Reduced Stock in Model Stores ?

[Anglia105E]

I am interested to hear what other MCM forum members think about this one . . . Recently I have found that my local suppliers of modelling materials have run out of certain products, most notably Revell Contacta Professional cement / adhesive. Also their stocks of Humbrol enamels in 14 ml tins are greatly reduced. Meanwhile, the online situation with Ebay as a supplier has also changed slightly . . . None of the Ebay sellers have any stock of Tamiya TS-14 Black paint, and it turns out that Tamiya have no stock of TS-14 either.

Does anyone know of supply issues that I might not have picked up on ? Maybe containers falling off ships somewhere mid-Pacific Ocean ?

Do you have similar concerns over in the US, or could this be a UK / Europe problem only ?

Thanks,

David

[Mark]

My local shop relocated at the end of 2022, the new location did not open until October for myriad reasons.  They haven't restocked Tamiya sprays yet.  I also heard prior to the relocation that Humbrol enamels might be going away due to changing EU regulations.  From what I have heard, Humbrol uses too much of whatever it is that makes Humbrol level out prior to drying (which makes it my favorite for brush application to small parts).

One other thing I haven't seen there, or at Hobby Lobby, is white Milliput putty.  HL has the dark green Milliput, but not the white.

[Anglia105E]

5 minutes ago, Mark said:

My local shop relocated at the end of 2022, the new location did not open until October for myriad reasons.  They haven't restocked Tamiya sprays yet.  I also heard prior to the relocation that Humbrol enamels might be going away due to changing EU regulations.  From what I have heard, Humbrol uses too much of whatever it is that makes Humbrol level out prior to drying (which makes it my favorite for brush application to small parts).

One other thing I haven't seen there, or at Hobby Lobby, is white Milliput putty.  HL has the dark green Milliput, but not the white.

Thanks for your comments Mark, and that is a bit worrying as regards the Humbrol enamels product. One item that I have managed to purchase just happens to be Milliput white, funnily enough !

David

[Skip]

My local Hobby Town USA said the same thing about the Humbrol enamel paints, they thought that it was a lead issue, I know for a fact that U.S. environmental has not allowed any enamel paints containing lead since sometime in the mid to late 80's. So, I would think it would be the volatile solvents that they are worried about. I still dabble in signwriting and pin striping, after they took the lead out of the One-Shot sign paints, then it was all about the volatile solvents causing holes in everything.

Hobby Lobby - has been alternating between Tamiya and Mr. Putty white lacquer-based putties, liquid cements same. I switched back to the Red Bondo Brand Lacquer spot putty a while ago when Hobby Lobby started getting the Mr. Putty stuff in as it isn't as good as the Tamiya stuff. Milliput putty has been alternating between the white and green. No explanations you go in one week to find one product and the next it's been replaced by another...

[stitchdup]

humbrol took the lead out in the early/mid eighties. it was around the same time as everybody got better fridges due to the ozone layer. it was before the lead was taken out of petrol. it could even have been the late 70s we took lead out of all paints. i dont remember accurate dates cos i was still pre school then but i remember a family friend having to dump a lot of paint from his shed (he was a decorator) at the time

[Anglia105E]

3 hours ago, Skip said:

My local Hobby Town USA said the same thing about the Humbrol enamel paints, they thought that it was a lead issue, I know for a fact that U.S. environmental has not allowed any enamel paints containing lead since sometime in the mid to late 80's. So, I would think it would be the volatile solvents that they are worried about. I still dabble in signwriting and pin striping, after they took the lead out of the One-Shot sign paints, then it was all about the volatile solvents causing holes in everything.

Hobby Lobby - has been alternating between Tamiya and Mr. Putty white lacquer-based putties, liquid cements same. I switched back to the Red Bondo Brand Lacquer spot putty a while ago when Hobby Lobby started getting the Mr. Putty stuff in as it isn't as good as the Tamiya stuff. Milliput putty has been alternating between the white and green. No explanations you go in one week to find one product and the next it's been replaced by another...

