Walmart rocket motors :D

Solomoriah said:

Yeah, obviously you have a surplus. You should send me some of those B6-4's so they don't go to waste...

Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure that the word "surplus" is not in the model rocketeer's vocabulary. Particularly as it might apply to kits, parts, or supplies.

Over here in the UK, best price for D12-5s around £9.00 or $14.00 pack of 3:cry:

shreadvector said:

I took some up to the register and the $2 motors rang up at $2 a pack, but the C6-3 motors rang up at $4.97 a pack. THey could not/would not adjust, so I left them and just bought some of the C6-5 and C6-7.

Click to expand...

Went to one of my local Wal-Marts in Buena Park to check it out. They had lots of C6-3, C6-5, and about 5 packs of C6-7's. (7's are gone now by the way) Shelf tag said "Estes Rocket Engine $3.00 Was $4.97"

They scanned at $3.00 for the C6-3's and 5's. C6-7's scanned at $4.00 a pack.

I really wanted the 7's beacuse they are harder to find usually and of course they were higher priced. Before I went, I had read Shreadvector's post about the cashier not adjusting the price and figured I would not get them and look at another Wal-Mart. After thinking about this, I really felt that if the shelf tag showed $3.00, then they should sell them at the advertised price, not a higher price. So, I got my battle plan in my head, and I got ready to battle the cashier by first taking a pic of the shelf tag. See Below.

I looked over the cashiers and picked the one I thought would give me the least fight. I only wanted to buy 5 packs of C6-7's and a couple of C6-3's but I also brought a pack of C6-5's to show him the prices of each type. He rang up the 3's at $3.00ea. I stopped him at this point, gave him a pack of the 7's and explained that the tag says $3.00 but these scanned at $4.00. He scanned one and said, "well, that's because these are 7's, not 3's. I expected him to say this, so I then said, well, then why are these C6-5's $3.00?? He looked puzzled. I then showed him the pic I took which clearly showed no difference in prices, just that "Estes Rocket Engines" are all $3.00 a pack. He still just stared at the pic as I explained to him that when they were $4.97 a pack, ALL packs were $4.97, not priced based on delay times.

I offered to wait off to the side of the line while a Wal-Mart ASSociate could go with me to verify the tag on the shelf ect ect, and he finally just looked at me and said, "Ok, fine" and sold the C6-7's to me at $3.00 a pack like the shelf sticker showed.

So, if you are prepared to take 5 minutes to have a friendly little argument with the cashier, you should be able to have them sell at the listed shelf tag price. Especially when Wal-Mart has always sold A8-3 through C6-7 at the same price.

I will be checking another Wal-Mart in Anaheim as well. I'm just curious what they will scan at.

...Fudd

Was that at BPD (formerly BPM)?

This restocking at the low price is absolutely nutty.

I predict a need for more cluster models.

Fuddrucker said:

Went to one of my local Wal-Marts in Buena Park to check it out. They had lots of C6-3, C6-5, and about 5 packs of C6-7's. (7's are gone now by the way) Shelf tag said "Estes Rocket Engine $3.00 Was $4.97"

snip....

...Fudd

Click to expand...

Yep.

Friday Night. I noticed your launch info was not on there yet. Was surprised to see that. Usually all the kits and motor packs already have all the good info on them.

...Fudd

Fuddrucker said:

Yep.

Friday Night. I noticed your launch info was not on there yet. Was surprised to see that. Usually all the kits and motor packs already have all the good info on them.

...Fudd

Click to expand...

They've been restocking and selling out fairly fast, so the stickers are not always on the product. i try to hit various stores, but I certainly don;t get to all of them. Other club members visit as many stores as they can as well (and keep a few sheets of stickers in the car at all times and fold up a couple of sheets and stick them in their pocket before hitting a store).

Print stickers at home or work on the standard return address labels or ask for some sheets from me at any SCRA launch.

https://f1.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/YMkFS...1bfT5Hl5wuEQN5USSwDV-b1K-TXdGCcQ/LABL2WWW.DOC

View attachment LABL2WWW.DOC

When putting the stickers on, do you need to get store managers permission, or just attach them?

I assume on the stores that usually have them it is ok to just attach them since they have been done there before. I guess I am really asking about stores out by where I live in the Corona/Norco area. Although, Wal-Mart does not stock Estes stuff due to Corona's policies on Rocket Motors, and Target no longer carries them either. Michaels and Hobby Town USA do though. For some reason, they can sell them in Corona.

...Fudd

Fuddrucker said:

When putting the stickers on, do you need to get store managers permission, or just attach them?

I assume on the stores that usually have them it is ok to just attach them since they have been done there before. I guess I am really asking about stores out by where I live in the Corona/Norco area. Although, Wal-Mart does not stock Estes stuff due to Corona's policies on Rocket Motors, and Target no longer carries them either. Michaels and Hobby Town USA do though. For some reason, they can sell them in Corona.

