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  • 19/05/2021 at 19:23 #156545
    Avatar photoNot Connard Sage
    Participant

    Well that’s a blow.

    https://www.frontrank.com/news/

    Whoever buys the company, I hope they maintain Alex’ service and quality.

    Obvious contrarian and passive aggressive old prat, who is taken far too seriously by some and not seriously enough by others.

    19/05/2021 at 21:03 #156550
    Avatar photoGuy Farrish
    Participant

    That is a surprise.

    First: I thought you were selling off a few spares!

    Second: I probably need to buy some more quick.

    Three: I was only talking to him at a show ‘the other day’ and he never mentioned it (On reflection it was c10 years ago!)

    20/05/2021 at 23:08 #156593
    Avatar photoNot Connard Sage
    Participant

    1 Yeah, not the bestest thread title ever!

    2 I’ve got all the WSS and Napoleonics I need. I think…

    3 Doesn’t time fly?

    No-one else seems very bothered about the news. Perhaps it’s just you and me?

    I wonder if the new owners will keep the single figure sales?

     

    Obvious contrarian and passive aggressive old prat, who is taken far too seriously by some and not seriously enough by others.

    21/05/2021 at 00:02 #156594
    Avatar photoGuy Farrish
    Participant

    Odd isn’t it? You’d have thought a business valued around quarter of a million would have quite a few customers about wouldn’t you?

    Hope so – but doubt it given current practice.

    21/05/2021 at 07:51 #156602
    Avatar photoWhirlwind
    Participant
    Guy Farrish wrote:

    Odd isn’t it? You’d have thought a business valued around quarter of a million would have quite a few customers about wouldn’t you?

    I was surprised by that figure (doubtless from my ignorance).  Is that typical for companies with similar levels of history and presence, I wonder?

    21/05/2021 at 10:37 #156618
    Avatar photoMike
    Keymaster

    Looking at Companies House I would suggest it is generous?

    21/05/2021 at 11:06 #156619
    Avatar photoBlackhat
    Participant

    The valuation seems to be based on the last year’s trading which I think most companies in the industry have found exceptional as everyone was stuck at home, so I’d want to see 3 years average profit if I was buying it.

    I can’t think of many (if any) companies currently in the industry in the position to pay that much to acquire it.

     

     

    21/05/2021 at 13:00 #156628
    Avatar photowillz
    Participant

    I wish I had £250,000 spare, no idea if the valuation is fair or good value but as a wargamer with that amount of money I would spend it on paying for some 25000 painted 28mm figures.  Then I could game all the periods I wanted, without any of the hard work.

    21/05/2021 at 16:22 #156646
    Avatar photoSane Max
    Participant
    Not Connard Sage wrote:

    No-one else seems very bothered about the news. Perhaps it’s just you and me? I wonder if the new owners will keep the single figure sales?

    Oddly, they seem particularly positioned not to do anything I do in that scale, I don’t own a single thing of theirs.

    It takes a fair amount of courage to buy a business like that. I mean, it’s a manufacturing business, not just selling nonsense on the internet. And I would be interested to see how much of their sales are to the EU, and USA.

     

     

     

     

    07/11/2021 at 18:22 #164351
    Avatar photoGuy Farrish
    Participant

    The next bit may be old news to many of you but…

     

    Gripping Beast have bought/are buying Front Rank – slight delay with lawyers finishing off contracts apparently.

    No longer for sale on the Front Rank site and not yet mentioned on Gripping Beast.

    07/11/2021 at 22:28 #164355
    Avatar photoBlackhat
    Participant
    Guy Farrish wrote:

    The next bit may be old news to many of you but… Gripping Beast have bought/are buying Front Rank – slight delay with lawyers finishing off contracts apparently. No longer for sale on the Front Rank site and not yet mentioned on Gripping Beast.

     

    Fairly old news – Gripping beast have said they will keep the front Rank website running separately at least initially…

    Mike

    07/11/2021 at 22:51 #164356
    Avatar photoGuy Farrish
    Participant

    As Manuel might have said:

    ‘Eventually!’

    To allow for the handover to Gripping Beast Ltd, we are now no longer taking new orders.

    Gripping Beast are aiming to reopen the Front Rank website for orders as soon as possible, unfortunately the handover is taking longer than anticipated while the lawyers finalize the deal.

     

    08/11/2021 at 10:36 #164368
    Avatar photodeephorse
    Participant
    Not Connard Sage wrote:

    No-one else seems very bothered about the news.

     

    I wasn’t aware of this until I read your post.  But then my range of wargaming interests are pretty narrow, and they do not include Front Rank’s product.

    Play is what makes life bearable - Michael Rosen

    08/11/2021 at 15:42 #164393
    Avatar photoBlackhat
    Participant
    deephorse wrote:
    Not Connard Sage wrote:

    No-one else seems very bothered about the news.

    I wasn’t aware of this until I read your post. But then my range of wargaming interests are pretty narrow, and they do not include Front Rank’s product.

    And I don’t see why anyone would be that bothered – companies get sold and people retire it is the nature of the business…  it was hardly unexpected that they would retire at some point and sell the business on and that another company would buy it.

    08/11/2021 at 16:16 #164395
    Avatar photoGuy Farrish
    Participant

    People were bothered I think because they wanted to continue buying Front Rank figures and were worried that the range may not be sold as a whole and some would disappear.

    As there had been no news on this thread since 21 May I thought I would share what I thought was good news that they have succeeded in selling to an established producer who will have Front Rank figures on sale again in the (near?) future.

    Is that a problem?

     

    27/12/2021 at 14:10 #166443
    Avatar photoGuy Farrish
    Participant

    Gripping Beast advert on WI this month said Front Rank now available on their site.

    Their site currently has no mention of Front Rank.

    Front Rank’s site says the legal side is taking a lot longer than anticipated, thanks for being patient.

    Front Rank figures are not available for purchase anywhere at the moment.

    Hope they hurry up, I’m beginning to forget what I wanted to buy!

    27/12/2021 at 14:13 #166444
    Avatar photoNot Connard Sage
    Participant
    Guy Farrish wrote:

    Gripping Beast advert on WI this month said Front Rank now available on their site. Their site currently has no mention of Front Rank. Front Rank’s site says the legal side is taking a lot longer than anticipated, thanks for being patient. Front Rank figures are not available for purchase anywhere at the moment. Hope they hurry up, I’m beginning to forget what I wanted to buy!

     

    Sounds like it’s devolving into a cluster****

    Obvious contrarian and passive aggressive old prat, who is taken far too seriously by some and not seriously enough by others.

    24/01/2022 at 14:25 #167533
    Avatar photoGuy Farrish
    Participant

    All done by the look of it.

    Apparently Front Rank Figurines are now part of Gripping Beast – separate site https://www.frontrank.com/ – and taking orders (but will take a few days longer than usual to process orders as they get themselves sorted out).

    I hope Alec & Angela enjoy their retirement.

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