I just found out that Revell was sold to a German investment group. Not sure if others are aware, here is an article explaining the sell.
http://www.scaleautomag.com/articles/2018/04/revell-has-been-sold

Bob

Saw that, but I wonder what it really means.

It was announced last week over on Cybermodeler. But this is truly the end of a long era-- Revell USA is no more. But wait, Revell USA hasn't really existed for many years, being purchased by Monogram in the 90s, then Monogram in turn being purchased by Hobbico about ten years back. Most folks are not aware that Monogram owned all the old Aurora molds as well. Who knows what the future will bring, but one thing for sure, Monogram-Revell doesn't exist anymore in the US. Maybe this new venture company will form a new model company entirely, but one of the last and largest of model companies just passed into history, that really only leaves one big one left in the USA, which is Round 2. But those old Lindbergh molds really can't keep up with the Monogram-Revell-Aurora line.
VR, Russ

I wonder if this means that there will be a run on Revell and Monogram kits ?

I 'knew' that Monogram owned all (most?) of the old Aurora molds. There a couple of great internet fairy tales there alone. I thought it was the other way around Revell owned Mono, but I could have thought wrong.

But my wonders are: will the new owners just re-pop the old kits over and over again, invest in updating the older tools, invest in new subjects or re-tool some of the classics like Airfix is doing? Or worse, are they zombie capitalists that will suck the cash and life out of the brand and send the scraps to the melter?

Monogram bought Revell and moved them from California to Morton Grove Illinois sometime in the 90s, can't remember exactly when. Monogram decided to keep the Revell name as it was more widely known at home and internationally. They were know in the past as "Revell-Monogram", but if you look at some of the old psot merger packaging-- it clearly states Monogram inc., Morton Grove Illinois, in small print. Along the way, Monogram also acquired Renwal and Aurora. Many of those stories you hear about train wrecks and ship sinkings are patently untrue (although the three "Holy Grails" of aircraft kits, the 1/32 Revell Tony Frank and Jake were indeed lost along the way someplace). Supposedly Aurora was on a train to Morton Grove that caught fire-- but Monogram had a better explanation-- the mold liners were un-salvagable after corroding away for so many years of dis-use and care. I have my doubts about any of the really old Monogram and Aurora molds ever coming back-- but I think Revell will resurface again, with the newer stuff. Going to Europe means many of the molds might be re-sold to other companies in Eastern Europe too, perhaps even Italy, We'll see I guess, but it is the end of an Era for model making in the USA. Becoming collectors Items? Perhaps...
VR, Russ

Yeah, that was ringing a bell in the back of my head somewhere. Mold degradation is a good a reason as any to have lost some of the old tools. How do you destroy a piece of steel?, you apply heat and pressure. How do you mold plastic parts?, apply heat and pressure.

Would still love to see some of those 79 cent Aurora box scale kits. I regret never getting their XF-107, the Trumpeter one in my stash just doesn't have the same cachet.

All the assets, means everything. Looking at the most recent Monogram kits would tell nearly all production and molds had already been moved to Revell-Germany facilities in Poland. So this will just mean no more Revell office in the USA but as production and design was already mostly in the hands of the Europeans it may not change that. The box will change but then outside of the ancient SSP series everything new was from Revell Monogram was from Germany anyway.

Most, if not all the Revell-monogram stable of kits have appeared in a Revell-Germany box and there are still some mirror releases. So the Revell-monogram box may go the way if the Renwal box (SSP)

In case it matters Revell-Germany also owned Matchbox and some Frog molds so it's even more centralized.

Some Aurora aircraft kits and some of the ship's and armor exist. Many were released in Monogram boxes in the 1980s and that could give you an idea what still exists. Since many duplicate existing Revell molds doubt you'll see them unlike the Renwal which will probably see more re-issued for the 1/500 ship's.

Stephen,
You really can't tell by the releases where the molds are kept. There was a trade news article 18 months ago where Monogram-Revell USA opened thier design, storage and manufacturing facility in Des Plaines. They still had hundreds of molds here in the USA, and explained that molds are shipped out when needed, but were primarily kept in thier storage facility. We often forget there are hundreds of molds-- there are also the car and ship molds too. True, most of the new mold Revell releases were done by Revell GMBH, but the SSP subjects, many car kits, and a few new releases were in fact kept here in the USA. Molds were shipped to China or Eastern Europe, depending on marketing needs. Many of the car kits were actually done in the USA. Let's just hope all those molds don't just disappear into some Eastern European warehouse now, to rust away and become useless.
VR, Russ

I wonder if Round 2 would snap them up if some of the molds went up for sale?

Considering how many of the last Revell aircraft and ship reissues were molded in Poland and many new Revell US kits were tooled in China, does it really matter what country the warehouse is in? Most of the Revell reissues not in the SSP program were in Revell Germany boxes. So there really hasn't been a whole lot of action from Revell-monogram anyway.

I am trying to rationalize an optimistic attitude in the face of all the doom-sayers. I probably am wrong, but I remain optimistic and don't think any current Revell-Monogram kits are collectors items just yet. Though I do expect the price of the last reissue of the Revell carriers to go through the roof again.

And really ancient molds do have a habit of resurfacing. Like who knew that nearly every Marx toys mold has been in Mexico all these years?