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12-14-2017, 11:39 AM | #1 |
Moderator Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: PA
Posts: 13,922
| HobbiCo / Great Planes / Tower Hobbies
Does anybody know what in the world is going on? Tower is out of stock on lots of products especially those brands that do not fall under the HobbiCo umbrella. This is rare for them. I just went to look up MIP tools and MIP is completely MIA from Tower's website. Again, that's very odd. There have been rumors and news stories (see the link below) for a year or two about financial issues and things just don't seem to be "normal" at Tower lately. Hobbico's deferral of payout upsets, confounds ex-workers | News-Gazette.com Thoughts? Input? |
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12-14-2017, 11:41 AM | #2 |
I wanna be Dave Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 3,643
| Re: HobbiCo / Great Planes / Tower Hobbies
MIP pulled out from selling with Hobbico/Tower last month. Traxxas was dropped a few months before... About the only thing I go to Tower for now is Tamiya, Kyosho, Pro-Line, Axial Last edited by soze; 12-14-2017 at 11:44 AM. |
12-14-2017, 11:47 AM | #3 |
I wanna be Dave Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: .
Posts: 7,967
| Re: HobbiCo / Great Planes / Tower Hobbies
The whole umbrella is collapsing, places I know of that used to get their inventory from great planes use A-main now.
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12-14-2017, 11:53 AM | #4 | |
Moderator Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: PA
Posts: 13,922
| Re: HobbiCo / Great Planes / Tower Hobbies Quote:
I know about the Tower / Traxxas lawsuit and that fallout though. Interesting! My LHS uses Great Planes. I should stop in and pick his brain. I really hope I'm wrong, but it smells like a bankruptcy and liquidation or possible closure coming. | |
12-14-2017, 12:21 PM | #5 |
I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Deep in the Everglades
Posts: 5,816
| Re: HobbiCo / Great Planes / Tower Hobbies
MIP sent customers this email 11/17 I think: I was told STRC is also not available Hang up and Drive |
12-14-2017, 12:28 PM | #6 |
Pebble Pounder Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Manchester, NH
Posts: 148
| Re: HobbiCo / Great Planes / Tower Hobbies
Team Associated started selling with Horizon, which is interesting considering Horizon is their main rival's distributor. It makes me wonder if this is what BSRC was alluding to when they said there was something pretty big (and not good) about to happen in the industry. |
12-14-2017, 12:47 PM | #7 | ||
Moderator Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: PA
Posts: 13,922
| Re: HobbiCo / Great Planes / Tower Hobbies Quote:
STRC items are listed, but most are out of stock. This is not looking good. Quote:
A friend mentioned the BSRC article to me. I hadn't seen it. But I'm starting to get worried that it is about one this company. | ||
12-14-2017, 12:54 PM | #8 | |
I wanna be Dave Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 3,643
| Re: HobbiCo / Great Planes / Tower Hobbies Quote:
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12-14-2017, 12:55 PM | #9 |
Pebble Pounder Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Manchester, NH
Posts: 148
| Re: HobbiCo / Great Planes / Tower Hobbies
The rumor is that the Traxxas lawsuit is draining them, financially.
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12-14-2017, 01:00 PM | #10 |
Pebble Pounder Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Manchester, NH
Posts: 148
| Re: HobbiCo / Great Planes / Tower Hobbies |
12-14-2017, 01:16 PM | #11 |
I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Raleigh-ish vicinity
Posts: 3,846
| Re: HobbiCo / Great Planes / Tower Hobbies
Nearly all the Tamiya vehicles are out of stock at Tower too. Gift certificates to Tower may not be a good present this holiday season (unless you really want an Axial or anything from Arrma that isn't a Nero). |
12-14-2017, 01:34 PM | #12 |
I wanna be Dave Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 3,643
| Re: HobbiCo / Great Planes / Tower Hobbies
I guess I need to pick up that kit I've been hesitating on when my ecash rewards come in.
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12-15-2017, 11:08 AM | #13 | |
Moderator Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: PA
Posts: 13,922
| Re: HobbiCo / Great Planes / Tower Hobbies Quote:
Yep, spend that eCash before the end of the year! You never know what the future holds, sadly. | |
12-15-2017, 01:01 PM | #14 | ||
RCC Addict Join Date: May 2015 Location: Price Twp.
Posts: 1,291
| Re: HobbiCo / Great Planes / Tower Hobbies Quote: Quote:
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12-15-2017, 01:23 PM | #15 |
Pebble Pounder Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Manchester, NH
Posts: 148
| Re: HobbiCo / Great Planes / Tower Hobbies That is the one really cryptic statement. I'm not saying this is about Hobbico, like I know anymore than the rest of you. I'm sure most of you are more plugged in than me in the industry. However, there are certain dots that may connect... Hobbico can't make option payouts in 2016. Traxxas sues over the Nero and pulls distribution. Hobbico laid off more people in 2017, allegedly because the lawsuit is draining them. Associated partners up with rival Horizon/Losi. MIP ends relationship. Lots of non-Hobbico brands on "backorder" or "order pending" If you look at Horizon's site vs Tower's in the Associated section for example, Horizon has more in stock than Tower. So, it isn't a supply problem. It makes me wonder if Hobbico is having trouble paying their bills. I hope that is not the case... |
12-15-2017, 01:35 PM | #16 |
I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Deep in the Everglades
Posts: 5,816
| HobbiCo / Great Planes / Tower Hobbies
I was told by my LHS that they can’t get select brands (from Great Plains) due to the Traxxas lawsuit , these partners depend on Traxxas sales to sell their products, so they are applying subtle pressure back at Hobbico and it seems to be working Hang up and Drive |
12-15-2017, 01:49 PM | #17 | |
I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Raleigh-ish vicinity
Posts: 3,846
| Re: HobbiCo / Great Planes / Tower Hobbies Quote:
On the jobs in Champaign County | News-Gazette.com They have dropped from 700 employees in 1997 to a little over 400 in 2017. | |
12-15-2017, 01:59 PM | #18 | |
I wanna be Dave Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 3,643
| Re: HobbiCo / Great Planes / Tower Hobbies Quote:
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12-15-2017, 02:11 PM | #19 |
Pebble Pounder Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Manchester, NH
Posts: 148
| Re: HobbiCo / Great Planes / Tower Hobbies |
12-15-2017, 02:13 PM | #20 |
I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: North Idaho
Posts: 3,647
| Re: HobbiCo / Great Planes / Tower Hobbies "Hobbico has experienced many difficulties this last year, such as intensified competition and what appears to be a hobby-industry recession," Is it that the hobby industry is in recession, or are we, the customers finding better/cheaper places to get our wears? I have bought a couple of things through Tower this last year, but I do a lot more buying through my LHS, Amazon, and other hobby sites. I don't think the problem is not having enough mustard, the problem is that it is being spread thinner. |
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