# Round 2 was just sold...



## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Hot on the announcement of them getting the Star Wars license comes this:









New York Company Buys South Bend Collectibles Business - Inside INdiana Business


New York-based private investment firm Praesidian Capital has acquired a controlling interest in Round 2 in South Bend. Round 2 is a collectibles company that makes model kits for classic cars and spa




www.insideindianabusiness.com





Interesting...


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## Jparsons1980 (Aug 29, 2020)

mach7 said:


> Hot on the announcement of them getting the Star Wars license comes this:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I saw that news last night on Culttvman. I hope that this will lead to increased funding for model development. I know there are some projects that Round 2 hasn't moved ahead with yet due to lack of funding.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

I hope you are correct, but when racing champions bought them it had the opposite effect.


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## Jparsons1980 (Aug 29, 2020)

mach7 said:


> I hope you are correct, but when racing champions bought them it had the opposite effect.


Yes, I remember those days. So many projects promised then, nothing.


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## Milton Fox Racing (May 27, 2014)

Praesidian Capital Acquires Collectibles Business - Praesidian Capital


NEW YORK – January 25, 2021 – Praesidian Capital, a leading private investment firm, announced today that it acquired a controlling interest in Round 2 (“Company”). Headquartered in South Bend, Indiana, Round 2 is an innovative collectibles company that produces model kits, including classic...




praesidian.com





Sounds like a road we have been down before.....


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

..... and the beat goes on ........


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## edge10 (Oct 19, 2013)

Milton Fox Racing said:


> Praesidian Capital Acquires Collectibles Business - Praesidian Capital
> 
> 
> NEW YORK – January 25, 2021 – Praesidian Capital, a leading private investment firm, announced today that it acquired a controlling interest in Round 2 (“Company”). Headquartered in South Bend, Indiana, Round 2 is an innovative collectibles company that produces model kits, including classic...
> ...


We won't be fooled again! Or should I say, we're on the road to nowhere...

Hopefully it will be a good thing. This time, they are not selling to someone is interested in part of the company.

Tom Lowe cashes in again!


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## StarCruiser (Sep 28, 1999)

Meet the new boss...same as the old boss!


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

You guys sound so narrow minded. Is this company which has bought R2 run by the very same people who ran RC???? Let's just wait and see.


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## Milton Fox Racing (May 27, 2014)

It's all just lyrical, but the same people who ended up running RC ('leased' the name from ERTL, are the very same people who were running R2. They just have a new boss, who is still the same as the old boss - just richer.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

I hope for the best, but time will tell.

Having both the Star Trek and Star Wars license can't be a bad thing going forward. In fact I wonder if getting the Star Wars license was a reason/condition for the sale.

The press release seems mention "Consolidation in the collectables space" and from the new owners:

"We will be working closely with the Round 2 team to continue to build on its already impressive list of brands.” 
It sounds like they might be shopping for more companies to buy.

Tom Lowe, and I assume most of the design team, are staying. So thats good news.


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Unless it's part of the current trend of male nerd franchises being, shall we say, "degraded," (IMHO) it would seem to be a good thing that what they're doing at R2 is considered valuable enough to be worth purchasing.

We shall see. I'm keeping an open mind at present.


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## edge10 (Oct 19, 2013)

mach7 said:


> I hope for the best, but time will tell.
> 
> Having both the Star Trek and Star Wars license can't be a bad thing going forward. In fact I wonder if getting the Star Wars license was a reason/condition for the sale.
> 
> ...


The buyout probably gave them ability to get the Star Wars license.


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

edge10 said:


> The buyout probably gave them ability to get the Star Wars license.


BINGO


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

My 1st thought was the Star Wars license might have been a requirement for the new owners.


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

Milton Fox Racing said:


> It's all just lyrical, but the same people who ended up running RC ('leased' the name from ERTL, are the very same people who were running R2. They just have a new boss, who is still the same as the old boss - just richer.


AMT merged with ERTL back in the early '80s and then along came Racing Champions, or RC2 then about 15 years ago I think it was RC2 wanted the Johnny Lighting diecast line so they bought out Playing Mantis the original parent company for Polar Lights and RC2 then allowed Round 2 Models to lease the mold which RC2 owned before R2 flat out bought the molds. Rc2 also owned the brands of MPC Lindberg and Hawk models before selling them to R2. And if I missed anything I'm sure some one here will point it out.


