Greg Connell, managing director of InfolinkGazette, shared the news on LinkedIn, commenting: “Eaglemoss is one of the world’s biggest names in licensed collectibles, marketing and distributing more than 150 collections in more than 30 markets. Revenue peaked at £68m but had fallen to £31.6m in the last filed accounts.”

Fans have reported that Eaglemoss’ phone lines are down, all eBay listings are being deleted, and region-specific customer service Facebook pages have been removed. Visitors to Eaglemoss are greeted by a pop-up advising that due to a ‘technical issue’ orders can’t be placed online.

The news has come as a shock to Eaglemoss’ huge consumer base, with many sharing their dismay across social media and fan sites. One of the most pressing concerns among collectors and modellers appears to be how they will complete model builds, particularly the Ghostbusters Ecto-1, that have so far taken many months. Others have expressed their hope that Eaglemoss can be saved, with one commenter speculating a restructuring may be possible.

Another, graphic artist Jack Mayfield, wrote on LinkedIn: “I hope this can lead to another buyer taking over and continuing the excellent product line, which is beloved by thousands of passionate fans and collectors (including me). Eaglemoss’ designers, artists, writers, illustrators, archivists and modelers are fantastic, and I’m not alone in hoping we can continue to enjoy and support their artistry and products in the future