I was supporting my local HS yesterday morning ( Train store I buy my elo/paint and styrenee there.. maybe someday he will see the light lol) and asked how he was weathering the economic storm.. he said his biz was UP! said more Dad's are bringing in Kids and getting them excited about model trains...good to see kids not vegging in fromt of the Comps and Xboxes for a change.. and if they are up.. its our time to strike what red blooded american doesn't want to drive past dad at close to 1000 scale miles and hour and not get grounded.. WHo Ho!!

I read about the same kind of thing. Seems like big dollar items are on hold replaced with more "at the house" type things......i.e. hobbies.

Jim Norton
Huntsville, Alabama

Makes perfect sense to me. As long as you don't go overboard, slot cars are a very affordable hobby. All the heart pounding, adrenaline pumping action of real racing at a fraction of the cost. Gotta love it!

Makes perfect sense to me. As long as you don't go overboard, slot cars are a very affordable hobby. All the heart pounding, adrenaline pumping action of real racing at a fraction of the cost. Gotta love it!

Overboard? Most are way overboard before they find this venue! I lost my son to the computer games. I admit that I have A AB left cntrl B B A but I didn't inhale. I came back to the pleasure of racing 600+ mph scale speed. I think that I lost my son to peer pressure. While he was talking about shaving .25 seconds on lap time by lapping gears and adjusting p/u shoe travel, his friends were talking about teaming up on Warcraft or Socom? I haven't given up, I've been trying to lure him back w/ the scents of burnt gear oil, heated armatures and modeling paint. Until he comes around I will cherish the memories of our Lifelike days.

Coach,I have noticed more kids under16 coming to the shows.I started giving kids a free body when they come in.Funny the boys like candy colored cars and the girls go towards pink leadsledsThey look like they won lotto when they pick it out.I've given out as many as 35 at a show but it's worth it.Me and Bob are looking to the future when we are needing assisted living at the shows.The boxes are getting heavy.Bring the kids.I'll give a free body to any kid under 16 thats comes to a show that we're at. Thanks Tom Stumpf No Honda,you're not a kid

I wunder if you can get reverse fake ID?

I've seen Tom's table full of goodies first hand at the Richfield show.

Oh to be a kid again!!! LOL!!!

I think what Tom is doing by giving bodies away to the kids is a great way to promote the hobby!

With as many influences and other interests there are for kids today, you have to introduce them at a very young age to our hobbies and keep after them with involving them on a regular basis to keep their interest.

I have two daughters 3 and 5 and I'll tell ya what my 5 year old will give me a run for my money at times!

Daddy lets her win most of the time to keep her interested! LOL!

Quick story: I was down in the dungeon one day tinkering with slots and my n scale trains and my 5 year old comes down and says Daddy lets race.
I'm good with that and naturally oblige. Next thing I know the 3 year old comes down and wants to race. I had a 2 lane track at the time so I get bumped off the track so my 3 year old can race. We are hootin' and hoolerin' having a good old time carrying on and next thing I know the wife comes down to see what is going on. My wife starts racing too having fun.

Moral of the story: 1) these are great memories spent with my wife and kids that will be remembered for years to come and needless to say I am now building a 4 lane banked oval in Ho for all of us to enjoy at one time!!!

Nothing like promoting the hobby at an early age so hopefully the kids will take interest and stay with the hobby like all of us did at some points in our lives......

Guys keep promoting the hobby one child at a time!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

Wayne :wave:

it's great hearing the fathers talk about involving their kids.i only hope my son is in to it when he's old enough to actually drive the cars and not just put em in his mouth,and try to rip the track apart!lol!he's not even two yet,so i 'll be patient!

When I have kids, they'll be born at the infield care center on my track!

it's great hearing the fathers talk about involving their kids.i only hope my son is in to it when he's old enough to actually drive the cars and not just put em in his mouth,and try to rip the track apart!lol!he's not even two yet,so i 'll be patient!

Bob Rich and Joe still put cars in thier mouths so don't fret it lol


Dave

too funny coach!lol!

I have two daughters 3 and 5 and I'll tell ya what my 5 year old will give me a run for my money at times!


my youngest is 4. (others are 6, 10, 12) he's the biggest threat in our basement. given equal cars, if he's on his game, he keeps me workin'...


