One thing that Testors used to do REALLY well was consistency. This was exemplified with the large number of "custom colour" sheets/posters (Some even made by Testors) in order to get the specific paint code from something in history. As you said in the video, there were all sorts of different theme lines of paint. However, if you had a specific model with an out there colour that was very history to that piece there were guides on exactly which paints to mix and how many parts to achieve that exact colour. I have found with a lot of the newer lines, you don't see these charts as often. It may simply be with the rise in airbrush use, that people are able to achieve the colour in their minds eye using various techniques like pre-shading, and layering to get not only an accurate colour to photograph but also to the naked eye etc. Typically the charts you see now are just colour matching between brands, which is also a good thing as sometimes your preferred vendor is out, but you really need that specific blue to keep working etc.
Nothing at all wrong with Testors, I'm afraid it is their corporate owners Rustoleum, who don't seem to care that the brand is a part of any hobbyists being. It is the paint all of us began with, many of us stuck with and it was the gateway product for everyone entering the hobby.
I like Testors Model Master enamels because they had specific colors, like WWII British and German colors. Schwartzgrun, Dark Earth, Middlestone, etc. Now I am having to get back to mixing special shades, often using Tamiya and other brands of acrylic paints. As a 66 year old lifetime modeler, I still use Testors tube glue. So, I've been buying extra Testors products as I find them, and trying other products. Vallejo and AK paints are becoming important additions, though often available only in sets.
Model Master paints were awesome. The cancellation of the entire line was the first indication of what direction Rustoleum was taking Testors. They have went from being the cornerstone of scale modelling supplies in North America to a craft supply (no offense to crafters ;) ) We can only hope they sell the company and someone brings it back.
As a newbie i followed what i remember my brothers using to paint their kits Testors...im slowly switching to Tamiya enamels and rattle can sprays..which i purchase from your H.C.
When I was a kid, you got the glue for .79 cents, your brushes for .50 cents each, the 8 pack of Testors paints for $3.50 or so and a model for $4.99. All in for $10 and in 1983 or so when I was 12 - 13, $10 was a good chunk of change.
WOW, Overpricing will thin the herd for sure, I've used Testors tube glue since I started in the 60s, I bought many tubes to stockpile from You a couple of years back and I still have some but it looks like I'll have to get into the Tamiya jars of glue that I've got but I've always been afraid of using something new. Great video interesting information. As always very informative, Thanks. I've always used Tamiya paint, I tried Testors back in the day but I've always enjoyed the results from Tamiya.
Don't be afraid of using something new. I grew up with Testors (glue and paints) but am so glad with Tamiya and other products that are so much better, and WAY cheaper.
The liquid glues are a lot easier to use in many situations, you can apply it when the pieces are already being held together, and it flows right where you need it. Strong welding action when the pieces are held together long enough for it to work, it is my go-to now and I started with Testors tube glue also.
Testors was good to start with because it was cheap and it was everywhere. When I got back into modelling about 20 years back, I didn’t even look at it.
Great video, Bill. I loved Model Master Enamels. I still have a fair selection on hand. I also like their little square bottle paints such as flat and gloss black, zinc chromate, rubber and a few others. I'll also miss Dullcoat and Glosscoat once they're gone but I bought a bunch of that stuff before it was discontinued. I'd have considered continuing to buy the square bottles but at the prices you're quoting, Testors or Rust-Oleum or whoever's responsible can take a long walk off a short pier. It's too bad. Their paints were quality product and they're basically all I've ever used since I was a kid. Some very salient points already made here so I won't repeat them all but I think they're pricing themselves out of the market so they can use low sales volume as a reason, excuse or justification for dropping the hobby line altogether. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. Murph
All good thoughts. Maybe Testors will hear our complaints. I doubt as much as we want that they would ever bring back Model Master and even if they did, would shops trust them not to axe it again?
I like their sprays for decals. I forget the actual name (decal bonder?) Is there an alternative for that product? I print my own decals and then spray them with their spray. I think I’ve used their decal paper in the past as well. Good video and good discussion topic.
That is a product they discontinued. If it comes back it's hard to say what price it will be. I use it too and very much like it. Thanks for your kind comments.
Thanks for joining us! That's why we're putting it out there, spreading the word about hobbies and our shop. We have to work at getting the message out before we're all gone.
I have walked away from Testor Dulcote. I have been using fine layers of matte clear from the hardware store for many models. particular metal figures. It is $6.99 (US) for 12 oz. Actual full service hobby stores are like unicorns here. (I model for the wargamming table (Mostly ACW and a little WW2). So I am not fine scale modeling.)
