Anyone know why JL puts the TJets and the Xtractions in cases instead of clamshells or blisters? I like it for the displaying, but it makes them much harder to find at hobby stores that have all the other HO cars pegged. The hobby store near me doesn't carry them and I think part of the problem is that he has to shelf them and doesn't have the room.

They do it for the "retro" look. In the old days the cars apparently came in these. I've heard thought that JLs gonna make the switch to blisters though, so they can be hung on pegs.

I like the boxes. Can't they just put the cars/boxes in a blister pack so they can be hung on a peg?

GP

The HL where I'm at keeps them behind the hobby counter. I could live without the display boxes. They're kinda handy for shipping, otherwise I don't have much use for them.

I use some of the tops for parts. Other than that they take up space on my shelf, because I won't through them away. I am saving them so I can put the cars back in them if I want to sell them in the future. It would be easier for me if they were in blisters.

Now, another subject. Are these still going to be Hobby Shop only items. Many of the hobby shops around me had to sell off their inventory at prices of $3-$5 a car because they couldn't move their inventory. Now they are not carrying them anymore. I hope they will be available in other stores soon. It may be good for RC2 to do this.

Would it be much of a cost saver to go to Blister pack? RC2 could prolly stand to make a tiny bit more profit too. Unless of course part of the selling point is the retro case. I'd prefer blister as well. I don't throw the cases away either and I end up making clutter everywhere. heh.

They do it for the "retro" look. In the old days the cars apparently came in these.

Shadowracer got it right I suspect....these are exact copies of the old Aurora boxes the Magna-traction, G-plus etc cars came in...I kind of like them myself, they stack nice, pack nice and are easily displayed.

Although I'm sure a clamshell pack (blister is actually a plastic bubble glued to a cardboard back) would be more cost effective and may fix the bent axle problem. It might create a few new ones......Model Motoring uses the clamshell pack, and if your not careful with removing the car from the little sticky tape that holds it in place, you destroy the brush spring by bending it past the point of no return.

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www.SlotCarJohnnies.com (http://www.slotcarjohnnies.com/)

I bought some JL slot cars from one Hobby Lobby store that stuck a clear plastic hook on the top rear of the cube so they could hang them on a hook. They are taking a chance that the cube would not come apart and drop the bottom half.


Marty

Definitely add a little extra protection when you ship them. :thumbsup: rr

Ahh, but if RC2 used a double clamshell like todays JL diecast it would:
1) keep the car from being knocked around during shipment
2) keep axles from being bent
3) would protect the brush springs from being damaged by double sided tape

They do need to do something to accomodate the stores that have pegged displays. The JL pullback body "box on a card" packages were somewhat better and would be a decent compromise.

Whenever I see JLs in a store they are either piled in a heap on the bottom shelf below the pegs where you have to bend way over to reach them or they piled on top of the shelf where some people simply can't reach them. The eye level display areas are the prime real estate in a retail store and the JLs are never displayed in those prime areas. The quaint Aurora style retro boxes made sense back when slot cars were sold behind a counter that was staffed by a knowledgable sales clerk, one that actually understood the products. Today everything is self service and the probability of even finding a clerk is slim. Finding one that is knowledgable about the product is nearly impossible.

I almost hesitate to mention this but another problem with the current boxes is theft. The small boxes are much easier to steal than cards or blister packs. One of the reasons the Tomy, Tyco, and Life-Like cars come in such difficult to open blister packs is theft prevention.

The JL folks had their hearts in the right place when the went with the retro style boxes, but they neglected to consider the side effects that doing so placed on the marketing and distribution of the products in modern retail environments.