I was making a rare appearance in a Walmart here in Waterville, Maine.  Just for grins I cruised thru the toy section, and stuffed on a shelf with the diecast stuff were a half dozen Revell Snap-tite kits.  67 vette, 57 chebby.  $9.97. Label says they can be completed in 20 minutes.   Sheesh.  Wish they would just stay out of it.  They cause more harm than good.

Were they the "Hot Wheels" versions?  I've seen them at both WW and Target.  Wouldn't get too excited if I were you.

Gee, you know, they might have been, I didn't look that close. 

Not that it matters. I had no intention of buying one.  Just mildly amused that they were there.  Wonder how that went down in there sourcing department to get something back on the shelves.   Did Revell approach WW or the other way round.....

And a retailer that huge means more kids are exposed to modeling which should (hopefully) translate to a new generation of modelers in a few years.

John

I believe the reason we are seeing these kits show up at Target and W-M are simply due to Mattel's marketing them to these stores under their Hot Wheels brand.

I agree in one respect though, it gets kids interested in a snap kit and could help move them into a hobby shop or online retailer with better kits and interests.

Chris

Well, I do agree with you on all that.  For the next generation any exposure to the facination and wonders of modeling is a very good thing.  I just have a hard time with how hard WW makes it on suppliers.  WW does a great job maintaining their profits while they push all the risk and costs back onto suppliers.  I have even known WW to return products to manufacturers that WW no longer wants to sell and requires them take it back at WW's retail price, not the wholesale price they sold it to WW at.  And suppliers pay it if they want to continue to sell other products to WW.  It is hard to stay out of bed with the devil when they are they largest retailer of toys, or about anything else they sell. 

 Sorry for the soapbox, folks.  I just have a hard time with that kind of corporate philosophy. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.  

Wal Mart's business practices and demands on their suppliers might not be the most honorable but believe me when I say they are not alone.  A very large electrical conglomerate that we have all heard of (locomotives to light bulbs) is very demanding, too.  They tell the company that I work for exactly how we will sell parts to them,and stuff hits the fan should we goof.  However, if they goof, it's OK, and we have to compensate.  Go figure, but it pays the bills and keeps the lights on.  Anyway, if Wal Mart opts to sell models again, so be it.  That will enable more non-builders to be exposed to the hobby and the rest of us would once again be able to save some $$$ when we purchase new kits.  I appreciate my LHS but I like having more $$$ in my wallet, too.

   I'm glad WW is selling these Mattel Hot Wheels brand kits. My young grandkids love them and they want to build model cars like grampa does but they are too young to use glue and paint or sharp tools. I am not a big fan of WW, never walked inside one untill 2003 when I went on disability and I had to find cheaper products because my income had been cut by two thirds. That's when I discovered they sold models and I admit I bought a few even though I still shopped at my local hobby shop. Anything that expands our hobby to the masses is OK with me. Even if they are only selling "snap-kits". If you think about it all of us that started building in the late 50's, early 60's started with un-assembled promos that were basically that era's version of a "snap kit" only they were screw together kits with a few parts to glue. Even so we could still mess them up with way too much glue, I did untill my Dad showed me how to use a tooth-pick with just a little glue. Like my Dad before me showing my brother and I how to build clean and enjoy this hobby, I am trying to show my grandkids what a great hobby this is and I welcome the lower price kits from Mattel and WW.

     Patrick

peter:

I have even known WW to return products to manufacturers that WW no longer wants to sell and requires them take it back at WW's retail price, not the wholesale price they sold it to WW at.  

That is absolutely outrageous if true. Do you have any documentation or verification of that?

If that isn't illegal, it ought to be.

Personally, I don't shop Walmart for ANYTHING! Secondly, I hate seeing all the cry baby stuff about them not carrying models anymore! If there is no suitable LHS, as it is in my area, I'll go on line. Many of the places on line are almost as inexpensive, have more product than Walmart anyway. With the prices of shipping, I'll just call it a gallon of gas, which is almost that price of shipping anyway.

Similar to Hobbytown...they once stocked "The Detailer" color washes. It's almost impossible to get Tamay paints from them too! My LHS that was of any worth, closed 4 years ago.  Fine, I'll go on line...can't get it locally, I guess youn don't want my money! What I miss is being able to secure what I need when I run out of it. Oh well, I'll just have to plan ahead!

-Mike

Well put johnbuzzed.The cost of kits is crazy,causing me to buy way less kits. Anyway back to the subject at hand.

Sad but true.  I am in the energy business and I work with many businesses here in Maine every day.  I heard this, and many other things right from a manufacturer.  WM shipped a months production of goods back to them and had them repack them from 12 units per case to 8 units per case, and made a lable change.  All done at the manufacturers cost.  They were working through that while I was there, and saw all the other products that WM had shipped back and had said they will not be carrying anymore.  They were unpacking them and relableing them for resale to other outlets.  And as stated here earlier, WM is not the only one.  Lowe's, Home Depot, Staples have the same practices, based on what I have heard from other manufacturers.   I often wonder how much of our trade deficit is driven by WM and others. 

They all talk low price, they are silent on quality.

Okay, I'll shut up about this.  I did not want to start a long Walmart bashing thread.  I just think that these practices do more harm than good in the long run.  The relentless pursuit of shareholder value above all else.

Peter

For the last 4 or 5 years, I've been buying a LOT of .22 ammo at Walmart, like 1,000 rounds a week. I always buy the cheapest stuff because I shoot so much of it. Up until this year it had all been fine. In the last year, ammunition prices have gone through the roof due to the escalating costs of brass, lead, etc. Prices are up 50% or more--sometimes WAY more. But Walmart's .22 ammo only went up a little, and even that only long after everyone else's did. They were obviously working on long-term contracts to supply so much ammo at such and such a price for such and such period of time. Every so often you'd get a bad lot of ammo but that's to be expected with the real cheap, bargain-basement stuff.

Now, THIS year, I've gotten a LOT of bad .22 ammo from Walmart, and not just one or two bad lots. The overall quality is WAY down. My theory is that the manufacturers, having to live up to their end of these contracts, are now shipping lots of ammo that previously would not have left the plant as having failed final Quality Control inspections.

I've also heard stories of power tools such as Dremel, Black & Decker, etc., having plastic internal parts if you buy them from Walmart whereas the "real" ones sold elsewhere at higher prices have metal parts. Haven't personally seen that but have read accounts from several people who have.

 Get over it. Wal Mart doesn't sell kits anymore.  Some people spend more time on this forum talking about Wal Mart than building.  Get kids to want to build then Wal Mart might sell them.

You guys are right on the money. Sure, we don't need them but there has to be a starting point to get new blood in the hobby. Otherwise the hobbu will fade away.

Another example is car mags. I don't even buy them anymore. (HMM is the only one I get). How many times do we need to know how to build your first engine ect. I no longer need it but there are new prople entering the hobby and they need the info.