I love slot cars though Im aware Im a very modest user/collector/racer and Im far from expert or knowledgeable about this hobby. The point is that I love it. But Im usually asked by non-slot car oriented people why I like slot cars so much now that very few people are into this hobby. I mean few people when you compare against video games or things like that
On a time when you can get high quality rc cars (like Kyosho Mini Z and dnano) it is a bit strange that I prefer to spend money on a new/old/used slot car than in a fancy advanced rc car.
On a time when we are submerged in a sea of iPods, iPhones, iPads, smartphones, GPS systems, expensive gadgets of all kinds, I prefer 10000's of times to spend money on a new/old/used slot car than in a fancy gadget. (by the way, I have never had an iPhone in my hands, my cell phone is 4 years old and my PC is 5 years, and have no plans to waste money replacing any of them, but I do have plans to get more HO slot cars
)
On a time when we are invaded by the video game era and million of kids and teenagers and adults crave for the latest video game, which are impressive, with outstandig graphics, sounds and wait for the ones coming in 3D..... I still prefer 1000000s of times a slot car. (by the way, its been about 5 years the last time I played a video game and that was because I was forced to do it)
So why I do prefer slot cars?
I don't know! Technically slot cars are simple. The only thing you can control is throttle and that's it.
After so much thinking I come to this conclusion
I like slot cars because they still leave a lot to my imagination:
When I was little kid I loved to hear the roar of that tiny ho slot car. It resembled (using lots of imagination) the real thing, the real internal combustion motor.
I loved that you need them to warm up befor really racing. Like a real car, you needed to wait a few minutes for the car to warm up before you run it
I liked that smell of burned lub. Like in the real thing, there are smells from burned oil/gasoline, etc
I liked tire wearing. Like in the real thing, you need to replace tires!
I liked the hot motor. Like in the real thing, motor gets hot.
It has gears, like the real thing, it has gears.
There were some cars faster than others. Like the real thing!
Slot cars have evolved. Like the real thing, cars evolve!
Old slot cars become vintage expensive cars. Like the real thing, only millionaires can have old cars.
So, for all of the above points you need to use your imagination.
Using your imagination is the best fun you can have! A little kid can easily imagine a pencil is a rocket flying to the moon. Well, I can imagine a slot car is a real racing car.
Modern gadgets (smartphones, iPads, etc) and impressive video games leave nothing to your imagination.
And slot cars are not that expensive. Slot cars are certainly not cheap hobby (at least for my limited budget I don't consider it cheap) but clearly not that expensive as to get into RC helicopters or Kyosho Mini Z racing!!
Also, slot cars keep a good deal of value. You can store them, they need little or no maintenance if you don't run them. Even if you run them, maintenance is cheap. After 40 years you can sell your slot car colletcion and get a very good investment return.
They are not bulky (well, sets are bulky yes) so even if you live in a small apartment you can still have a modest collection and have fun (that's why I love HO scale).
And when you are not running your slot cars you can display them for show inside your room, living room, anywhere and you look at them and smile! You don't need to run them to have fun with them!
I know many guys who are into video games and I ask myself how can they prefer that to slot car racing? Slot car racing follow real life, physics laws. Video games emulate or model real life. They are not real. To each their own I don't mean video games are anything wrong but just don't understand why little kids don't care about slot cars. Most don't even know this hobby exist.
But bottom line, I love slot cars because they allow me to use my imagination!!
And I must add I do not feel offensive when people consider slot cars as toys. I do consider them toys somehow. That's the best part. They can be toys and they can be hobby grade products. It is not the same as with advanced RC helicopters, cars, trucks, planes, they are all serious models, period. Slot cars can be a toy or can be hobby grade products. It all depends on the way you see it or want them to use. I would say slot cars are a hobby that I can control and not a hobby that controls me as in very advanced stuff.
Sorry for this long post and getting a bit philosophical but just wanted to share and know your opinion... Why you love slot cars??
regards!
On a time when you can get high quality rc cars (like Kyosho Mini Z and dnano) it is a bit strange that I prefer to spend money on a new/old/used slot car than in a fancy advanced rc car.
On a time when we are submerged in a sea of iPods, iPhones, iPads, smartphones, GPS systems, expensive gadgets of all kinds, I prefer 10000's of times to spend money on a new/old/used slot car than in a fancy gadget. (by the way, I have never had an iPhone in my hands, my cell phone is 4 years old and my PC is 5 years, and have no plans to waste money replacing any of them, but I do have plans to get more HO slot cars
) On a time when we are invaded by the video game era and million of kids and teenagers and adults crave for the latest video game, which are impressive, with outstandig graphics, sounds and wait for the ones coming in 3D..... I still prefer 1000000s of times a slot car. (by the way, its been about 5 years the last time I played a video game and that was because I was forced to do it)
So why I do prefer slot cars?
I don't know! Technically slot cars are simple. The only thing you can control is throttle and that's it.
After so much thinking I come to this conclusion
I like slot cars because they still leave a lot to my imagination:
When I was little kid I loved to hear the roar of that tiny ho slot car. It resembled (using lots of imagination) the real thing, the real internal combustion motor.
I loved that you need them to warm up befor really racing. Like a real car, you needed to wait a few minutes for the car to warm up before you run it
I liked that smell of burned lub. Like in the real thing, there are smells from burned oil/gasoline, etc
I liked tire wearing. Like in the real thing, you need to replace tires!
I liked the hot motor. Like in the real thing, motor gets hot.
It has gears, like the real thing, it has gears.
There were some cars faster than others. Like the real thing!
Slot cars have evolved. Like the real thing, cars evolve!
Old slot cars become vintage expensive cars. Like the real thing, only millionaires can have old cars.
So, for all of the above points you need to use your imagination.
Using your imagination is the best fun you can have! A little kid can easily imagine a pencil is a rocket flying to the moon. Well, I can imagine a slot car is a real racing car.
Modern gadgets (smartphones, iPads, etc) and impressive video games leave nothing to your imagination.
And slot cars are not that expensive. Slot cars are certainly not cheap hobby (at least for my limited budget I don't consider it cheap) but clearly not that expensive as to get into RC helicopters or Kyosho Mini Z racing!!
Also, slot cars keep a good deal of value. You can store them, they need little or no maintenance if you don't run them. Even if you run them, maintenance is cheap. After 40 years you can sell your slot car colletcion and get a very good investment return.
They are not bulky (well, sets are bulky yes) so even if you live in a small apartment you can still have a modest collection and have fun (that's why I love HO scale).
And when you are not running your slot cars you can display them for show inside your room, living room, anywhere and you look at them and smile! You don't need to run them to have fun with them!
I know many guys who are into video games and I ask myself how can they prefer that to slot car racing? Slot car racing follow real life, physics laws. Video games emulate or model real life. They are not real. To each their own I don't mean video games are anything wrong but just don't understand why little kids don't care about slot cars. Most don't even know this hobby exist.
But bottom line, I love slot cars because they allow me to use my imagination!!
And I must add I do not feel offensive when people consider slot cars as toys. I do consider them toys somehow. That's the best part. They can be toys and they can be hobby grade products. It is not the same as with advanced RC helicopters, cars, trucks, planes, they are all serious models, period. Slot cars can be a toy or can be hobby grade products. It all depends on the way you see it or want them to use. I would say slot cars are a hobby that I can control and not a hobby that controls me as in very advanced stuff.
Sorry for this long post and getting a bit philosophical but just wanted to share and know your opinion... Why you love slot cars??
regards!
