So we stopped last weekend by our local hobby shop for some supplies. Low and behold, the new Italeri Acrylic paint made it to the store showing up their best in a spanking new non-dusty (yet) rack filled with all the new Italeri Paints and Thinners. I couldn’t help but ask my self, do we really need another paint line? We already have to run to conversion charts on the web to find color equivalents between available brands. Within my 2 local hobby shops, I have access to Humbrol, Model Master Enamel, Vallejo Paints Acryl, Polly S in both, oil and acrylic, Tamiya mini and large jars, Testors square bottles in both, enamel and acryl and last but not least, Metalizers and the growing line of Alclad 2 colors.
As an ”utility” model builder, I’m pretty much covered with Testors Model Master Acryl and Tamiya Colors. I have approached other paint shelves at my hobby shops with special needs. For example, I’ve had to go with Polly S color for my 1:48 B-24 Strawberry Bitch Liberator which required Pink/Sand not available on Tamiya’s and Acryl line. I had to go with Vallejo Color for my acrylic Bronze/Green which Testors Model Master only has in enamel. Vallejo Colors are $3.29 locally in 17ml bottles vs $4.29 for Italeri 20ml, that’s $1.00 for those extra 3ml’s.
Before you throw it at me, let me tell you that I;m well aware that not all model kit builders are as lucky as I am having access to all those paint lines. But the question still lingers, do we really need another paint line?
