Testors Future

General Discussion General Modeling Discussion
1

I have been working on getting into building plastic model sailing ships the last several years. I use Testors paints and some of their products. But I have been purchasing and storing up some extra Testors paints that I will need for my current and few future large scale ship builds I will be doing down the road. The reason? I am concerned that Testors won’t be around in a few more years.

It seems since they were purchased by RPM in Ohio, discontinued Model Master 2 years back, and now with a significant mid-May price increase (48% I heard), it appears their long term future really could be in doubt. I support them in part because they are a American company and product with a long history. I hate to see that all go away. What are the opinions from some of you all on this issue?

2

Testors has folded. Rustoleum used to produce the paints for Testors. Rustoleum still makes the paints but owns the name, and has curtailed the hobby line significantly.

3

I’m pretty sure ‘Testors’ has been owned by RPM since at least the mid 80s. So, nothing new there. What is new is the elimination of many product lines and some of the branding. Testors hasn’t been an independent company in years…they’re just a brand name that happens to owned by RPM, as is Rustoleum. See this page for many more things that RPM owns - https://www.rpminc.com/leading-brands/

The switch away from the Testors name from what products that still exist is likely due to shift away from the niche model hobby market into general crafts. Who don’t need FS matched colors…

4

The only thing left of Testors in the future will be the 1/4 ounce square bottles. And how long for them is a matter of conjecture

Model Master is dead and gone. All you will likely find is old stock.

Mourn its passing if you must, but there are equivalent or better products available on the market.

5

You can find a lot of Model Master products, including paint, on eBay, but you’re going to pay premium, “collector’s” prices for them.

6

Yes,I really liked MM too,but like Ed says,just switch,there are so many great choices.Tamiya is almost foolproof,especially thinned with lacquer thinner,and AK-Real acts the same with good color range.

And somebody on the site [;)] swears by MRP lacquers which I have not tried yet.

7

And if you prefer enamels, Humbrol is still around. Revell is also supposed to be importing their enamels into the USA now.

8

I think we have to wait and see. I think it was Berra that said, making predictions is very hard, especially about the future. I find existing stocks spotty. The manager I talked to at my local HL said she has no problem getting them. Seems like in these big chains like HL and Michaels the company does the ordering and alots each store a given amount of stock. Stores with a lot of hobbyists living around tend to run dry quicker than others.

An interesting situation now is that Rustoleum is making paints for general use like clear coats, semi-gloss blacks and whites, and other colors useful for hobbyists. We had a club member in one of my clubs that started using Perfect Touch (a rustoeum brand) a number of years ago. His specialty was custom cars, and a specific color was not necessary. The PT brand has gone away, but the paints are now in the general Rustoleum brand. Not as fine a coat as Testors spray coats, but useful.

For brush use, I’m trying various other brands now, including craft store acrylics. I hate to use fancy hobby paints. My nearest hobby shop is over an hour round trip, and mail order is even slower, of course. I hate it when I am painting a model and I unexpectintly run out of paint, and can’t do anything else till I complete painting that part.

9

Ditto. Im an enamel user and wish their military line was still in production but unfortunately no more. Another fantastic line of enamels is MCW Paints and lots of others mentioned. And by the way about Testors shelf life, it has diminished thru the years. I have some square bottles with .19 and .25 price caps and are good as new yet ones I have bought a year or two ago have turned into gum.

10

I still have many of those tiny tins from my time in Germany (1987-90) and are still viable. Revell of Germany also did similar tins that I had a few of as well.

11

I also have several of the old Humbrol tins after 30+ years still good.

12

I have some of the Testors 15 cent bottles that are still good. Also have an entire tool box drawer of Humbrol tins that I use frequently and can’t remember how long I’ve had them.

Just looked through my supply of paints and saw some bottles of Floquil Railroad and Military colors, Pactra scale model flats and Model Shipways Marine Colors and a single bottle of Poly S water soluble paint for polystyrene that are all still good.

I think I have enough paint on hand to last me until I take my trip to the Great Workbench in the Sky. Ammendment to my last statement: I might need a few Vallejo military flat bottles.

Jim [cptn]

Stay Safe.