boss9
03-13-2005, 09:19 PM
Hello,
This is probably not important for most here, but if you have kids and maybe thinking about taking the first steps into this hobby, this might have some relevance. If not, or you just want an easy Sunday evening read--carry on…
I have two young girls. I want them to enjoy/possibly get more involved with slots. I can’t force them, but I can influence them with slot-related stuff, which they may already be familiar with—such as TV and movie characters.
That brought me to a decision this past Xmas in purchasing another set for them. They have a set already, but more on that later. Anyway, I had a few choices—Sponge Bob, Power Rangers, Disney, etc. Some had to be purchased through auction, so I started looking early. I narrowed the field down to three—
Harry Potter—not too common anymore, but available and they liked the movie
Jurassic Park—a little pricey because of the set cars, but they like dinosaurs
Batman Vs Joker—new release, inexpensive—and they like Batman
The older one role-plays Batman (or Batgirl), so I went with that. Funny thing, when I went to buy it, they were sold-out and said they would get no more. I couldn’t find it anywhere, so I purchased it on-line. It was still new/sealed and cost the same as the store, with the shipping included. Just over twenty dollars.
This is a Mattel set--larger than HO—probably 1/43 or so, and battery operated. A standard figure-8 layout, about 31/2ft.long with guard rails for each curve, a couple of plastic girder-look sides for the overpass, a few trestles, and cardboard pop-out designs for on and about the track.
The vehicles themselves are quite unique—one being a very modern tuner-type Batmobile and the other is the Joker riding a three-wheeled trike. Both are illuminated. The trike has two tiny front wheels that are molded in black. They have a magnets to aid in stability. They are quite fast--too fast for the track without the guardrails in place, which is a good thing—so the kids can learn a little finesse driving. The cars handle well considering, and can be raced with minimum de-slotting. Surprisingly, the trike handles best—but it has two magnets underneath.
They are very well made, with the extending bits—the one’s that would usually get broken off, made of a soft vinyl-like material, like the see-through clear blue wings on the Batcar. No parts look to be interchangeable between the vehicles. The pick-ups are the only problematic areas I see. Their design is similar to Microscalextric with woven brushes. They get buggered up and have to be straightened after running a while. They don’t give you much braid either, and no spares are included.
http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/511/8231Pict0057.JPG
http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/511/8231Pict0047.JPG
http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/511/8231Pict0044.JPG
Concluded in next post...
This is probably not important for most here, but if you have kids and maybe thinking about taking the first steps into this hobby, this might have some relevance. If not, or you just want an easy Sunday evening read--carry on…
I have two young girls. I want them to enjoy/possibly get more involved with slots. I can’t force them, but I can influence them with slot-related stuff, which they may already be familiar with—such as TV and movie characters.
That brought me to a decision this past Xmas in purchasing another set for them. They have a set already, but more on that later. Anyway, I had a few choices—Sponge Bob, Power Rangers, Disney, etc. Some had to be purchased through auction, so I started looking early. I narrowed the field down to three—
Harry Potter—not too common anymore, but available and they liked the movie
Jurassic Park—a little pricey because of the set cars, but they like dinosaurs
Batman Vs Joker—new release, inexpensive—and they like Batman
The older one role-plays Batman (or Batgirl), so I went with that. Funny thing, when I went to buy it, they were sold-out and said they would get no more. I couldn’t find it anywhere, so I purchased it on-line. It was still new/sealed and cost the same as the store, with the shipping included. Just over twenty dollars.
This is a Mattel set--larger than HO—probably 1/43 or so, and battery operated. A standard figure-8 layout, about 31/2ft.long with guard rails for each curve, a couple of plastic girder-look sides for the overpass, a few trestles, and cardboard pop-out designs for on and about the track.
The vehicles themselves are quite unique—one being a very modern tuner-type Batmobile and the other is the Joker riding a three-wheeled trike. Both are illuminated. The trike has two tiny front wheels that are molded in black. They have a magnets to aid in stability. They are quite fast--too fast for the track without the guardrails in place, which is a good thing—so the kids can learn a little finesse driving. The cars handle well considering, and can be raced with minimum de-slotting. Surprisingly, the trike handles best—but it has two magnets underneath.
They are very well made, with the extending bits—the one’s that would usually get broken off, made of a soft vinyl-like material, like the see-through clear blue wings on the Batcar. No parts look to be interchangeable between the vehicles. The pick-ups are the only problematic areas I see. Their design is similar to Microscalextric with woven brushes. They get buggered up and have to be straightened after running a while. They don’t give you much braid either, and no spares are included.
http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/511/8231Pict0057.JPG
http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/511/8231Pict0047.JPG
http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/511/8231Pict0044.JPG
Concluded in next post...