Hi folks,

I've bought a few kits and accessories online recently with decidedly mixed results, from waiting seven or so weeks for incomplete orders to being charged almost as much for postage than for the kits themselves...

As most of you are have been modelling for longer than me, I'm wondering what are other people's experience of ordering kits and accessories online?? What companies have the most navigable websites to who are the most reliant (or otherwise)?

There is a decent model shop nearby but their stock is stock that sells and they don't have too much specialist stuff. When asking about paints their response was, [to misquote John Lennon] 'I don't believe in acrylics'.

Do people go down the internet route getting stuff or are there reliable shops in Ireland that are good at ordering stuff for you without heaping on a huge finder fee...

I've bought kits and accessories from all over the world using both eBay and directly from hobby shops. I never had anything get lost but a few times I had items take nearly 35 days to reach me. Most often this seemed to happen with items sent from Italy. I notice many eBay sellers who do business worldwide exclude Italy as a country they will not ship to. I always wondered why.

I regularly order from individuals from China, Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Poland, the UK, and many more European and Asian countries. Again, never a problem, yet.

I have also sold models and other items worldwide and have never had items get lost or damaged. I had reservations about several packages I sent to Turkey because even the guy I sent them to was worried. Everything got to him fine. South Africa and a few places in South America worried me, but all went well there, too. I send things to a friend on the far eastern side of Russia and they get to him just fine.

I use a few simple guidelines for overseas ordering. When I order I use a credit card even when using PayPal because it's very easy to cancel a payment if the item doesn't show up withing the card's time limit policy. Some cards have a refund time longer than PayPal's. I had to do that once and it took less than a minute and I got to circumvent all the PayPal investigative hoopla and the time it would have entailed. Never use a bank transfer or a debit card for a site or person you are not sure of. Once that money is gone, it's gone! The other thing is once I have done a few transactions with a seller or a shop and gotten good service I tend to stick with them. It's also important to understand that often they are at the mercy of their suppliers as well.

I have bought a load of stuff online, just have to build it now! For Vallejo acrylics i buy from SnM stuff in the UK http://snmstuff.co.uk/default.aspx are very good. They always seem to have everything in stock and the way they calculate postage is very fair. I have bought from Jadar hobby in Poland, Hannants in the UK and Modellbau-Koenig in Germany. I found Hannants a bit pricy for postage if my memory serves me right but service from all three very good but a few of the paints (vallejo) out of stock form Jadar. I have also bought a spray booth from Model hobbies in the UK which was dearer for postage than another on line retailer but a good bit cheaper on the item itself.It was also good for tools. Quick delivery. I have also bought from Lucky model and cyber hobby in Hong Kong. Cyber hobby is cheap and if you can take the really slow surface shipping (which was free for one special offer and relatively cheap normally)and their really slow to load website then its satisfactory. They do air mail etc but i have not used it (I'm cheap!). Lucky model are good but back orders are a bit slow. Free postage on photo etch and small items. I have also used hobby link japan a few times. They had a very good offer on a air brush which was still a lot cheaper despite the best efforts of customs!They had a free psotage offer recently which was good but you could have got the kits cheaper elsewhere. They are very efficeint. I dont use couriers if possible as there seems to be a mini industry in collecting rather expensive charges for processing "customs charges".This was an experience with internet shopping not involving model's. If it comes through the coutrys postal system there is a handling charge of six euro by An Post if it is picked out by customs which is a lot more reasonable than some courier companys. On smaller orders your dont get bothered generally. I have also bought some models in a Belfast shop which seems cheaper than the south but dont take credit cards! I have bought in shops in the south but found them quite pricy and one kit I bought I reckon was secondhand. No problem with that but I should have been told and it was full price. Sorry about the long post. I will really have to stop buying and start building!!

Hi Eoin,
I would buy from a number of sites (hannants.co.ok, HLJ, Internethobies, netmerchants.co.uk) in Europe, far east and USA.
For some reason postage from UK does seem high but delivery is faster. Post from Far East is reasonable, but expect to wait from 2 to 4 weeks for delivery. From the USA can vary. value depends on strength of Euro against doller/pound/yen etc.

I rarely use ebay!

Like with amazon, postage can be cut down relatively speaking by buying multiple items eg adding paint to a kit purchase shouldn't really increase the post costs or a second kit won't double the post cost.

