Estes Rockets Sale on Their Website!

[michigander]

lots show back in stock




:santa-smile::santa-smile::santa-smile::santa-smile::santa-smile::santa-smile::santa-smile:

 

[JStarStar]

Looks like the sale is over -- I just clicked on the site and it says "no rockets are currently on special."


Happily I got an order in a few days ago and I think my family may have ordered some stocking-stuffers for me as well, so I should be getting a couple boxfuls of kits.

 

[Fishhead]

Looks like the sale is over -- I just clicked on the site and it says "no rockets are currently on special."


Happily I got an order in a few days ago and I think my family may have ordered some stocking-stuffers for me as well, so I should be getting a couple boxfuls of kits.

Actually, it looks like the specials are gone, but the prices still remain. Click on Rockets -> All -> then sort by price and they should appear from the top of the list.

 

[JStarStar]

Actually, it looks like the specials are gone, but the prices still remain. Click on Rockets -> All -> then sort by price and they should appear from the top of the list.

Hmmm. interesting, I will check it out.

UPDATE, 0230 ET: While the 'Special Price' is still listed on the webpage, when you click "add to shopping cart" on an individual kit it is added to your order total at full list price.

 

[LV-426]

I wonder if the sale prices will remain until stock is completely gone and then be officially discontinued. Sad, but I hope Estes has some new, fresh designs coming up other than the ready to fly and almost ready to fly series.

 

[RodRocket]

I was going to order three rockets but they all went into the cart at full price. Even though the rockets were still advertised at the sale price. I backed out of the order. Wish someone would clear this up!

 

[LV-426]

I was going to order three rockets but they all went into the cart at full price. Even though the rockets were still advertised at the sale price. I backed out of the order. Wish someone would clear this up!

I just checked it out myself and sure enough, if you add one of the previously on sale rockets to your cart, you will get it for full price. I hope everyone that wanted cheap rockets got their orders in and my condolences to those who didn't.

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

I was telling myself I didn't need any more rockets after my first order, but this evening I couldn't help myself and went back and threw a bunch in the shopping cart. I wasn't done deciding on my choices when it was dinner time and I left the computer. Came back at 9pm Pacific, and when I updated my shopping cart, it was all empty! And the Specials page was gone! I thought I had to at least midnight Mountain time! Boohoo! I guess Estes just tried to help me out with my self control issues... Tough love...

(Didn't work Estes! I just went over to Hobbylinc and bought $200 worth of motors! Nyah-Nyah!)

 

[MALBAR 70]

:cry: Apparently all good things must end :cry:

 

[matthewdlaudato]

I completely missed this sale. Unfortunately they still have items listed at reduced prices, but the cart shows them as full price. Big Bummer.

 

[AfterBurners]

It was a nice sale, but with limited kits. Too bad they couldn't offer the same type of discount on some of their other popular kits. Who knows maybe this is a sign that they might be getting new kits in for the new year.

 

[Rich Holmes]

It was a nice sale, but with limited kits. Too bad they couldn't offer the same type of discount on some of their other popular kits.

Discounts up to 90%, and people complain. No good deed goes unpunished.

 

[goose_in_co]

It isn't entirely over.

There is still free shipping until Dec 31 of this year. If you signed up for an account then you have reward points from your order(s) and for signing up you can get $5 in reward points, and use that towards a purchase. And, the airplanes are still on sale.:eyeroll:

:cry: Apparently all good things must end :cry:

 

[shreadvector]

Check with local club folks. If they are like ME, they bought a few hundred $$ worth extra to offer to other local folks who refuse to read the forums or even their e-mail daily.

I will give first shot to our local volunteers who show up early to help set up club equipment at our launches.

I completely missed this sale. Unfortunately they still have items listed at reduced prices, but the cart shows them as full price. Big Bummer.

 

[matthewdlaudato]

Check with local club folks. If they are like ME, they bought a few hundred $$ worth extra to offer to other local folks who refuse to read the forums or even their e-mail daily.

I will give first shot to our local volunteers who show up early to help set up club equipment at our launches.

We had a CMASS meeting last night, don't recall anyone mentioning it. I am now on the Estes newsletter list, if that was what you were referring to. (TRF does not seem to have a daily digest email of all new posts, but maybe it does and I can't find the setting? - reading the forums every day is not feasible for me - too much activity to sift through mixed with too much real life activity mixed with finite available time.)

 

[Rich Holmes]

I am now on the Estes newsletter list, if that was what you were referring to.

It's not. I thought I had an account at the time I placed my orders but it turns out I only had the newsletter subscription... so no points for me. Here's the link I should have followed before buying: https://www.estesrockets.com/reward-points/

 

[blueapplepaste]

It was a nice sale, but with limited kits. Too bad they couldn't offer the same type of discount on some of their other popular kits. Who knows maybe this is a sign that they might be getting new kits in for the new year.

They had over 30 kits for dirt cheap. I thought it was an awesome variety with something for everyone.

