Hey all,

I'm back into the hobby after nearly 15 years away. At that time, I was pretty heavy into it with what seemed like a zillion kits in boxes on the shelves. Good times!

I prefer to work on WWII German armor. I always try to make the most of every kit by adding PE, barrels, tracks, or anything else I can find to make them realistic & fun. This is the problem that I'm running into. Now that I'm investing in all new supplies, I've found that there are no 'Mom & Pop' shops within hours of me (I will miss that very much!).

After being out of the hobby for so long, I have no clue where to purchase the aftermarket accessories, or when I find an internet company, I have no clue if they are reputable. I've scoured the internet looking...which brought me to you all!

I'd love some direction if you have the time.

Thanks,

Joe

Hello Joe, welcome back to the hobby! It's a great time, there are lots of kits and accessories, and more keep coming.

As for the shops, I think it is better that once you find a suitable provider with good price and shipping, ask here about them.

From my experience, I am a happy customer of Luckymodel and BNA Model world

Hi Joe,
Welcome back to the hobby and to the group. I'm from the Florence, AL area myself. I build a little bit of everything, usually at a snail's pace. I just got back into the hobby myself a couple of years ago after a hiatus of about 35 years. I'm still mostly building OOB. I know what you mean about the lack of LHSs. The closest one I've found is in north Huntsville, The Hobby Barn. Its mainly an RC shop but they do have a very good selection of kits. Not a lot of aftermarket stuff though. The staff are friendly. Most of the stuff I've bought online has been via ebay and through some of the vendors who advertise here. I recommend you check them out as I have not had a bad experience with any of them.
Johhn

Hi Carlos & John. Thank you for the welcome! Coming back into the hobby it's really great to have this forum to read through...guess it's time to catch up with technology! I'll post in the proper forum to see if I can find more recommendations for finding what I'm looking for.

Thanks all!

Hi Joe and welcome to Armorama! My favorite online shops are HobbyEasy, Scalehobbyist, Sincere Hobby, MicroWorld Games, HobbyLink Japan, Hobby Search, and LuckyModel. All are very reputable shops and I have done a lot of business with each of them. If one shop doesn't have what you need, go to the next one. We have a great hobby these days and even the shopping is fun!

Hi Matthew, it's really great to be back. Now we'll find out how much I remember & what has changed! I truly appreciate the help with the websites. They look great. Have you experienced long shipping times with the companies overseas?

As long as I choose air parcel, I get my stuff in about 10 days.