Thanks Skip . . . I did see an article that suggested Humbrol had moved their enamel production out to China, but then due to quality control issues they moved their production back to UK . . . When I opened my tin of Humbrol Grey Primer 01 yesterday, there was around 3 mm of dark brown liquid in the tin, so I had to stir thoroughly to get the grey pigment to blend with the liquid. This primer applied to my engine parts seemed to be touch dry after 22 hours drying overnight at something like 2°C, but the paint finish is semi gloss and not matt ( it does say Matt on the tin ).

David

[Anglia105E]

3 hours ago, stitchdup said:

humbrol took the lead out in the early/mid eighties. it was around the same time as everybody got better fridges due to the ozone layer. it was before the lead was taken out of petrol. it could even have been the late 70s we took lead out of all paints. i dont remember accurate dates cos i was still pre school then but i remember a family friend having to dump a lot of paint from his shed (he was a decorator) at the time

Thank you Les . . . I didn't realise that Humbrol might still be adding a small amount of lead to their enamel product, and maybe the additive isn't actually lead but some other chemical that is harmful to the environment ( and people ).

David

[stitchdup]

1 hour ago, Anglia105E said:

Thank you Les . . . I didn't realise that Humbrol might still be adding a small amount of lead to their enamel product, and maybe the additive isn't actually lead but some other chemical that is harmful to the environment ( and people ).

David

The easiest way to tell when humbrol changed the formula is by 1/1 car colours. When yellow cars seemed to dissappear is when the lead was taken out as old yellow paints were all lead based. I dont think theres anything that harmful in it now. they sell it in fishing shops too as its great for flies. I think its most likelly in short supply because oil is expensive and humbrol always seemed to be the first to cheap out on ingredients. I think they had some sorta deal with revell at some point too as the revell and humbrol enamels had the same colour numbers for a while. The revell acrylics are much better than the humbrol ones too so if there was a deal I'd guess its gone. If anybody is needing humbrol enamels I am happy to get them for you, but not the metalisers as they are hard to get now

[bobss396]

I have a large hobby shop (100% renovated in 2022) and a Hobby Lobby almost next to each other that are closest to me. The hobby shop has Tamiya paints galore, lots of glue and putty. Good array of Evergreen stock, zero model car detail parts.

Hobby Lobby, great when the 40% off days are there. They have Model Master paints, a good amount of Mr. Hobby glues, some K&S stock, some Evergreen stock. 

Either place, I see no shortages especially of $30-40 kits. The next 2 big shops are 25 miles each way, again, zero aftermarket stuff for model cars. Just about all the smaller shops that were around 10 years ago are gone.

[Anglia105E]

23 minutes ago, bobss396 said:

I have a large hobby shop (100% renovated in 2022) and a Hobby Lobby almost next to each other that are closest to me. The hobby shop has Tamiya paints galore, lots of glue and putty. Good array of Evergreen stock, zero model car detail parts.

Hobby Lobby, great when the 40% off days are there. They have Model Master paints, a good amount of Mr. Hobby glues, some K&S stock, some Evergreen stock. 

Either place, I see no shortages especially of $30-40 kits. The next 2 big shops are 25 miles each way, again, zero aftermarket stuff for model cars. Just about all the smaller shops that were around 10 years ago are gone.

Thank you for your input Bob, and much appreciated . . . You are fortunate to have two good hobby shops so close to you !  How I wish that I had a local hobby shop / model shop that stocked Tamiya paints. These days I have to place an order to one of the many Ebay sellers that do stock Tamiya paints. When I am wanting for example, three paint colours for a project that I am currently working on, each seller will always be showing no stock of one of those colours . . . I tend to wait until all three colours are showing stock with one seller, rather than ordering from multiple sellers.

My Hobbycraft store is only 10 miles away, and is massive, but the model section has gradually reduced in size, and they don't have much of any interest nowadays. They stock Revell products and not Humbrol, while my Boyes store that is 3 miles from where I live has Humbrol products but not Revell products . . . neither of these two stores sells Tamiya paints.

