As far as the treatment of animals go...I don’t care one eats in his/her country or culture, but if you kill it, don’t terrorize the poor animal nor let it suffer.

There’s been some discussion on Graupners demise on RCGroups. Many people seem to think that Graupner and Robbe products were overpriced, and used RTF/RTR models from China to prove their point. Well, like we say here in Texas, “that dog won’t hunt”. In my humble opinion, a well made kit will be a little more expensive than anything pre built as there is the extra cost of plans, instructions, packaging, just to name a few. And, as a builder, I’d much rather pay a bit more for a decent quality kit that I get the fun and pride of both the building of said kit and the ownership.
Now, there are people who cannot or will not build, and more power to them. If that’s how they pass their time that’s okay by me. But..using the China made models as a benchmark to gripe about a much loved kit manufacturers models and prices is just a little off kilter.
That being said, the KYmodel sourced Graupner kits were improving in quality, it would be a shame to see them fade away or be harder to purchase now that the quality seems to be improving.

Sad that their components will no longer be available - the geared motors sets - the outboard motors - propellers - shafts etc etc etc . All very useful items to say nothing of the kits they produced. Wonder how much the closure will affect the model aircraft fraternity?????????

Definitely not only Korea - anyone for a Chow dog from China - wonder where it got its name ! Plus the Asian/Arab countries are largely responsible for the decline in the worlds Rhino population and the Chinese for Tigers & Lions which are used for medicine. Rhino poaching has got so bad they are even using helicopters .The Chinese are also behind the wholesale Abalone poaching here which is probably worth many million odd $US in value each year - totally decimating the natural stocks. Since virtually everything we buy nowadays is made in China or India how do we boycott without hurting ourselves ?
Even Jaguar and Land-Rover now belong to an Indian Company and the worlds steel production is largely controlled by Mittel an Indian company.....

Hi Doug, I guessed you would know all about tuica. Yes I knew about the plum production in Romania. I was travelling there a lot some years ago and took a keen interest in most aspects of life there asnd saw as much of the country as possible. It was always interesting to watch tourists tasting tuica for the first time, the tiny sip, the grimaces, then probably put it down. I learnt at a very early stage to knock it straight back, as did the Romanians.

Don't we digress on this forum, great isn't it.

Cheers, Nerys

"Just wondered a little at your response to the original theme of this thread."
Just wanted to inform members, that funding s.k.
with purchases going into that countries coffers, is not helping the plight of animals who are imprisoned there.But I also agree with your comment of breeding dogs,who have severe difficulties in later life with breathing and walking.

Cheers, Pete

Lets not stop at Korea.
The Chinese have an appalling record with all animals. You name it, they think that pieces of them are good for health cures.
All of our stuff comes from China so I think a ban on buying products is impossible.☹️
Peter.

Guess you were just 'Plum Lucky' Nerys 😁😂
"Romania is the largest plum producer in the European Union[3] and among the top plum producers in the world. According to the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture, around 65,000 hectares are cultivated with plum trees,[4] and 80% of production is transformed into țuică."

Had a similar experience on a business trip to Uganda, just a few years after Idi Amin was finally deposed. The country was still a mess, there were still bullet holes in the airport building at Entebbe😮 but the folks looked a lot happier than while under Amin.
One morning a big shiny white government Mercedes turned up at the hotel in Kampala (rebuilt by Sheraton) and whisked us off to the Source of the Nile. Well one of them anyway, the White one😉 The other one, Blue, is in Ethiopia.
Great day out, but didn't influence my decision on the project. Mainly cos I was wondering the whole time how much money we would have to bring with the equipment to 'finance' it!🤔
As you say 'Those were the days' 😊
Cheers, Doug 😎

Kinda hate to see the Graupner name now just associated with the electronics side of the hobby. I remember the old Hobby-Lobby Intl in the USA imported a lot of Graupner and Krick models, and I built quite a few aircraft and boats from the former and Robbe while stationed in Germany. I think the quality suffered a little when they moved the kit production to China, but it has improved. At least Krick is still functioning, and they have started reviving the older Robbe boat kits under the RO-Marin brand...my Neptune is one of those newer kits, and it built up nicely, no surprises, or guesswork.

Can't help it, memories of Ceaucescu's Romania are flooding back to me. My then partner and I were the first British people to cruise the, then new, Danube to Black Sea Canal. It was built at huge cost in the 80's to cut off a couple of hundred miles of river and sea for barge traffic to get to central Europe. We arrived in Romania and, knowing that Ceaucescu had officially opened the canal a couple of days earlier, asked if we could visit it. Phone call that evening from a friend in the tourist board, "be ready at 1-30 tomorrow." At 1-30 a car arrives at our hotel, our personal guide for the day tells us that we are going on an official cruise on the canal for local government officials, MPs, his uncle - the Minister for Tourism , Uncle Tom Cobley and us. A great day out, unlimited food of a standard and quality I had never seen in Romania before. The wine and tuica flowed like Welsh rain and the poor old canal was an absolute flop and never paid it's way. But at least I was the first Brit to travel it's length!

Cheers, Nerys

Hi Doug,
Yes, there were things called Dollar shops in Romania where you could buy anything including spares for Romanian Dacia cars and colour TVs. If you visited a Romanian family and they had a colour TV then you knew they were mixed up in money changing. The Dollar shops were also one of the most reliable sources of obtaining a higher rate of money exchange than legal, but nowhere near what an old gipsy woman with a market stall in Constanta would give. Her stall was draped with tablecloths etc so that you couldn't see inside. Once she knew you, you'd be dragged inside, called my colleague, and a wad of Romanian Lei would appear, warm, from her bra.

