A Damn Shame... Polk's Closing...
#1
I got this in my e-mail this morning:

Polk’s Will Close Its Doors 12-31-13

Sent: 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
Polk's Hobby
698 S. 21st St.
Irvington New Jersey 07111
United States
~~ Mikey KB3VBR (Admin)
~~ NARA Member # 75    
~~ Baldwin Eddystone Unofficial Website

~~ I wonder what that would look like in 1:20.3???
Reply
#2
They were always there when I needed tech support and the LHS always stocked a lot of their products and track...
~~ Mikey KB3VBR (Admin)
~~ NARA Member # 75    
~~ Baldwin Eddystone Unofficial Website

~~ I wonder what that would look like in 1:20.3???
Reply
#3
Which, for the record, makes Aristo-Craft Trains.
Reply
#4
Sorry to hear that about any manufacturing company. I've heard of them but never had the need to buy anything they make. It's a real pity when our federal government will send money to support foreign economies, but add rules and regulations to stifle our own. The result is that small companies like this go under while our trade deficit increases.
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
Reply
#5
railohio Wrote:Which, for the record, makes Aristo-Craft Trains.
Yeah - and that's all I buy too........
~~ Mikey KB3VBR (Admin)
~~ NARA Member # 75    
~~ Baldwin Eddystone Unofficial Website

~~ I wonder what that would look like in 1:20.3???
Reply
#6
Is this the same Polk's Hobby that I remember ?
Polk's Model-Craft Hobby 314 Fifth Ave NY, was my destination, the first time I took the solo trip into Manhattan, on the "good Ole LIRR".
That trip, was back ....1958 < somewhere in here > 1961.... :o ...a day or three ago Wink
We always learn far more from our own mistakes, than we will ever learn from another's advice.
The greatest place to live life, is on the sharp leading edge of a learning curve.
Lead me not into temptation.....I can find it myself!
Reply
#7
Always sad to see a business go down.
Mike

Sent from my pocket calculator using two tin cans and a string
Reply
#8
Sumpter250 Wrote:Is this the same Polk's Hobby that I remember ?
Polk's Model-Craft Hobby 314 Fifth Ave NY, was my destination, the first time I took the solo trip into Manhattan, on the "good Ole LIRR".
That trip, was back ....1958 < somewhere in here > 1961.... :o ...a day or three ago Wink
It probably was.. They have always been in that general area.
~~ Mikey KB3VBR (Admin)
~~ NARA Member # 75    
~~ Baldwin Eddystone Unofficial Website

~~ I wonder what that would look like in 1:20.3???
Reply
#9
I got an interesting e-mail from Polk generation NeXt about the new website being launched.

I looked and so far they have track, figures, and electrical stuff and also a small selection of parts(couplers etc.)

Anyone else get the e-mail? Did some one buy the name and tooling?
Reply
#10
AF350 Wrote:I got an interesting e-mail from Polk generation NeXt about the new website being launched.

I looked and so far they have track, figures, and electrical stuff and also a small selection of parts(couplers etc.)

Anyone else get the e-mail? Did some one buy the name and tooling?
I met him Saturday at the train show. He'll be expanding the site soon. I also met Navin Shievdayal <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.crest-electronics.net">www.crest-electronics.net</a><!-- w --> If you contact him, he has all the Aristo-Craft detail parts now.
~~ Mikey KB3VBR (Admin)
~~ NARA Member # 75    
~~ Baldwin Eddystone Unofficial Website

~~ I wonder what that would look like in 1:20.3???
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)