Their is a risk of an order from outside the EU being stopped by customs and having to pay excise duty and an admin fee. This can also add weeks to the delivery even though the kit is in the country! It's only happened me on a few 1/32 jet kits (big boxes) but it really adds to the cost so now the most I'll order at a time would be 2 1/35 armor and maybe some paint and/or AM sets at a time.

If you have a good relationship with your LHS and want something but not in a hurry they should order kits for you as part of their normal ordering process. I'd be surprosed if they charged you extra for this service. Marks Models in Dublin have done this for me on occaision at no extra cost....

The other option is finding hobby stores if you travel anywhere for a holiday/weekend away/business and also any model shows (only 2 I know of in Ireland) usually have dealer stalls where you can haggle.

Hope this helps,
Sean

Thanks folks,

I guess stick to the more established companies and buy accessories with the same order. SBX models were all over the modelling magazines but their website is difficult and my order cam in drips and drabs over a number of weeks.

MIG was pretty good BUT... their stuff came very quickly but I got a phone call when I was away from a not so happy courier who was outside my house with a parcel. I'm afraid to look at my credit card statement to see how much that postage was. [I can't remember if MIG gave a surface post option]. I much prefer going surface post anyway because An Post will leave a note saying you've x amount of days to collect package.

Any more experiences positive or negative, gratefully welcomed.

Eoin

Just a thought on your postage issues- our postal system has a web site where you can calculate postage. It's OK for a guide because ultimately the package's final weight will include the container and packaging material as well. I'm not sure if all other countries have them, but if they do, they are worth checking. I never looked, but I'd be surprised if there wasn't a general shipping calculator you could find via Google. If you don't know the weight of items you are buying, you can weigh similar things you already have. It doesn't take long to get a feel for it. Of course, I prefer buying from places that let you know up front what shipping charges are. That's the biggest trap on eBay- sell low and pad shipping charges - and people fall for it all the time.

Hi Eoin, Luckily there are a few shops in Dublin that stock acrylics so no worries for me there. Is there a Games workshop in Cork? Try their acrylics. I find the best value for kits online including postage to Ireland are Lucky Model and HLJ though these days I only buy sale items. Both sites give an idea of what the postage will be before ordering.
For tools and resin bits and pieces I use Jadar in Poland. I won't buy from the UK as I feel the postage is way over the top with the exception of Historex who give excellent service.

Hi Pat,

There's a 'Hidden Realms' shop in Cork that I was recently pointed towards. They also do Revell acryllics which is a bonus. As for kits- half a dozen 1/72 spitfires etc. is about the extent of it. 95% of the shop is Games Workshop. I asked the staff for advice it was all Games Workshop products they recommended.

Marks Models is good for Armour kits but obviously you are reliant on what stock they have in and they don't do aftermarket products (but it probably wouldn't be viable for them to do them). As for paints it's all Humbrol enamels.

I'll check out Luckymodels website- see what they're like.

Cheers,

Eoin

Hi Eoin.

I use

Netmerchants - almost next day delivery if you order before 2pm.

SB Models - about 3/5 days

Accurate Armour - about a week

Resicast about 5 days

Friendship Models about 3 days

Hannants - about a week

Lucky Models - 3 to 10 days

Ultracast - about 7 - 10 days

Formations about 10 days.

Historex - about a week

UK side Netmerchants usually have it, but all of the above are exremelyy reliable and have good servcie. As Pat says postage can be an issue, especially if ordering from Eastern Europe.

Al

I have three sources currently:

+ For Valleyo paints I use a roleplaying/wargaming shop since the local wargamers use the stuff a lot and the shop stocks the whole program in quantity at good prices. Same for the pigments. And open hours are good (10:00-20:00, if your order exceeds 30€ call up, owner lives above shop)

+ For general paint, glue and some models I use a local gaming store. IF they have it (like Tamiya paints) they have the complete stuff. Sadly they concentrate mostly on WWII/german models

+ For all the rest I do online ordering at a combined shop (They also have a brick/mortar store), that's Modelbau König. Prices are okay, delivery if listed "availabel" is within 2-5 days depending on when I order (They send out Monday-Saturday) and if something is listed as "can be ordered" than it CAN be ordered. Using them for two years now, no problems

Discovered 'The Gathering' in Limerick. It stocks vallejo acrylics!!! Saves me an online order!

Eoin

Hi Eoin,
You may want to have a look @ "Models for Sale" in the UK as well as the other UK based outlets previously listed, because when you place an order they will confirm the postage charge with you before they charge your card and ship the goods.

HTH
Vincent