ModelZone seeking Administration

[Jol Wilkinson]

When one of the biggish internet sites closed a model shop near to me purchased their stock.

 

Significant mark up on prices, especially the US stuff.

 

I do mean significant.

 

Greedy s*ds. 

 

You could say the same of those that look for the biggest discount/lowest price that they can get on anything.

 

Of course, if it's an individual getting stuff cheap, then that's okay. If it's a business making a profit, then it's seen as a different matter.

[woodenhead]

Isn't that the case with all of MZ?

 

Until a closure date is announced by the Administrators all branches are trading in the hope of an offer for all or part of the business. So far none has been received.

See here:

http://www.creditman.biz/uk/members/news-view.asp?newsviewID=18336

Or straight from the horse's mouth:

http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_GB/uk/news/news-releases/747b5f14df2df310VgnVCM2000003356f70aRCRD.htm

 

Keith

The Trafford Centre MZ does have a 'closing down' note in the window.

[fender]

Is Modelzone in Brighton still open?

 

Are there any other local model shops worth a visit while I am on holiday down here?

 

Eltel

 

another good one is The Hobby Box, in Uckfield. nice little shop with very helpful staff.

[Ruffnut Thorston]

Status report on Modelzone Chester as at this afternoon (Tuesday)...

 

Standard closing down, etc. signs up.

 

Staff carrying on, but as well informed as the other branch reports above...

 

(Some of the staff were with the "Arts and Crafts Centre" in the Arcade Shop years ago, and have survived the move to Bridge Street Row, and Model Zone....)

 

A good amout of Railway stock left.

 

Bachmann Locos and Rolling Stock. (Including MZ exclusives...)

 

A good amount of N Gauge, including both versions of the Blue Pullman.

 

A few Ratio Kits

 

PECO Points, etc.

 

Some Evergreen strips and sheets.

 

Plenty of various make paints, Tamiya, Revell, and Humbrol.

 

A good amoiunt of Diecast cars, etc.

 

(Hornby stuff, of course... )

 

Plenty of plastic kits in the military, etc. section.

 

Scalextric and other stuff downstairs that I didn't bother with...

 

As this could be one of my last chances, I bought a few things that I have been thinking about getting...

[valeofyork]

I went into the Harrogate and Leeds branches today. Both had a handful of Bachmann / Farish stuff, all with 20% off, and a lot of Hornby stuff, mostly at the RRP, with a few items at a discount applied before the chain went into administration (but in most cases still more expensive than available elsewhere). I didn't buy anything.

[big jim]

Status report on Modelzone Chester as at this afternoon (Tuesday)........

 

it branches like chester that i think are a shame to see going, also deansgate (although i never used it but knew of it pre modelzone), there are no doubt others too, they to my eyes were "traditional" model shops bought under the modelzone banner only to be now closing down, when i was little i used to love going to the old shop in chester with my mum, down the narrow windy stairs to the basement holding on to the well worn shiny brass handrail to see the locos on display, pre Bachmann days of course, maybe buy a superquick kit or some Hornby figures, even the new shop (before modelzone) had a traditional feel about it with the arts and craft section on the first floor

 

the big "superstore" shopping mall shops had that cloned, sterile, corporate feel about them that the "swallowed up" shops like chester managed to steer away from as best as they could

[trisonic]

It's like watching "A death by a thousand cuts".......horrible.

 

Best, Pete.

[oreamnos]

Just spoken to SignalBox. They are not officially closing down, and remain in Administration. So potentially all is not lost with them.

 

Interesting.  I spoke to Oliver at TSB this morning and he said that they'd been told the shop would be shut within 2 weeks but no final date had been set.  The whole situation is very fluid ATM.  It's a pity but now I don't have much hope for TSB's chances.

 

Matt

[Dr Al]

I dropped in to mine again today to stock up on a few paints I missed the first time round, and there were a couple of interesting things to note - little appeared to have sold (shelves were all still stocked to similar levels, some a little down).

 

This could be due to the fact that some items appeared to have been re-stocked (paints in this case)! Presumably stocks from 'out the back'....

