25 replies to this topic

[20swrt]

I just found out - all the items related to the Orion Auction in California get cancelled.   Anybody knows why ?

[kbart0791]

Not sure.  I would sure like to know myself. 

[IgorR]

I just asked them about it. This is the reply I got:

 

"Thank you for your interest in this auction. Under its authority and discretion, the Assignee has accepted and closed a funded offer for the bulk purchase all inventory lots and certain intellectual property from a bidder with whom the Assignee has been negotiating since prior to the pre-bid deadline. As a result, we are closing this auction. The Assignee may, at its election, conduct another auction for the remaining assets of the ABC at a future point in time.  We appreciate your interest and look forward to working with you again."

 

I wonder who bought it all out.

Edited by IgorR, 09 January 2025 - 12:59 PM.

[deSitter]

I just asked them about it. This is the reply I got:

 

"Thank you for your interest in this auction. Under its authority and discretion, the Assignee has accepted and closed a funded offer for the bulk purchase all inventory lots and certain intellectual property from a bidder with whom the Assignee has been negotiating since prior to the pre-bid deadline. As a result, we are closing this auction. The Assignee may, at its election, conduct another auction for the remaining assets of the ABC at a future point in time.  We appreciate your interest and look forward to working with you again."

 

I wonder who bought it all out.

Holy cow - I think someone is going to restart Meade. The IP is priceless, it is a ready-made way to start producing telescopes and accessories. The inventory can be sold with new attractive warranties at steep discounts.

 

-drl

[abe]

Yippee!  This makes me (very cautiously) optimistic.   I found the thought of all of the hard work in developing Meade's IP, product development, manufacturing, brand, team, etc. going into a black hole to be somewhat depressing (having been down that path myself).   People that speak favorably about creative destruction usually intend it for someone else.   Fingers crossed for the big reveal.

[ccate]

except a price was just agreed upon for the IP it would seem.

[deSitter]

Yippee!  This makes me (very cautiously) optimistic.   I found the thought of all of the hard work in developing Meade's IP, product development, manufacturing, brand, team, etc. going into a black hole to be somewhat depressing (having been down that path myself).   People that speak favorably about creative destruction usually intend it for someone else.   Fingers crossed for the big reveal.

Same here brother. I discovered that one of the ideas I most loved about amateur astronomy was that a person who wanted a telescope, could just send some money to Meade, Celestron, Edmund.. and a magical device that actually worked at the edges of physics would appear some weeks later. So my interest in telescopes is skewed toward commercial offerings. I absolutely admire and respect the makers of boutique, high-end instruments. But (sorry Bill S. for taking your words out of context) "my thoughts remain below" I would rather have a freaky sharp C9.25 than Roland's 10" Mak. The former, I can buy again from Celestron. The latter is a sort of holy relic, and I am unworthy of its stewardship

 

-drl

Edited by deSitter, 09 January 2025 - 02:37 PM.

[GaryM]

Go Meade!!!

[abe]

Go Meade!!!

I hope there's room in the marketplace for a variety of competitors.  An astronomy marketplace without Meade seems like a spectrum without blue.
 

Go Blue!!!

[warrentug]

If Meade is raised from the dead will they still be on the hook for the lawsuit judgment? Or does that go away by changing the name of the owner?

[deSitter]

If Meade is raised from the dead will they still be on the hook for the lawsuit judgment? Or does that go away by changing the name of the owner?

No - different legal entity - but IANAL.

 

-drl

[CHASLX200]

I jumped and i will bring Meade back to it's full glory like it was in 1977.

[SandyHouTex]

So a short story.

 

A long time ago when I went to work for the folks that are my avatar, I found out that there were 3 perfectly good Saturn Vs laying on the ground as static desplays.  They were put there when the Apollo program was cancelled in 1972.  In 1985 (when I got hired), I asked "Why can't we just stand them up and use them?".  The answer was, and is simple.  Even though the drawings, specifications, operating procedures, etc. still exist, the people who knew how to use them, manage them, stand them up, and launch them are gone.  They are the "technology".

 

It's the same way with Meade.  All of the people who designed them and manufactured them are gone.  And so is Meade.  Someone may try to make a buck on the remaining inventory, but Meade as we knew them, won't be coming back.

[CHASLX200]

So a short story.

 

A long time ago when I went to work for the folks that are my avatar, I found out that there were 3 perfectly good Saturn Vs laying on the ground as static desplays.  They were put there when the Apollo program was cancelled in 1972.  In 1985 (when I got hired), I asked "Why can't we just stand them up and use them?".  The answer was, and is simple.  Even though the drawings, specifications, operating procedures, etc. still exist, the people who knew how to use them, manage them, stand them up, and launch them are gone.  They are the "technology".

