Another ship model company up for sale

Modeling Subjects Ships
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The Model Expo website indicates that the owners of the company are thinking seriously of retiring and putting the firm up for sale.

This is the second such announcement within the last few months. Earlier the owners of Bluejacket indicated they were looking for a buyer. They later clarified that they were only interested in selling to somebody who would run the company right, and that there was no imminent danger of BJ going out of business. I’ve seen no indication that such a buyer has been found yet. (It certainly won’t be me.)

I’ve always had a mixed attitude toward Model Expo. It appears to be the leading American distributor of those awful HECEPOB (Hideously Expensive Continental European Plank-On-Bulkhead) kits, the vast majority of which are gross parodies of scale models. And Model Expo fittings are, to say the least, highly variable in quality.

On the other hand, Model Expo has for quite a few years now been the manufacturer and distributor of Model Shipways kits. Old-timers who can remember back to the sixties and seventies have a huge nostalgic feeling for that grand old company, and most (I won’t say quite all) of the kits Model Expo has added to the MS line, or modified from MS originals, have been good, well-designed replicas based on sound research and good plans. The Model Shipways line is a big, vital part of the American wood ship model kit industry.

Here’s hoping that good, conscientious buyers - ones who understand scale ship modeling - can be found for both ME and BJ. (And if a new Model Expo were to stop importing HECEPOBs I wouldn’t complain.) If those two firms were to go under, the American wood ship model industry would be virtually dead. (I have hopes for the revived A.J. Fisher, but it sure doesn’t seem to have released much yet - ten years after the new owners took over.) The demise of either Bluejacket or Model Expo would be a terrible thing for the hobby.

2

That is sad to hear.

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I have been an ME customer for many years. I have always gotten good service and for many model ship items they were the only game in town. I do hope someone buys them with the idea of continuing their business. I have noticed a gradual drop in the amount of rigging and other period ship fittings both from ME and the few other companies that offer them. I hope they don’t all disappear. I’m willing to scratch hulls and spars, but no way I want to scratch make many dozen blocks or deadeyes!

4

Don :

I am with you on that ! my sailing vessels are lucky to be graced with many , many , blocks and deadeyes purchased years ago at an event in California where the owner was shutting down .I purchased in bulk 1/96 scale and I can probably do the Constitution and the Queen Annes Revenge , then they are all gone .i’ll try to find the good old Connie at a yard or flea sale and buy the ship built or still in kit form for those things .Like you I cannot see sitting there with tri-focals creating those little scudders .

5

Sad news indeed! Fortunately I have a few built-up ship models from Bluejacket and they are museum quality kits that I treasure. Also, I’ve still have spares of blocks, deadeyes, and various deck fittings that are used as back-ups in case of missing/damaged parts. Now I’m wondering if these small items are still available somewhere just in case. Any ideas?

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They are still available from Bluejacket, who are very much in business.

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I recently got an e-mail newsletter from Bluejacket, announcing that it had found a buyer. There was also a message from this individual (whose name I fear I’ve forgotten), in which he gave the impression that he’s just the sort of guy we’d like to see running such a company: a veteran modeler with a respect for and understanding of the hobby, and some interesting ideas for the future. (He specifically mentioned miniature figures for ship models. Yay!)

Maybe Al Ross can fill us in further, but it looks to me like the news from Bluejacket is great. Let’s hope something similar happens at Model Expo.

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The new owner is an excellent modeler (despite being a stick and string type :-} ), a long-time BJ customer, very enthusiastic about the company, very customer-oriented, and a gear-head - all good things in my mind. Look for some interesting new stuff as the year progresses.

Al Ross

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I’m really getting worried about Model Expo. As most sailing ship modelers probably know, the company for years has advertised special web sales on its website, with the sale merchandise and the prices changing every few weeks. The last new sale was a Valentine’s Day one that, according to the website, expired February 21. That was two weeks ago. No new sale announcement since.

The website now lists only three Model Shipways solid-hull kits: the Phantom, Sultana, and Harriet Lane. All three have been marked “out of stock” for some time. Several of the plank-on-bulkhead Model Shipways kits are out of stock as well. And almost all of the HECEPOB kits are in the same category.

I know not all modelers like solid-hull wood kits - and they do have some serious drawbacks. But I’d hate to see all the Model Shipways ones disappear. I’ve got an Elsie that (fortunately) I bought a couple of years ago, and the machine-carved hull is beautiful. (Better, I have to say, than the Bluejacket solid hulls I’ve seen recently - but maybe the ones I’ve seen aren’t typical.)

As Mr. Stauffer noted earlier, Model Expo’s catalog of fittings has shrunk a great deal recently. The number of sizes of wood stock has also gone down - and a lot of common sizes are out of stock. (I did get a nice flyer from Model Expo in the mail recently. It advertises boxwood strips - on which I’d love to stock up. But all four supposedly available sizes are marked “out of stock” on the website.)

Until a week or so ago, each kit page on the website had a section for comments from customers. Those sections are gone now.

The website does (thank you, ME) indicate how many of the available kits are in stock. I’ve been eying the plank-on-bulkhead Flying Fish for a long time. I know I wouldn’t get around to it for at least a couple of years, but only five are in stock…I’d also like to try one or two of the recent plank-on-frame small boats; the stock situation for them looks a lot better.

Worrisome. As I said earlier, I’ve had a long and slightly mixed relationship with Model Expo. But the most recent Model Shipways kits - especially the small craft - appear to be superb. (As do the Model Airways WWI aircraft and the old wagons and stagecoach. I’d love to build that big Jenny, but I don’t know where I’d put it.) Model Expo’s disappearance would be a big blow to ship modeling.

