Grandt Line is closing their doors in June:
Rusty
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I hope someone buys the line. I think it would be a big loss to the hobby if their stuff just disappears.
I hope Jay, the savior of O-Scale businesses, can take over that one too. He did such a fantastic job with saving Lou's business.
That is an abysmal loss for the O scale do-it-yourselfers.
Yves
Yves posted:I hope Jay, the savior of O-Scale businesses, can take over that one too. He did such a fantastic job with saving Lou's business.
That is an abysmal loss for the O scale do-it-yourselfers.
Yves
It may make better sense for Tichy to step up and expand their product line to fill the void where they do not already overlap.
That is really a huge loss to the hobby. It will be a problem for kit makers as well as scratch builders.
MELGAR
With little influx of younger customers and a rapidly dwindling older customer base I look for more and more small companies to close their doors.
This is sad news indeed. I have boxes of their products that I go to all the time for my scratchbuilding needs.
Mike
Even worse for overseas modellers who don't have endless shows to go to where you might pick up old stock (if they don't sell the business)
wild mary posted:With little influx of younger customers
Perhaps in your area.
Very sad news. ncng
Times like this make me wish I was younger and rich.
Dick
Okay....all emotion aside....finally....
Here's hoping (with Martin) that someone like Don Tichy (Tichy Train Group), experienced and familiar with quality molded plastic parts for the scratcher and detailer, will step in and perpetuate this.
But Grandt Line is not alone in this stage of business life. There are currently other manufacturers/purveyors of detail parts/kits, especially serving the HO market, that we (LHS) have noted are having serious shortages of supply/continuity in their product lines. Perhaps it's a chronic illness, perhaps it's a need for sabbatical. But, perhaps, it's foretelling their need to turn out the lights, lock the door, enjoy life as God would provide.
Lots of discussions about the demographics...present/future...of this hobby. Sometimes we forget that that can apply to those who have been talented, passionate, and dedicated enough to provide us with even the simplest of supporting products, as well as those of us enjoying the availability of the fruits of their labor.
Scale City Designs stepped in to perpetuate Keil Lines. The Rands stepped in to continue Berkshire Valley. White River Publications has taken the reins of O Scale Trains magazine. Minuteman Scale Models continues the Scalecoat paint line formerly held by Weaver. Etc., etc., etc..
God Bless them all!
KD
GenesisFan99 posted:wild mary posted:With little influx of younger customers
Perhaps in your area.
Peter you're an exception. I certainly wish there were more young O Gauge modelers like you joining the ranks. I live in Baltimore and we have some pretty big train shows. From my observations most of the younger guys are drawn the HO.
I just ran across this Grandt Line news over on the 3RO Forum. K-line. Weaver. Rail Graphics Decals (grrr!). Now Grandt Line. Yeah, we Hi-Railers feel the loss, too. I haven't bought from them in a while; I should go see what I "need".
This hobby is getting harder to do, steadily. The Death From a Thousand Cuts. And Grandt is more HO than O; if the Main Scale can't support this sort of thing, what are we more marginal types going to do?
Of course, people get old and want to retire; what may be to us an institution, is to the owner ultimately "merely a job", and we all want to go to the house.
With my last order I thanked them for the service to the hobby, the reply simply revealed that the second generation of Grandt's have been running it for quite some time now. Grandt Line has been in business for 63 years. The owners are aging-out and are tired. The loss of Grandt line will be felt for sure, but I wish them well.
Andre
Big loss Rob
