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View Full Version : Estes: The past 5-10 years?


sbs0011
02-05-2012, 10:52 AM
I have been away from this great sport for the past 25 years and i have read some about Estes and what they have been going through.

I was wondering if anyone could give me some sort of a timeline for the past 5-10 years on what has happened to them.

I have gotten bits and pieces on stories and comments over the 3 main blogs but i wonder if someone could just give me the big scoop on them!

The last think i knew was they were bought out by Damon and Cox but from then on i have just heard bits and pieces!

Thank You

tbzep
02-05-2012, 11:03 AM
The last think i knew was they were bought out by Damon and Cox but from then on i have just heard bits and pieces!
Thank You
The Damon purchase was decades ago, when they purchased both Estes and Centuri. Since I don't know the exact dates, I'll just say that in recent years, Barry Tunick ran the show more like a toy company than a hobby company, which probably made good money, but wasn't good for us folks that had been in the hobby for a long time. The company has recently been purchased by Hobbico and is in the hands of people who understand the hobby side of the business and are trying to balance the high volume toy side with the hobby side. They have expanded their products beyond RTF toys in response to our small but vocal hobby core.

Someone else should drop in shortly with a more detailed timeline.

Cohetero-negro
02-05-2012, 12:40 PM
I would also like to add the following:

Estes is finally making is presence known at National events such as NARAM and the National Sports Launch.

I know it costs them (Estes) money to do this and that they write off the costs, but never the less, its an investment that is initially a loss (neglecting the tax write-off), but in the long run it pays dividends in customer loyalty.

John Boren, an Estes designer/marketing employee, does read and post here and on other rocketry boards. Its nice to know that we have a DIRECT line into the heart of Estes/Cox; do you have that with Toyota, GMC, FORD, Nissan... NOPE!

So all in all, its a better situation for the hobby. I can only say this for fact: There are things in the works that are going to pole vault this hobby into the 22nd Century to be released in the next couple of years.

Larger mid-power scale kits, kits from the 60's and 70's released as up-scales or in their original form.

I guess the best indicator would be ebay; as soon as you see 4,5 or 8 Centuri Apollo Little Joes up for auction in a 30 day period, you will know the re-release is moments away from being announced ;) There are others. I have been asked by manufactures to lend kits for examination (and yes, I got them back unharmed) for re-engineering/reverse engineering.

So bottom line, save your pocket change like Oliver North did for Iran/Contra and spend like a drunken sailor on shore leave in the next couple of years! :D

Jonathan