...Fudd

Click to expand...

Years ago I was told that Corona FD does not permit sales. I don't know if this is per a local fire regulation or simply the statewide requirement that all retailers are supposed to obtain a permit to sell motors from the local Fire AHJ.

Anyway, what we do is walk into the store and find an associate in the toy dept. We tell them "Hello, I'm one of the folks who comes in every few months to put the stickers on the rocket kit and motor packages so the customers know where they can laegally launch them." If they ask if you are "a vendor", you say "No" since we are not from Estes (or Quest when they carried them...). Explain, in as few words as possible since they do not usually want a long lecture, that you 'are with the local club that helps run the legal launch site co-sponsored by the Parks Dept at the big Regional Park and that for years we've provided the Launch Site Info stickers and we visit as many stores as possible.'

Very few stores refuse the stickers. I can think of only one Michaels many years ago and that manager is long gone, and one chain of family run craft and hobby stores where one family member has/had some sort of personal issue with the SCRA President (Martin Bowitz) and called him to tell him to never leave club flyers or apply stickers ever again. Oh and there is one hobby shop with an absolutely irrational and insulting and rude owner - yet the other employees are as nice as can be. I will not mention them publicly, but they have been mentioned on our YahooGroup and then the store's name and sometimes entire messages have been deleted.

Fuddrucker said:

I offered to wait off to the side of the line while a Wal-Mart ASSociate could go with me to verify the tag on the shelf ect ect, and he finally just looked at me and said, "Ok, fine" and sold the C6-7's to me at $3.00 a pack like the shelf sticker showed.

Click to expand...

Has Wal-Mart changed their policy? If not, you should have gotten one of the C6-7 packs for free. They have (or at least had) a policy of discounting the product $3 if the scanned price was higher than the shelf-tag price. If the product was less than $3, it was free.

They may have revoked that policy now that they have the scanners for customers to use in the store. Those would make it easy for people to search for mis-marked items.

-- Roger

shreadvector said:

Years ago I was told that Corona FD does not permit sales. I don't know if this is per a local fire regulation or simply the statewide requirement that all retailers are supposed to obtain a permit to sell motors from the local Fire AHJ.

Click to expand...

I think it is local. I remember years ago a toy store was going out of business and they had their Estes stuff 1/2 off. I wanted to buy motors but like all stores in Corona, a sign was posted that said I needed to get a permit from the local fire dept to purchase them. I looked into it and the fire dept. and the police dept had no idea what I was talking about. I was told to try city hall, and while I was there, the lady behind the counter said I should talk to the fire captain who just happened to be there.

He told me that the permit was not really to buy the motors, but to launch them. I guess years ago, a big fire was started (when Corona was nothing but scrub brush and orange groves) and since then, the city wanted to have a better view on who was using these rockets ect ect. He said to get the permit, I needed to get the land owners permission, have a certain sized area of clean ground, fire extinguishers, ect ect. More hassle than the permit was worth. I asked him why it was that the new Wal-Mart was selling them that had just opened a few weeks earlier? He got a puzzled look on his face and he said they had just not been there to inspect them yet. Well, sure enough, a week or two later, no more estes stuff there anymore. Me and my big mouth just don't know when to keep it closed.

It seems to be one of those little known regulations that the fire dept. enforces. When Michaels opened a few years ago, they carried them in Corona and still do. Same with Hobbytown USA. Then Target started to carry motors as well. Of course, Target no longer does, I have noticed all of them in Riverside County and Orange County put them on clearance and are out now. Seems like a new store opens, carries them, and can sell them unless someone contacts the fire dept. and alerts them to the sales.

I was launching a few times in Corona years ago when I did not know any better, (just got back into the hobby, and there were still lots of big open fields around) and even had the police watching me a few times. They never said a word though.

I can go to Norco, Chino, or Riverside ect, and every Wal-Mart carries them so I am pretty sure it is just a Corona thing still.

...Fudd

Just checked a Wal-Mart in Anaheim, and they have LOTS of packs. About 3 displays full with 24 packs in each display.

A8-3 $2.00
C6-3 $2.00
C6-7 $2.00

C6-5 $3.00

And, they actually had seperate shelf tags for the different prices.

...Fudd

Fuddrucker said:

Just checked a Wal-Mart in Anaheim, and they have LOTS of packs. About 3 displays full with 24 packs in each display.

A8-3 $2.00
C6-3 $2.00
C6-7 $2.00

C6-5 $3.00

And, they actually had seperate shelf tags for the different prices.

...Fudd

Click to expand...

