The Backyard – Spooky Season? More Like Shopping Season!

Greetings all and Happy Friday! Welcome to The Backyard!

Well friends, I hate to be the bearer of potentially frightening news, but we’re already halfway through October. Halloween is right around the corner, Thanksgiving isn’t far behind, and before you know it we’ll be hearing Christmas music everywhere we go.

And while most people probably aren’t thinking too much about Christmas shopping just yet, the RC industry certainly is!

If you’ve been following the news lately, you’ve probably noticed a pretty steady stream of new vehicles being announced. Team Associated just unveiled their RC10 Ultra Rider, a retro-inspired buggy that pays homage to the classic Tamiya Rough Rider. Horizon Hobby has a new Axial SCX30 Jeep CJ-7 on the way, and Kyosho recently announced the Outlaw Renegade, a cool-looking 1980s-style pickup truck update to the Renegade platform. That’s on top of a bunch of other releases we’ve seen over the last several weeks.

It’s been a busy time!

Of course, there’s a reason for all of this activity. While it may seem a little early to be thinking about the holidays, we’re actually right in the thick of the holiday release window for the RC industry.

Manufacturers want their newest products announced, shipped, and sitting on hobby shop shelves well before the Christmas shopping rush gets into full swing. There is usually a bit of a delay between a product announcement and when shops actually receive their inventory, which is why things start a little earlier than they might for other types of retail products. After all, announcing a fantastic new RC vehicle on December 20th doesn’t do much good if nobody can actually get one under the tree!

And I always find this time of year interesting because of the variety of products being introduced. You’ve got everything from relatively affordable ready-to-run vehicles that could make great gifts for somebody just getting started, to more specialized kits aimed squarely at experienced hobbyists.

The Ultra Rider is a great example of the latter. It’s a kit with some serious old-school personality, and I suspect a lot of the people interested in it are folks who remember the early days of RC buggy racing.

Meanwhile, something like the little Axial CJ-7 and the Traxxas TXC-4M Extreme Crawler seems tailor-made for holiday gift giving. Mini crawlers have become a pretty big deal in recent years, and it’s not hard to understand why. They’re small enough to enjoy indoors when the weather outside isn’t cooperating, many come with everything you need to get running right in the box, and they generally carry a much friendlier price tag than their larger counterparts.

When you think about it, that’s a pretty appealing combination for somebody looking to put an RC vehicle under the Christmas tree. You don’t need a big backyard or a trip to the local park to enjoy one, and there’s something fun about turning the living room into a miniature off-road course on Christmas morning. I can certainly see why manufacturers have leaned so heavily into this category, particularly around the holidays.

And that’s one of the things I’ve always liked about the holiday season in this hobby.

For many people, Christmas morning is their introduction to RC. Maybe it’s a kid getting their first hobby-grade monster truck, or somebody opening a crawler they’ve been eyeing for months. Maybe it’s an adult who hasn’t owned an RC vehicle in twenty years suddenly finding themselves back in the hobby because somebody bought them a truck.

There are probably a whole lot of longtime enthusiasts reading this who can trace their love of RC back to a Christmas present. I know that I can! My first foray into the hobby proper was a Traxxas Hawk 2 that I got for Christmas in the early ’90’s!

I also think this is an important time of year for local hobby shops. It’s not just the regular customers coming in for parts and supplies. It’s parents, grandparents, spouses, and other folks looking for gifts who might not know a brushed motor from a brushless one. A good hobby shop can make a huge difference in helping somebody find the right vehicle, along with everything they need to actually enjoy it.

And who knows? That Christmas present might turn into a lifelong hobby.

As for me, I’m not currently planning on adding anything to the RC fleet this holiday season. I’ve got plenty of vehicles around here already, and frankly, I’m enjoying not having a bunch of projects waiting for me on the workbench.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy watching the announcements roll in. Even after all these years, there’s still something fun about seeing what the manufacturers have cooked up for the holidays. And judging by the last few weeks, they’ve certainly been keeping busy.

So while I’m not quite ready to start hanging Christmas lights or listening to holiday music, I suppose it’s time to acknowledge that the RC holiday shopping season is already upon us.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go enjoy what’s left of October before somebody thaws out Mariah Carey!

Alright, that’s it for me this week. Until next time, keep it on all 4’s!