The good news is that the new ownership of Bluejacket certainly seems to be carrying on that fine company’s traditions with gusto. Long live Bluejacket - and, I fervently hope, Model Expo too.

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I really hope ME can find a buyer!! There are at least 3 ship kits I want to get (Pride Of Baltimore, Pinace, and longboat), but I don’t have the money for right now. I was druling over the Triplane too, but I don’t think they ever had more than a few availble. I’m glad I got the Fair American when I did!! That is a nice kit, as were some others I had, but have unfortunatly sold over the years, thinking I could replace them in the future!

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There was a company, A. J. Fisher, that went out of business a number of years ago. They sold plans, fittings, and a few (wooden) kits. After being dormant for a number of years, someone bought the assets and brought the company back. They haven’t gotten fittings back into production yet, but at least the bringing back of some of their line brings hope.

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Another interesting and worrisome thing about the ME website: the “About Model Expo,” “Leadership Team,” “News,” and “Guarantees” buttons no longer function. Optimistic interpretation: a change of ownership is in progress. Pessimistic interpretation: the company is in the process of going under.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

13

Well, today the home page still guides you to a page describing a sale that (it says) ended February 21, and the sale prices are still on that page. But when you click on the individual items that are (or were) on sale, the sale prices are gone; the items are back to full price.

So somebody is manning the ME website, but there’s no hint of what’s going on. I guess we’ll have to stay tuned.

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For what it’s worth, I follow the Model Expo Online page on Facebook, and they update frequently with special offers, and lots of people comment on their page regarding their recent purchases and projects and whatnot…from that perspective, they seem to be alive…in fact, just this afternoon they mentioned the MAD14 offer code on a post…

It is strange that some of the page functionality is down…could be any number of things. I’ve always thought their format was a little clunky, anyway…perhaps they’re just preparing to re-launch the site? optimist

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There was an interesting note posted on the MSW site recently that may help explain some of the swirl at Model Expo:

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/4899-big-change-at-model-expo-and-i-need-help/

Essentially… The owner of the company had stepped back for a number of years and let his hired gun run the company and try to pull them into the next century with online sales. The guy recently took a more lucrative job offer and the owner is now stepping back into the operations to try and bring the quality of their products and service back to a high level. You can follow the link to find ways to submit constructive input on how they can improve the customer experience…

It may also be the case that the owner would be open to selling the company instead of dedicating himself to running the operation again…

Evan

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Very interesting. Thanks for the link, Force9.

That series of posts on the Modelshipworld site does, I think, a pretty good job of addressing most of the problems I’ve ever had with Model Expo - and it certainly looks like Mr. Mosko sincerely wants to do something about them. (I’d add afew more suggestions: quit selling HECEPOB kits. Drop Mamoli and Corel, as you dropped Artist in the Latrine. Bring back the best of the Amati line, and add Calder/Jotika. But I gather not all the folks at Modelshipworld would be happy if all that happened.)

What a litany of horror stories. Shoddy wood, bad castings, burned laser-cut parts, and plywood with voids in it. I have to say I haven’t had those experiences. The Elsie kit that I’m about to start has a hull carved from a single, beautiful piece of basswood, the castings are nice without exception, and the other wood parts look fine. (There’s no plywood or laser-cutting.) And the plans are simply the best I’ve ever seen in a ship model kit.

I was particularly cheered by the announcement of a new catalog, with lots of new stuff in it. I hope that doesn’t just refer to what I got in the mail the other day, which I’d describe as a flyer. If you click on “Catalog” on the ME home page, you get a catalog dated 2012.

The last post in that thread is dated February 28. It looks to me like something important has happened at ME since then. I’m encouraged, though; Mr. Mosko doesn’t seem like the type who’d hand over his company to somebody who didn’t know what he/she was doing. Let’s hope something gets resolved soon.

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I messaged ME on Facebook, with regard to their plans for the future…Here’s the response I got:

[Model Expo Online Hello Dave,

I am happy to tell you that we are solidly in business and together with our 15 employees we are committed to making great products well into the future.

Aside from top secret kits still in the works here are our new kit releases scheduled for 2014:

–Model Shipways U.S.S. Essex and U.S.S. Cairo

–Model Trailways 1:12 scale Chuck Wagon, 1:12 scale Phillips 66 horse-drawn Oil Tanker and 1:12 Allerton horse-drawn Fire Engine - all metal kit (the world’s finest)

–Model Airways Fokker DR1 Tri-Plane (Red Baron)

Did you get our new 2014 40th Anniversary catalog? If not, give us a call so we can send you one.

Better yet, if you are ever in South Florida near the beach … come have coffee with us and see what an American ship model factory looks like!

Model Expo]

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Well, the ME website seems to be back in operation - and announcing a new St. Paddy’s Day sale. I checked on a handful of items that have been out of stock for a long time - and they still are. But, as the Facebook message Dave told us about confirms, the company seems to be healthily alive and kicking. And a nice surprise: they’re bringing back the solid-hull 1/96 Newsboy. Handsome little brigantine.

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Indeed good news about Model Expo. I just have the proverbial stupid question–what does HECEPOB stand for?? Hope it’s not a secret society. I just hate initiations.

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I have to confess that HECEPOB is my own personal contribution to the English language. It’s an acronym for Hideously Expensive Continental European Plank-On-Bulkead. Examples of HECEPOB manufacturers include Corel, Mamoli, Mantua, and Artisania Latina (aka Artist in the Latrine); there are others. Serious scale modelers avoid them.

No initiation necessary. Just a relatively shallow wallet and an interest in what ships actually look like.