Revell/Monogram Sold?

[crispy]

After 40 years in the business, my LHS is closing, Saturday being the last day.

I've worked their 4 years and off and on for them during the holidays when needed.

When the owner and I talked about the shop closing, Great Planes and Tower Hobbies were one main point of interest.

A small LHS cannot simply compete with Tower Hobbies. Just as Darin mentioned, he hit the nail right square on the head, Tower offers the same items online at less than cost to the LHS. I don't know of anyone that can compete with that and stay in business.

I'm on the wait and see list. The owner and I talked about this acquirement today. His view was not good. His speculation was that Revell would be exclusive to GP and Tower. I have to also agree that prices may go up. Say goodbye to Steven's and Horizon carrying Revell as I don't think it would make them any money.

As manager, whenever we ordered items, we hit Horizon first and GP as a last resort.

This is today in the now. GP is still iron fisted and tough.

Unfortunately we'll all have to wait and see. I can only hope good things will come, but how hard will it be to get these good things?

[lordairgtar]

As a customer of two large independent LHSs, I sure hope that this does not bite them. I prefer buying something I can touch rather than online, and with shipping and handling costs involved, I think the well stocked LHS is still supreme. I have bought from HobbyLink Japan just to get something not available to me locally. (260Z 2+2)

[Guest Anthony Oteri]

Back on Wednesday when I started this thread, I never imagined it would turn out to be a personel battle between fellow builders like it did last night. For those who have followed it, I would like to apoligze for even starting it. It was meant to be a discussion and a way to exchange ideas and opinions, not to start a battle. There are many builders here that know different information and I thought that info could be shared and or exchanged. I am sorry that it did not turn out the way I thought it would. I hope this all works out for the best and the hobby benifits from this sale. Being a builder myself for 34 years I don't plan on giving it up any time soon, my wife needs something to dust off once a week :wink:

Long live plastic models!

Anthony

[Ray]

I stand corrected! I was going by the info I'd heard at hobby shops for years, that Great Planes, (ie Hobbico), owned Hobbytown. Still there's obviously a deep connection there, if they have to get their inventory from Hobbico/GP. Thanks Ray! 8)

I totally agree they must have some sort of steak in Hobby Town being the majority (almost exclusive) distributor of Hobby Town inventory.

[gowjobs]

It's taking place even more quickly than I'd expected. Reports are that Revell has stopped selling to one large mail-order/online retailer in Utah, and has severed ties with all the Southern California hobby distributors save one. I'm sure that there are many more warehouse-level operations affected, but these are two instances that I've gotten good info on so far.

In general, my LHS's see it as a positive thing since the distributor that Revell chose to retain is their preferred source. It doesn't bode well however, for their "backup" distribution warehouses where they go when their preferred distributor is backordered or sold out. LHS owners see the loss of a mail-order warehouse retailer as a positive, since these operations are their main competition for the hobby dollars of the serious modelbuilders.

Will this shake out to be a positive or negative development for the hobby in general? I think only time will show us the answer to that question.

[Billy Kingsley]

You seem to want it to be a battle though Mark, considering you've insulted my intelligence several times and even went so far as to make an entire post specifically TO make fun of me.

Does that sound like the actions of someone who is not out for a battle? I think not! :roll:

DO NOT twist my words to try and make me look bad. There is very little more vile then that and I will not stand for it.

In other words, you didn't actually comprehend what we were discussing? "Didn't look then, didn't look now, don't care anyway!" Oh I get it, our thoughts, opinions, concerns, et al in this thread are "whining", & are therefore not as valid as your thoughts. Please forgive me for that not occurring to me.

If you had bothered to actually READ what I wrote instead of just looking for something to insult me with, you would have noticed that I said that I did not bother to look nore care WHO made the post. You have to READ something before you can comprehend it...Try it sometime, it works wonders. (And yes, that is not two ways about it, that is a direct insult...I can dish them out when I am on the end of them) :roll:

I do care about the future of the hobby and I do not see that it's going to end shortly. While it may very well change the entire face it, I cannot see it ending my involvement, your involvment, ANYONE's involvement in it because of this. Because of this, you go nuts and portray me as a villian!

You have completly perverted my words in the above quote. Where do you even get the concept that I think your opinions are not valid? If you had bothered to read what I wrote, actually read it, you will see that there is nothing even suggesting that in there. Of cource, that is the same basic answer given in MOST internet "fights" when one person or group of persons is really just arguing because they happen to either A) Not like somebody or Once had an actual point they were debating but did not actually have anything to go on and needed to insult the other person.

I've been around the block, I've seen a hundred pointless fights or more. They all have that thrown in somewhere, luckily it's out of the way here so we can continue mindlessly arguing about nothing :roll:

My original post was not a direct responce to any one post in particular. Why do you think that for some reason you were the target of my post? Guilty concience, perhaps? Perhaps I hit too close to home and you just didn't like that?

It's a pretty safe bet that was a general press release to ALL hobby related publications & outlets. If you think otherwise, would you then be so kind as to offer your thoughts on the "Area 51" conspiracy?