David

[ColonelKrypton]

Some (maybe all) of the issues with enamels and their availability in recent years may likely be related to regulations which changed in early 2022 with respect to the use of a chemical called  (Methyl Ethyl Ketoxime, also known as MEKO or butanone oxime CAS no. 96-29-7. It became unlawful to sell paint containing more than 0.1% concentration of MEKO afterwards. This change may have been one of the driving forces behind the demise of the Testors Model Master enamels - write them off rather than expend the effort to change.

https://www.sovereignhobbies.co.uk/blogs/news/methyl-ethyl-ketoxime-meko-and-your-health

MEKO is used as an anti-skinning agent in paints and lacquers: https://www.eximcan.com/product/methyl-ethyl-ketoxime-meko/

Humbrol apparently did some reformulating of their products and is still available.

Tamiya markets a very nice enamel with a similar colour range to their acrylics and is sold in small square bottles similar in size to the common Testors enamels.

Revell has a line of enamel paints that I have not seen in Canada and as far as I know is only available in Europe.

Changing regulations and manufactures efforts to change with them is a fact of life. 

A quick search using Goggle and searching for MEKO Methyl Ethyl Ketoxime model hobby enamel paints ( or some such search terms ) will find many results with much discussion on the subject.

cheers, Graham

 

[MeatMan]

I think its a sign of the times. I've noticed that most stores these days have more limited inventory than before the pandemic.
With the staffing shortages and many folks buying online it just makes business sense to reduce inventory IMHO.

[Mark]

Great to see Humbrol enamels still available.  I have had no luck at all airbrushing them, but they are my go-to for brush application on small parts.  Their silver enamel actually dries, unlike Testors.

I haven't tried Tamiya enamels yet, as neither of the hobby shops locally have gotten it in yet.  If it's as good as their other paints, they will become another choice versus the dwindling/neglected Testors line.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Don't look now, but grocery store stocks are often not what they used to was, with many generic choices and some brands having disappeared from the shelves.

[Anglia105E]

1 hour ago, ColonelKrypton said:

Some (maybe all) of the issues with enamels and their availability in recent years may likely be related to regulations which changed in early 2022 with respect to the use of a chemical called  (Methyl Ethyl Ketoxime, also known as MEKO or butanone oxime CAS no. 96-29-7. It became unlawful to sell paint containing more than 0.1% concentration of MEKO afterwards. This change may have been one of the driving forces behind the demise of the Testors Model Master enamels - write them off rather than expend the effort to change.

https://www.sovereignhobbies.co.uk/blogs/news/methyl-ethyl-ketoxime-meko-and-your-health

MEKO is used as an anti-skinning agent in paints and lacquers: https://www.eximcan.com/product/methyl-ethyl-ketoxime-meko/

Humbrol apparently did some reformulating of their products and is still available.

Tamiya markets a very nice enamel with a similar colour range to their acrylics and is sold in small square bottles similar in size to the common Testors enamels.

Revell has a line of enamel paints that I have not seen in Canada and as far as I know is only available in Europe.

Changing regulations and manufactures efforts to change with them is a fact of life. 

A quick search using Goggle and searching for MEKO Methyl Ethyl Ketoxime model hobby enamel paints ( or some such search terms ) will find many results with much discussion on the subject.

cheers, Graham

 

Thanks Graham . . . You have explained in great detail the MEKO issues, and I was not aware of those facts. The Tamiya aerosol paints are really good in my opinion, and I do have experience of using many different types of paints while building scale model cars. The Humbrol enamels in tinlets seem to be superior to the Revell enamels tinlets, and the Revell paint is a bit too thick and gloopy (this can be thinned of course). Also, the Humbrol colours are more accurate.

I have not tried the Tamiya small square bottles, and I only started using the Tamiya aerosols about 6 months ago, so I must get some !

David

[Anglia105E]

1 hour ago, MeatMan said:

I think its a sign of the times. I've noticed that most stores these days have more limited inventory than before the pandemic.
With the staffing shortages and many folks buying online it just makes business sense to reduce inventory IMHO.

I quite agree Dennis . . . The way most stores and businesses generally operate since the pandemic ended has changed significantly. Fewer staff employed, plus increased costs of the premises and consequently lower stock levels. As you mentioned, the online availability and fast delivery (often free delivery) has impacted the stores on the ground in a big way. It is a shame really, because I am the sort of person who likes to pick up the product in my hand before I purchase it, and also speak face to face to a real human being. The convenience of the online experience is outweighed by these two points.

