Skill Level Guide Advertising

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues...

I think we can all agree that Estes Rockets are pretty much the entry point to our hobby.  As one of, if not THE longest running company, we all know their product and the construction level that is called for in those kits.

And these days, with the demise of many mom and pop hobby stores as well as a consolidation of brick and mortar outlets,  we're probably all resigned to the fact that a store with the initials "HL" is the main entry point for mothers buying a gift for their kid.

And those mothers need all the help they can get.  Skill Levels, materials, heights, motors, staging, fin cans, launch sets... the list of information that a knowledgeable buyer needs to make an informed purchase goes on and on.

Unfortunately, it has been my experience that none of the employees of HL have any depth of knowledge at all.

Which is why I am always so grateful whenever a rocket kit manufacturer gives some form of skill level chart or explanation on their packaging.  It helps Mom make an informed decision on just what kit to buy.

Does Bobby know how to launch? Has he done this before? Does he know two-stage rockets? Does he need a plastic fin can? 

I have noticed a wide difference in skill levels published between manufacturers.  That is, a Skill Level 2 may mean something completely different between two competing companies.

That's why I am particularly pleased that Estes Rockets has been printing a skill level guide along the bottom of their packaging for nearly every rocket they have for sale.

There's no mistaking a "Beginners", Intermediate, Advanced, Master or Expert level rocket.  In fact, reading from left to right, there are actually arrows which indicate the progress of a rocketeer, from Beginner to Expert.  Whichever level they consider this kit, that skill level is emboldened, and is unmistakably larger than the other four levels.  

Even if you don't agree or understand what an Advanced rocket level is, you can graphically see where it falls in a five step progression.  And, if you know your kid's experience level, you can roughly judge what rocket kit might present the next level of challenge for them.

(Likewise, if you're buying a rocket for a neighbor kit or a birthday gift, you can easily determine what is an entry level kit or starter package.)


But tonight I was stumped by something I saw in the HL display that I routinely keep an eye on.  Not much currently appeals to me, but I saw something.  There were rockets kits on hang-pegs ranging from Beginners through one or two Advanced kits. (NO expert levels).

One kit I glanced at had no indication of the skill level. While I am used to the arrowhead progressive scale that was on ALL the other rockets in their display, this one had all five levels printed, but no one skill level was indicated or printed larger than the others.  I looked closer.

The kit was a Cherokee E, which I had heard of, but never built.  I was intrigued. I examined it more closely, but other than recommending Ds and Es motors, I could find no indication of the skill level.

I was just about to pull it off the peg and examine it more closely, when I realized the kit was stocked two deep. There was another one right behind it.  I swung the top kit to one side, knowing that there was another Cherokee E right below it, and I was surprised!

Yes, it was a Cherokee E with exactly the same pictures and  almost the same packaging. But the bottom one had the familiar arrowhead skill level progression across the bottom.  The kit was Intermediate. It was printed larger on an arrow that showed it was the second level of five possible. I flipped back to the front package. I looked closer.  

All five levels were printed exactly the same size, with no larger arrow indicated. But now that I knew that it should be the second level, I studied it more carefully.  Yes, there was a slight indicator. The letters spelling out "Intermediate" where "glowing" slightly  or  highlighted.  Very slightly.  I had totally missed this when studying the package.

Needless to say, I didn't buy the rocket, as I believe I am well above that level after ten years in this hobby.   I hope this isn't the start of a new line of production that drops the arrowhead indicator.  I hope this is just leftover stock that came in from another store that didn't sell...BEFORE they developed the current indicator style.

If not, we've got a major problem brewing in the entry point of our hobby: unreadable skill levels.

I hope I'm wrong.

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