On the Shelf at Target This Month: Radline and More

On Tuesday I was in Target looking around at what they had to offer in the way of RCs. A lot of stuff is fun right out of the package but I'm always on the lookout for that next new toy that I can hop-up, modify, or otherwise do something to that will make it faster, more powerful -- without spending a fortune. That's one reason I liked my XMODS and why my wife and I have been buying up all the available upgrades now that RadioShack is clearing the shelves of them. I've found a potential substitute at Target. I've looked at them with interest every time I've been in the store but this week I took a closer look at the 1:24 scale Radline RC line. The initial kit costs about the same as the XMODS, you put them together yourself, and there are all kinds of parts and accessories you can purchase both for repairs and to modify and upgrade your Radline RC.

There are currently two series with three vehicles in each. You can pick up some of the accessories at Target -- which is the exclusive retailer for these RCs -- or purchase online from the Radline site. Now the manufacturer refers to them as hobby-grade. Not by my definition of hobby-grade, but they are high end toys. Although recommended for ages 8 and up, a lot of the modification and upgrade fun is probably best left to teens and adults.

Aside from the upgrade potential, one feature I like is that although these RCs come in the standard 27MHz and 49MHz frequencies, you have three band selections within each frequency so you can race up to six racers at a time... With my five kids -- OK, six if you count me as the biggest kid -- we can all race together just like when we played parking lot tag with our XMODS. Another bonus, all the batteries you need come in the package.

While I was checking out the Radline RC line, my wife and daughters were looking into some other RC toys. All these RCs come from fairly well-known RC toy manufacturers. There are some flashy cars from Jada Toys and Maisto, flying insects from SpinMaster, and another odd-little flying contraption from Wow Wee (the Robosapien folks). Have a birthday boy or girl to buy for soon? See what interesting RC toys are on the shelf at Target right now.