David

[Anglia105E]

45 minutes ago, Mark said:

Great to see Humbrol enamels still available.  I have had no luck at all airbrushing them, but they are my go-to for brush application on small parts.  Their silver enamel actually dries, unlike Testors.

I haven't tried Tamiya enamels yet, as neither of the hobby shops locally have gotten it in yet.  If it's as good as their other paints, they will become another choice versus the dwindling/neglected Testors line.

Hi Mark . . . I am hoping that the Humbrol enamels in small tins are not going to end, as some members on here believe, but that would not surprise me these days . . . Like you, I have not tried the Tamiya enamels in small square bottles yet, but I must try them. There are no stores that have stock of these near to me. They must be just as good as their aerosols, in which case I should not ignore them any longer !

David

[Anglia105E]

29 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Don't look now, but grocery store stocks are often not what they used to was, with many generic choices and some brands having disappeared from the shelves.

Yes Bill, you are right there . . . My local Sainsburys store is huge, but so many items keep running out, and some don't even come back in the same form. One example is kitchen roll, which is now in paper wrapping instead of plastic wrapping. That is fair enough, but guess what? The size of the kitchen rolls has reduced, both in width and also number of sheets in each of the rolls. ( same price or higher, mind you ! ).

David

[bobss396]

1 hour ago, MeatMan said:

I think its a sign of the times. I've noticed that most stores these days have more limited inventory than before the pandemic.
With the staffing shortages and many folks buying online it just makes business sense to reduce inventory IMHO.

I posted this elsewhere here. Michael's Crafts is in a decline throughout the store. The model section is sparse, lots of vacant floor space, self pay checkouts. Very few customers any time I'm there.

I buy a lot of model stuff on eBay, Mega Hobby and other online sellers. I find some good recommendations here.

Definitely a sign of the times. I see less vendors at even big model shows. Covid even took out some great modelers I became close to. 

[MeatMan]

3 hours ago, bobss396 said:

I posted this elsewhere here. Michael's Crafts is in a decline throughout the store. The model section is sparse, lots of vacant floor space, self pay checkouts. Very few customers any time I'm there.

I buy a lot of model stuff on eBay, Mega Hobby and other online sellers. I find some good recommendations here.

Definitely a sign of the times. I see less vendors at even big model shows. Covid even took out some great modelers I became close to. 

That's the truth! At the Michaels I go to (or used to) the few Testors paint bottles they have are intermixed colorwise, and you can tell they don't bother restocking anything.

[Ace-Garageguy]

2 hours ago, MeatMan said:

...and you can tell they don't bother restocking anything.

That's also getting to be the norm at most of the hardware stores I deal with. Employees either playing grabass, chattering away to each other, or totally absorbed on their phones.

The HobbyTown close to me was going that way too, but in the last 60 days it seems somebody in management realized you can't sell stuff if you don't have anything to sell, and several departments have cleaned up their restocking act.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Again don't look now, but a high percentage of websites that I'd flagged for all manner of useful information have disappeared as well since the bigfluthatcannotbenamed debacle.

[MeatMan]

1 hour ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Again don't look now, but a high percentage of websites that I'd flagged for all manner of useful information have disappeared as well since the bigfluthatcannotbenamed debacle.

Yes, and I've gone back to downloading info I see and keeping a file on a old backup drive I have. I've gone to sites I used to refer to in the past and get the "this site can be yours" too many times.

[Dave G.]

Same in art supplies, lots of gaps. Yet other items you may or may not want seem in over supply. It's everywhere not just models. And with every excuse under the sun,usually supply chain related. Also worker shortages. How about that weather, even weather patterns. Creation groans, believe it.

[bobss396]

I worked in the defense industry for almost 40 years. We had some old-ish product that needed to be fixed, many a vendor had gone out of business over a 15 year span. It became known as "vanishing vendors". 

I took care of cables and connectors and had to hunt down vendors we thought were gone, only to find that some were bought up by bigger companies. 

The past NNL East was the only time that I actually went home with money in my pocket. I had always planned to spend every dime I brought with me.