This is a post that I knew I would someday write; what I didn’t know was what it would say.
One of the most viewed posts I’ve ever done on this blog was the one I posted on New Year’s Eve of 2023/24 mourning the loss of the vendor who I credit with getting me into the slot car hobby. This screen shot of their website was grabbed on 12/31/23:
What I expressed in that post was my concern over the “mysterious” tone of this message: that the “new owners” were not going to be revealed. I’m sure there were legitimate reasons for that, but that kind of information withholding is a sure-fire way to start rampant speculation amongst your customers. My own speculation: that the company was going to be swallowed up by yet another Chinese firm, just like so many things that are invented here eventually are. For example, you may recall this post from several years ago, in which I discuss the use of Plasticville buildings and accessories as part of my diorama, and how all the original Plasticville moulds and tooling, originally created by Bachmann right here in the US, are now the property of china.
So I waited. I waited 6 months. And I moved on without RRR, using up what spares I had in store and believing there was a chance I’d never have another crack at any of their awesome products, especially those which I most used: their low-profile silicone tires and their awesome RWL full-sized tires. Not to mention that RRR sold the best HO scale decals I’ve ever found: the quality was unparalleled.
Well, as June rolled around, I figured it was time to look and see what had happened, so I held my breath and typed “Road Race Replicas” into my browser. What I found made me let out a BIG sigh of relief…
The “mysterious buyer” is none other than JAG Hobbies of Ohio, another of my favorite vendors and one I’ve been using for years!
I haven’t had any personal conversations with Mr. Gase that way I used to have with Mr. Pignon; my interaction with him has been limited to a few no-nonsense email messages. However, he offers a good selection of good products at good prices, ships promptly and packs everything well, and refunds promptly if an order can’t be fulfilled. We can’t ask for more than that, and I couldn’t be happier that he is the one that has taken over the RRR imprint now that Mt. Pignon has retired! The RRR legacy appears to be in good hands!
However, I do still wonder what the future holds; it is unclear to me whether JAG Hobbies plans to continue manufacturing the products RRR offered, or if they are just selling down the remaining stock. The new method of listing the products I used to buy is also going to take some getting used too; I like JAGH’s online ordering system, but a while ago I placed an order for a bunch of Magnum wheels described as “black.” I assumed these to be chrome ones with black painted accents, but when they were delivered they were actually solid black-as in, no chrome. Well, the site did say “black,” but I didn’t remember RRR ever selling solid black wheels, so I made the assumption that what was described as “black” was what I remembered buying from RRR. No harm done, of course; I’ll find a use for them somewhere, I’m sure, but I mention this just as an example of how things are a little different now than they once were, something that other former customers of RRR should keep in mind.
For the most part it doesn’t look like the RRR wheels augmented with paint (black, gray, or-on the wire wheels only-gold) are currently available. There are several other items that appear to be sold out as well. This was common on RRR’s original site, and often the wait was long for stock to be replenished, so there’s no reason to jump to conclusions or assume anything is wrong. I do remember several phone conversations with Phil Pignon through the years in which he lamented how difficult it was to get stock from his manufacturers and suppliers, that they were always after him to order bulk in numbers he couldn’t handle, and how hard it was to get suppliers to provide the small-batch production he needed in a timely way with quality he (and by extension, his customers like you and me) found acceptable. Hopefully the new owners can manage these concerns without too much stress. I’m keeping the faith that that JAGH plans to keep the production lines going, but as for right now, it appears that only time will tell.
Incidentally, JAG Hobbies sells a lot more than just Road Race Replicas stock; they are a one-stop clearing house for products from all the brands I use regularly, including Vincent, Innovative Hobbies, and Auto World, and on top of all that, they have a decent supply of vintage and used parts and even whole vintage slot cars for sale from time to time. Ordering from them is a breeze, their website is easy to use, their customer service is excellent, their prices are fair, and you’re working with a US-based vendor the whole way…what more could a hobbyist want?
So, congratulations to Jim Gase on inheriting the mantle of the vendor that got me into this hobby! I look forward to many years of future commerce with JAG Hobbies, and you should, too! You can check them out HERE:
https://www.jaghobbies.com/index.htm
https://www.jaghobbies.com/ho_slot_cars/rrr-1.htm
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