Best on line hobby retailer

I like spruebrothers for millitary kits and upscale hobbies for cars, trucks and bikes.

I use Hobbylinc.com and have been very pleased with their services. I've been using them since I got back in the hobby last year and have had no issues of any kind using them.

Be careful and only stick with sites that someone else has recommended because there are some lemons out there and it's not fun dealing with those. Good luck

I use most of the 'major' ones now and again -- Sprue Bros., Hobbylinc, Megahobby and even Squadron (when they have the item I'm looking for in stock) -- but my 'go to' for years has been Scale Hobbyist. Great selection, competitive prices (often the best around), and a straight very-reasonable shipping rate, plus flawless order fulfillment, don't think I've ever had an issue. Best of all, their 'in stock' reports for each item seem spot-on. Even the 'available to order' stuff...which seems to take weeks or months with other retailers...has usually shipped within ten days, on those few occasions when I've utilized it.

I don't own stock, and it's not my brother-in-law running the place; I've just had great experiences over the years.

modelmaker66

HI guys,...

Is there a better way? A more thorough site? I know I could probobly spend a fortune on say Amazon and just use them but I do need to watch $. What do you do?

 

Take a look at this older thread.  Good info in here and still valid.

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/general_discussion/f/9/t/179441.aspx

    Nino

EDIT:

A small update:  FreeTime Hobbies selection is excellent these days. Squadron is the exact opposite.  ScaleHobbyist, great as always.

I had issue with Michigan Toy so I am not currently a patron there.

My preference is for Model Ships so "my List" in the above link is based on that aspect of my hobby.

Tojo72

I have used Michigan Toy,also Scalehobbyist and Spruebrothers along with prudent use of Ebay.

 

I was looking through the Freetime Hobbies facebook page and saw a photo posting that boasted that Freetime was, according to Newsweek, the top online hobby/model retailer with respect to customer satisfaction

https://www.newsweek.com/americas-best-customer-service-2020/online-retailers-sports-leisure#Hobby Store, Model Making (Online)

When I saw the 2020 date on facebook, I thought fake news.  So I backed in from the Newsweek side.   Sure enough 8.05 out of 10 and .17 points ahead of number 2 GundamPlanet.   A little more research and it showed that Freetime was in the top three last year too.

https://freetimehobbies.com/

Disclaimer: I know the owners and have dealt with them both online and face-to-face.  They offer a good product at a good price and have very good customer service.  I am a satisfied customer

I forget about Freetime.

Squadron used to be my go to years ago. Now they have very little in stock- not sure what is going on. I've about given up on them.

Sprue Brothers has been my absolute favorite lately. 

Favorite overseas shops for me include Hobby Link Japan.  They are my go-to for all the weird stuff I drag into these forums - but not the toilet diorama kits, which I leave to other hobbyists to buy!  Their "Private Warehouse" allows you to buy stuff as they become available, then choose which ones to ship and when.  I have mixed and matched kits to get the best shipping rate, so I say the system works well and it is something I wish other merchants would emulate.  Over in the Ukraine there is Hobby Terra, who satisfy all my cravings for really oddball aircraft kits (Modelsvit, A-Model, etc.).  They have free shipping to the US if you buy $150 or more, so I pool orders with my friends and haven't paid a cent for postage so far.  I like Hannants in the UK as well, to provide me with the oddball accessories I need for my oddball projects.  All three merchants deliver pretty much in about 11-14 days after the shipping notice is given.

Being that I'm in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, shipping from the US mainland is typically more expensive than from overseas thanks to the Jones Act.  

Yeah G, I was going to say the the continental US and Japan are abaout the same distance from you, I know, Japan is farther but you get the point.

When I was stationed there back in the late 80's, there was a hobby shop called "Just For Fun", is it still there?

  I think I already mentioned before in this thread ScaleHobbyist is my go to online store. However in a thread I started titled " what is it?"  Squadron was who I ordered from. They finally came through however I would recommended then only of your NOT in a hurry.

    Ordered from SprueBrothers yesterday morning...HOLY SMOKES!!, my order was recieved, processed, and shipped withing just a few hours. Shipping was cheap for a flat rate to a P.O. Box. One thing is SprueBrothers in accordance with law did charge me tax on my purchase, not sure if it was my local rate or thier local rate, none the less I am VERY impressed by SprueBrothers.

modelcrazy

Yeah G, I was going to say the the continental US and Japan are abaout the same distance from you, I know, Japan is farther but you get the point.

When I was stationed there back in the late 80's, there was a hobby shop called "Just For Fun", is it still there?

 

Steve,

Unfortunately they are gone.  Owner Glenn Fong closed up the Stadium Mall shop and reopened elsewhere as The Armchair Adventurer.  But I think family matters intervened and he closed up for good.  The store name lives on though, in a new location and as a dedicated war gaming shop.

I do miss the old Just For Fun - Steve Lo, Kenny and Maile were the best and took care of the customers like family.  They were my go-to shop for all my oddball model needs.

armornut

  I think I already mentioned before in this thread ScaleHobbyist is my go to online store. However in a thread I started titled " what is it?"  Squadron was who I ordered from. They finally came through however I would recommended them only if your NOT in a hurry.

   

I'm never in a hurry but I won't do "Available to Order" at Squadron anymore. I still have 2 AFV Subs items backordered from May 22nd.   In spite of that I thought I'd give'em another try because...  

       Squadron finally has a deal and and an item on my wish list that is in stock.

That deal: Currently they have 25% off using  STOW25 as the code,

And they are offering Free shipping. (I ordered a Battlestar Galactica; a present for friend.)

     For this year Freetime is still my favorite, (Brandon is a great guy!), followed by ScaleHobbyist.  Sprue Bros good on daily deals.  Freetime has "Daily Deals", (Deal of the day), too now and some really excellent pricing.

     My best overseas shops are Plaza Japan and HobbyEasy. Both are Cheaper than HLJ and I can get IJN Full Hull kits way cheaper than USA retailers... when they are in stock.

     Nino