 

[JStarStar]

I have no problem whatsoever with the sale -- I picked up a dozen or so nice kits dirt cheap. None are ultra-complex museum-piece type kits, they're mostly kits I can knock off with my nephew and nieces in an afternoon. Some were fairly fancy looking and some were basic 3FNC types.

Many have mentioned they grabbed up a bunch for giveaway or cheap-sale to club members or for use at make-it take-it club demos. Others said they snapped a bunch simply for use as parts and kitbash sources.

The only problem I have, and this speaks more to Estes' sales and marketing strategies, is that it could be an indication Estes intends to shift its lineup more toward RTF stuff and deemphasize builder's kits (a road they've gone down before). Time will tell whether that happens in any case.

One other observation I would make is it would be interesting to see how EI interprets the sales rates of the kits at bargain-basement prices vs. full list prices, and if they consider the idea that maybe some of the sales problems are not so much lack of demand but overpricing.

 

[JMZawodny]

My first order should arrive today. I also was notified that the other two were shipped today. The span of order numbers between my first and last orders was more than 1500, so it appears the sale was a huge success.

 

[Rich Holmes]

My first order should arrive today. I also was notified that the other two were shipped today. The span of order numbers between my first and last orders was more than 1500, so it appears the sale was a huge success.

Well, a success for the customers, perhaps. I'd be interested in knowing how Estes regards it.

If they do it again next year, I suppose that'll answer the question.

 

[James Duffy]

My first order should arrive today. I also was notified that the other two were shipped today. The span of order numbers between my first and last orders was more than 1500, so it appears the sale was a huge success.

Estes likely lost their ass on this sale (or at the very best resigned themselves to accepting painfully slim margins), and I doubt that the people running the company characterize it as a success. The one potential upside for Estes that may be buried in the midst of this fire sale is that every rocket sold will eventually need motors.

If anything, I am concerned for the future availability of interesting builder-grade kits from Estes.

James

 

[JStarStar]

Estes likely lost their ass on this sale (or at the very best resigned themselves to accepting painfully slim margins), and I doubt that the people running the company characterize it as a success. The one potential upside for Estes that may be buried in the midst of this fire sale is that every rocket sold will eventually need motors.

If anything, I am concerned for the future availability of interesting builder-grade kits from Estes.

James

I doubt in any case they 'lost their ass' on the sale: the sale was announced with no set expiration date, so if they were really losing substantial money on any of the transactions, as soon as volume started to pick up, somebody in the corporate structure would have pulled the plug. The sale back in May-June as I recall ended rather abruptly.

I am sure their margins were way way lower than normal, but as I noted in a post above, if their margins were much bigger at full list price their sales volume was undoubtedly way lower. They could plan for a margin of $15 on a kit they normally sell for $19, but if they mark it down to $5 they might sell 50 times as many kits as they would have at $19.

My guess is bottom line they had decided to discontinue many of these kits and basically wanted to move them out the door for the material costs. And as others have noted, every one of these rockets that get built will eventually need motors and the odds are about 90% (i believe at current market share breakdown) those will be Estes motors.

 

[chadrog]

Estes didn't lose money on this, they gained warehouse space.

 

[patelldp]

Estes didn't lose money on this, they gained warehouse space.

And liquidated inventory that they would have otherwise had to have paid taxes on.

 

[RandyM]

I'm kind of glad they stopped the sale. It prevented me from placing a 4th order! I need to pick up the first 2 at UPS today.

 

[etoyoc]

I'm kind of glad they stopped the sale. It prevented me from placing a 4th order! I need to pick up the first 2 at UPS today.

Of course with all these LPR rockets being purchased, there might be an increased need for lug alternatives.

 

[shreadvector]

DING, Ding, DIng...we have a WINNER!

In the old days, they would have been tossed into the dumpster by the lord of darkness, if they could not have been sold off to a distributor.

And liquidated inventory that they would have otherwise had to have paid taxes on.

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

And liquidated inventory that they would have otherwise had to have paid taxes on.

Yep. There are a lot of reasons a business may not want to end the year with tons of unsold inventory. Whether they were able to sell these kits at a profit or not, they still emptied a lot out of their warehouses and put some cash in the bank account.

And all these kits need motors, igniters and wadding. I wonder if Estes could make money by actually giving away kits just to promote motor sales. Sort of like Epson printers an print cartridges.

 

[shreadvector]

Come to the AMA Expo or the RCX Show and see. Hundreds of free Estes Make-It & Take-It kits are built by show attendees for free. The Make & Take is similar to an Alpha III but with a slightly longer white body tube (good idea) and a two part injection molded blue cone. Fin unit is red and there are self adhesive stickers to dress the rocket.

https://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/est/est1799.htm

Yep. There are a lot of reasons a business may not want to end the year with tons of unsold inventory. Whether they were able to sell these kits at a profit or not, they still emptied a lot out of their warehouses and put some cash in the bank account.

And all these kits need motors, igniters and wadding. I wonder if Estes could make money by actually giving away kits just to promote motor sales. Sort of like Epson printers an print cartridges.

 

[chris m]

Well my last order shipped today so should be here before Christmas.