I wanted to post a quick heads up to slot car buyers to be aware of fakes or couterfeits. It’s probably my own fault that I got duped recently and I feel pretty stupid about it. I guess my only revenge is to try and alert everyone else to this kind of scam so that no-one else gets ripped off. About a month ago I saw an advertisement on a classified web site that buys and sells a lot of slot cars. Many of you may know the one I’m talking about.

The car that caught my eye was a Porsche Boxster that, supposedly, was made and distributed by Porsche themsleves. I paid 699 Euros, about 900 Dollars or 500 Pounds and waited four weeks for delivery. I was overjoyed when the Boxster arrived – gleaming and shining in its packaging. Imagine my disappointment, however, when I lifted the bodywork to notice that it was a fake. The chassis was actually from a Ford Cosworth and the bodywork had been cleverly moulded onto this to appear like an original Porsche. I tried contacting the company to get my money back but a voicemail informed me that they have since gone bankrupt. I guess there’s nothing I can do now but I just want to make sure that no other slot car enthusiasts get stung on this kind of thing. Always ask for provenance and get referrals before buying expensive slot cars from people you don’t know.

All slot cars are made of a body, engine, gears, tires, shocks, and often magnets. The magnets apply a downward pressure to help in cornering, and if you use too many, you can sacrifice performance or burn out your motor. Slot cars are only held in the slot by gravity (and maybe a light magnet), so if you go too fast your car can “de-slot,” which means you’ll lose power. And that’s the secret to slot car racing: go as fast as possible without “de-slotting.” The strategy in slot car racing is to go as fast as possible on the straightaways, but then slow down in the corners to keep yourself from de-slotting. It is legal to “bump” the car in the next lane when cornering in hopes of de-slotting your opponent. A lot of beginners try this tactic, and while it works occasionally, most experts think focusing on your own race and getting into a rhythm are much more successful long-term tactics.

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you’re buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay and PayPal protect you Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay are not covered by eBay protection programs. Never pay for your eBay item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know. What is the seller’s Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have? What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise? Most top eBay sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

When buying a slot car you must understand what you are getting yourself into. Slot cars are a great hobby however you must consider the fact that there is a lot of money involved. Further more the hobby really sucks you in and makes you want to buy more expensive and rare cars. This hobby for me got very expensive very fast and when my room was a complete mess i had to get ride of it all! If you are looking to make this a hobby make sure that you are organized and that you have a good means of storage. A great place to buy parts and cars would be ebay, fast and saves money!

Make sure you aren’t getting a cheap track. It they don’t hold together well they obviously wont work right. As well as a nice flat surface. Too many/too big magnets will burn out a motor pretty fast. You need to get slot cars with decent tires on them, so they will grip the track right. Otherwise you’ll never make it around sharp turns, at a decent speed anyways.

The tips posted below will definitely help you in buying the perfect slot car for you: 1. Buy the biggest set you can afford or buy two starters sets. 2. The surface of the track of ninco is very rough, but the surface of sport track is very smooth. The other brands have medium rough track parts. It is wise to find out which brand you like the most. 3. All major brands offer a big range of accessories, such as lap counters and track borders. 4. On the Tracks of Ninco, Scalextric, SCX, Carrera, and Artin you can use all 1/32-scale slot cars. It gives you joy to have a variety of slot cars in your collection. 5. At this time there are currently 5 Top Manufacturers leading slot cars brands that offer slot cars tracks. Ninco, Scalextric, SCX, Carrera and Artin sell race sets for starters.