I do remember the Russian Berioshka shops too and many a good deal could be done in the Polish equivalent, but only once was I ever offered illegal rates in a Romanian bank.

Those were the days!

Hi Pete,
In no way whatsoever was I condoning the consumption of Man's Best Friend.
Just wondered a little at your response to the original theme of this thread.
BTW: Apropos 'causing them to suffer' Neither do I condone the over-breeding of some breeds of dogs so that they can scarcely walk or breathe, just to turn them into ornamental lapdogs as some sort of trophy. 🤔
Each to his own Pete.
All the best, Doug.

I understand your train of thought Doug, but,you don't see many guide for the blind cows, or assistance
pigs.
Dogs were bred for human companionship and work to help humans, not as a food product, agree many countries in hard times, have had to eat not what we would class as edible, but we are now in the 21st century, no need to eat our companions, or cause them to suffer.😐
btw, I don't eat Beef, Lamb or Pork, no religious reasons...


Cheers, Pete

Elementary my dear Commissioner Kiwi 😉
😎

Well done inspector! you've caught out the dastardly Sainsburys secret ham taster😂
JB

" there was really lovely looking ( and tasting) Romanian ham on the deli counter in Sainsburys. My principles did not allow me to purchase any. "
So how did you know how it tasted Nerys?😮😉
😎

Your shopping experience in Romania mirrors mine in Russia (then still USSR / CCCP) Nerys.
Long queues outside shops with lots of empty shelves and just a few sad looking loaves and veg and unidentifiable cans in a corner and of course cheap Vodka.
But in the Berioshkas you could find anything your heart (or tum) desired, for hard currency only of course🙄, from all over the world.
Crazy thing was that states all over the south of the Union (e.g. Ukraine and Georgia) were producing wonderful foods and wines etc. Production wasn't so much the problem as the lack of reliable transport systems and distribution organisation.
There were probably similar shops in Romania, for the elite, which the 'normal' folks simply couldn't afford.
Cheers, Doug 😎
Now 0315 here so G'night All 💤💤💤💤

I admire your principles Pete. It's a pity more people do not look at things, not only Korea, in a similar light but as Doug says it's difficult to find items that are completely clean, ethically or any other way. I remember years ago, Ceaucescu's Romania was very short of all sorts of food in the shops. One would go into a supermarket and there would be either nothing, or a few tins of crap (Romanian freshwater fish) and yet there was really lovely looking ( and tasting) Romanian ham on the deli counter in Sainsburys. My principles did not allow me to purchase any.

All very noble Pete 👍
But whatever 'brand' electronics you buy very likely has some Made in Korea chips in it. You can't avoid globalisation.🤔 Unless you want to go Luddite?
Thinking about it; the Indians probably think much the same of us for eating cows (nice juicy rump steak anyone?) and the Arabs for eating pigs.
Don't let me put you off your breakfast rashers or Surf n Turf though.😉😋
Cheers, Doug 😎

Doesn't bother me Doug, I would never buy from a company in s.korea, a dog eating country, illegal of course, but the government looks the other way,
not just killing the dogs, but they make them suffer,
in various shocking ways, stupid s.k, say it makes the meat tastes better? I buy nothing from them, NO SAMSUNG,NO LG, NO KIA CARS.👎

Cheers, Pete

Hi BW,
"Yup.....all going to Asian knock offs now. Not the same quality."
Trace back the majority of the modelling & RC stuff we buy and you'll probably find that a company in Shenzen is involved somewhere along the line. Despite the name on the front. The rest is just badge engineering and marketing.
Case in point; my 'Conrad' brand 2.4GHz TX here in Germany is exactly the same as the FlySky and Turnigy sets. Just a different alu nameplate stuck on the front, and a much better manual 👍😉 but nearly twice the price 👎🤔
My 'Conrad' and 'Absima' (a Nuremberg company!) LiPos also turned out to be Made in China, Shenzen.
Cheers, Doug 😎

Doug... thanks for the clarification.

Hi Colin,
The Koreans bought the original Graupner several years ago and rescued it then!😉
Then they became Graupner/JR. At the last 'rescue' Graupner/SJ. Now just Graupner Co. Ltd in Korea.
I don't expect to see (m)any more new models after this announcement, but electronic gizmos and accessories development and sales should continue according to the statement😊 I hope so, I still have a working Graupner MC-10 40MHz set!! And two of their Premium Line ships; Graf Spee and Belfast.
Cheers, Doug 😎

DON'T PANIC !!!! 😮
Just read the original (in German) Press Statement from Graupner.
Facts are:
The German site in Kirchheim has no production facilities (hasn't had for several years since the last restructuring) and has long been just a Sales organisation.
The huge site there is no longer viable due to rising costs and cheap competition. So ONLY Graupner/SJ Gmbh in Kirchheim has declared insolvency and will close.

Since the cooperation with the S. Korean company the production was moved to Shenzen in China. This is also being closed, (due to rising labour and tax costs!?) and production as well as Marketing & Sales are being concentrated at the Graupner HQ near Seoul in S Korea; Graupner Co. Ltd, who own all rights to Graupner products and the brand name. The future emphasis will be on the RC electronic side; TX/RX, HOTT system components ESCs etc etc, as this is the side of the business still in the black and growing.

Graupner Co. Ltd say they will issue a further statement regarding the future sales and service partners in due course.

THE BRAND IS NOT DISAPPEARING 😊 (Not yet anyway!)
Cheers, Doug😎
Press Statement attached for the German students amongst you 😉
Viel Spaß beim lesen.

Yup.....all going to Asian knock offs now. Not the same quality.

Sad news indeed, maybe someone will buy it and rescue the brand.
Cheers Colin.