Hot New Cars for Christmas!

[hondaholic]

I designed a line of wooden cars and trucks called Automoblox (http:www.automoblox.com) hoping to inspire the "next generation" auto enthusiast.

This year I took our tried and true C9 sportscar and created a C9-R (essentially my very own Type-R). The C9-R carries some nice high performance styling cues. In fact, a portion of the rear diffusor was inspired by the Taitec diffusor. Check it out here:

http://www.automoblox.com/C9Rmodel.htm

I can give Prime members discounts after Christmas but not before. I you want to buy one before the holidays better get one quick. For a post Christmas discount, contact me on my personal e-mail address: ([email protected]).

Also check out the S9-R and the X9X (new this year).
Happy Holidays to everyone!

Patrick Calello, hondaholic

 

[robr]

I'd looked at these for my kids but had no idea that anyone here was involved in this product. What turned me off ultimately was the price. Obviously people are buying these things, so clearly your price point works, just not for me, even at 75% off. I guess I don't get it .

 

[hondaholic]

I'd looked at these for my kids but had no idea that anyone here was involved in this product. What turned me off ultimately was the price. Obviously people are buying these things, so clearly your price point works, just not for me, even at 75% off. I guess I don't get it .

Appreciate your insight. It might help to understand my thinking. As a consumer, a father, a designer and an innovator, what I set out to do is exactly opposite of the rest of the toy industry. I created Automoblox to inspire creative thinking in kids. It's hard to tell at first glance, but Automoblox is first a developmental toy and second a simple plaything. Having worked quite closely with a NYC child development psychologist, Automoblox is about the kids first. It's what all kids need and frankly "want".

The typical mass market toy manufacturer cares about fast turns at retail, low price points and delivering profit to share holders. The intellectual and creative development of kids is of little concern. Profit drives the mass market manufacturer. In fact, one of the two major mass market toy manufacturers has already tested Automoblox in their play lab. It tested so well, they wanted to distribute Automoblox. I turned it down because I knew they would compromise the soul of the product in order to meet they profit goals.

Quality, innovation, great design and exceptional play value are the essence of Automoblox.

 

[robr]

I absolutely appreciate your goals and agree, which is why I buy a lot of developmental toys for my kids. Your products remind me of another toy that we have that used to be my son's favorite. I can't remember who made it, but it's a plastic truck with tools in the back and large plastic bolts holding on the wheels and engine under the hood. Using the tools (including a power nut driver) you can completely disassemble and reassemble the truck (though there is no creativity in how it can be done, other than choosing rivets or screws to hold on the wheels).

I don't really see him playing with it all that much these days. His favorite toy right now is building with Megablocks (he'll be 3 in January BTW). Your toys are targeted at 3+ (I read your website where it says you were deciding on excluding the figures to allow for younger kids to use the toy).

I just think by 3, kids have their colors and shapes down cold, even by 2 they likely do, though they certainly can still use work on manual dexterity. I suspect my 18 month old would enjoy these as well and it sounds like she can if one were to remove the figurine.

But really my issue is simply the price point. Kids don't stay interested in one set of toys very long and I can buy a lot of toys for the price of one of your cars, and it sounds like to really take advantage of your product, I'd need multiple cars. I'd be concerned that I'd drop $100 on three of these and a week afterwards, they'd sit in a bin next to all the other unused toys. My wife tries to recycle toys to keep them interested, putting a bunch away for a while, bringing out ones they haven't seen for a few months, but still, in my experience, toys at young ages have an extremely limited lifespan.

Again, looks like a great quality product and one you've clearly spent a lot of time thinking out. I still think I don't completely understand it but I applaud your goals. Toys are nice, but it's even better when kids are learning and growing from their use. I hope you don't take my comments as any sort of criticism, I don't understand your target market like you do, I haven't put the time in you have, I readily admit I don't understand your product, I'm just providing my arm chair 2 cents based merely on what I've seen on your website and other reviews without ever having actually seen your product. Besides, regardless of what I think, it sounds like you have a big hit on your hands and I'm glad all your hard work is paying off, not just for you, but for the kids who use your products as well.

 

[smooth]

Wow those are cool cars! Nice website too. Price is not bad. Looks like something you'd want to hold on to and pass down to the next generation. I'm sure my kids would love to have one, or two :smile:

 

[hondaholic]

That exactly it. Heirloom quality which is totally absent in the industry. Once you hold Automoblox in you hands and understand the mix an match nature and witness the long play times you understand the value.

Kids today see little difference between an automobile and a vacuum cleaner. This is painful for me. I treat our family TSX like I paid $100K for it. I'd also rather have 5 wonderful possessions than a room full of disposable products that will likely be trash in no time. The home coldless telephone is a great example of this. I's rather pay $200 for a cordless home phone that have to replace it every 6 months because it breaks.

Automoblox cars are made made in China but our beech wood is imported from Germany (nearly all cheap wooden toys or goods are made from low cost rubber wood). The translucent canopies on all cars is not only made from unbreakable polycarbonate, it's made from Lexan® brand polycarbonate sourced from GE Plastics. In fact, starting this year all Automoblox axles are made from a high tech polymer called LNP (5 times the cost of a lesser material), a GE subsidiary that has teflon and silocon imbedded in the plastic to reduce heat and friction - essentially making Automobox cars roll like crazy. Try contacting Mattel and find out where their plastic comes from.

Automoblox cars are made to last generations. They were made to deliver on my product vision, and not for a price point. The retail price is resultant of the quality I wanted to deliver.

Plus I have Prodive GC-07s on my car. Love them!

 

[NSXrunner]

Wow those are cool cars! Nice website too. Price is not bad. Looks like something you'd want to hold on to and pass down to the next generation. I'm sure my kids would love to have one, or two :smile:

Hmm cool looking stuff...might have to grab a couple for my ... kids...yeah...thats it...kids...

Just have to decide which ones hehe. :biggrin:

 

[The Kid]

I treat our family TSX like I paid $100K for it.

Lets not forget who hooked you up with that bad boy TSX:biggrin: Very cool product, I just read the entire webiste. Very interesting stuff. If I knew you were ballin', I would have charged a little more:biggrin:

 

[hondaholic]

You did hook me up nice. Plus you hooked me up with Jadkar so my ITR powered CRX is crazy. Maybe Santa will bring you a C9-R for your desk.

 

[The Kid]

Maybe Santa will bring you a C9-R for your desk.

I celebrate Hannukah but appreciate the offer:biggrin:

 

[hondaholic]

I celebrate Hannukah but appreciate the offer:biggrin:

I know Santa. I'll tell him to show my Jewish friend some love this year :biggrin: