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Update: Gold Medal Models announces that the business is winding down

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  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: Mansfield, TX
Update: Gold Medal Models announces that the business is winding down
Posted by EdGrune on Sunday, May 15, 2022 8:09 AM

Loren Perry of GMM has announced on SteelNavy that he will be winding down his photoetched materials.   He has been in the business since the 80's.  He is 78 and health issues, among others, are driving the decision.

https://members.boardhost.com/Warship/msg/1652559279.html

Due to the specialty nature of ship photoetch, that will be the first product line to close.  Railroad, HO and N gauges, will follow.

I might need to stock up.

I have long used GMM products and have enjoyed their well presented instructions and quality of the material.  Many have the same feelings about GMM. Loren's products will be missed in the hobby.

 

  • Member since
    March 2022
  • From: Twin cities, MN
Posted by missileman2000 on Sunday, May 15, 2022 1:26 PM

He'll  be missed.

 

  • Member since
    October 2019
  • From: New Braunfels, Texas
Posted by Tanker-Builder on Sunday, May 15, 2022 7:05 PM

Well;

       Loren provided the market with what it needed. High Quality and a Fair Price with reasonably easy to read instructions. He's only one year behind me in age. Hey, that"A" word eventually makes all of us put on the brakes. I hope he will retain good enough health to live well, he's earned it. Way to go Loren!!!

  • Member since
    January 2021
Posted by JoeSMG on Sunday, May 15, 2022 7:38 PM

EdGrune
Loren Perry of GMM has announced on SteelNavy that he will be winding down his photoetched materials. 

That's sad news indeed, He's been my goto source for photo etch since I first used it on a Hasagawa Yamato build almost ten years ago. My web site has at least 3 links to his excellent PE sets: Yamato, Akagi and Myoko off the top of my head.

I'm glad you posted this, there have been a couple set's I've wanterd for years - hopefully they are still available.

- Joe the SMG

  • Member since
    September 2005
  • From: Groton, CT
Posted by warshipguy on Sunday, May 15, 2022 8:45 PM

Amen! He will be missed.

Bill

  • Member since
    March 2009
  • From: brisbane australia
Posted by surfsup on Thursday, May 26, 2022 11:33 PM

So sad the hear. Their P/E was the first of  it's kind and set the Market going. His products were the first that I used so it will be greatly missed.....Cheers Mark

If i was your wife, i'd poison your tea! If Iwas your husband, I would drink it! WINSTON CHURCHILL

  • Member since
    September 2015
Posted by Silly_me on Friday, May 27, 2022 9:11 AM

Thanks!  Sad to hear, but I had been sitting on my hands with a bunch of stuff to order, that's done now :D

  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: West Virginia, USA
Posted by mfsob on Friday, May 27, 2022 12:54 PM

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo  Crying

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Western North Carolina
Posted by Tojo72 on Saturday, May 28, 2022 7:46 AM

Still got his old book from the 80's,and when I looked,it had an old catalog inside too.

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  • Member since
    May 2022
Posted by Flight Engineer on Tuesday, May 31, 2022 6:44 AM

Has Mr. Perry already shut down his website? I tried to get in it over the weekend and I cannot get in.

  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: West Virginia, USA
Posted by mfsob on Sunday, June 5, 2022 8:20 AM

http://goldmm.com/ was working fine as of 5 minutes ago.

  • Member since
    February 2006
  • From: Boston
Posted by Wilbur Wright on Saturday, June 11, 2022 10:22 PM

Very sorry to hear this, but this is life.

I figured they would be shutting down at some point being a one man operation.

 

Loren is a class act. I've been doing business there for 30 Years. 

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: Mansfield, TX
Posted by EdGrune on Friday, June 24, 2022 9:30 PM

Update:

Loren today announced that his Gold Medal Models ship line of photoetch has been sold to MMD, the hobby shop distributor arm of Squadron.  Inventory, drawing masters, instructions, etc are being packed for shipment.  The trademarks will also transfer

min the next few months look for GMM photoetch available from Squadron or other shops which deal with MMD. 

  • Member since
    November 2005
  • From: Formerly Bryan, now Arlington, Texas
Posted by CapnMac82 on Saturday, June 25, 2022 10:50 AM

Good to hear

  • Member since
    September 2005
  • From: Groton, CT
Posted by warshipguy on Saturday, June 25, 2022 12:31 PM

This is great news!

Bill

  • Member since
    March 2009
  • From: brisbane australia
Posted by surfsup on Saturday, June 25, 2022 10:04 PM

Ditto that is wonderful to hear.....Cheers mark

If i was your wife, i'd poison your tea! If Iwas your husband, I would drink it! WINSTON CHURCHILL

  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: Roanoke, Virginia
Posted by BigJim on Wednesday, July 13, 2022 7:59 PM

I just got an email today that Squadron has picked up the Gold Metal Models line.

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Western North Carolina
Posted by Tojo72 on Thursday, July 14, 2022 7:31 AM

Saw this on Steelnavy

I have been friends with Loren Perry for a long time and many years ago I told Loren that when he gets ready to retire one day that I would like to be able to buy his line to continue on the brand Gold Medal Models that he created so many years ago.

Loren and his wife will enjoy a nice retirement and time together now and be able to sit back and watch his brand continue on even though it is located on the opposite side of the country! Loren resides in Lopez Washington... and of course Squadron is now located in Ellijay Georgia. So, big change for the brand. We intend to carry on with things the exact same way Loren has offered them. This includes his Photo Etch fittings in 1/700, 1/350, and other scales and also his decals and even his ship modeler's PE guide book.

We have many of the 1/700 items in stock. About 1/3 of what Loren has left has arrived to us. Another 1/3 will be here Friday... and the last 1/3 will be here next week. After we get everything in, we will re-stock everything that has sold out..... including the decals that have not been available for some time.

We have intentions of growing the line as well. Loren has a very specific way of laying out PE and instruction sheets and more importantly is very picky about the materials he used. We intend to keep everything the same. He didn't name it "Gold Medal" for no reason!

We are also looking forward to having Loren on our upcoming "Squadron TV" channel soon interviewing him and letting him tell all of us the history of Gold Medal, how it came to be, and talk a bit about his personal model building hobby. We are really excited to be able to work with Loren on this interview and hope that you will tune in when the time comes.

As always, if you have any questions please don't hesitate to email or call me and I will help you any way I can! We also have a live chat function on our website and as long as I am at the shop and not running around in the warehouse I am available there too!

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Thursday, July 14, 2022 1:03 PM

Yup, I got an email from Squadron yesterday announcing their takeover of the GMM line. A win win for the shop and for customers.

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: West Virginia, USA
Posted by mfsob on Sunday, July 17, 2022 5:13 PM

This is indeed good news for us ship modelers. Far too many of these one-man-band operations either start out blazing hot (and just as quickly flame out) with innovative products, or they eventually disappear when the owner gets hit by the old age bus.

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