After we posted our video, we heard back from Marc Mosko, president of Model Expo, with more detailed information about the changes with Model Shipways solid hull kits:

Hi, this is Marc. About the solid hull kits. Our next catalog will contain 4 solid hull kits …. Phantom, Sultana, Dapper Tom and Kate Cory. The others are poor sellers with exception of Harriet Lane, which is being re-issued in larger scale and plank-on-bulkhead, designe by David Antscherl. I would agree with you that solid hull kits have a better chance of being finished but there are reasons why we are walking away from them in the near future. 1) The hulls are carved by furniture makers in Highpoint, SC. In the past 30 years we are now working with the last furniture carver (table legs and such) in that town. He is 80 years old and does not have much of a business future ahead of him as High Point has gone from being America’s premier furniture manufacturing center to a ghost town. All of their factories have moved to China. 2) The cost of solid hull kits has surpassed the POB kits. Carved hulls still have to be whittled fore and aft by hand as they are delivered with stems that held the wood in pantograph carving machines. We have a Philippine who is good at this but soon he is returning to retire in the Philippines. 3) The Europeans have convinced 95% of model builders that POB is more authentic since all of their kits with exception of the junky, little ones designed for youngsters are all POB. On another note … Model Expo is having the best year ever. In part due to Covid and the stay-at-homes but also because we are doing very well in Europe … even Italy! Our biggest challenge now is producing enough to meet demand. Thank you for your videos. I look forward to the Learning Series of Dory, Pram and Smack.
Best regards,
Marc Mosko
P.S. Yes, you can publish if you like.