Brandon Gallagher shows the insides of a hobby grade RC car. Unlike toy grade models, the hobby grade units carried by RC 360 Hobbies are able to be repaired as well as upgraded.
The Gallagher kids Braylon, 7, Jenna, 11, and Haley, 14 with their RC vehicles.
Sisters Haley,14, and Jenna, 11, Gallagher play with RC vehicles in a recent morning at the Fairway Shopping Center in Centralia. Their family recently opened RC 360 after getting involved with RC hobbies during the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders.
Sherri and Brandon Gallagher opened RC 360 Hobbies first as an online store and recently as a brick and mortar store to introduce other families to their love of RC hobbies.
Many businesses were hurt by COVID-19, but for Brandon and Sherri Gallagher of Napavine, their new business venture was actually inspired by the global pandemic.
With their kids Haley, 14, Jenna, 11, and Braylon, 7, learning from home last spring and the family stuck at home due to COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, the couple began brainstorming how to stay active and have fun, even if they couldn’t go anywhere. Brandon noticed a neighbor who had a remote-controlled vehicle that looked like fun. On his way home from work in Tacoma one day, he picked up a unit for the family to try out.
“I thought it would give the kids something to do,” he said. “We built some jumps and set up some tracks in the yard and we had a great time with it. It’s just a great way for kids to get outside and do something.”
“And we were doing it as a family,” Sherri added. “We love doing stuff as a family, especially outside so this is important for us.”
Their newfound hobby quickly turned into an idea for a business venture. The Gallaghers decided they wanted to share the fun their family had found in remote control hobbies with the entire community. And they were traveling outside of Lewis County to get parts for their vehicles, so they figured there was a need for a local shop. Over the summer, the Gallaghers launched RC 360 Hobbies, an online remote-controlled hobby store. This month, they took their next step in business ownership as they opened RC 360 Hobbies as a brick and mortar store in the Fairway Shopping Center in Centralia.
RC 360 carries a variety of hobby-grade remote-controlled vehicles ranging from beginner models all the way up to advanced options, from popular brands such as Traxxas, Redcat Racing, DHK Hobby, Rage RC and Team Corally. They also carry replacement and modification parts for those units as well as nitro fuel and supplies. The shop will also soon carry RC boats and helicopters as well as drones. Brandon explained many items were ordered some time ago but are arriving at the shop later than expected because of COVID-19.
In addition to vehicles, the shop will also carry static model sets, which is something Brandon used to enjoy with his father when he was younger. The couple also decided to offer model rockets at the shop because they both have fond memories of that activity and hope to bring it to the next generation.
“We used to do those as kids so that was fun for us to offer that,” Sherri said.
“It’s like you’re a kid again,” Brandon said.
Creating a store where beginners can try out hobbies at a reasonable price point was a big goal for the Gallaghers with RC 360 Hobbies. They carry a handful of beginner models priced at around $150. Brandon pointed out that a toy-grade remote-controlled vehicle from a department or toy store can cost around $100 but be a “one and done” model, meaning once a part breaks or an electronic component burns out, it is likely no longer usable. All models at RC360, including beginner vehicles, are hobby quality, meaning they include features such as: more responsive and durable oil-filled shocks; vehicle bodies and parts that can be modified and repaired; and electronic components that can be easily replaced or upgraded.
“We really wanted to keep it affordable,” Brandon said. “We wanted people to be able to enjoy this hobby, have good fun and you don’t have to save up a long time to get into it or go into debt buying something.”
As parents, they said they recognize that many local parents might be looking for options for how to get their kids outside and give them something to learn. They said they have enjoyed RC vehicles as a family because they can easily be brought along on family outings such as camping trips. And they said the components are user-friendly enough that even 7-year-old Braylon can fix and replace parts on his car.
“Instead of sitting in front of a TV all day, kids can use their heads with this,” Brandon said.
The Gallaghers said they prefer having a physical location to online sales because it allows them to have more interaction with customers. Brandon said he learned a lot about remote-controlled vehicles by asking a lot of questions of other shop owners and a lot of trial and error and a few YouTube videos, and he’s eager to share what he knows with customers. He would eventually like to create some YouTube videos of his own to help pass on the knowledge he has. He said once someone sees a hobby-grade vehicle up close, they can immediately see the difference between it and a toy grade version, so being able to interact with customers and show them their products in person is important.
“I’ll open up boxes and they can pull them out if they want so they can see how much better they are,” Brandon said. “That’s why we really wanted to do this.”
RC 360 Hobbies
1641 Kresky Ave., Ste. 3, Centralia (inside the Fairway Center)
Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday
Rc360hobbies.com or @rc360hobbies on Facebook
