Walters has a news letter on thier website. I signed up and recieved my first news letter which consisted of 100 percent trains. I emailed them back and asked if they would be including Slotcar related information and they sent back the following.

Thank you for your e-mail. It is possible that we might cover slot cars in future e-newsletters, especially if we receive more requests. You are the first person to have written in so far!

Are you are more interested in product listings that relate to slot cars or are you asking for modeling ideas regarding slots?

Please let me know.

Sincerely,

Sermeng Tay-Konkol
Advertising and Public Relations Specialist
Wm. K. Walthers, Inc.

With that response and a lot of help from this board we may be able to get more info faster. The following is the email to Sermeng if any one is interested (sermengtk@walthers.com)

Slot cars Rule

I have added myself to their newsletter list also.
And I invited Walthers to come here (and SCI) to have a look around to see a small glimpse of what is going on in the slotcar world.
Something ironic...
Years ago before JL Tjets and Thunderplus chassis I had talked (briefly) with LL in Baltimore about making a TJet type chassis.
I was told that there was no market for it.
Such is life...
Scott

I've been getting the Walthers newsletters before they bought out the LL product line because I'm interested in the overpriced scenery items.

I'd speculate that Life-Like was targeting the segment of the market that actually plays with the sets and cars rather than vintage toy collectors and nostalgia buffs. So from their perspective the market for a TJet clone product was not very attractive. Before JL/RC2 came along and dumped massive numbers of TJet and MT clones into the collectible market the primary source for TJets was E-Bay, NOS hoarders, and sales. Again, not the primary marketplace for LL products that were being pushed through Toys R Us and similar retail channels.

I've been getting the Walthers newsletters before they bought out the LL product line because I'm interested in the overpriced scenery items.


Drop them a line just to let them know you are interested in the slot line too?


dw

Here's the response I got.

"Thanks for your e-mail. The majority of our customers are model railroaders
so the newsletter content is written mostly for that group. However, we're
also exploring ideas regarding our new range of slot cars.

We do have many exciting new slot car products to announce in the near
future. As these get closer to their arrival dates, we will most likely be
listing them in the newsletter.

Stay tuned!

Sincerely,
Sermeng Tay-Konkol"

Or did you...

Dear Scott,
Presently Walthers does not have any changes to be made to the Life Like Slotcar Programs. The slotcar products are still run out of our offices in Baltimore by the same people that ran it before. We will be adding more products in the future. Watch our website for future announcements.
Kristina Busniewski
New Product Development
Wm. K. Walthers, Inc.
(414) 918-7408
Fax (414) 527-0507
krisb@walthers.com

I hate to say it but I think the Life Like and Walthers marriage might put the death nail on Life Like slot cars. Walthers has never given dealers a very good discount....40% tops on any product line. When Life Like could be had though the big distributors a hobby shop could get a deal during the holiday ordering season (May-August). So a hobby store could sell Life Like slots for 14.99-16.99 and make good profit. Walthers has never done a holiday early buy. I dont think any hobby shop will be able to price Life Like lower than the AFX line that Horizon, Great Planes and every other jobber has.

But if your local shop sells everything at full retail than what I just said really wont apply.

-- Elliot

Hi Deane,

Thanks for your e-mail and input. We are working on various new tooling for the 2006-07 slot car line. One of them is the Ford Fusion as well as a new Chevy Monte Carlo. The Ford Mustang is also being retooled and we have four new NASCAR cars in the works as well. We anticipate that these cars and sets will be arriving around late summer to early fall. The 2007-08 product lineup is also in progress and there will be new NASCAR cars, track and accessories. When we have more specific details, we will definitely make an announcement.

I hope you will find the above product information useful. We will definitely be previewing and listing our slot car items in future e-newsletters.

Sincerely,

Sermeng Tay-Konkol

Left Hand, I'd like you to meet Right Hand.
Right Hand, this is Left Hand.

Now, you guys need to talk once in a while...

--rick