Quick story: I was down in the dungeon one day tinkering with slots and my n scale trains and my 5 year old comes down and says Daddy lets race.
I'm good with that and naturally oblige. Next thing I know the 3 year old comes down and wants to race. I had a 2 lane track at the time so I get bumped off the track so my 3 year old can race. We are hootin' and hoolerin' having a good old time carrying on and next thing I know the wife comes down to see what is going on. My wife starts racing too having fun.

Moral of the story: 1) these are great memories spent with my wife and kids that will be remembered for years to come and needless to say I am now building a 4 lane banked oval in Ho for all of us to enjoy at one time!!!

(snip)

Wayne :wave:

this is exactly why I tore up the 2-lane and built a 4-lane. otherwise I'd get NO track time. as it is, i'm always stuck in a gutter lane. too bad I can't get the wife interested, though... she gets seasick watching the cars...

--rick

my youngest is 4. (others are 6, 10, 12) he's the biggest threat in our basement. given equal cars, if he's on his game, he keeps me workin'...



this is exactly why I tore up the 2-lane and built a 4-lane. otherwise I'd get NO track time. as it is, i'm always stuck in a gutter lane. too bad I can't get the wife interested, though... she gets seasick watching the cars...

--rick
lol!yeah my wife says it makes her dizzy!she did take a poke at building a track one night though!which was cool,she doesn't usually come in here unless she needs to do laundry(or get me too,lol!)

I had a nice 2 lane road course but my 2 girls kept fighting over who was going to race with daddy till I was the one to get bumped off the track! LOL! I guess this is a good problem to have!!!!

I am currently putting up a 4 lane banked oval to accomodate everyone to keep the peace!

I will probably end up in the gutter lane also but hey its worth it!!!!

Its been fun sharing and reading all of your guys stories!

Keep em in the slots guys eventhough our kids have other ideas in trying to put us into the walls!!!!! LOL!!!!!:woohoo:

Its all good!

Wayne :thumbsup::thumbsup:

I was at the track a few weeks ago and there were a couple of Moms who had brought the kids in for some track time. Before you know it, the Moms have controllers in their hands and are duking it out with the kids. Then I hear stuff like... "wow, I didn't realize how much fun this was..." Then you see Dad over on the HO track and junior, all of 3 years old, Parma gripped with both hands, propped up on a stool, eyes as wide as Little Orphan Annie's, giggling away like he was opening a birthday present that never ends, and you realize that, at its most basic level, where the human element and the slot cars become inseparable, there's really something pure and simple and right about what this little hobby has to offer, and you can't help but smile and drink it all in. Yeah, we're in a deep, dark, and depressing time right now, and it will probably get worse before it gets better, but when you are at the track and you have a controller in hand, and if you are with friends or family, biological or slot car DNA based, you can feel good for a while and get some respite and shelter from the storm. Enjoy.

[QUOTE=AfxToo;2693995]I was at the track a few weeks ago and there were a couple of Moms who had brought the kids in for some track time. Before you know it, the Moms have controllers in their hands and are duking it out with the kids. Then I hear stuff like... "wow, I didn't realize how much fun this was..." Then you see Dad over on the HO track and junior, all of 3 years old, Parma gripped with both hands, propped up on a stool, eyes as wide as Little Orphan Annie's, giggling away like he was opening a birthday present that never ends, and you realize that, at its most basic level, where the human element and the slot cars become inseparable, there's really something pure and simple and right about what this little hobby has to offer, and you can't help but smile and drink it all in. Yeah, we're in a deep, dark, and depressing time right now, and it will probably get worse before it gets better, but when you are at the track and you have a controller in hand, and if you are with friends or family, biological or slot car DNA based, you can feel good for a while and get some respite and shelter from the storm. Enjoy.[/QUOTE


]wow.well said!:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Keep em in the slots guys eventhough our kids have other ideas in trying to put us into the walls!!!!! LOL!!!!!:woohoo:

Its all good!

Wayne :thumbsup::thumbsup:

my 4- and 6-year-olds use the word "punt" constantly when we're racing, usually to describe what they're trying to do to me... :D :rolleyes:

--rick

My 6 year old duaghter raced with the full group last sunday for the first time.....full votes ,adult controller...did pretty good...:thumbsup: