miniatures 1/32 comes to mind. $180 for a 1/24 BRM. Your thoughts are exactly how it is! I just bought the Carrera Speed Patrol set today (25227), because it has 20.7 feet of track, instead of some that are 2.5x the cost for the same or less amount of track but cars that must be more valuable...?

[wetspot]

Hi dingle, That is a nice track for the price. Low price is what got you to buy it .... What if it was even cheaper? Just get a track in as many homes as possible. See my point a little? And yea $100 dollars is crazy for a car but, you would not consider buying $100 car if you had no track to run it on (unless you got a nice track close to you for racing.) I like scalextric cars about $40 for my home track lot of variety and look good and run good. I do have some more expensive cars for the club (wood routed) track. It seems like scaleys are the only cars i can run on a scaley Arc AIR track..lol. (see my other post in this topic).
Do you have any other Carrera track? What cars do you plan on running? Well enjoy ! Getting a new track is exciting !

[RichD]

The idea here is that more people would get into the hobby if the makers sold sets at cost, then made their money selling cars as separate items. That might possibly attract a few more people, but probably the makers would see little long term benefit. The sad fact is that younger people are simply not interested in slot racing, computer games are where it is for them. When we were able to get kids to race with us they ran borrowed cars but never progressed to owning and working on their own cars. The new racers that we have recruited into both my HO and 1/32nd clubs have been older guys that dropped out of the hobby when they started dating, got married and had kids. After their kids moved out they got interested in slot racing again.
How much is too much to pay for a slot car? Different people would have different answers to that question depending on where they were coming from. For the most part I race my cars, I do have a few that I bought just because I like the 1:1 car a lot. My 1/32nd cars mostly cost about $120, even the ones that started out as a $40-50 RTR car. I have paid a lot for NSR cars and then had to replace some of the parts, making them even more expensive. I have run most of my cars for years with maybe a motor replacement once in a while. I win my share of races, so for the most part I consider the money well spent.
If you run your cars on an informal basis you would be likely to have a different opinion and that would be just as valid.

[Scaleracing]

It just is not true that in a Real Retail Location children and younger people are not interested.

We host birthday parties all the time. Car Clubs for 20 - 40 year old's., youth groups, Rotary Clubs, local businesses having a fun day and more. This hobby is only dying due to no exposure to new people. We need real Stores selling Scalextric, it works but has serious overhead.

I hold at least 100 Birthday parties for 3 - 12 year old's every year. They all have a great time, many book a party for the next year. Our average age of in store customer is around 35. We get children every weekend play racing on our tracks.

Get the Hobby in front of new people and it will grow. The problem is not cost it is exposure. Check out www.facebook.com/scaleracingcenter. We need more of this!!!

[b.yingling]

I think the sad truth is (and this has been confirmed to me by guys who work for slot car manufacturers)- most people who buy a slot car set buy an inexpensive set, and a month after the Christmas or birthday it is packed away and forgotten. There are a few who expand and become dedicated hobbyists. But for many, that inital set purchase is almost the last purchase. So the manufacturers currently make quite a bit of their profit off of sets. Getting them to sell sets at cost would be a really tough sell. They would add a few dedicated hobbyists that would buy more cars- but they would be throwing away a big chunk of their profit to do it.

[dinglebery]

Hi dingle, That is a nice track for the price. Low price is what got you to buy it .... What if it was even cheaper? Just get a track in as many homes as possible. See my point a little? And yea $100 dollars is crazy for a car but, you would not consider buying $100 car if you had no track to run it on (unless you got a nice track close to you for racing.) I like scalextric cars about $40 for my home track lot of variety and look good and run good. I do have some more expensive cars for the club (wood routed) track. It seems like scaleys are the only cars i can run on a scaley Arc AIR track..lol. (see my other post in this topic).
Do you have any other Carrera track? What cars do you plan on running? Well enjoy ! Getting a new track is exciting !

