Where to get a good deal on your r/c vehicle and parts.

With the holiday season quickly approaching, I wanted to touch on the subject of getting the best deal possible on your r/c vehicle and parts.  If you didn't already know, now is probably the best time to tell you.  This hobby can be rather expensive, depending on how deep you plan to get into it.  Buying a new vehicle, batteries, some spare parts, and upgrading your battery charger can cost a few hundred dollars.  With that kind of an investment, you're wise to look for places to get the best deal, service, and advice on upgrading and maintaining your r/c vehicle.

Start locally.

The first place to check out would be your local hobby shop.  While they mightn't have the best price, they do have knowledge and should be happy to help you with any questions you'll have.  Having a hobby store nearby is also great if you need to get a replacement part in a pinch.

R/C race tracks also keep a stock of parts and vehicles on hand, giving you an excuse to check out the performance side of the hobby.  Pricing, again,  might not be ideal, but you're bound to receive expert advise and input on any questions or problems you might be having.

If you're not familiar with your local hobby shop (LHS), fire up your favorite search site and start looking.  Searching for “local hobby shops” or “local hobby store” is a great place to start.

Venture online.

If you're looking for the best deal and willing to trade-off local convenience and face-to-face advise, finding an online hobby shop is a sure bet.  Many of your local shops will also have websites and they may offer online deals and offers, so check those out before you go visit a store in person.  Other, larger and national hobby store chains (I’m looking at you HobbyTown USA) have rewards programs and/or savings deals if you sign up for their newsletters.  While you run the risk of jamming your inbox with quite a few r/c ads, you might come out ahead in the end if you can find the right price that fits your budget.

Over the past year, I’ve found quite a few great online shops that offer good deals and rewards.  Here’s my list of favorites:

• HobbyTown USA
• TheBarnFloor.com
• A Main Hobbies
• Tower Hobbies
• Big Squid RC
• Horizon Hobbies
• Evolution Hobbies
• HobbyPartz.com
• RC Hobby Starter
• HobbyKing.com
• HexNutRacing.com (sponsor)
• SpeedTechRC.com

Aside from this list, be sure to do some searches of your own and see what other r/c enthusiasts in your area are doing to get the best price on their vehicles and parts.