 

Staff were still saying final closure would come within 2 weeks..

 

Cheers,

Alan

[Belsay Lad]

I dropped in to mine again today to stock up on a few paints I missed the first time round, and there were a couple of interesting things to note - little appeared to have sold (shelves were all still stocked to similar levels, some a little down).

 

This could be due to the fact that some items appeared to have been re-stocked (paints in this case)! Presumably stocks from 'out the back'....

 

Staff were still saying final closure would come within 2 weeks..

 

Cheers,

Alan

 

'This could be due to the fact that some items appeared to have been re-stocked (paints in this case)! Presumably stocks from 'out the back'....'

 

Or it might be a good sign? 

 

HMV were going to close all the branches in the my town and they shunted the stock into a couple of outlets. But due to the support they got these two have remained open. Hopefully the same might be the case for MZ and, more importantly, their staff who need a job.  

[Dr Al]

Or it might be a good sign? 

 

Possibly, though the first time I was in the door to the stockroom was wide open, and there appeared to be plenty out the back!

 

Cheers,

Alan

[pete_mcfarlane]

Possibly, though the first time I was in the door to the stockroom was wide open, and there appeared to be plenty out the back!

 

Cheers,

Alan

 

Possibly another sign of why they've gone belly up. Too much money tied up in slow shifting stock?

[Mark Kay]

Called in the Hull branch yesterday, notices say the shop is closing. Prices even with the discounts are still high. The staff there were laying the blame directly at head office and were very unhappy.

 

I personally don't get the business model. If they had used all the branches as box shifters and not just the Signal Box outlet I'm sure they wouldn't be closing. MZ were never my first port of call because stuff is/was overpriced.

[Dr Al]

Possibly another sign of why they've gone belly up. Too much money tied up in slow shifting stock?

 

I did wonder that today - a lot of the aircraft models are of possibly more obscure types, certainly a proponderance of odd German ones in the shop I visited. Also a lot of very large and in many cases very expensive aircraft models and ships - a lot of these won't be easy to sell just because of their size. Having said that, if you have the space and fancy one, there were some really decent deals on some of the larger stuff - e.g. 1:48 Flying Fortress for £15 (that's £7 cheaper than the 1:72 scale ones on the shelves nearby). Big big model though (wingspan > 2 feet!).

 

In terms of the railway stock, the stuff that has been discounted is barely reaching the levels of online prices, so unsurprisingly it was all still there. If they really want to liquidate this they'll have to consider further cuts I think.

 

Cheers,

Alan

[The Stationmaster]

Possibly another sign of why they've gone belly up. Too much money tied up in slow shifting stock?

And apparently the main warehouse is still well stocked according to what I was told today.  But there is now stuff (non-railway) on the shelves of the Reading branch which hasn't seen the light of day for a long time, quite a few rockets (max altitude 700ft it says on the box) and even a 1:72 model of one of the US manned flight launch boosters - that must have been stashed in a dark corner for years.  All of which leaves me wondering what on earth they've got stuffed away in the warehouse?

[ELTEL]

I was in the Brighton shop today and there was also a lot strange plastic kits mostly at 20% off

 

Paint stocks showing lots of gaps, hardly any Bachmann, but quite a lot of Hornby not in the sale.

 

As I have never used MZ I doubt I will miss them, always try to support my local models shops and the traders who support oue clubs annual exhibition.

 

Sorry for the modellers who closure of MZ does effect and of course the staff who will lose ther jobs

 

Cruel world retailing

 

Eltel

[mike tugsandsheds]

Anyone know if Modelzone at Trafford Centre still trading ??

[ShuntShed]

I was in the Brighton shop today and there was also a lot strange plastic kits mostly at 20% off

 

Paint stocks showing lots of gaps, hardly any Bachmann, but quite a lot of Hornby not in the sale.

 

As I have never used MZ I doubt I will miss them, always try to support my local models shops and the traders who support oue clubs annual exhibition.