From what I've read online, Rust-oleum bought them out and doesn't seem to want to put the time and effort into the hobby market. While there may be a market for Testors paints and glues, there may not be enough money in it for Rust-Oleum to want to be in that market. It's a shame that they don't for the people that want to use their products.
3 of our local hobby shops stopped carrying Testors. At first, I was upset. After talking to a couple of the guys, they basically repeated the same thing you just said. Been using Tamiya now and it's cheaper, better. Confusing to me why Testors is no longer interested in making money. I guess they just got tired of the business and they want to retire and go out of business.
Agreed. Testors products were synonymous with modelling. Rustoleum really messed that company up. Rumours are it is (was) for sale but so much damage has been done.
Honestly if Testors is pricing themselves higher than the competition they should just kill the brand outright. Its already apparent that they are not interested in the hobby market at all.
@@hobcen For what it's worth, I don't think the Testors annoyance matters when it comes to new participants. As you eluded to in your video there are so many options when it comes to paints and supplies these days and people coming into the hobby will have plenty of choices and won't care, or even know, about Testors. Like yourself, Testors was pretty much the de-facto choice for me back in the 70's. The only option was Humbrol which was more expensive so I rarely got those paints. You have to do what is best for the business which is understandable. If you end up losing money by supplying Testors, that's bad for the store, and in the end bad for all of us.
One thing that Testors used to do REALLY well was consistency. This was exemplified with the large number of "custom colour" sheets/posters (Some even made by Testors) in order to get the specific paint code from something in history. As you said in the video, there were all sorts of different theme lines of paint. However, if you had a specific model with an out there colour that was very history to that piece there were guides on exactly which paints to mix and how many parts to achieve that exact colour.
I have found with a lot of the newer lines, you don't see these charts as often. It may simply be with the rise in airbrush use, that people are able to achieve the colour in their minds eye using various techniques like pre-shading, and layering to get not only an accurate colour to photograph but also to the naked eye etc.
Typically the charts you see now are just colour matching between brands, which is also a good thing as sometimes your preferred vendor is out, but you really need that specific blue to keep working etc.
and thank you..57 and still love my testors
Nothing at all wrong with Testors, I'm afraid it is their corporate owners Rustoleum, who don't seem to care that the brand is a part of any hobbyists being. It is the paint all of us began with, many of us stuck with and it was the gateway product for everyone entering the hobby.
I like Testors Model Master enamels because they had specific colors, like WWII British and German colors. Schwartzgrun, Dark Earth, Middlestone, etc. Now I am having to get back to mixing special shades, often using Tamiya and other brands of acrylic paints. As a 66 year old lifetime modeler, I still use Testors tube glue.
So, I've been buying extra Testors products as I find them, and trying other products. Vallejo and AK paints are becoming important additions, though often available only in sets.
Model Master paints were awesome. The cancellation of the entire line was the first indication of what direction Rustoleum was taking Testors. They have went from being the cornerstone of scale modelling supplies in North America to a craft supply (no offense to crafters ;) ) We can only hope they sell the company and someone brings it back.
As a newbie i followed what i remember my brothers using to paint their kits Testors...im slowly switching to Tamiya enamels and rattle can sprays..which i purchase from your H.C.
I still buy some Testors paint because of the particular colour I may be looking for. But! to be honest i have mostly switched to Tamiya and Revell.
When I was a kid, you got the glue for .79 cents, your brushes for .50 cents each, the 8 pack of Testors paints for $3.50 or so and a model for $4.99. All in for $10 and in 1983 or so when I was 12 - 13, $10 was a good chunk of change.
Sad soon to arrive in my mailbox but soon no more no more anything
WOW, Overpricing will thin the herd for sure, I've used Testors tube glue since I started in the 60s, I bought many tubes to stockpile from You a couple of years back and I still have some but it looks like I'll have to get into the Tamiya jars of glue that I've got but I've always been afraid of using something new. Great video interesting information. As always very informative, Thanks. I've always used Tamiya paint, I tried Testors back in the day but I've always enjoyed the results from Tamiya.
Don't be afraid of using something new. I grew up with Testors (glue and paints) but am so glad with Tamiya and other products that are so much better, and WAY cheaper.
The liquid glues are a lot easier to use in many situations, you can apply it when the pieces are already being held together, and it flows right where you need it. Strong welding action when the pieces are held together long enough for it to work, it is my go-to now and I started with Testors tube glue also.
