Quote:
Originally Posted by Neil Skull
You guys are funny, You are in your warm House with no idea about the Economy in General, Its really really tough making Business, especially in RC, I am sure that the decision was not made lightly or willingly. Tamiya TRF make great Models but it costs, to Make in Japan v China or Taiwan is not cheap to do. Its a battle many Manufacturers face. But to get the best its what must happen, You have to pay for the good stuff or use something else. The sad fact is many people bought the other cheap stuff meaning Tamiya can't earn enough money to Pay for Lee Martins wage. Don't forget he was a paid employee.
I wish Lee well and its a real shame it ended,its a sad sign of the economy not some conscious bad decision to upset anyone.
I can tell you its not just Tamiya who cant pay for pro drivers. many of the top Brands are in same situation and not able to pay a wage for someone to race.
You should love the product for what it is not what the economy forces business into doing.
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FYI...I happen to own my own small business, so I understand the shrinking economy here in the states. My feelings are a little different from yours since I've been a TRF driver for the past few years. In those past few years I've been left disappointed with the amount of focus Tamiya has spent on developing the off road program. They release car after car...toy after toy. Then they release big bores and 2 conversion kits that cost a small fortune. My vent was that of frustration as a TRF driver. Tamiya spent huge amounts of money to develop a rear motor car and a mid motor car. For what? Lee does an amazing job at the Worlds. So right when Tamiya might be able to capitalize on the finishes of its top driver...it decides off road is too expensive and pulls the rug out from under us.
My complaint....as a business owner...is this:
How can they expect to gain customers (market share) with a car that retails for a small fortune? I own an auto repair business. I've been working on autos for most of my life. With that in mind, I'll tell you that quality isn't a marketable selling point when the repair shop down the street is half the cost. Of course you want to produce quality work....but you also must have a competitive price. Otherwise your quality product sits on a shelf collecting dust.