Againmikewins Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 I just got this email! I'm sure many of you may have as well. Good for them! A well deserved retirement. Dear Modelhaus Customers, This e-mail is being sent to all addresses that are affiliated with the web site. Our orders are all shipped and we have inventoried all the remaining stock. We have uploaded the remaining inventory, both kits and parts, onto the web site and it will open again the morning of Aug. 25 (this Saturday). We envision it will remain open for a week to ten days. We are giving you some advance notice so you can take the time to assess your needs. Please know that the inventory is limited. Only those items that are still available will be listed and only in the quantity we have. The web site will be able to track the sale of items and when the inventory for a particular part reaches zero, you will be unable to add that item to your shopping cart even though the part is still listed on the site. It is possible that you can add a part to your cart but it will not show up in your cart at the time of the sale. The inventory is adjusted for sale only when an order is actually placed. If you and another customer both add the last of a particular part to your cart, but the other customer checks out first, he will get the item. Sales will only be accepted from the web site. No orders will be taken by phone or by regular mail. The only way to track the inventory is by the web site. This may anger some of our customers who prefer to order via the regular mail. We are sorry, but at this point, we have to do what is manageable and the web orders are the only way to manage the inventory. Though we are retiring the business as you have known it, we are not completely stopping. Don’s favorite part of the business has always been developing new kits. In the past three years he has not been able to develop anything new as we dealt with the onslaught of orders generated by our announced retirement. He had several ideas for new kits that he still wants to pursue. We are not 100% sure how this will play out. He hopes to develop one to two kits a year for a while. We will figure a way to get the word out when a kit is available. The tires we have offered will be available again soon. Our son Chris has worked for us for many years. Several years ago he moved the tire making to his home and we have purchased tires from him. All the particulars have not been worked out. The web site will be www.modelhaustires.com. We will most likely send another mass e-mail when he is ready to be up and running. It has been a pleasure to serve the modeling community for 30 plus years. We will not miss the work, but will miss the connections we have made with so many great modelers over the years. Thank you for all your orders which have made this such a successful business. We wish you all the best! Cordially, Don and Carol Holthau Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenGuthmiller Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 And the best part is, I will again be able to get the tires that I so miss! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jchrisf Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 I'm new to all this.. what's so special about the tires? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemodeler Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 52 minutes ago, jchrisf said: I'm new to all this.. what's so special about the tires? They have many different types of tires, mainly for older kits, that are realistic and accurate. This helps tremendously when restoring old kits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickcaps55 Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 Ho hell ya I just the email in my mailbox an hour ago the big news I can still buy the tires I have used for the last 20 years from them YAHOOOOOOOOOO.! can't wait till the 25th I'm retired I will start to try the web site at 12:01 am till I get in line.!!! I also love the idea there kits maybe on going to now if someone or a group of someone's pick up the parts end it will be model haven again.!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Againmikewins Posted August 21, 2018 Author Share Posted August 21, 2018 3 minutes ago, rickcaps55 said: Ho hell ya I just the email in my mailbox an hour ago the big news I can still buy the tires I have used for the last 20 years from them YAHOOOOOOOOOO.! can't wait till the 25th I'm retired I will start to try the web site at 12:01 am till I get in line.!!! I also love the idea there kits maybe on going to now if someone or a group of someone's pick up the parts end it will be model haven again.!!!!!!!! I'm very excited for a Modelhaus kit! I'm sure it'll be a subject to fill a void that the bigger companies haven't produced and be great quality! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Hamilton Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 (edited) I got my email today, and while it was a pleasant surprise, I cannot think of anything I need that I don't already have. I have been a loyal customer for a long time, and I have been blessed to have just about everything I need model wise. I have a good stock of Modelhaus Kits and parts I bought for future projects. In the past couple of years since the announcement, I have bought either good used parts, or resin elsewhere. I wish Don and Carol a well deserved retirement, and I thank them for being there when I needed their services. My builds would not have been the same without them. Edited August 22, 2018 by Ron Hamilton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrObsessive Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Same here Ron. I can think of maybe a couple things, but nothing at the moment which is a 'gotta have' item. I've stocked up so many parts and such over the years, I doubt I'll ever use them all. The moment I unload something however, that's when the 'I shoulda kept that' thought creeps in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsc Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 They are such a great couple, and it was a sad day when they said it was time to close. They have done an outstanding job over the years, and I wish them the very best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aurfalien Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Hi, What a wonderful post and boy do they know how to run a business, kudos to them! While I've never been a customer of there's, who knows, perhaps there future kits may entice me. Doing a Google images search for modelhuas showed me amazing and wonderfully crafted items that they had. Wow man, total treasures, pure beauty. It's unfortunate that they didn't find a suitor. I think there business would have been a great second and new career for some one with a decent head on there shoulders for good business which is simply good products and good customer service and of course very importantly; good money sense. They already have tremendous street cred so no need to really advertise