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#31
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Re: Very MAD at Radio Shack
As a rookie team we were allowed to buy one kit from Radioshack in the fall at a discount. We had to go through their sales department in Texas. The person who sold me the kit called me the other day to tell me that he could get me the kits and parts at half price. He stated the following on my answering machine (this is a direct quote):
“Our intention at Radioshack is to exit out of this product line this year so we are liquidating our stock. We are contacting all of our customers and distributors to let them know.” For what it is worth he does work at the main office and he provided this information to me without me asking so I assume he knows what he is talking about and heard this information from one of his supervisors. Amir |
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#32
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Re: Very MAD at Radio Shack
wow a discontinuation would destroy FVC, what would FIRST replace it with? Its also possible that they are releasing a different product of the sort, and are just trying to discard all of the VEX kits.
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#33
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Re: Very MAD at Radio Shack
why do I have to keep telling people this: YOU CAN GET VEX ELSEWHERE. VEXLABS (www.vexlabs.com), a subsection of IFI, sells vex parts, including the base kit. The RS discontinuation will not destroy the VEX challenge. It will, however, hinder the popularity of VEX outside of FIRST.
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#34
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Re: Very MAD at Radio Shack
I'm mad a RS for spoiling everything they touch. There used to be a great store here in atlanta called Tech America. It was a very cool place about the size of a large grocery store. The isles were packed with electronic components, books, radios, oscilloscopes, and everthing else you could ever want. It was a great place where you could buy everything you needed for just about any project. The employees even knew what a 555 timer or octal buffer was. Then, my familiar store was bought by radioshack and renamed RadioShack.com. They started stocking stereo equipment, cell phones, bacically all the crap you find at a normal radio shack which you can buy anywhere else. When this happened, not many people were happy. A good many of the staff quit. Others reminisced the good old days by refusing to acknowledge the change, and insisting that the store would always be tech america. It wasn't long till corporate closed the place due to lack of sales. They never seemed to have any problems with sales before radio shack came along.
I am only 18 but in my lifetime i have witnessed a change even in the normal stores. Each year the selection of electronics components and interesting products like Vex gets pushed to a smaller corner of the store. Now, in most stores it is but a small isle consisting of a few understocked drawers with the most basic components and the space above them. O yea, and forget having any employees who understand what is in those drawers. if i wanted a Spring or Cingular phone i would goto a Spring or Cingular store. If i wanted a cheap sony stereo i would go to a Best Buy. If i wanted an HP computer i would go to a Comp USA. The only unique products they offer are electronic components. The trend is unfortunate. From what i hear radio shack was actually a pretty cool store back in the day. I recently discovered a FRYs maybie 20 mins from me. Its alot further than the radio shacks but well worth the drive. Last edited by Rickertsen2 : 20-03-2006 at 00:09. |
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#35
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Re: Very MAD at Radio Shack
That is just stupid for RadioShack for taking VEX off the shelves. Yes it may not be popularity anymore but just sell it online and make profit that way. \
I hoping to get a VEX kit soon! |
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#36
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Re: Very MAD at Radio Shack
As far as everyone I've talked to at three local radioshacks knows, the sale is a result of Radioshack hiring a new advertising and sales firm recently; effectively, said the employees (two managers and some senior salesperson guy), they were told they needed to have a major sale to boost interest, much like the constant sales circuit city & etc... always have. I was told to keep an eye out in the future for sales such as the vex one on other products, and that Vex would still be in my local stores for the forseeable future.
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#37
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Re: Very MAD at Radio Shack
I sure hope they don't totally drop VEX. I plan on getting one this week. After seeing 107's VEX robot at MWR I was convinced of the practically limitless possibilities in VEX.
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#38
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Re: Very MAD at Radio Shack
Quote:
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#39
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Re: Radio Shack to discontinue VEX?
As much as we are all confused by varying reports of RadioShack's committment to selling Vex products, can we please keep in mind that they funded a fantastic pilot FVC program this year? Their sponsorship provided an opportunity for hundreds of students and mentors to experience a FIRST program, many for the first time!
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#40
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Re: Radio Shack to discontinue VEX?
I had just recieved a email from RadioShack Customer Service stating this:
Quote:
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#41
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Re: Radio Shack to discontinue VEX?
Despite the fact that Radioshack MAY be ending their partnership with VEX, it does not mean that Vex will go away. Sure, you may not be able to run down to the local mall and find some metal plates, but you will most certianly be able to buy them from IFI, in a similar fashion to the Robovation/EDURobot kits.