 

It's the same way with Meade.  All of the people who designed them and manufactured them are gone.  And so is Meade.  Someone may try to make a buck on the remaining inventory, but Meade as we knew them, won't be coming back.

At least not the real Meade i knew when i was 14.

[abe]

Even though the drawings, specifications, operating procedures, etc. still exist, the people who knew how to use them, manage them, stand them up, and launch them are gone.  They are the "technology".

I see this all the time working in tech where people think that if they have the source code, the patents, the CAD files, whatever, that they "own" the technology which in fact, the technology is the people and they own nothing.

It looks like Agena was the winning bidder.   Oh well.  I guess that's it.  RIP, Meade. 

Edited by abe, 09 January 2025 - 08:07 PM.

[CHASLX200]

Kinda like how New coke was in 1985.

[starman876]

If you have the right programmer the code can be rewritten.   I have hired some programmers over the years that were amazing.   What meade did with the goto system was not that fantastic.   Look at all the other gotovsystems on the market.   If you guys want another telescope manufacturer one will show up.   Look over the years how many there have been.  Just like any other business they come and go.   Orion was trying to provide a product for everyone not just astronomy.   Only problem was they ended up with too much stock.  Cash flow was the issue that caused them to go under.  The bank was financing their inventory and wanted their money.  Same story with most companies that go belly up.

[abe]

If you have the right programmer the code can be rewritten.  If you guys want another telescope manufacturer one will show up.   Look over the years how many there have been.  Just like any other business they come and go.  

Not really.  Mostly they go, replaced by companies in China who sell on Amazon.   Also, things don't just get rewritten or reimplemented.  They die, never to be seen again.

The notion that anyone in this country would want to try to build products again is almost laughable.   I thought that perhaps a Chinese manufacturer might pick them up for the brand name, which is not ideal, but at least there might still be another SCT manufacturer.   It looks like astronomy has become yet another industry taken over by a single monopolist.  

Not every nebula has a silver lining.

Edited by abe, 09 January 2025 - 08:34 PM.

[csrlice12]

I think there's a better chance of standing up those Saturn V rockets, than anyone making a go of Meade/Orion....

[DAVIDG]

 My guess is Synta bought  the whole package. It stops anyone else to start a business to compete and or some party  dumping telescope and binoculars into  the market  at  a discount  and making a real dent into Synta's profits over some about of time. They are a Chinese owned company so I don't believe they have to worry about any anti trust laws in the US.  They would then corner the market.

  

 

                         - Dave 

[CarolinaBanker]

So a short story.

 

A long time ago when I went to work for the folks that are my avatar, I found out that there were 3 perfectly good Saturn Vs laying on the ground as static desplays.  They were put there when the Apollo program was cancelled in 1972.  In 1985 (when I got hired), I asked "Why can't we just stand them up and use them?".  The answer was, and is simple.  Even though the drawings, specifications, operating procedures, etc. still exist, the people who knew how to use them, manage them, stand them up, and launch them are gone.  They are the "technology".

 

It's the same way with Meade.  All of the people who designed them and manufactured them are gone.  And so is Meade.  Someone may try to make a buck on the remaining inventory, but Meade as we knew them, won't be coming back.

This isn’t rocket science, sorry couldn’t help it, it’s much easier to find people with a background in precision manufacturing or optics. While the loss of human capital and institutional knowledge hurt, they’re not insurmountable, particularly given the fact that there’s presumably nothing stopping the new owners from using contract manufacturing.

[ccwemyss]

Agena seems to have a very good inventory, website management, and shipping system. Being local, they can load it on a truck, take it their warehouse, do the inventory, and put it up for sale at prices that won't undercut their other products too much. They can probably turn enough of a profit from it and avoid having their business tanked by 3 months of eBay sellers. When they get to the last bits of the inventory, they can do a fire sale to get rid of it.

 

I can also see the added value to the seller of having a single buyer to deal with, rather than a bunch of individuals. 

 

Chip W. 

[Exnihilo]

Will the real Meade please stand up?

[Michael Covington]

Is it confirmed that it was Agena Astro?  If so, good for them.  Although it does not revive Meade, it does put the goods in the hand of an experienced seller than can provide some quality assurance (can test things, confirm problems, even part out defective items to fix others).  Much better than having the items go on eBay from sellers who can't support them in any way.

Edited by Michael Covington, 09 January 2025 - 11:19 PM.

[jgroub]

No - different legal entity - but IANAL.

 

-drl

IWAL, but I'm sorry, that is the best acronym EVER.