Best way to buy paint at Michael's or Hobby Lobby?

[clovis]

I am gearing up for a car build, and I need to buy some paint.

Last year, I went to the LHS, which also happens to be a locally owned national franchise. They had one college kid, who was as helpful, friendly, and extremely knowledgeable about building cars and war birds. I liked buying from him!!!

But, the store manager was not friendly whatsoever, and when he found out that I was "only buying model paint" (and not a $500 RC kit), he became a real turd.

I'll most likely lean towards Testor's enamels in the small bottles, and maybe some Floquil if I need it.

What is the cheapest way to buy paint from Michael's or Hobby Lobby? Do they have coupons? Can they be used for paint?

Thanks in advance!!!!!

[Casey]

Hobby Lobby has a 40% coupon every week, good Monday-Saturday. You can find in on their website.

Michael's accepts every coupon known to man, no matter where it's from, short of one you wrote yourself on a yellow legal pad with a crayon. I go to www.mycraftcoupons and try to find a 50% off coupon if I'm headed to Michael's, but 40% off is the norm.

[Monty]

Hobby Lobby has a 40% coupon every week, good Monday-Saturday. You can find in on their website.

Michael's accepts every coupon known to man, no matter where it's from, short of one you wrote yourself on a yellow legal pad with a crayon. I go to www.mycraftcoupons and try to find a 50% off coupon if I'm headed to Michael's, but 40% off is the norm.

I can't speak for Michaels, but Hobby Lobby's coupons generally take 40% off one item, and most stores only allow you to use one coupon a day. Don't go in expecting to buy a boatload of paint @ 40% off the total.

[ZTony8]

Michael's 40 and 50 percent off coupons are also only good for one item.Occasionally they have a coupon for 25 or 30 percent off your entire bill (except for clearance items).

[Tom Geiger]

The one thing you'll find is that the neither company has the full line of Testors paints, only a limited generic retail like selection. Do note that there's a whole world of paints beyond Testors and many of them are more cost effective.

For instance a lot of us use automotive paints, mainly Duplicolor sprays. I use the Duplicolor gray primer as my main primer. I love their color sprays to use over that because they come out well much more often than Testors ever did. These may appear to be more expensive than Testors, but they go on sale at a variety of auto parts stores all the time. I bought 25 cans at Ollie's junk store for $1 each two years ago. I still have plenty.

There are other alternatives too. Folks here use cheap sprays from Walmart and Home Depot. I like to vary my flat blacks, so I have a few different brands that dry to different tones.

I don't buy Testors brush bottles at all. I try to spray everything I can to get better results. You can tape small parts to a styrofoam block and spray them. I mount a lot of things on toothpicks and straight pins to paint this way also. And when I do need to brush paint a little bit or do touch up, I spray a little bit of paint into Dixie Cup small bathroom cups. These are great because they're cheap and you can just throw them out when you're done.

[High octane]

If you use your charge card, you can get "airline miles" or you can just use ca$h.

[clovis]

Thank you for all of the replies.

I'm just starting back into the hobby, and I only have about 6 colors right now, all Testors.

I'm going at this by buying whatever colors I need at the time. So the next trip to the LHS, Michael's or HL, I might only be buying 4 or 5 colors.

You fellow builders are a God send, and a true asset. Building models these days are much easier, thanks to you, than they were back in the mid-80's in small town Indiana.

Again, thanks!!!!

[Brett Barrow]

Auto parts stores are probably a better source for model car paint than the craft-oriented chain stores.

Wally World, too.

[cahilj]

You can also use cheap acrylic water base paints for some stuff instead of using name brand. The "10 colors in the strip of attached plastic bottles" type paints. Sometimes it's nice to have variations of red instead of the same old red on every build, especially when the build needs slight variations. Those paints are also good for doing washes and panel lines.

[rustbucket82]

Auto parts stores are probably a better source for model car paint than the craft-oriented chain stores.

Wally World, too.

One problem with your logic: Auto parts stores don't sell model car paint, they sell 1:1 car paint. Perhaps a rewording is in order as to not confuse the original poster.

[CadillacPat]

If you use your charge card, you can get "airline miles" or you can just use ca$h.

How many airline miles do you get for a 1/4 oz. bottle of Testors?

CadillacPat