 

Sorry for the modellers who closure of MZ does effect and of course the staff who will lose ther jobs

 

Cruel world retailing

 

Eltel

The Brighton store never really had much Bachmann stuff it was all mostly Hornby in the glass containers. Maybe this was another downfall, too much RRP Hornby products and not enough Bachmann products in stores. This only applies to the stores i have been to however.

[orcadian]

Google can be useful!  Top entry for 'modelzone administration' at this time shows that RipMax (R/C models, etc) have bought Amerang, MZ's wholesale partner by setting up a new division which will be staffed by the current Amerang staff. Good news for them, and for the R/C aircraft, helicopter and car enthusiasts!

 

However, the MZ retail side of the story is not good - plans are still underway for the closure of all 47 MZ Stores within the next few (now 10 or so?) days.  At present, all stores are still trading, but in the manner frequently described in this thread, and that will change abruptly when the Administrators make their final decisions and announcement.

 

This is my own precis of a Google entry from a financial/business journal that is, as mentioned, available to anyone through Google, which can also point to a recent interview in theargus.co.uk/news with David Mordecai, the Cuckfield founder of Modelzone, which gives his frank opinion on where it all started to go wrong.

 

Richard

[melmerby]

Google can be useful!  Top entry for 'modelzone administration' at this time shows that RipMax (R/C models, etc) have bought Amerang, MZ's wholesale partner by setting up a new division which will be staffed by the current Amerang staff. Good news for them, and for the R/C aircraft, helicopter and car enthusiasts!

 

However, the MZ retail side of the story is not good - plans are still underway for the closure of all 47 MZ Stores within the next few (now 10 or so?) days.  At present, all stores are still trading, but in the manner frequently described in this thread, and that will change abruptly when the Administrators make their final decisions and announcement.

 

This is my own precis of a Google entry from a financial/business journal that is, as mentioned, available to anyone through Google, which can also point to a recent interview in theargus.co.uk/news with David Mordecai, the Cuckfield founder of Modelzone, which gives his frank opinion on where it all started to go wrong.

 

Richard

 

You don't need to Google, you can get it in original form direct from Deloitte:

http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_GB/uk/news/news-releases/0a0e61ad01def310VgnVCM1000003256f70aRCRD.htm

 

Keith

[melmerby]

Just been in the MZ branch in Brum

 

Notice claims: Closing down 20% -50% off all stock except Hornby & Scalextric.

Found: 20% off railway related items (Bachmann/Peco/Wills/Metcalfe etc.)

            50% off most Airfix and Humbrol products (Hornby group!), Revell paints, modelling materials etc.

 

Hornby shelves somewhat depleted (stock returned to Hornby?)

 

Keith

[Xerces Fobe2]

 

Hornby shelves somewhat depleted (stock returned to Hornby?)

 

Keith

I am aware of this but was always under the impression that all stock on a company' s site was seen as that companies property even if they hadn't paid for it with company in Hornby's position having no direct call on the stock but they would be a creditor and receive a share if what was left (if anything)when the company was wound up?

 

XF

[Jenny Emily]

I have taken the view that this is now very much a case of "use it or lose it" and have voted with my purse by buying a lot of stuff over the phone from The Signalbox. Hopefully if enough stock can be sold from each outlet then there will be a case for saving in some way the stores which have performed well. At any rate, this might be the last chance to obtain some of the special commissions, and I bought the Charringtons TTA set, the LMR shunter 'Basra' and the 08 'Starlet'. 

[Dr Al]

            50% off most Airfix and Humbrol products (Hornby group!), Revell paints, modelling materials etc.

 

 

Has this been extended to the Airfix kits? The two times I've been in only 20% off them in my local store, with 50% on the paints and materials like you say.

 

Cheers,

Alan

[Andrew1974]

I am aware of this but was always under the impression that all stock on a company' s site was seen as that companies property even if they hadn't paid for it with company in Hornby's position having no direct call on the stock but they would be a creditor and receive a share if what was left (if anything)when the company was wound up?

 

XF

 

Whilst this can be true, in Hornby's case it would seem that some of the their items are on a consignment basis, with Modelzone effectively acting as a sales agent.  In this case the relevant stock will belong to Hornby.