MoFo Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 Are you... a retailer? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
modelingbob Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 A LHS would likely not have the floorspace to stock every single paint brand made and I sure understand that. An on-line retailer does not have that same issue and can pick and choose which brands they stock since warehouse space is dirt cheap. Since I have well over 200 kits in my stash, I'm not buying many kits these days and most of my modeling budget is spent on consumable items like paint/glue/sanding/finishing items. So, if an on-line vendor wants a piece of my modeling budget, they better stock the items I need and buy. For example, I'm trying to buy some MRP right now and the sole US vendor is out of stock (and has been for some time) on the critical colors I need. So, I'm ordering direct from MRP and that US vendor just missed my $$$$$. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joel_W Posted December 11, 2017 Author Share Posted December 11, 2017 1 hour ago, MoFo said: Are you... a retailer? MoFo, Not by a long shot. I'm just an old Drug Store Manager whose been doing it for almost 50 years. Every retail company both large and small operates basically by the same set of principles, or your not going to be around for long. Even the drugs that are stocked have limits as well as allotted quantities. Believe it or not, there are scripts that come in where we have to special order the medications as they're not usually carried. For new lines of a front of the store category that will be carried, older, less popular lines or items need to be deleted, and that often upsets those customers who still use them. Joel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joel_W Posted December 11, 2017 Author Share Posted December 11, 2017 1 hour ago, modelingbob said: A LHS would likely not have the floorspace to stock every single paint brand made and I sure understand that. An on-line retailer does not have that same issue and can pick and choose which brands they stock since warehouse space is dirt cheap. Since I have well over 200 kits in my stash, I'm not buying many kits these days and most of my modeling budget is spent on consumable items like paint/glue/sanding/finishing items. So, if an on-line vendor wants a piece of my modeling budget, they better stock the items I need and buy. For example, I'm trying to buy some MRP right now and the sole US vendor is out of stock (and has been for some time) on the critical colors I need. So, I'm ordering direct from MRP and that US vendor just missed my $$$$$. I bought and like MRP paints, but now only use them for interior colors as they have an extensive line of WWII US colors which I already have. I purchased them from the same online retailer you tried to deal with, and yes, his out of stocks was one of the reasons why I went back to Tamiya & Mig paints as my main weapons of choice. Joel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scooby Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 Joel, I don’t think many people understand your frustration. With our Hobby shrinking it is great to see growth in our hobby products. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scooby Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 3 hours ago, modelingbob said: A LHS would likely not have the floorspace to stock every single paint brand made and I sure understand that. An on-line retailer does not have that same issue and can pick and choose which brands they stock since warehouse space is dirt cheap. Since I have well over 200 kits in my stash, I'm not buying many kits these days and most of my modeling budget is spent on consumable items like paint/glue/sanding/finishing items. So, if an on-line vendor wants a piece of my modeling budget, they better stock the items I need and buy. For example, I'm trying to buy some MRP right now and the sole US vendor is out of stock (and has been for some time) on the critical colors I need. So, I'm ordering direct from MRP and that US vendor just missed my $$$$$. Ordering direct from MRP is the cheapest option for me for shipments to Canada. Is it cheaper for US buyers through a US vendor? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
modelingbob Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 I've never ordered direct before. I haven't had to before because the US vendor always had what I wanted. But not this time, they only have 4/10 colors that I need. Thanks for the input on Canada. I guess I'll find out pretty soon because I can't wait much longer for the US vendor to get stock. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Johnopfor Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 7 hours ago, Joel_W said: Rick, I never said that the existing lines shouldn't expand their colors. Tamiya is about the only line that doesn't do it regularly. Their reasoning is that the retail racks won't hold any more colors and the LHS don't wan to spend a few hundred on a new rack. I would assume that online retailers would have the room for expanding lines as they bin and shelf not rack. I've been mixing Tamiya colors for years and just never had an issue doing it. I'm not looking at it from the new paint manufacturer perspective as the profits can be huge. I'm looking at it from the retailers point of view. I suggest that those not familiar with the number of lines of paints carried by both Sprue Brothers and Scalehobbyist.com checkout their sites. Between the two, they have all the major lines covered. Joel Why don't we let the retailers worry about that problem. If it sales, it sales, if it doesn't, then they will drop it or replace it. If they don't stock it, then they'll never know. ....and not all retailers drop paint lines because they think that they stock too many. Our local Hobbytown USAs used to carry Vallejo paints, but don't do it anymore. You know why? Because the local Hobby Lobbys carry Vallejo as well, but at a lower price. As a result, the Hobbytowns dropped the line. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
modelingbob Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 I just tried ordering direct from MRP, and it is ridiculously expensive to order direct through them to the USA. Almost double the cost than from the US vendor (and MRP is already the most expensive paint out there!). Bummer. Looks like I'm gonna have to custom mix the colors. <<< Is it cheaper for US buyers through a US vendor?>>> Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joel_W Posted December 11, 2017 Author Share Posted December 11, 2017 3 minutes ago, modelingbob said: I just tried ordering direct from MRP, and it is ridiculously expensive to order direct through them to the USA. Almost double the cost than from the US vendor (and MRP is already the most expensive paint out there!). Bummer. Looks like I'm gonna have to custom mix the colors. <<< Is it cheaper for US buyers through a US vendor?>>> Bob, I've had the same experience when I tried to order directly from Eduard. Shipping was astronomical. So for me it's USA only with the exception of Ultracast out of Canada. Joel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ytsejam87 Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 I found the exact opposite when ordering extreme metal from AK interactive. It was cheaper to order and ship from Spain, than the most inexpensive US retailer. Essentially, when comparing orders with AK and US online or US LHS it was "buy 7 and get 3 free". Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PlasticWeapons Posted December 12, 2017 Share Posted December 12, 2017 (edited) Since we're on the subject of new paint lines, I bought a few bottles of Archive-X enamel. It's a new brand that is attempting to bring back the old Floquil paint hues from the 1970s, supposedly the paint used to finish the original Star Wars studio models, and created for the Star Wars scale model geeks. Archive-X is a UK-based outfit and have a Facebook page, that's how I learned of this paint. Edited December 12, 2017 by PlasticWeapons Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Johnopfor Posted December 12, 2017 Share Posted December 12, 2017 29 minutes ago, PlasticWeapons said: Since we're on the subject of new paint lines, I bought a few bottles of Archive-X enamel. It's a new brand that is attempting to bring back the old Floquil paint hues from the 1970s, supposedly the paint used to finish the original Star Wars studio models, and created for the Star Wars scale model geeks. Archive-X is a UK-based outfit and have a Facebook page, that's how I learned of this paint. Did you have them shipped direct to the US, and if so what were the rates? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PlasticWeapons Posted December 12, 2017 Share Posted December 12, 2017 (edited) I purchased my set when shipping was free until December. They aren't cheap either. If you thought MRP was expensive, these go for roughly $15/bottle. Edited December 12, 2017 by PlasticWeapons Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dave1089 Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Resurrecting this thread, but has anyone trued the Tru-Color F-22 paints? Do they bear resemblance to the real thing? Thanks! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Johnopfor Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 (edited) I picked up their F-22 and F-35 paints back in September at a show in Leavenworth Kansas (the portion without the prison), but I haven't really tried to use them yet. I was hoping that someone else had an opportunity to use them to determine if they are the true "raptor sheen", or if they are regular colors that still need the sheen overcoat. Ounce for ounce, they are cheaper than Model Master. I do have their new Military Paints flyer with all of their planned colors already released up to those slated for release by the end of the year Edited March 31, 2018 by Johnopfor Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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