Fuel/Buy Local

Wed Mar 2 09:35:36 AKST 2005

On Mar 2, 2005, at 11:19 AM, Dan Curtis wrote:

> Ron,
>
> I am not sure our perspectives are that far apart.  I know locally 
> very few
> sport flyers by their fuel by the case.  Usually one or two gallons a 
> month.
> I wonder if they realize that in your shop they are more than likely 
> getting
> a great deal on fuel, since the shipping cost are reduced and keeps the
> price much lower.  I would venture a guess (just a guess mind you) 
> that if a
> group wanted to puchase a bulk order through your hobby shop you would 
> be
> glad to accomodate them and at the best possible price you could 
> provide.
> This just adds to customer service and often equates into customer 
> loyalty
> and a bit more profit.  As far as buying from Tower, that is a complete
> mess.  I have seen Tower/Great Planes prices to anyone several points 
> below
> their wholesale price to their hobby shop dealers.  Personally, I 
> doubt if
> my total order from Tower Hobbies has reached a total fifty dollars in 
> 30
> years.  I worked in a LHS for several years and I understand exactly 
> what
> you mean about buying radios from Tower, when your prices are very 
> close to
> theirs.  Then to poor salt on the wound they come in to the store to 
> get
> educated on how to use it.  I have oftened dreamed of owning a hobby 
> shop
> over my lifetime of modeling.  However, when I see what shop owners 
> have to
> deal with its probably a good thing I never made the leap.  As I 
> stated in
> my first post I always try to support a LHS first, but there are times 
> when
> it is not feasible to do so and it would not even be beneficial to the 
> shop
> owner to try.

I do try to help some of the "specialty" guys with fuel.  For example, 
the heli guys, almost to a man, use Morgan Heli 30%.  I send the heli 
group an e-mail about a week before I plan to go to Morgan, so they can 
place an order.  This is good for me because heli 30% is so expensive 
that I can't afford to stock much of it and the heli fuel order seldom 
spends more than a day in the shop.  It's good for them, because they 
get their fuel at the same markup as the guy who buys Cool Power 10%.

Regarding the radios that get ordered from Tower, some come into the 
shop and ask for my recommendations on radios, order them from Tower 
and then come in for instruction on how to use them.  I am often 
cordial; sometimes not.

Ron Van Putte

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ron Van Putte" <vanputte at cox.net>
> To: <discussion at nsrca.org>
> Sent: March 02, 2005 10:49 AM
> Subject: Re: Fuel/Buy Local
>
>
>>
>> On Mar 2, 2005, at 10:27 AM, Dan Curtis wrote:
>>
>>> Supporting local hobby shops,
>>>
>>> It is always a good idea and practice support your LHS, however we 
>>> as a
>>> pattern community tend to require and use some pattern specific items
>>> that
>>> it is just not practical for your LHS to carry.  Some of the items we
>>> commonly use in construction they cannot even order.  So we support
>>> them
>>> when we can and we support other sources when it is necessary.  As 
>>> far
>>> as
>>> fuel, many hobby shops cannot afford to carry much inventory and I
>>> have seen
>>> several that really cannot warrant carrying more than a case or two 
>>> of
>>> 30
>>> percent if that.  So getting a group together to by a large quanitiy
>>> of fuel
>>> does not really constitute a lack of LHS support, at least in my 
>>> view.
>>>  The
>>> savings on the fuel purchase is more than likely going into the hobby
>>> shops
>>> till anyway, at least in my case. :)
>>
>> How about another perspective?  I have a local hobby shop and try to
>> keep prices down so local modelers can afford to buy more to enjoy the
>> hobby.  I live 95 miles from Enterprise, AL and drive there to get 
>> fuel
>> at Morgan Fuels, to avoid the shipping/hazard fees.  I go to Morgan
>> about every six weeks and try to stock quantities of the different
>> fuels, such that I get close to running out of all fuels just before
>> going back to Morgan again.  I add a minimal markup.  I try to
>> encourage the locals to buy by the case to keep my incoming cash flow
>> up and to minimize the time I might be out of one or more specific
>> fuels (Heli 30% for example).  Do you have a guess on how many
>> customers buy by the case?  Try three out of about 100 locals.  Then
>> add that to the guys who buy their radios from Tower rather that me,
>> even though my prices, including sales tax, end up being very near the
>> same as Tower's price plus shipping.  I call that frustrating.
>>
>> Ron Van Putte
>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Pat Hewitt" <phewitt at farmersagent.com>
>>> To: <discussion at nsrca.org>; <discussion at nsrca.org>
>>> Sent: March 02, 2005 10:10 AM
>>> Subject: Re: Fuel/Buy Local
>>>
>>>
>>> Just my thoughts. I am a local business man in the mid-west and I 
>>> have
>>> a
>>> problem when people DO NOT support their local hobby shops. Our clubs
>>> never
>>> have a problem going to them and asking for there help so why not
>>> support
>>> them, yes I know you can save 20/30% but again where will we be
>>> without
>>> their
>>> help or better yet with out their shops to shop in. ( I AM NOT A 
>>> HOBBY
>>> SHOP
>>> OWNER )
>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks for letting me have my thoughts vented.
>>>
>>>
>>> Pat Hewitt
>>> Paola, Kansas
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ------ Original Message ------
>>> Received: 05:29 AM CST, 03/02/2005
>>> From: "Jeff Hughes" <jeffghughes at comcast.net>
>>> To: <discussion at nsrca.org>
>>> Subject: Fuel
>>>
>>> DId I miss the Fuel pre-buy at the Toledo show?
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
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>
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