A safe bet, as you so happily point out in your above line, does not mean fact. We do not know the hard facts. I could be right, you could be right. We just don't know.

Again please go back & read my post. I said that is one possible reason for Hobbico to buy Revell, to increase their presence in Wal-Mart, et al. This could be a positive thing if it were to happen, as we might actually see such retailers embracing the hobby aspect a bit more. Geez the one thing I said that was certainly positive & you misconstrued that!!!!

I never said anything directly related to what you said. When I have a diffrent opinion, I'm "dismissing everyone who doesn't agree with me", when you have a diffrent opinion, you say that I am "miscontruing" it! I really don't even have that diffrent an opinion. One of us is likely going to be right in this case. One of us posted one option, the other, another. What is so hard to comprehend about THAT?

While I may be wrong here, given their track record in the hobby business, I seriously doubt we'll see a sudden 180 degree switch to an altruistic nature on their part regarding the LHS. I too can wish for it to rain 100 dollar bills, but I have yet to see this phenomenon occur. As to them being a "hobby shop", they are FAR from that & again given their track record I doubt we'll be pleasantly surprised by their actions. At the same time I also don't think we'll be too terribly unpleasantly surprised as much as others may think. I still have, like most here, a "wait & see" attitude.

I agree with this. Are you familair with the term "Devil's Advocate"? Besides, even if that is 100% true, it won't affect me much at all. I don't see any reason to say it's the end of the world. And while that's not been said, and is an exxageration, it makes the same basic point that had been posted...That Revell as we knew it is dead, which I don't see as true.

Once again "whining" comes up. I still want to know why when someone offers an opinion or discusses a problem, that in some way differs from your beliefs or feelings on the subject, that's "whining"? From my viewpoint it's discussion, & the owner of your LHS probably has a valid reason for being unhappy with GP et al. I have yet to meet a LHS owner or manager that's had decent dealings with them. BTW, I never inferred that you weren't aware of these things. i was merely responding to your post in the thread. I had no way of knowing what you did or didn't know of the situation other than what I was responding to. Also my comment on not being able to getting things special ordered was strictly regarding Hobby Lobby, based on my experience working for them & my knowledge of how they order for each store. Once again may I suggest reading & comprehending what is written before jumping to a knee jerk reactionary conclusion?

I suggest you practice what you preach. Here's more of that drivel you are conjuring up to make me look bad. Nobody except YOU said anything about a differing opinion being whining. You are just imagining that. Period! You have suggested that I am not intelligent enough to comprehend the simplest of basic concepts. From what he said, he had every reason to whine. Whining is not what you say but HOW you say it. He was clearly whining, and he had a valid point. Can YOU comprehend the fact that both can happen at the same time?

You seem to enjoy pointing out that I am in your opinion too stupid to comprehend apparently anything posted in this thread. At least I bothered to read it!

That is no diffrent then you trying to make it look like I consider anyone who has the slightest bit of diffrent opinion then me a whiner.

That's both BS, and you know it.

What!?! The majority of the post from people that have dealt with them, while not particularly negative, certainly haven't put as rosy a spin on this as you seem to have read. At best it's been a cautious "wait & see" attitude, which is pretty much what I've offered in my posts on this topic. For myself I'm neither an optimist or a pessimist, I am a realist, & I wasn't upset

Again, if you had actually bothered to read what I wrote, you would see that I actually do have concerns about this and agree with the fact that most of what I originally called whining is true! But, you didn't bother to read what I wrote and missed that part.

Anthony, I have to be honest here, (as I sometimes too often am). I wasn't engaged in a personal battle with Billy

Yes, you were. Someone who is "not in a personal battle" does not post at the very least 7 insults and one post aimed at one person, and I did not even count the ones that were questionable as insults (giving you the benifit of the doubt, although I am not really sure why I should)

You wanted a battle, clearly, and you've got it. I will not let you insult my intelligence and try and construe my words to make me look bad without a fight, or at least, without defending myself.

Billy, I will address this portion of my post to you in the form of a little free advice ... "whining" is very much a loaded word and it's going to generate strong reaction just about anytime you use it, whether you intended for it to or not.

Indeed Ken. Which is why I posted in my reply to Mark that I both A) Read more into it then what was actually there due to what I have seen in the very recent past on all the model car boards and Should have used the word complaining instead of whining.

Too bad Mark didn't bother to read what I said and just tried to squeeze insults out of it!

Anthony, YOU have nothing to apologize for. It's not your fault if one person tries to take over your thread to further his own agenda.

[bobss396]

$64k question: Where are the Wal Marts that are peddling so many kits?

I have several by me, I stopped in 2 while upstate NY this past weekend. I think that between the 5 stores that I have observed that there is a total of 100 model car kits between them.

I saw no checkerboard kits (usually a lot cheaper than regular kits), a few Good Guys kits and some other AMT and Revell kits making up the bulk of the rest. There was no abundance of open shelf space so there's no evidence that they are having trouble keeping them in stock.

I see more kits in KB Toys outlets than I see in any Wal Mart that I have ever been in.