TESTORS paint prices....OUCH.!

[AMT4EVR]

GREETINGS fellow builders, went to the L.H.S. today to pick up some paint, and oh my goodness, can you belive this...TESTORS 3oz. regular and model master spray is $ 6.50 a can, 1/2 oz. model master bottles is $ 4.00 and regular 1/4 oz. bottles is $ 2.00. Not only did testors do this, so did all the rest of the companies who supply us with our products. Just wanted to let all of you know so that there is no suffering of "sticker shock" when you arrive. So does this mean that I`am going to toss out my kits and stop building ??? NO, but it pinches the `ol hobby dollar a lot more.

[Terry Sumner]

That's 256 1/2 ounce bottles to make a gallon. 256 times $4 = $1,024 a gallon!!!! Yeah yeah..I know. I's the small packaging and handling etc etc. Still seems awful expensive!

[SuperStockAndy]

A little tip here for people.

Do NOT buy the Testors thinner in the 1/4 oz. jars. Those cost $1.50 ($2 now). Instead, run to the hardware store and get thinner. My can on Sunnyside thinner cost me $3.79 and I've filled my two 1/4 oz. thinner jars at least 10 times.

[Chuck Most]

I rarely bother with Testors spray cans anymore- if I want a rattle can, I can get the big cans of Duplicolor for only about a buck and a half more than Testors in my area.

[Harry P.]

I rarely bother with Testors spray cans anymore- if I want a rattle can, I can get the big cans of Duplicolor for only about a buck and a half more than Testors in my area.

Amen. "Model paint," when you look at the per ounce cost, is ridiculously expensive.

[Chuck Most]

And let us not forget that 90% of Testors paint line is, well, basically useless.

[Craig Irwin]

I can remember Testors 1/4 OZ bottles for 15 cents, and buying Pactra because it was only a dime !

[Haubenschild]

tamiya spray paint at my hobby shop is 10.00 testors/modelmaster around 7.00

[Harry P.]

There are a lot of alternatives out there. Don't think that you have to buy "model paint," they're basically ripping you off.

I started using "craft paints" for detail painting. They come in either acrylic or acrylic enamels, gloss and flat, available in several brands, and I get it at Hobby Lobby. It comes in 2 ounce bottles, there are literally hundreds of colors in both regular and metallics, and the best part is, depending on the brand, it costs about a buck a bottle.

For painting bodies I've used DupliColor for many years. And there are many other options as far as brands and types of paints, and pretty much all of them will cost you a lot less per ounce than "model paints."

[SuperStockAndy]

I can remember Testors 1/4 OZ bottles for 15 cents, and buying Pactra because it was only a dime !

And that's when gas was also 16 cents a gallon.

[Dr. Cranky]

You should see the prices for HOK and others . . . including the new Shimmrin 2 line . . .

[Maindrian Pace]

I did the LHS rounds today, they and Michael's are both around $5.50 for Testors spray. Nobody had the price out for Tamiya spray, and no one has a decent selection either, so I didn't bother to ask.

-MJS

[Craig Irwin]

And that's when gas was also 16 cents a gallon.

Actualy it was about .35.9 cents a gallon.

[SuperStockAndy]

Actualy it was about .35.9 cents a gallon.

But still, better than today's prices

[martinfan5]

There are a lot of alternatives out there. Don't think that you have to buy "model paint," they're basically ripping you off.

I started using "craft paints" for detail painting. They come in either acrylic or acrylic enamels, gloss and flat, available in several brands, and I get it at Hobby Lobby. It comes in 2 ounce bottles, there are literally hundreds of colors in both regular and metallics, and the best part is, depending on the brand, it costs about a buck a bottle.

For painting bodies I've used DupliColor for many years. And there are many other options as far as brands and types of paints, and pretty much all of them will cost you a lot less per ounce than "model paints."

I am going to have to check them out, what section or asle in HL are they at?

I dont buy model paint in the spary can unless I have no other choice or use a HL coupon.

Edited November 13, 2011 by martinfan5

[Draggon]

This is great news!!! Last time I bought one of the 1/4 oz jars it was 3.59. Whoot whoot! O, wait, I go to Hobbytown, I guess now the little jars will be six bucks there.

[BKcustoms]

Wow, and I thought the Dupont basecoat/clearcoat that I use was expensive.

[Harry P.]

I am going to have to check them out, what section or asle in HL are they at?

I dont buy model paint in the spary can unless I have no other choice or use a HL coupon.

They are near the scrapbooking stuff. They look like this:

[martinfan5]

Harry- thanks, I will be checking them out , are these paints glossy or flat finish?

Back on paint prices, from what i can tell is HL sells there paint at the MSRP, I say this as I often look on testors/MM website and you can buy from them, and the price's are about the same.

I dont know or remember what our other LHS sell the paints for, but I know its more then HL. My G/F thinks it funny that I go to the auto parts store to get paint for models

Edited November 13, 2011 by martinfan5

[Nick Notarangelo]

But still, better than today's prices

more like less painful.

[Harry P.]

Harry- thanks, I will be checking them out , are these paints glossy or flat finish?

The acrylics are flat, the acrylic enamels are gloss.

There are actually several brands, they all come in the same size/type of plastic squeeze bottle, and they're all on display together in the same aisle. At my Hobby Lobby the brands they have are Anita's, Americana Acrylics, Americana Gloss Enamels, Craftsmart, Folk Art Acrylic, Enamels, and metallics (I think there's another brand that also has metallics).

But once you find the right aisle, you'll see them all there on one giant display rack.

[martinfan5]

Harry- again thanks for the info, not really trying to be a pain , so then these wouldn't be good to use for interior painting ?

[Harry P.]

Harry- again thanks for the info, not really trying to be a pain , so then these wouldn't be good to use for interior painting ?

Sure, you can use them for interiors. You can use them to paint whatever.

This Mack Bulldog was painted with them. Flat gray cab (with a coat of Testors "Transparent Window Tint" to give a sort of dirty, grungy look)... chassis with a very dark gray (almost black) metallic, interior, engine, wheels... everything! (except the bed which is scratchbuilt of real wood and stained).

[my66s55]

The closest HL to me is 25 miles ,but there is a Michaels 3 1/2 miles north and another 6 miles south. They also have a good selection of acrylics plus some Testers at better prices than posters here are reporting.

[martinfan5]

I know I can use them for interior's but what I was I was meaning is that interiors are not flat nor glossy, so its either semi gloss or matt , I am trying to make my interiors look better.

Michaels does have good prices on the testors paint, but they only sell , well the ones in my area the normal testors paint and the one coat lacquer. The only one coat lacquer I use is the clear coat.