Testors was good to start with because it was cheap and it was everywhere. When I got back into modelling about 20 years back, I didn’t even look at it.
People that stay in the hobby usually went away from it but it was the paint that got everybody started. That was the role of Testors IMO.
As I run out I am replacing my Testors with Tamiya
Great video, Bill. I loved Model Master Enamels. I still have a fair selection on hand. I also like their little square bottle paints such as flat and gloss black, zinc chromate, rubber and a few others. I'll also miss Dullcoat and Glosscoat once they're gone but I bought a bunch of that stuff before it was discontinued. I'd have considered continuing to buy the square bottles but at the prices you're quoting, Testors or Rust-Oleum or whoever's responsible can take a long walk off a short pier. It's too bad. Their paints were quality product and they're basically all I've ever used since I was a kid. Some very salient points already made here so I won't repeat them all but I think they're pricing themselves out of the market so they can use low sales volume as a reason, excuse or justification for dropping the hobby line altogether. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Murph
All good thoughts. Maybe Testors will hear our complaints. I doubt as much as we want that they would ever bring back Model Master and even if they did, would shops trust them not to axe it again?
@@hobcen - yup. Model Master is done like dinner. And if they did bring it back, once bitten twice shy.
I like their sprays for decals. I forget the actual name (decal bonder?) Is there an alternative for that product? I print my own decals and then spray them with their spray. I think I’ve used their decal paper in the past as well. Good video and good discussion topic.
That is a product they discontinued. If it comes back it's hard to say what price it will be. I use it too and very much like it. Thanks for your kind comments.
Hey man just found your Channel, its getting hard to find hobby shops anymore they are starting to dry up in my area
Thanks for joining us! That's why we're putting it out there, spreading the word about hobbies and our shop. We have to work at getting the message out before we're all gone.
@@hobcen ya this is True!
Being old, disabled and housebound, I order all my model supplies from Amazon, and am looking at other online shops.
I have walked away from Testor Dulcote. I have been using fine layers of matte clear from the hardware store for many models. particular metal figures. It is $6.99 (US) for 12 oz. Actual full service hobby stores are like unicorns here.
(I model for the wargamming table (Mostly ACW and a little WW2). So I am not fine scale modeling.)
I find I like Tamiya and Vallejo clear finishes better. They don't lift the paint like Testors clears can.
From what I've read online, Rust-oleum bought them out and doesn't seem to want to put the time and effort into the hobby market. While there may be a market for Testors paints and glues, there may not be enough money in it for Rust-Oleum to want to be in that market. It's a shame that they don't for the people that want to use their products.
3 of our local hobby shops stopped carrying Testors. At first, I was upset. After talking to a couple of the guys, they basically repeated the same thing you just said. Been using Tamiya now and it's cheaper, better. Confusing to me why Testors is no longer interested in making money. I guess they just got tired of the business and they want to retire and go out of business.
Has to be a corporate "thing" .The big giant computers say there is no money in it?
This is sad, my friend's dad was a chemist with Testers in Rockford.
Agreed. Testors products were synonymous with modelling. Rustoleum really messed that company up. Rumours are it is (was) for sale but so much damage has been done.
Honestly if Testors is pricing themselves higher than the competition they should just kill the brand outright. Its already apparent that they are not interested in the hobby market at all.
I don’t think I’ve purchased any testors products for over 10 years. So I’m the wrong guy to ask.
But you did, right? Most people started with this iconic brand.
Some hobby companies tend to screw da pooch!🙄
Jman
Never good when a small specialty niche company gets bought by big corporate.
keep it till ya cant
I grew up with the stuff as well, but as far as I'm concerned you can drop it.
It's frustrating for sure. In a hobby that is begging for new participants, the timing of this on Testor's part couldn't be worse.
@@hobcen For what it's worth, I don't think the Testors annoyance matters when it comes to new participants. As you eluded to in your video there are so many options when it comes to paints and supplies these days and people coming into the hobby will have plenty of choices and won't care, or even know, about Testors. Like yourself, Testors was pretty much the de-facto choice for me back in the 70's. The only option was Humbrol which was more expensive so I rarely got those paints. You have to do what is best for the business which is understandable. If you end up losing money by supplying Testors, that's bad for the store, and in the end bad for all of us.
You have comparable and better products. Drop 'em.
That's exactly what we did. The tube cement however remains a fan favourite.