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## aussiemuscle308 (Dec 2, 2014)

mach7 said:


> Having both the Star Trek and Star Wars license can't be a bad thing going forward. In fact I wonder if getting the Star Wars license was a reason/condition for the sale.


Not unless Disney can turn around their franchise. Star Wars merchandise is poison at the moment, with Hasbro complaining its having issues selling enough merch. Trek hasn't been doing very well lately either, with Discovery being cancelled, Picard under-performing and no new movies coming out.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Was Discovery canceled?

Season 4 is in production now.

Picard season 2 starts this week and season 3 has been ordered.

I'm not sure how to judge it's ratings as its streaming only.

As for Star Wars. The new movies stink, but The Mandalorian is excellent.


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

aussiemuscle308 said:


> Not unless Disney can turn around their franchise. Star Wars merchandise is poison at the moment, with Hasbro complaining its having issues selling enough merch. Trek hasn't been doing very well lately either, with Discovery being cancelled, Picard under-performing and no new movies coming out.


Very good points. Models can, I hope, defy the current situation as long as the subjects themselves are appealing. The model kits are about _*ALL*_ there is in terms of merchandising for _nuTrek_.


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## Trek Ace (Jul 8, 2001)

Since all of the new product announcement videos were posted several days after the acquisition took place, I would think that this is seen as a very good thing by the folks at Round 2.
Besides, with all of this infusion of new capital, perhaps that will mean that the delayed _Galileo_ Shuttlecraft interior will be moved up in the schedule, and we will be getting more 1/1000 and 1/350 _Star Trek_ offerings at a faster pace...and who wouldn't want a kit of the Ultra Probe or Swift from _Space 1999?_

As for the _Star Wars_ license, I would welcome repops of the vintage kits (although I still have a pretty good remaining stash of some originals). I think that most of the merchandising problems have to do with the public's lack of response to the last two films. But, like has been already stated, The Mandalorian merchandise seems to be doing very well. New designs from this series would sell well as model kits, as well as subjects from the original trilogy and _Rogue One_ that have yet to be seen in styrene kit form.

Owners of local hobby shops have done very well this year, with one claiming that "It's Christmas every day!" and model sales have reportedly gone through the roof! So, an infusion of more working capital can be a very good thing!


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Trek Ace said:


> . . . [P]erhaps that will mean that the delayed _Galileo_ Shuttlecraft interior will be moved up in the schedule, and we will be getting more 1/1000 and 1/350 _Star Trek_ offerings at a faster pace...and who wouldn't want a kit of the Ultra Probe or Swift from _Space 1999?_


Yes, please! 😁

But I really am hoping for a 1/1000th 1701D with _AGT _optional parts.


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

The following kits all in 537 scale, TOS 1701, D-7, new tooled K'tinga, new tooled refit and an Excelsior with options for NX, NCC and E-B versions.


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

irishtrek said:


> The following kits all in 537 scale, TOS 1701, D-7, new tooled K'tinga, new tooled refit and an Excelsior with options for NX, NCC and E-B versions.


You don't want much, do you?  But, yeah, I'd buy all those, too.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Cult has an update about this.

The bottom line looks like there will be no staff changes and the new owners are bringing capitol for growth.

So I'm cautiously optimistic.


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

mach7 said:


> Cult has an update about this.
> 
> The bottom line looks like there will be no staff changes and the new owners are bringing capitol for growth.
> 
> So I'm cautiously optimistic.


Same here. I don't think there are grounds for being upset at this point--though I'll be among some of the first to get upset if things develop badly in that respect


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## ExLunaScientia (Mar 25, 2020)

There goes the Space:1999 license.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

I'm not sure why you would say that. Jamie has said there are more Space 1999 kits coming. The stungun and commlock will be out in a few months. The eagles appear to be selling very well. 
I don't think the Area 2 nuclear waste sold very well, but that was an odd (though nice) subject that had low tooling cost.

I repeatedly ask him about doing some UFO subjects and his answer is that would require another license. So I think
getting Star Wars could put that on the back burner.


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