OK, are there any left on the shelf (after you got there)? I can call Larry Chaney and let him know. Of course, he has not used up his hundreds of Centuri motors yet...

Remember: 7 BT-20 tubes fit nicely inside a BT-70. Good cluster arrangement at around 63 Newton-seconds.

Woot! I finally got in on the deal! The south Walmart here in Longmont didn't have any deals last week (per my earlier post) but I had it on my to-do list to hit the north store. Once again searched and couldn't find 'em, then got lucky and noticed 'em on the bottom shelf in the middle of the isle as I was about to give up. Marked at $4.97 or some such; worth buying a few at that price but not screaming deal. Just out of curiousity I used one of the scan-it-yourself stations - $3! Sure wish I could get the $1.50 or $1.00 that some of you guys are getting but I'm pretty stoked about $3!!!! The haul:

3 A10-3
2 B6-4
12 C6-3
6 C6-5

They did have a bunch of C6-7's but that is way too much delay for anything I've ever built - in fact, in most cases C6-5 is too long too, despite Estes recommendation. Either I build heavy or our think Colorado air is reducing the power of my burn.

I'm curious why some of you want B6-whatevers. I got a few for our very light rockets but mostly they seem pointless to me. Why bother with low altitude when you can go big?!

joecooler said:

I'm curious why some of you want B6-whatevers. I got a few for our very light rockets but mostly they seem pointless to me. Why bother with low altitude when you can go big?!

Click to expand...

In some areas, the flying field is too small for anything bigger than a B motor; if the rocket goes too high it's very likely to drift away.

Also, for clusters, multiple B motors can be really nice to use.

tries to imagine field so small that c motors are too big ...

nope, can't do it. ;-) guess i've been out west too long ... !

- acknowledged altitude junkie

Nothing but $3 packs of motors lately.

I'm still looking whenever I happen to pass by a WM tho.

But I haven't seen a bulk Flight Pack in months, at any WM.

My wife just got back from Wal-Mart and decided to clean out her loose change by buying me a bunch of C6-3's, -5's and -7's.

Now I have to send her back...

All of my plastic engine container are full...gotta get some more containers!

Am I greedy to wish that Wal-Mart carried D's, E's...what the heck...Aerotech engines!

Stopped in a couple days ago at a WM on the way home from my workplace (I live about 50 miles from work). I found three packs of A10-PT motors with red stickers clearancing them for $2.50 each - of course they rang up at $6.95, even though the A8-3 and A10-3T motors I was also buying rang up at $3.00 each. Suffice to say, their system ain't perfect!

For some reason, the Hobby Lobby near my house has 2 4-packs of 1/2A3-4T motors on clearance for $2.77 each, even though there's still a 4-pack of those same motors hanging in the rocketry aisle at the usual price.

Glad I noticed this thread. Just stopped at our local Wallyworld and snagged a bunch of C6-5's. Thats about all they had left.

Fuddrucker said:

) After thinking about this, I really felt that if the shelf tag showed $3.00, then they should sell them at the advertised price, not a higher price. So, I got my battle plan in my head, and I got ready to battle the cashier by first taking a pic of the shelf tag. See Below.




...Fudd

Click to expand...

You'd do better here. It's an offence to give a misleading price indication, so shops always give the benefit of a labelling error to the customer.
Mind you, we don't get motors for a dollar each.

Rocketcrab said:

Glad I noticed this thread. Just stopped at our local Wallyworld and snagged a bunch of C6-5's. Thats about all they had left.

Click to expand...

Sure, but you *have* to tell us how much they cost!!!

Finally scored at WM .Went there to get some more $3 packs, picked up 11 A10-3T, 10 A8-3, 9 C6-3 and 10 C6-5, all priced $1.00 pack.

View attachment PIC_0021.JPG

JRThro said:

For some reason, the Hobby Lobby near my house has 2 4-packs of 1/2A3-4T motors on clearance for $2.77 each, even though there's still a 4-pack of those same motors hanging in the rocketry aisle at the usual price.

Click to expand...

Dang, I'd buy those. I have a bunch of lightweight 13mm rockets that could use them.

teach math said:

Finally scored at WM .Went there to get some more $3 packs, picked up 11 A10-3T, 10 A8-3, 9 C6-3 and 10 C6-5, all priced $1.00 pack.

Click to expand...

Dang, they never have A8-3 engines in Wal-Marts around here.

Hate to rub it in but a couple weeks ago i found a bunch of motors mostly C's marked down to 25 cents in an un named walmart in west TN.

Not quite as good as Wal Mart prices, but I was in St. Mary's Georgia for work and stopped in a K-mart. They have a mixed box of C6-5s and B6-4 marked down to 3.50 in the clearance aisle. I would have snagged some but Airport Security probably wouldn't have approved :kill: