ASK Cubby – I Answer Your Questions, You Question My Answers,
“X-MAXX
Dear Cubby,
Just wondering if you had any thoughts on why the xmaxx isn’t getting the aftermarket support we all kinda thought it would? I mean proline makes a body, a set of wheels, and some shocks. But thats about it for options when it comes to making your xmaxx your own. I’m still waiting for someone to make a set of monster truck style tires. Wouldn’t a set of destroyer tires just make sence on a big monster truck? I understand it’s a single vehicle platform so the market might not be huge. And i know the economy has hurt the entire industry as a hole. But surely Traxxas could do a bigfoot xmaxx. As always, keep up the good work and thanks for your time.
Luke F.”
Cubby- Yo hey there Luke, thanks for reading Big Squid and for writing in. Shoot me your snail mail for the hook-up on a sticker pack.
Actually, when you look around, there are a pretty good chunk of aftermarket parts for the Traxxas X-Maxx. No, there aren’t nearly as many as the Slash, or not even the same ballpark as the T-Maxx, but still, you can replace a lot of parts. Places like Integy, Yeah Racing, etc, have loads of aluminum goodies, as well as other upgrades, for the X-Maxx. But ya, I think the industry slowdown did affect aftermarket support on the X-Maxx. If this were 2005, I am pretty sure there would have been 5 times the amount of aftermarket goodies produced.
About a Bigfoot X-Maxx, that would be incredibly cool. The form factor of the X-Maxx would look fantastic in full Bigfoot colors. I want one!
“”Declining” Industry?
Hi Cubby,
Thank you for keeping a valuable reference to the RC community.
I’m often confused when you mention the hobby industry is in a decline.
My shop has seen a steady increase in business for the last 12 years. The limit to growth is ability for suppliers to deliver products.
A “good” fill rate lately is 60%. More than a handful of our suppliers and manufactures choose to work only 4 days a week. We are figuratively begging other suppliers for inventory.
We are working 6-1/2 days a week, and looking to move to 7. Again, our limit is finding competent laborers willing to work.
If your measure for the industry is what comes out of Champaign, I’d urge you to look more globally.
Keep up the good work,
Dan B.”
Cubby- Yo hey ya Dan, shoot me your snail mail for a sticker pack.
So.. I can see how you could be confused. Where you are, things have been on the uptick. That is awesome, but sadly your case is an exception right now. And while I do know of several companies that are doing well at the moment, the amount that aren’t far exceeds that number. Unfortunately, as a whole, rc just hasn’t been doing well over the last decade. If you need proof, just look at the amount of bankruptcies we’ve had in the last 6 months alone… sigh.
About your low fill rate (I am guessing overseas?), it sounds like you are simply being bulldogged. You place an order for 2000 widgets, but 2 days later Happy Flower RC puts in an order for 200,000. Guess who ends up getting only a 60% fill rate? As it sounds like you do a lot of business over there, there are ways to fix that issue, which I am sure you are already aware of, otherwise I have so little input that I really can’t comment on your issue.
Have a question? Need an answer? Have a rant that you just have to get off your chest? Email me- thecubreportrc at gmail dot com.