Hi! Yes considering I only paid $127 for it BNIB from Amazon!! I have lots more Carrera track, but it's all in another state - here's what I had set up... I forgot the distances but each lane (blue or black) was within inches of the same length. I acquired all this track from a single original kit, and then just kept buying more track. I just bought this new set to run some cars while all the old track waits to be shipped (in a suitcase as luggage I hope!) GARAGE SLOT CAR TRACK C.jpg I don't have any pictures of it completed, unfortunately, but here's the build... TRACK BUILD 2.jpg TRACK BUILD 1.jpg TRACK BUILD 3.jpg TRACK BUILD 4.jpg TRACK BUILD 5.jpg DSC_8999 - Smaller.jpg DSC_9005-Smaller.jpg DSC_9006-Smaller.jpg DSC_9004-Smaller.jpg

[dinglebery]

I think the sad truth is (and this has been confirmed to me by guys who work for slot car manufacturers)- most people who buy a slot car set buy an inexpensive set, and a month after the Christmas or birthday it is packed away and forgotten. There are a few who expand and become dedicated hobbyists. But for many, that inital set purchase is almost the last purchase. So the manufacturers currently make quite a bit of their profit off of sets. Getting them to sell sets at cost would be a really tough sell. They would add a few dedicated hobbyists that would buy more cars- but they would be throwing away a big chunk of their profit to do it.

I think you hit the nail on the head here... most people who would Love to keep the track up just don't have the space. I'm a prime example - these pictures of the build I just posted is not my garage, it's my brothers (that's him in the pics) and it's unfortunate in a place I don't want to live but could afford - South Florida. I'm now is Southern California and am dreaming of having the dedicated space to set the track up again! I'm a hobbyist and have a small collection of about 150 cars, mostly all are collectible BNIB, maybe 30 have been run and I do spend hundreds on cars, I just don't Like To! Haha I've never raced at a club but would love to!!

[wetspot]

Holy crap dingle !!!!! nice set up there!

[wetspot]

Great insight on expanding the hobby guys...we all have a view of how and why, most of you guys on the inside of the business know more about it than I would. I do see a lack of advertising on the local level here where Im at as an area that need to be improved on.

[woodcote]

The new 1/32 Scalextric USA sets displayed at the New York Toy Fair last month looked to have the cheaper Start track system in them, so maybe you are on to something wetspot... I guess this is to get more track in a set for a lower price point - the sets look like they are for North America only as they have not appeared in any UK catalogues or websites. Start wasn’t a big hit on this side of the pond, but I can see how it would work for Hornby in a market like the US and Canada where Carrera and HO outgun Scalextric.

[gorp]

So woodcut, do you work for a company at the NY toy fair ?

Have offered again digital use to local analog track guys and all hear is it is too hard or confusing.
Perhaps we need to dummy digital down.
Nah, we just don't need them.

But believe problem is really the culture now , aka being picky.
When have located regional racers now, they have rules about what type of racers are acceptable.
Hey , really hate to say this, when racing was ran here there were no requirements other than show up.
All were welcome and there was seldom an issue.

Have opportunity to set up track downtown but finding less time now for hobby advancement.

Gee, toys for high bucks remind me of the end of the first golden age, price the competitors off the track and you always win.
Thank god for all those sets bought and shelved.
Makes ebay affordable.

[gorp]

been thinking about what scaly actually should do
believe they need to rethink their digital and even analog direction
is scaly eliminating some of their potential customers with its electronic system requirements
requiring phones or tablets and apps may seem modern but what happens in few years if the support system goes away

the advanced was just that and only needed an upgrade to wireless controllers to be the best ever powerbase
but instead the pro arrives and only functions well after sf mod to digital only
hey for that matter they could have stuck 2 power packs into a pb4 , added wireless, and sold more 4-6 lap counters

yes my scaly digital will work without an app and still count laps into the future
but will yours

[DVD3500]

Since they released the BLE protocol you can make PC and MAC based software for it.
They adhered to industry standards so I don't think support is really an issue.
Nowadays there are I htink more than 3 times as many mobile devices as PCs and laptops so not really an issue.
I would argue they are not investing enough in the app to be honest.

[wetspot]

let me say I'm a Scalextric fan a have there track there cars and will continue to purchase there products.
Speaking of the BLE protocol. I wonder if it was ready for prime time when it was released. My Arc air box has only 13 phones listed on the box as compatible. (more on there web site). but 13 at release date is really small. The scalextric app is not compatible with my tablet my phone my wife's phone or my old phone. How is this even a thing. I can go to the dollar store and get a blue tooth what ever and it connects. I'm sure this is more complex (I guess). Do you think the release of the BTE protocol will help with getting more customers connected with the app. P.S. old app connects.