Covid-19 Policy Update: Masks Still Required

While both the CDC and the Michigan Health Department have issued statements allowing fully vaccinated people to largely go about their lives without masks, neither gave guidance to businesses on how to distinguish between fully vaccinated people and those who aren’t.

We refuse to leave it up to the honor system, especially due to some of our staff not yet being vaccinated.. Additionally, MiOSHA still requires all employees and customers of a business to wear masks and socially distance or face fines. Therefore, we will be leaving in place our mask requirement until all mask mandates are lifted (currently set for July 1st).

To clarify: to enter our store, you must wear a mask without vents or valves. Your nose and mouth must be covered at all times. Bandanas are not acceptable. This policy will be in place until July 1st or all mask mandates are lifted by the state.

We acknowledge this isn’t going to be a popular policy. Like many of you, we are tired of the masks, the precautions, and COVID-19 in general. We just need to hold out a little bit longer and it will all be over — but until then, we will be requiring masks until none are required at all.

See all of our COVID-19 policies on our COVID-19 FAQ page.

Christmas Stock Status

As predicted, supply of key items in our inventory are beginning to run out. While we still have plenty of plastic models, a good amount of train sets, and new puzzles in stock, we are out of a number of R/C trucks and aircraft.

As we get closer to Christmas, our inventory will be depleted further. If the item you want is in stock, stop in soon or call and secure the item by paying over the phone. If the product you’re looking for is no longer available before Christmas, many manufacturers (including Traxxas) are prioritizing hobby shops over online vendors, so ordering it from us will possibly get it to you quicker than Amazon or other online retailers.

Alternatively, we still offer gift certificates in any denomination!

Finally, here in no particular order is our stock status on key, high-demand products as of today, December 12th 2020:

EDIT: Updated December 17th, 10:29AM

Rustler (37054-1)

Status: Out of Stock
Next Shipment Due: Early January

Rustler VXL (37076-4)

Status: Out of Stock
Next Shipment Due: TBD

Slash 4x4 (68054-1)

Status: Out of Stock
Next Shipment Due: Early January

Teton 1:18 (76054-1)

Status: Out of Stock
Next Shipment Due: Early January

TRX-4 Bronco (82046-4)

Status: Out of Stock
Next Shipment Due: TBD

Slash 2WD Kit (58014-4)

Status: 3 In Stock
Next Shipment Due: TBD

E-Revo VXL

Status: 1 In Stock (Blue/Orange)
Next Shipment Due: TBD

Rustler 4x4 VXL (67076-4)

Status: Out of Stock
Next Shipment Due: 1 Before Christmas

Stampede (36054-1)

Status: Out of Stock
Next Shipment Due: Early January

Stampede VXL (36076-4)

Status: Out of Stock
Next Shipment Due: TBD

TRX-4 Sport (82024-4)

Status: 1 In Stock (Blue)
Next Shipment Due: TBD

Rally 1:18 (75054-5)

Status: 1 In Stock (Blue)
Next Shipment Due: Late December*

Slash 4x4 VXL (68086-4)

Status: 4 In Stock (4 Red/White)
Next Shipment Due: TBD

Maxx (89076-4)

Status: 4 In Stock (3x Orange, 1x Green)
Next Shipment Due: TBD

M41 Catamaran (57046-4)

Status: 1 In Stock (Orange)
Next Shipment Due: TBD

Slash (58034-1)

Status: Out of Stock
Next Shipment Due: Late December*

Slash VXL (58076-4)

Status: Out of Stock
Next Shipment Due: TBD

Hoss 4x4 VXL (90076-4)

Status: 3 In Stock (2x Green, 1x Orange)
Next Shipment Due: TBD

TRX-4 Blazer (82076-4)

Status: Out of Stock
Next Shipment Due: TBD

Slash 4x4 Ultimate (68077-4)

Status: Out of Stock
Next Shipment Due: Early January

X-Maxx (77086-4)

Status: Out of Stock
Next Shipment Due: 1 Before Christmas

Spartan (57076-4)

Status: Out of Stock
Next Shipment Due: TBD

 

*If everything goes well, we could see a small shipment of these vehicles December 23rd or 24th, but this is far from a sure thing.

Doors Are Open Once Again

 

After a brief two-week reversion to curbside-only service, we’re back and open to the public once more. Thank you to all of our customers who were patient and willing to bear with us as we worked around an issue we needed to correct. Most of our policies from before remain the same, and we are as committed as ever to keeping our customers and staff safe and healthy. Here are all the policies we’ve set in place to accomplish that, in case you need a refresher:

Masks, Masks Everywhere

We will be requiring masks be worn properly (covering both the nose and mouth) while in our store at all times. This applies to both staff and customers alike. No one will be allowed in the store without a mask. Period.

If you cannot wear a mask because of a medical condition or are unwilling to wear a mask, you are welcome to take advantage of our curbside service option.

NEW: New CDC guidelines state that masks with vents or valves are not acceptable, and we will not allow anyone wearing one into the store. We will have disposable masks available if a customer requires a mask but does not have an approved mask with them.

Plastic Sheeting & Frequent Disinfection

We have installed plastic sheeting over all showcases and counters to separate staff from customers. This additional barrier will add another layer of protection for our staff and customers.

Just as we did before the quarantine began, we will continue to clean frequently touched surfaces on a regular basis.

Our entire backroom will be off-limits for customers, which means our restroom will no longer be available to the public. We apologize for this inconvience, but we feel it is necessary to keep our staff and customers safe.

Five at a Time

Only five (5) customers at a time will be allowed into the store. Given the amount of floor space we have, we feel this is an important step to take to minimize the risk for all.

