Hi all - I’m looking for a good place (i.e. good prices, good service) that has a large selecton of model paints to order from via mail order. A good website helps here. Since I’m restocking and I’ll need a bunch of paints, I was hoping to find a place that I could order from where the prices were better than going to my local hobby store. A few cents saved here and there starts to pile up of you are ordering a couple dozen jars.
Any suggestions? I tend toward Testors/Model Master paints.
Appreciate the link to the Galactic Voyager site. You helped answer a question I was about to post here. That question being: where can I cross reference RLM and FS numbers to paint manufacturers paint numbers? I noticed the Model Master paints had the RLM and FS numbers listed where they were applicable. Since I also prefer this brand, it works out nicely.
If you divide the shipping cost by the number of bottles you buy and add that to the price of the paint, is it cheaper than buying local and keeping that shop around?
Unfortunately the hobby shop I considered local (a 40 mile round trip) has already closed. The owners retired and it is now a shop for those who collect NASCAR, science fiction, sports cards and other items of interest. There are two others that are more than a 60 mile round trip for me.
I’m a big fan of shopping locally, but if I add gas, wear & tear on my car and the plain inconvenience of making that drive to the normally high prices and limited selections I’ve found at hobby shops, I’ll more than likely do my buying on the internet. It’s not that I prefer to do it that way, but sometimes it is more economical. Plus you have the added advantage of being able to go to more than one website and compare their prices.
For me, final shipping cost is usually less than the 7% local tax I’d be forced to pay at my local hobby store. Add to that the less expensive purchase price, and in many cases ordering over the 'net is much much cheaper.
I have nothing against mom & pops, and I rather like the convenience. I like walking in and seeing what’s new. I am willing to pay a premium for the convenience should I need something the hobby store can provide that a 'net retailer can’t (immediate purchase capability and “see it myself” selection). For small purchases and “have to have it this weekend” items, I regularly go into my local shop to buy. It just makes sense for me if I am making a large purchase in bulk to go with a 'net store.
One beef I do have with 'net stores, at least in the hobby sector, is the less-than-capable web store software they use. There are some out there that are passable, but I haven’t found many that approach the features of Amazon or Buy.com with the extra “help” you receive (detailed product descriptions, wish lists, lots of pics). Towerhobbies.com is nice, but mostly for R/C. Without a helpful interface, you still feel you are dealing with small-timers, which concerns me from the standpoint of customer service and support (I hate it when they don’t have phone numbers or addresses listed on their website - what are they trying to hide!). There ARE inexpensive alternatives for small store webfronts, but mostly it’s just a reluctance from the owners. Shame - they could reclaim lost brick-and-mortar traffic with a 'net storefront that makes the customer feel at home.
Sorry, I do customer service and retailing for a living. I guess I’m biased
I undrstand. We used to have a Squadron store in Cleveland. It was 30 mi. one way for me. I made the trip once a week or once a month, depending until it went out of business. I have a couple of stores close but at msrp kit prices, I do most of my buying mail order and take the sale prices. But shipping sometimes brings that price so close to what I would have paid locally, i wonder why i do it. I usually try to get several kits to spread the cost.
Model Expo seems to have pretty good prices on Humbrol enamels. I am rapidly becoming a fan of Humbrol (vs. Model Master or Testors) because they just seem to spray on so smooth and even.
