Why has gp closed down?

[13mil]

Thanks for the replies and insight.
What I find strange is the nature of atty making. It's like cars, a new model comes out the older ones are forgotten about. Are we at the stage where already certain atties are becoming classics, should the continued production be encouraged or forgotten about?
So for me, we have options
Buy the vapourart cnc machines off them and the programmes. Setting up a retro company
Invite them to this country to continue imagining new things.
Lobby gov to ban all purchases of clones(that'll be popular)
I never understand why something is still in demand if it's goodg , when you go to web site it's out of stock. I think about the ubertoot for example, I wish an atty maker could explain why a batch is made and then never made again. Even though there is demand. Eg, the recent heron 1.5 group buy which has fallen through. Ten people wanted one, then times that by every single vaping forum across Europe, America. That totals up to quite a few. I mean it's not like they were made 50 yrs ago is it. Does it matter? Maybe not wwith cars but atties ain't cars, there a lot simpler to make and fit in your pocket. But in twenty years time these will be sought after. I'm just wondering if the originators would be willing to let others make their stuff.
Maybe imI getting old.

 

[eightbitraptor]

Thanks for the replies and insight.
What I find strange is the nature of atty making. It's like cars, a new model comes out the older ones are forgotten about. Are we at the stage where already certain atties are becoming classics, should the continued production be encouraged or forgotten about?
So for me, we have options
Buy the vapourart cnc machines off them and the programmes. Setting up a retro company
Invite them to this country to continue imagining new things.
Lobby gov to ban all purchases of clones(that'll be popular)
I never understand why something is still in demand if it's goodg , when you go to web site it's out of stock. I think about the ubertoot for example, I wish an atty maker could explain why a batch is made and then never made again. Even though there is demand. Eg, the recent heron 1.5 group buy which has fallen through. Ten people wanted one, then times that by every single vaping forum across Europe, America. That totals up to quite a few. I mean it's not like they were made 50 yrs ago is it. Does it matter? Maybe not wwith cars but atties ain't cars, there a lot simpler to make and fit in your pocket. But in twenty years time these will be sought after. I'm just wondering if the originators would be willing to let others make their stuff.
Maybe imI getting old.

Just an observation but I don’t think the group buy is a great example. It was for a £20 clone. I wonder how many people would still have put their name down for a £100 authentic.

 

[Simon G]

Lobby gov to ban all purchases of clones

The Chinese gov doesn't care and in most other countries like here, they are counterfeit items which really shouldn't be sold.

 

[eightbitraptor]

Invite them to this country to continue imagining new things.

Invite some Greeks *into* the country? That’s hardly going to work in the current political climate.

 

[instantlady]

Invite some Greeks *into* the country? That’s hardly going to work in the current political climate.

[emoji23]

 

[zouzounaki]

Invite some Greeks *into* the country? That’s hardly going to work in the current political climate.

Seems it will be fine as long as they come before the “transition period” ends!

 

[13mil]

The Chinese gov doesn't care and in most other countries like here, they are counterfeit items which really shouldn't be sold.

Totally agree. Or, if the clone is sold the original makers gets a cut of the cost, like songwriters, regardless of whoever sings the song they wrote. Which, also means buying clones for 'wont miss that if it's duff' amounts of money, are killing the cutting edgers of vape development. Though the whole market of cheap replicas is based around the innovation, ingenuity and research of entrepreneurs like gp, byleo, atmomiaxini, and thats just a few off the top of my head? What are the cloners gonna replicate when the brains get desk jobs?

 

[Simon G]

Totally agree. Or, if the clone is sold the original makers gets a cut of the cost, like songwriters, regardless of whoever sings the song they wrote. Which, also means buying clones for 'wont miss that if it's duff' amounts of money, are killing the cutting edgers of vape development. Though the whole market of cheap replicas is based around the innovation, ingenuity and research of entrepreneurs like gp, byleo, atmomiaxini, and thats just a few off the top of my head? What are the cloners gonna replicate when the brains get desk jobs?

things like the Smok Mag kit no doubt .....