Our door is locked to entry during the day. When you arrive at the store, we ask that you call us or knock before attempting to enter. We will inform you whether or not there is a line waiting to get in, and what your place in line would be.

We ask that customers spend no more than 15 minutes in the store if at all possible to allow the maximum amount of people to get their hobby needs met in a given day.

Curbside Service Still Available

We will continue to offer our curbside service during this period, and we encourage most people to continue to take advantage of it, as it's still the safest way for us to serve you.

For more information on how our curbside service works, click here.

Repair Services Available

We will resume offering repair services for R/C vehicles with a few caveats.

• Repairs must dropped off. We will not work on repairs while you wait.
• The turnaround time on any given repair may be lengthened depending on how busy we are. We ask for patience as we continue to monitor our COVID-19 response.

 

Back to Curbside (For Now)

With cases back on the rise in Michigan, we’ve been constantly evaluating the situation and trying to make good choices for the sake of our employees’ and customers’ health. A small minority of people coming through our door have chosen to disregard our policies and either refuse to wear face coverings or wear them improperly. Because of this, and because our method of limiting the number of people in the building is no longer a viable option, we are reverting back to curbside business only for the indeterminate future.

We are exploring all options that would allow us to feel secure in our health and wellbeing while opening our doors to our customers again, and we hope this will only be a temporary bump in the road. We really appreciate everyone who has stopped in and complied with our policies over the last couple months, and we’re really looking forward to let you in once more.

For now, our old curbside policies will apply.

Step One: Call and Place an Order

Call us at (989) 790-0080 to place your order or ask a question. We will work with you to figure out what you need and come up with a total price for you.

Repair work, soldering, and other services are not available during the curbside pick-up period. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Step Two: Payment

We will be taking all usual forms of payment during curbside. Cash, credit/debit cards, and gift certificates are allowed payment options. We still do not take checks. Payment can occur during pick-up or, if you are using a credit card, you can pay over the phone ahead of time to make pick-up go faster.

Step Three: Pick It Up

Once you've placed your order (and confirmed we had what you're looking for), you are welcome to pick up your order during regular business hours (Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-6pm). When you arrive at the store, call us and give your name and phone number; this is how we will identify which order to fetch for you. Please don't get out of your vehicle during the pick-up process. We will bring the order to your vehicle and either hand it to you through your vehicle's window or place it in your vehicle (in the case of larger items).

No one will be allowed in the store.

We apologize for the inconvenience this causes. It sucks, plain and simple, but this is the best way we can keep operating in the current business climate. Our first priority must be the health and safety of all involved, and with more than half of our staff comprised of high-risk individuals, we can’t take the chance someone gets sick. Curbside is better than shutting down for two or more weeks.

COVID-19: The Path Forward

 

Opening Our Doors June 2nd

I’ve had to plan for a lot of different eventualities as manager of our small hobby shop. Whether it’s having to come up with an alternative work schedule because someone quit unexpectedly, dealing with the sometimes unpredictable weather, or responding to the financial crisis back in 2008, we have juked and danced our way around and over problems as they have come up. Still, I never imagined one of the things I’d have to do in my professional life is figure out how to get our business back up and running during a worldwide pandemic.

Even so, we are currently up and running at a reduced capacity while we offer curbside pickup to our customers — which has been working out much better than I had dared hope, so thank you to everyone who has been supporting us in that way. Still, the time has come to get back to a modicum of normality. Here is how our business will cope with the ongoing public health crisis when we open our doors again on June 2nd.

Masks, Masks Everywhere

We will be requiring masks be worn properly (covering both the nose and mouth) while in our store at all times. This applies to both staff and customers alike. No one will be allowed in the store without a mask. Period.

If you cannot wear a mask because of a medical condition or are unwilling to wear a mask, you are welcome to take advantage of our curbside service option.

Plastic Sheeting & Frequent Disinfection

We have installed plastic sheeting over all showcases and counters to separate staff from customers. This additional barrier will add another layer of protection for our staff and customers.

Just as we did before the quarantine began, we will continue to clean frequently touched surfaces on a regular basis.

Our entire backroom will be off-limits for customers, which means our restroom will no longer be available to the public. We apologize for this inconvience, but we feel it is necessary to keep our staff and customers safe.

Five at a Time

Only five (5) customers at a time will be allowed into the store. Given the amount of floor space we have, we feel this is an important step to take to minimize the risk for all.

We will be keeping the door locked during the day. When you arrive at the store, we ask that you call us before attempting to enter. We will inform you whether or not there is a line waiting to get in, and what your place in line would be. We ask that customers spend no more than 15 minutes in the store if at all possible to allow the maximum amount of people to get their hobby needs met in a given day.

Curbside Service Still Available

We will continue to offer our curbside service during this period, and we encourage most people to continue to take advantage of it, as it's still the safest way for us to serve you.

For more information on how our curbside service works, click here.

Repair Services Available

We will resume offering repair services for R/C vehicles with a few caveats.

• Repairs must dropped off. We will not work on repairs while you wait.
• The turnaround time on any given repair may be lengthened depending on how busy we are. We ask for patience as we continue to monitor our COVID-19 response.

While these protective measures won’t last forever, we anticipate operating under these guidelines for the foreseeable future, and we hope all of our customers will have patience and accept these measures in the way they are intended — to keep all of us, customers and staff, as safe as possible.

These last few months have changed all of our lives drastically and, in some cases, permanently, but we still need to go out and enjoy life. Now, more than ever, it’s obvious that we can’t take life for granted — so enjoy your hobby. We’ll be here when you need us.