there. And they have there shopping cart seriously polished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 I know Don and Carol and will echo that they are first class people. They were vendors at NNL East and I will say the only vendor, that after the show, offered us an extra donation because they did well. That kind of class act. And I'm pleased that they will still be around in some capacity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vamach1 Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 Classless comment by Francis in that other magazine saying they should have sold the company. That is a personal decision and none of his business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modlguy Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 1 hour ago, vamach1 said: Classless comment by Francis in that other magazine saying they should have sold the company. That is a personal decision and none of his business. Read that. It was horrid. Can't believe the editors would publish it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxer Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 1 hour ago, vamach1 said: Classless comment by Francis in that other magazine saying they should have sold the company. That is a personal decision and none of his business. I found publishing that letter was extremely tasteless on the part of the editors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake45 Posted November 9, 2018 Share Posted November 9, 2018 On 11/7/2018 at 7:37 PM, vamach1 said: Classless comment by Francis in that other magazine saying they should have sold the company. That is a personal decision and none of his business. On 11/7/2018 at 8:50 PM, Modlguy said: Read that. It was horrid. Can't believe the editors would publish it. On 11/7/2018 at 9:05 PM, Foxer said: I found publishing that letter was extremely tasteless on the part of the editors. +1 on all that. I don't know which was more disgusting--writing and sending that letter, or publishing it without comment. If it were to be published at all, the writer should have gotten a very public and severe spanking. At least the letters to the ed in the next issue should be interesting reading, unlike most months. (Though I must say that the most boring letters to the ed I've ever read have been in FineScale Modeler mag--month after month, year after year they are a waste of valuable ink and paper.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobthehobbyguy Posted November 9, 2018 Share Posted November 9, 2018 Yup I agree. The letter was poor taste and poor judgement was used in the way it was published. I'm sure there were good reasons for not deciding to sell the business. It would be no easy task to find a buyer willing to pay the right price and be competent to run it. I'm sure that by not selling they missed out on making some good money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemodeler Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 Let's face it, we are all disappointed that The Modelhaus is no longer and that someone didn't continue the company, but to berate Don and Carol for wanting to retire and moaning about it in a hobby magazine is pretty low. Not sure what they were thinking over at SA for publishing the letter, but I think we should all fill up their inbox with letters complaining about Francis and SA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake45 Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 I wonder if that whiner knows that Don and Carol worked very hard for TWO YEARS AFTER their announced retirement date just to fill all their orders for their customers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemodeler Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 10 hours ago, Snake45 said: I wonder if that whiner knows that Don and Carol worked very hard for TWO YEARS AFTER their announced retirement date just to fill all their orders for their customers? Good point! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteski Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 I have strong suspicion that there were no takers for their business. After all, one has to be willing to work really, really hard and has to be very fastidious to consistently produce high quality resin kits. Most of the fastidious currently active resin casters have their hands more than full just keeping up with their offerings. Taking on another large casting operation would not work for them. Just my view of this . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapSat 6 Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 It would have been nearly impossible to sell their business whole...it evolved as a True Unicorn- an improbable, large, high-quality operation operating in a tiny niche. Whatever they were asking for it was probably fair (consider that they had a vast product line), but anybody who would have been interested in in probably would not have had the means (not to mention skill) to acquire it. They were highly skilled, practiced, diligent workers - it was truly a labor of love. They were able to retire on what they made on it, which was very nice (and it's getting tougher and tougher to retire anymore), but I doubt anybody could actually get rich off of that business model. The only shot we might have had at somebody continuing it would have been if the molds and masters were sold to multiple parties- and that is still my hope. Maybe a half dozen or so existing casters could pick up everything. I'm thinking maybe a Mopar specialist could take over the Mopar products, for instance, one of the Truck specialists could take over the truck stuff, etc. It seems that most casters carve out their specialty, and more or less stick with their way of doing business (creating molds, producing & filling orders, etc.). It's definitely a comfort thing, as for most, it's a side business rather than a full time thing. Lastly, it would be daunting for anybody who would want to make that leap from part-time to full-time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Ellis Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 I just checked the Modelhaus.com website. Tons of stuff for sale. No kidding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrObsessive Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 29 minutes ago, Bob Ellis said: I just checked the Modelhaus.com website. Tons of stuff for sale. No kidding Bob, thanks SO MUCH for the heads up! I literally just went there and order a much wanted item! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Can-Con Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 Humm,, Seems "odd" to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizardlust Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 4 hours ago, Bob Ellis said: I just checked the Modelhaus.com website. Tons of stuff for sale. No kidding Thank you too!! I scored a set of stock wheelcovers for a newly acquired gluebomb!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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