Stolen directly from the Walthers homepage.

http://www.walthers.com/exec/page/press/2005/lifelike
Exciting News from Walthers!

We're pleased to announce that Wm. K. Walthers, Inc. acquired the assets of the Toy and Hobby division of Life-Like Products, LLC. on Thursday, July 14, 2005 with the mission of elevating model railroading to a whole new level.
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Maybe the slotcar consumers should e-mail Walthers newproducts@walthers.com and tell them what we need from them as a slotcar company.

Scott

I think it looks pretty likely that the LL line will be gone in 2 years time or so.

The new owners make no mention of slot cars and you get the feeling they wouldn't know what one was even if you hit them between the eyes with it!

My email to Walthers:

Congratulations on the acquisition of Life Like products. Will Walthers continue to support the HO slot car business of Life Like?

If so, I have a couple suggestions. Life Like probably sells the most ho slot car sets out there, yet it is not popular with the serious HO club racers and collectors. Why?

Several reasons:

1) Life Like does not make a variety of track radius corners (12 inch radius, 15 inch radius, 18 inch radius, 21 inch radius etc). Tomy makes these tracks, therefore tomy is the track of choice for people wanting to set up nice home tracks.

2) Life Like has the Nascar rights, but the Nascar bodies Life Like builds are less then stellar in their looks (they look like blobs with decals). More attention to detail on the body styles would greatly increase their desirability.

3) Life Like makes many structures for rail roads, but none for HO slot car tracks. I believe there is a market for slot car structures: Grandstands, garages, pits, racing barrier, curbing, gas stations, overpasses, pedestrian bridges, timing structures, retaining walls, etc.

4) Electronic timing. Today's youth are used to playing video games with instant gratification of the results of their efforts. Electronic timing and sound effects would make slot car racing much closer to real life and today's video games.

5) Life like does not make a car chassis that can be "set up" for racing. A Life Like chassis that would accept aftermarket parts would increase the race ability of Life Like bodies.

6) Life like sponsorship of slot car conventions and racing. The only way to get a better product is hear what the consumers would like from your product. Nothing like racing improves the performance of racecars.

Thanks for your time, and I wish you much success with your new division.

So no more Tyco, no more Mattel, no more Johnny Lightning, and now no more Life Like . . . looks like Tomy wins.

Seriously -- Walthers is a train outfit. Life Like makes trains. I doubt they give a rip about the slot cars, except for maybe moving the current boring NASCAR junk.

Maybe TL's Round 2 Inc. needs to get after acquiring the rights to the 440X2, 440, HP7 etc. designs and really branch out and diversify. Could make a real run at Tomy despite their newly acquired monopoly.

My $.02 worth . . .

'Doba

I must say the new LL Dodge NASCAR looks real good, especially the CAT and #9 cars. I was hopeful that LL would do a good Ford Fusion next year.

As it is I suspect this NASCAR license will simply lapse.....

Does anyone here know any LL people? I'd love to know why they sold up at a time when they could have dominated the toy end of the HO market.

I wouldn't write off the LL slots just yet........

According to what I read on another list,Wathers has been offering the LL sets in their catalogs.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see then.

Mike

I wouldn't write off the LL slots just yet........

According to what I read on another list,Wathers has been offering the LL sets in their catalogs.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see then.

Mike

With fingers crossed!

Life-Like slot cars do get some minor exposure in model train shops because of Life-Like's model train line. When I go into the model train shops in my area they sometimes have one or at most two LL slot car sets sitting on the shelves. These are typically older and smaller sets and are priced at or near the full MSRP. The Hobby Lobbys near me are the same, one or two small LL sets, one of which always seems to be the demolition derby set. I've yet to see any slot cars sold separately at HLs near me. Hobby Town USA usually has a few of the newer and larger LL sets (plus Tomy) and a decent supply of cars from LL, Tomy, Mattel, and JL. Sams Club typically has one LL set around Christmas. The serious slot car shops only carry Tomy sets but all brands of cars. TRU usually has a couple of LL sets but they are quickly losing shelf space to those throw away off brand 1:43 sets (not even Artin quality).

LL's biggest challenge is getting shelf space. If Walters wants to so anything with the LL slots they will have to get them into WalMart.

I don't know why anyone would believe that everything is smooth sailing in Tomy Land. If RaceMasters hadn't step up to the plate and obtained exclusive distribution rights for Tomy in North America they wouldn't be selling anything here either. The release of new products from Tomy has been few and far between.

The most prolific manufacturer of new HO slot cars in the past 5 years has been Johnny Lightning - by far. Lots of people whine when new JLs come out as "mere repaints" but would anyone whine if Tomy re-released their GTP cars like the Denso Toyota with a new paint schemes? Heck no, I'd be camped out in front of the stores waiting for the retailer to unpack them and slap price tags on them. I couldn't buy them fast enough.

The most prolific manufacturer of new HO slot cars in the past 5 years has been Johnny Lightning - by far. Lots of people whine when new JLs come out as "mere repaints" but would anyone whine if Tomy re-released their GTP cars like the Denso Toyota with a new paint schemes? Heck no, I'd be camped out in front of the stores waiting for the retailer to unpack them and slap price tags on them. I couldn't buy them fast enough.

I agree, It is only Jim's eye for a buck that has kept Tomy in the game.
I agree about the JL repaints, it is a tad churlish to complain. Think what would happen if Mattel brought out the Porsche 956/962 again but in 30-40 new (authentic) color schemes.