“After 48 years, Fine Scale Miniatures is retiring from manufacturing HO craftsman kits. Therefore, “The Jamestown Water Stop” will be my very last kit. I now want to spend more of my time maintaining and operating my Franklin & South Manchester Railroad, along with other interests. I would like to thank all my FSM customers and fans throughout the years. I hope my kits have given you a lot of enjoyment and modeling pleasure. Thanks again, George Sellios”
I brought that up in another thread,not to long ago,I guess people either missed it ,or had no comment…But I did put in my reserve order for the last kit,due in Oct…just to use in a display,with 100 castings,it should be a interesting build.
Wow thats going to be missed, I would hope that every now and then George will pop out a surprise kit every couple years, just to stay sharp, but 48 years is a phenomenally long time in any hobby business for an independant company.
The Franklin and South Manchester is a marvel to behold. As far as I know, the layout is still open to the public for a small fee during the nice-weather months. If you’re in the neighborhood of Peabody, MA, it’s worth the trip.
I have several of George Sellios’s kits and can’t count how many hours of pleasure I have received by building them. They are always well thought out and the templates he included were always right on. Yes they were on the expensive side but the pride you feel of accomplishment of finishing them is worth every penny spent. I thankfully have several of his kits left to assemble and I hope to finnish them this winter when the snow is flying. Thank You! George Sellios for making a better model railroader out me and I am sure many others feel the same way. [:D]
He is an outstanding man. I have every Jewel kits and 15 of the other ones. I asked him to sign every Jewel kit I have and HE DID. I met him once at his layout and he was great. That was several years ago and he wasn’t feeling good then. His kits are the best around. Putting SRM, SW, MT, SHEEP, to shame. His kits will surely be missed.
While I can certainly understand why George is retiring, I’m a bit surprised that noone stepped up to take over and continue the brand. No family or former employees?
Perhaps they are thinking laser-cut kits are the new craftsman kits of the near future?
I never purchased a FSM kit, as they really didn’t fit my modern era (which shifts in time over the decades), and their prices always seemed up there, even back in the day.
That said, I recall numerous praise over the years for the detail parts and castings included with the kit (and which IIRC were not sold separately from the building kits). For those who owned the kits, how were the castings - reasonably flash free? free of voids or random score lines? crisp moldings w/ nice straight (or curved) edges? How much clean-up was generally required? Did they live up to their reputation (unlike some current day manufacturers’ detail offerings).
I think this statement shows that the entire concept of the brand is misunderstood. It is my understanding (someone please correct me if I am wrong) that the kits produced in the FSM line were copies of items he needed to scratch build for his layout. He made 1 for him and x to sell. So when the layout is “done” and needs no more structures then by definition there is no more product line.
Since they were all sold as limited editions none can be re-done without violating the “contract” with the original purchasers. Once again a natural end to the brand and line.
I don’t think purchasing FSM would work unless the new owner would continue producing already run kits. The charm about Georges kits is that each year there would be a new limited run of an original design…usually by George. Then again a new owner who would purchase shop and machinery and has the imagination to design and produce similar structures, possibly under the FSM name would survive and possibly do well.
Rick Rideout did exactly what was mentioned. He’d build something that was needed on his layout and then produce in kit or RTR form under Rix Products. I’m not sure Sellios did this.
George is by far one of the truly great craftsmen in this hobby, I think he deserves the rest and should most definitely spend time playing with his electric trains. He does it rather well!
OK I buy that knowing that’s how the models came about. But there’s no reason that FSM can’t continue to design and sell kits even if it doesn’t fit the FSM layout. They can still be sold as limited editions.
If george is worried about the name getting smeared he can maintain a supvisory role and watch QC and design so nothing leaves without him signing off on it.
It’s his choice of course, it just seems odd to pass up the opportunity to generate income for grandkids and employees. I mean Walthers is what 5 generations in now?
Right. This line of kits were highly personalized and a reflection of the artist who created them. Kits without Sellois’ input would, by definition, not be Fine Scale Miniatures kits.