SQUADRON MAIL ORDER CLOSING ITS DOORS

[fubar57]

From another site I just found out that its the end for Squadron. Sad news but as a Canadian I never shopped there for years after the U.S. Postal service changed its rates and made it very costly for shipping. The lower Canadian dollar certainly hurt as well

 

[Crimea_River]

I guess that's why they had the sale. Not a loss to me for the same reason.

 

[Capt. Vick]

I bought a few books at their last (70% off!) sale only to have them refund me yesterday... Didn't they own the Verlinden line? I wonder if the squadron book series are also dead.

 

[fubar57]

 

[Crimea_River]

Was there any sign this was coming? Seemed very sudden, especially with people's sale orders being cancelled and money refunded.

 

[fubar57]

I read about it in Hyperscale
here Squadron Website Still Closed
and here Squadron 70% Off Sale

 

[PlasticHero]

I'm sad to see the end of Squadron. If the local hobby shop didn't have something, they were my mail go to.

 

[Lucky13]

Shame, sad to see them go, but if you gonna survive today....

 

[special ed]

They had periodic sales for many months which allowed me to replace older "in action" series and others lost in hurricane Katrina at very reasonable prices. Also decal sheets.

 

[cvairwerks]

Bought lots of stuff from them over the years. Was nice to put together an online order and run over there on Saturday mornings and pick it all up. Interesting, in that nothing was said about them closing in the emails I got this last week. Wonder if they are going thru a reorganization and maybe a building move. The building they were in for the last 10 years or so was pretty large... around 51,000 square feet.

 

[Donivanp]

I used to shop with them and they became the most expensive MO out there and their shipping rates were the highest. I started going to Scale hobbyist and Sprue Brothers. If you haven't tried Scale hobbyist. Check them out

Scalehobbyist.com: Model airplanes, ships, military vehicles and modeling supplies

 

[hawkeye2an]

Sad, when I was a kid my dad would place an order with them a couple times a year, starting in 1968 when they first opened. He could put an order in the mail with a check and we would get it UPS in exactly a week. Unheard of service for that time. We also got their magazine, yes MAGAZINE that was 1/2 modeling articles and 1/2 catalog. I learned that there were people out there who could build models even better than my dad could.

 

[GrumpyOldCrewChief]

As a youngster, I would go to their brick-and-mortar store in suburban Detroit several times a year. This was before their mail order was much of a thing. The completed models on display were museum level, and amazed young me, and gave me something to strive for. Later, I felt a bit betrayed when they closed the stores, and moved the then thriving mail order to the (now defunct) Carrolton TX location. Sad to see them go. The various lines of products they supported, and especially the in-house detail providers will be sorely missed. Any body know of any plans for the various lines? Books, Vac-forms, etc.?

 

[mikesierra]

Sad to here that they are closing, I had to give up buying from them due to the excessive postage for Italy.
Quite all the US shops are becoming too expensive for the European even if many of them have interesting offers.
mike sierra

 

[Airframes]

Very sad to hear.
The Hannant's (UK) web site has today announced this too, revealing that Squadron had filed for bankruptcy - the many sales and price reductions lately may have been an indicator of this - so items such as True Details parts, vac-form canopies and others, will no longer be available when stocks run out. Unless, of course, someone takes over the production facilities for these items.

 

[fubar57]

Hopefully someone picks up the resin molds. I've used a few and these are great; better than others that I've read about

 

[Bernhart]

where do my fellow Canadians order from? Area I live in is sparse in any type of stores selling kits and supplies

 

[fubar57]

where do my fellow Canadians order from? Area I live in is sparse in any type of stores selling kits and supplies

For kits I hit eBay for a while, building up a retirement stash. It took quite a while as I didn't want to pay more than $40CAN including shipping. I live a 4hr round trip to what vaguely resembles a hobbyshop and can pick up some Tamiya and Vallejo paint plus glue. Here are a few Canadian sites
Mr. Hobby Acrysion
• Online shopping Canada and USA Model Kits Paints Airbrushing Tools
LEGENDS WAREHOUSE.....Great prices on your games everyday!

 

[Bernhart]

thanks, will look into them

 

[Crimea_River]

The last model I bought online was my pre-ordered Airfix Spitfire XIV straight from Airfix. Bad idea for exchange rate and shipping cost. Other than that, I have bought kits and accessories directly from Eduard.com who were, and still are, reasonable.