# Aristo-craft to close



## Big Ed

Aristo-Craft G scale trains.


I just got this in an e mail.

If anyone has any maybe they ought to stock up on parts.

Polk’s Will Close Its Doors 12-31-13

October 1st, 2013

Since 1935, we have provided service and innovation to the Hobby industry. In this latest downturn, we cut back staff to the minimum required to survive. Then the government battle over the debt ceiling drove the consumer market down even further.

We’ve managed to stay in business, but the continued depression for the consumer has caused us to fall into debt that is unsustainable. We have put several million dollars into product development over recent years, but the need for customers to cut back on non-essentials has caused this investment to be lacking in returns.

We have seen leisure activities like golf courses plunge in popularity, as funds for such recreation have dried up. It seems to be the same for hobby time investments. Our products are no longer inexpensive as they were in the 1930s-era Depression. The cost of manufacturing along with minimum production runs and long lead times has caused a lack of ability to continue as a sustainable entity. It’s no longer a business!

It has been a pleasure to help our creative consumer base to enjoy their hobby and we have no regrets in doing so. Our business grew every year until the 2008 as the recession caused a shrinking of the mindset to stay active in our large-scale model train arena. We know that smaller scales have remained viable, but the higher cost of Large Scale trains and the space required to run them have not maintained their share of the market. Our airplane R/C portion of our business was lost when our patented frequency changer was lost to the 2.4Ghz portion of the marketplace, with no frequency compounds needed any longer.

For 80 years, the Polk family has made a fair living in the Hobby industry. I can’t help but remember the scores of co-workers that have helped make this organization as special as it was. Thanks to them all, but notably: Gil Rose, B.M. Song, J.K. Kim, Sam Kimm, Tom Flynn, Cliff Crane, Charlie Binder, Marvin Binder, John and Sherry Shievdayal, Aixa Lebron, Joe Bamberger, David Newell, Walter Matuch, John Mikesh, Navin Shievdayal, Marguerite Hubert (Rose), Michael J. Vickey, Jonathan Polk, Scott Polk, Fred Polk, Irwin Polk, Nathan Polk, Maryann Polk Bob Calandra, George Adams, Michael Hauptmann and so many others, it would take a book to list them all. While I can’t list all the hundreds that were part of the team, they remain in my heart and mind.

Our humble thanks to our loyal customers. Our apologies for not being able to keep this almost 80-year-old business going. It’s a heartbreaker for us all.


All the best,
The Polk Family


I wonder if RMT will follow?

I don't think so but you never know. 
They always have their sale prices all the time, but you never know if they are just cleaning inventory off their shelves to follow Aristo-Craft.
It wasn't too long ago the RMT joined up with Aristo right?


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## gunrunnerjohn

RMT is owned by AristoCraft, so they may well go under as well. The stuff gets shipped from AristoCraft when you buy from RMT, so it sounds like they're an integrated group. I'll ask out at York if I see RMT there.


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## Big Ed

Yes Walter merged with them not too long ago I think.

I guess if he is going to follow we will get an email from him to.


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## Big Ed

Walter sent this e mail out,

NOTE: RMT was 'off-line' from about 12 noon on Tuesday, October 1 until about 4:30PM today/Thursday October 3rd due to a telephone company switching station 'melt-down' in my area. Sorry I could not contact anyone online, but those that called, I tried to answer their questions the best I could.

First of all, RMT is not closing. The Polk's are closing their business. I (and my wife Susie) still own RMT 100%. As our product line grew, especially after much of the former Kline train molds became available to RMT, it became necessary to partner with Polk's/Aristo to utilize their resources to continue RMT's expansion. For this I have no regrets as the Polk Family was great to work with.

Starting tomorrow morning/Friday/October 4th, both the RMT and RMT by AristO websites will again be accepting orders for RMT product. Whatever is currently in stock will be available for sale. I spent today checking all the nooks and crannies in the ARISTO warehouse to find any RMT items that may have been overlooked and were previously listed as sold out.

All the 'yellow box' RMT by AristO items need to be sold by December 31st as this licensing between RMT and AristO will end then. Going into 2014, I fully expect to continue RMT as an independent company and produce those many items shown in the RMT catalog and online at www.readymadetoys.com

At this time, there will be no incoming shipments of any new RMT products until 2014.

To move RMT forward, I ask for your continued support and perhaps a purchase or two of the available RMT items. To keep informed with RMT updates and ongoing sale info, please join the RMT email list in the box below.

Without the Polk Family, the crew at OGR and CTT, you the 'train guys' (and gals) who took the time to include RMT in their train hobby and many industry friends and manufacturing contacts...there may not have been any RMT products to enjoy.

A sincere thank you to all.

Walter M. (and Susie) Matuch/RMT 


So I guess they will go back to operating by themselves.


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## gunrunnerjohn

There's been a lot of discussion about RMT and Aristo over on OGR, it appears that RMT is selling all the Aristo items they stock and are restocking their new stuff for 2014.


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## texmaster

I've got to sell a brand new aristo craft engine. Would it be better to sell now or next year?


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## Big Ed

texmaster said:


> I've got to sell a brand new aristo craft engine. Would it be better to sell now or next year?



Why do you have to sell it? :dunno:


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## texmaster

big ed said:


> Why do you have to sell it? :dunno:


Because the warden will not like seeing 2 trains on the credit card bill


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## Big Ed

Did it drop in the drink?
You never answered your other thread, did you figure out the track power problem?


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## texmaster

big ed said:


> Did it drop in the drink?
> You never answered your other thread, did you figure out the track power problem?


I did sorry. It was plain embarrassing. The connector wasn't sitting right.

No nothing wrong with it at all. Just can't have both :smilie_daumenneg:


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