 

[Rob]

Right To answer the questions that I can. @13mil GP closed their doors for further orders, but stated that they would continue to sell off their stock of Spares. No One from the company has outright said that they are leaving the Industry. Having begun to learn what an incestuous business The Greek Mod and Atty Making business can be, I would lay very considerable odds that the Guys from GP will be working for a.n.other manufacturer pretty shortly. From what I understand....... The most popular way that the Greek Manufacturers found that worked for them was to use out of house CNC Shops. Very few had their own setups.
THIS is where things have become extremely murky over the last 12 months. We all know about the incredible financial problems they have been having. Sadly, this has led to some incredibly unscrupulous folks doing things which amount to downright Theft and Fraud. One Manufacturer whom I know very well on a personal level suffered appallingly because of just such practices, having a considerable sum of money spirited away in the night, along with most of his designs for his current range and all of his new designs, which were then sold on to another design house. This has driven him to the brink, he has had to let ALL of his Staff go and is now attempting to run the business completely Single Handed. Whether he survives or not, is entirely down to the Market. He finally gained "some" financial backing, but the "deal" (if it can be called that!) leaves him receiving 10 Euro for EVERY item sold through this one Greek Chain. Hardly a fortune!!

Ubertoot: Designed by one man in his bedroom. He holds down a day job that funds his everyday expenses, (Food, Bills, Mortgage etc) and the Ubertoot was first launched as a tester on ukv in VERY limited numbers as that was all he could afford to do. We all know what happened next, it took off and just went through the roof. I still feel that all marketing was handled the correct way for his purposes. Yes, he always had a greater demand than supply, but potential purchasers knew that patience was the name of the game. Eventually, a "Toot" fell into the hands of the Cloners, they produced something that vaguely resembled the Toot, but that was all. Eventually better clones became available (Coppervape) but these never impacted upon the sales of the original authentic UK Items.
Production ceased. Why? Because the whole thing had grown like Topsy and was completely taking over his life. He decided that enough was enough and called it a day. No dramas, just a matter of lifestyle (and sanity!) choices.

Scarab Mods; Exactly the same situation, started as a hobby, grew and grew and almost overwhelmed the Poor Guy, he too, decided enough was enough and pulled the plug shortly after the birth of their first Child.
Fortune Mods; another case of demand FAR outreaching supply.

We are VERY fortunate in that here in the UK we do have some truly exceptional minds and manufacturers. But "most", not all, have suffered at the hands of The Cloners, but those of us whom have purchased the authentic have supported the creative people, not the fast buck copyists.

Yes we all know the arguments, at the end of the day it is YOUR Money, YOU choose how to spend it.

Hopefully we will see something akin to the GP Heron 1.5 again It may well be wearing newer clothes and have a new name.......... but the basics will be there it is hoped.

 

[MrTeaTime]

Totally agree. Or, if the clone is sold the original makers gets a cut of the cost, like songwriters, regardless of whoever sings the song they wrote. Which, also means buying clones for 'wont miss that if it's duff' amounts of money, are killing the cutting edgers of vape development. Though the whole market of cheap replicas is based around the innovation, ingenuity and research of entrepreneurs like gp, byleo, atmomiaxini, and thats just a few off the top of my head? What are the cloners gonna replicate when the brains get desk jobs?

To be fair a lot of the “clone makers” actually produce there own drippers and tanks now....

China produces some phenomenal kit these days.

I’ve had high end tanks and if I’m being brutally honest I’ve got to say that I’ve been let down massively Time after time...

There is room in the market for high end or expensive kit, but it also has to be said that there isn’t the huge gap in difference in vape quality between top end tanks/atties like GP stuff, mid range tanks like the aromaniser by steamcrave or tanks at the lower price range like the frogman by @Vaptio or the drop by digiflavour.....

My own thoughts, and this is my own personal opinion, is that there is to much bollocks spouted about “high end” tanks being better then the cheaper alternatives...the snobbery attached to various groups (especially certain Facebook groups) about “no clones” is at best disingenuous, at worst it’s pure snobbery....