As far as the treatment of animals go...I don’t care one eats in his/her country or culture, but if you kill it, don’t terrorize the poor animal nor let it suffer.

There’s been some discussion on Graupners demise on RCGroups. Many people seem to think that Graupner and Robbe products were overpriced, and used RTF/RTR models from China to prove their point. Well, like we say here in Texas, “that dog won’t hunt”. In my humble opinion, a well made kit will be a little more expensive than anything pre built as there is the extra cost of plans, instructions, packaging, just to name a few. And, as a builder, I’d much rather pay a bit more for a decent quality kit that I get the fun and pride of both the building of said kit and the ownership.
Now, there are people who cannot or will not build, and more power to them. If that’s how they pass their time that’s okay by me. But..using the China made models as a benchmark to gripe about a much loved kit manufacturers models and prices is just a little off kilter.
That being said, the KYmodel sourced Graupner kits were improving in quality, it would be a shame to see them fade away or be harder to purchase now that the quality seems to be improving.

Sad that their components will no longer be available - the geared motors sets - the outboard motors - propellers - shafts etc etc etc . All very useful items to say nothing of the kits they produced. Wonder how much the closure will affect the model aircraft fraternity?????????

Definitely not only Korea - anyone for a Chow dog from China - wonder where it got its name ! Plus the Asian/Arab countries are largely responsible for the decline in the worlds Rhino population and the Chinese for Tigers & Lions which are used for medicine. Rhino poaching has got so bad they are even using helicopters .The Chinese are also behind the wholesale Abalone poaching here which is probably worth many million odd $US in value each year - totally decimating the natural stocks. Since virtually everything we buy nowadays is made in China or India how do we boycott without hurting ourselves ?
Even Jaguar and Land-Rover now belong to an Indian Company and the worlds steel production is largely controlled by Mittel an Indian company.....

Hi Doug, I guessed you would know all about tuica. Yes I knew about the plum production in Romania. I was travelling there a lot some years ago and took a keen interest in most aspects of life there asnd saw as much of the country as possible. It was always interesting to watch tourists tasting tuica for the first time, the tiny sip, the grimaces, then probably put it down. I learnt at a very early stage to knock it straight back, as did the Romanians.

Don't we digress on this forum, great isn't it.

Cheers, Nerys

"Just wondered a little at your response to the original theme of this thread."
Just wanted to inform members, that funding s.k.
with purchases going into that countries coffers, is not helping the plight of animals who are imprisoned there.But I also agree with your comment of breeding dogs,who have severe difficulties in later life with breathing and walking.

Cheers, Pete

Lets not stop at Korea.
The Chinese have an appalling record with all animals. You name it, they think that pieces of them are good for health cures.
All of our stuff comes from China so I think a ban on buying products is impossible.☹️
Peter.

Guess you were just 'Plum Lucky' Nerys 😁😂
"Romania is the largest plum producer in the European Union[3] and among the top plum producers in the world. According to the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture, around 65,000 hectares are cultivated with plum trees,[4] and 80% of production is transformed into țuică."

Had a similar experience on a business trip to Uganda, just a few years after Idi Amin was finally deposed. The country was still a mess, there were still bullet holes in the airport building at Entebbe😮 but the folks looked a lot happier than while under Amin.
One morning a big shiny white government Mercedes turned up at the hotel in Kampala (rebuilt by Sheraton) and whisked us off to the Source of the Nile. Well one of them anyway, the White one😉 The other one, Blue, is in Ethiopia.
Great day out, but didn't influence my decision on the project. Mainly cos I was wondering the whole time how much money we would have to bring with the equipment to 'finance' it!🤔
As you say 'Those were the days' 😊
Cheers, Doug 😎

Kinda hate to see the Graupner name now just associated with the electronics side of the hobby. I remember the old Hobby-Lobby Intl in the USA imported a lot of Graupner and Krick models, and I built quite a few aircraft and boats from the former and Robbe while stationed in Germany. I think the quality suffered a little when they moved the kit production to China, but it has improved. At least Krick is still functioning, and they have started reviving the older Robbe boat kits under the RO-Marin brand...my Neptune is one of those newer kits, and it built up nicely, no surprises, or guesswork.

Can't help it, memories of Ceaucescu's Romania are flooding back to me. My then partner and I were the first British people to cruise the, then new, Danube to Black Sea Canal. It was built at huge cost in the 80's to cut off a couple of hundred miles of river and sea for barge traffic to get to central Europe. We arrived in Romania and, knowing that Ceaucescu had officially opened the canal a couple of days earlier, asked if we could visit it. Phone call that evening from a friend in the tourist board, "be ready at 1-30 tomorrow." At 1-30 a car arrives at our hotel, our personal guide for the day tells us that we are going on an official cruise on the canal for local government officials, MPs, his uncle - the Minister for Tourism , Uncle Tom Cobley and us. A great day out, unlimited food of a standard and quality I had never seen in Romania before. The wine and tuica flowed like Welsh rain and the poor old canal was an absolute flop and never paid it's way. But at least I was the first Brit to travel it's length!

Cheers, Nerys