Realistically, things will not change much for most teams. With that, I say buy as much as you can as fast as you can, cause for now its pretty darn cheap . |
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#42
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Re: Radio Shack to discontinue VEX?
Oh Man!, i was wondering why vex stuff was so much cheaper now. is any other vendor going to pick up vex after radio shaq?
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#43
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Re: Radio Shack to discontinue VEX?
It may be late now, but you can get out and do some advertising yourself. FRC 116/FVC 18 have confirmed sales of at least 4 VEX Starter kits because of our effort, and probably have resulted in more sales (and that's not counting the stuff we have purchased). We have advertised the VEX product line, and FVC, at events holding as many as an estimated 90,000 people. It is truly sad that VEX is being discontinued from RS, but please don't blame it entirely on RadioShack.
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#44
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Re: Radio Shack to discontinue VEX?
My opinion is that Radio Shack was never the right place to market the VEX Robotics system in the first place. While I applaud Radio Shack for the attempt and thank them for their major support of FIRST and the FVC I just didn't see Radio Shack as the appropriate vendor of VEX from the start. Radio Shack caters to customers looking for cell phones, batteries, cheap remote control cars, and the cables you need to hook up your stereo and TV. VEX is a great product and should do just as well in the mainstream market as Lego's Mindstorms. The problem is that outside of FIRST not many people know what it is. A small section of plain white boxes in the back of a Radio Shack store isn't exactly a media blitz. For VEX to really be successful it needs to be marketed in the mass retailers like Wal-Mart and Toy-R-Us right next to the Lego's and Erector Sets. Parents are always eager to buy the next great product that will give their kids an advantage. Look at the whole Leap-Frog/Leap-Pad craze a couple of years ago. That stuff was expensive but lots of people bought it because it was everywhere and they want to give their kid an advantage. Obviously, there is at least a 50% markup on the whole VEX line at Radio Shack or they wouldn't be able to sell it all at 50% off right now. The makers of VEX need to market the whole VEX line in snazzy boxes (look at the Lego and Erector Set boxes compared to the VEX boxes) and put those boxes on the shelves of the mass marketers right next to the other mainstream builder type kits like Lego's and Erector Sets, etc. and price them competitively. Parents are not only willing but EAGER to buy products to encourage creativity in their kids provided they are realistically priced. Look at the Lego MindStorms. They have been quite a success. Why? Because parents see that not only can their kids build something static but they can make it dynamic and make it move and program it and if that doesn't encourace creativity what will? The problem is that most parents going to Toy-R-Us to buy their younger child some Lego's and Erector Sets to develop their creativity don't even know that the VEX Robotics system even exists for their older children much less that is what is in those non-descript white boxes in the back of the Radio Shack.
For what it's worth, I talked to the manager of our local Radio Shack today and he said that (I quote) "the VEX line is not on the endangered species list" but that Radio Shack is going to limit the number of stores that carry the line and focus mostly on online sales. He said all of the Radio Shack stores are shipping their inventory to a few stores in the state near universities. His store shipped everything they had in stock last week to the stores near MSU and USM. With the success of the FVC this year, I hope this is possibly a sign of good things to come. Maybe Radio Shack is limiting their sales to online only or maybe they will discontinue sales of VEX altogether but maybe they will see that if they lower the price by half they will sell 10x the volume and continue to sell VEX at a new lower price point. The more VEX systems are out there after this sale the more kids will spread the word to their friends about "this cool new robotics system" and we will all see VEX in the major stores by this or maybe next Christmas. I know that it is not a simple matter to put product on the mass marketers shelves, however, if the makers of VEX really want to succeed they need to not take the loss of Radio Shack as a failure, but rather think BIG! 20 years from now I bet a whole host of really wonderful build it yourself robotics kits are going to be available just like Lego's, Erector Sets, Tinker Toys, Lincoln Log, etc. were when they came out and continue to be. With the success of the FIRST programs (FLL, FVC, FRC), and all the kits that are starting to popup in the last few years (BOE-Bot, MindStorms, VEX, the IFI KitBOT, etc., etc. etc.) I think we are just getting started. This is not the end of VEX, it is the beginning of the next great revolution. Just like kids today can't remember when there was no such thing as remote control cars kids 20 years from now will think it strange if they can't program their construction sets to do whatever they want. To all you FIRST students out there, I beg you, PLEASE make this vision a reality for my grand kids! |
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#45
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Re: Radio Shack to discontinue VEX?
I think the white VEX boxes are actually quite classy. But I agree that they needed to go bigger. Hobby stores would be a great place if you ask me (Tower Hobbies, Hobby Town USA, Hobby People, etc) and toy stores as well.
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