What's Up Hobby?

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Titan II

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I went to place an order and got this:

Down for Maintenance
This store is currently unavailable. I am Traveling and cannot fill orders
We apologize for any inconvenience caused.

Anybody have an idea when Jack will return and be up and running again?

Thanks.
 
I haven't seen that one before. Jack does spend a lot of time on the road. You can call him at 209-986-5829.
 
Jack sold Polecat, but I think that he still carries the line. What's Up Hobbies sells much more than Polecats and is a large onsite vendor at many West Coast launches.
 
He's out of town for "A few weeks" Not sure when that started or when it stops. He's a one man operation, so when he's out not much happens.
 
Thanks guys. I am not in a hurry, so I will wait for him to return. I never mess with someone while they are on vacation.
 
Hi Titan II,

You can always email Jack at [email protected]
He is really good about answering emails. There is a lot of email traffic on the TCC distribution list. Looks like Jack is in a transition period. Jack has helped me a lot. I hope that What's Up Hobbies continues.
 
What is TCC distribution list?

TCC is Tripoli Central Califonia. Jack was the president and primary vendor for launches. Looks like he is stepping down as president and there was some mention of maybe not being the primary vendor, not sure about the vending. Jack does work extremely hard, as do a lot of rocketry vendors. I am sure that he needs a break from some of his duties.
 
Chris,

Thanks for the information. Jack is a first class act and he has also been very helpful to me. Friendly, knowlegeable and nobody ships faster. I hope he is doing well.

Bill
 
I saw that message when I went to his website just the other day to order a few things. I called him on his cell (209-986-5829) and he told me that he is on vacation for the next 2 or 3 weeks.

Jack is an awesome guy indeed. He is always quick to return emails or phone calls, ships orders quickly, and is a pleasure to do business with. I do know that he has sold Polecat Aerospace to Tim at Leading Edge Rocketry (https://leadingedgerocketry.com/) and is cutting back on the number of non-local launches he attends. He also told me that he is discontinuing a few things such as Estes products, PML tubes, LOC tubes, etc...
 
I saw that message when I went to his website just the other day to order a few things. I called him on his cell (209-986-5829) and he told me that he is on vacation for the next 2 or 3 weeks.

Jack is an awesome guy indeed. He is always quick to return emails or phone calls, ships orders quickly, and is a pleasure to do business with. I do know that he has sold Polecat Aerospace to Tim at Leading Edge Rocketry (https://leadingedgerocketry.com/) and is cutting back on the number of non-local launches he attends. He also told me that he is discontinuing a few things such as Estes products, PML tubes, LOC tubes, etc...

Is he seriously continuing to be a vendor after he sells his stock? Something seriously changed in his life, hopefully it's for the better. He stepped down from president of his own club. And is no longer vending at ANY club.

I'm guessing What's Up Hobbies days are numbered and rumor here has it that he could have a "real" job (trucking is our bet).

Traveling vacation is fine, but he has cancelled all future ROC launches including ROCstock in June.


We wish him the best at whatever the real story is.

[Wanted] Someone to Start Wildman West Coast.

If interested talk to Tim. California needs AP!
 
I heard he was doing a new MIB with Will Smith, taking over Tommy Lee Jones spot as Agent K...
Hey, at least its a FUN rumor....:cool::cool::dark:
 
Is he seriously continuing to be a vendor after he sells his stock? Something seriously changed in his life, hopefully it's for the better. He stepped down from president of his own club. And is no longer vending at ANY club.

I'm guessing What's Up Hobbies days are numbered and rumor here has it that he could have a "real" job (trucking is our bet).

Traveling vacation is fine, but he has cancelled all future ROC launches including ROCstock in June.

He's not vending at ANY launches anymore?? When I talked to him a few months ago he made it sound like he was dropping all OROC launches, as well. I also heard through the grapevine recently that What's Up Hobbies will continue to stay in business, but as an online retailer only.

I do wonder "what's up with What's Up." :wink: He is indeed a true trucker at heart, so your theory wouldn't surprise me...
 
He's not vending at ANY launches anymore?? When I talked to him a few months ago he made it sound like he was dropping all OROC launches, as well. I also heard through the grapevine recently that What's Up Hobbies will continue to stay in business, but as an online retailer only.

I do wonder "what's up with What's Up." :wink: He is indeed a true trucker at heart, so your theory wouldn't surprise me...

I am not sure about stopping all vending. I just saw that he might not be the primary vendor at TCC launches. To vend those launches, Jack has to drive his 18 wheeler a long way, stay overnight in it, do the launch, then drive home. Probably expensive gas costs among other things. I always thought that Jack worked very hard at it. Not sure how profitable it is reading other threads about vendors. Maybe he just wants a break from the driving.
 
I am not sure about stopping all vending. I just saw that he might not be the primary vendor at TCC launches. To vend those launches, Jack has to drive his 18 wheeler a long way, stay overnight in it, do the launch, then drive home. Probably expensive gas costs among other things. I always thought that Jack worked very hard at it. Not sure how profitable it is reading other threads about vendors. Maybe he just wants a break from the driving.

Plus he'd drive 9 hours each way to Brothers for OROC, often with 2 other vendors on site. I do wonder about profitability.
 
Yes WM Tim drives 3 hrs. each way to Bong and sometimes we may have 6 flyers show up. I don't know how or why he does it. Most flyers don't know how it used to be. In the past we may get to a launch 2-3 times a year where a vendor showed up. Heck we used to go to a Spring launch where a vendor would be and buy all the motors we would need for the Sumer. Than go to a Fall launch where a vendor would be to buy motors for winter launches. Clubs or a group of flyers need to plan a head and do a group order to save a Hazmat fees. Jack has a life other than rocketry to. He had done a great job for years.
Gary
 
Yes WM Tim drives 3 hrs. each way to Bong and sometimes we may have 6 flyers show up. I don't know how or why he does it. Most flyers don't know how it used to be. In the past we may get to a launch 2-3 times a year where a vendor showed up. Heck we used to go to a Spring launch where a vendor would be and buy all the motors we would need for the Sumer. Than go to a Fall launch where a vendor would be to buy motors for winter launches. Clubs or a group of flyers need to plan a head and do a group order to save a Hazmat fees. Jack has a life other than rocketry to. He had done a great job for years.
Gary

At OROC's Labor Day weekend launch last year we figured that for a short period of time there were more vendors on-site than there were flyers... Friday morning we had 3 vendors on-site and probably 2 club members.
Fortunately, that launch has since been discontinued...
 
+1 what has been mentioned above.
Jack is a great guy and awesome vendor. Greatly appreciate all that he has done for our rocketry community.
I sure hope WUH sticks around, if not he will be dearly missed.
But he definitely does deserve a break from things and have some family time.
 
Jack has been a tremendous mainstay in the business and a huge supporter of rocketry. I sincerely hope all is well and this is just a temporary break from the action. But I'll put this out there just in case the void can't be filled in time to meet your launch needs - Giant Leap Rocketry is ready to help fill the gaps.
 
Jack has a way with words. Some dig it, some take offense. As an example, a couple of weeks ago he had an exchange with a competitor on the public TCC list. I'm making no comments on the merits of their dispute, though I suspect that Jack is bitter at losing a lot of business to this other vendor. Jack's language is too colorful to reproduce on this family-friendly forum, but TCC keeps a public archive of its discussions: https://www.freelists.org/post/tccrockets/Saturdays-launch,90

Ari.
 
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