Goodbye, Model Master (update)

[SpaceRanger1]

This is the report, as posted elsewhere: "This is unofficial information but I've been informed that Rustoleum, as of today, May 7t, 2020 is stopping the entire Testors product line. I doubt anyone within the hobby industry has any desire to buy the Testors dead horse it's become. So this is very likely the end all together."

[DaveVan]

AZTEK and Pactra too.......memo came out late last year. I am almost all Tamiya other than 'vintage' Testors on hand.....some with 15 cent caps!
RPM has little interest in hobby sales.

[gsb5w]

Guess I should pick up a couple more bottles of their Acryl clear flat before they are all gone.

[geck]

If I had the money and business savvy...I'd try to buy the line. The Floquil/Polly Scale line, Pactra, and MM Acryl paints were fantastic. I wish someone would buy the line and continue these paints!

Such a shame...but reality of these times. At least we have a plethora of great substitutes out there from Mig, Vallejo, Tamiya, Gunze...etc.

[irishtrek]

Then time to stock up on glue, paints etc etc.

[bing_oh]

Whaa?

Admittedly, since I’ve moved to airbrushing I mostly use Tamiya paints, but there were still a few Testors colors I kept stocked up on. Particularly, I still use Polly Scale grimy black and MM Buffing Metallizer titanium (pretty much every mecha gun I build is painted with that!). I can’t think of any really good replacements for either...

I’m now regretting only buying a couple bottles last time I stocked up.

[southwestforests]

... but I've been informed that Rustoleum, as of today, May 7t, 2020 is stopping the entire Testors product line.

I'm trying to figure out how that old French proverb, "The more things change the more they remain the same" applies to this.
Does it mean the more the owner changes the more the product line remains the same?
Apparently not.
Does it mean the more the date changes the more it remains true that products you know and love will be discontinued?
Apparently so.

Goodbye old paint ...

PollyScale is gone.

Model Master enamel and Acryl have been going.

Now, even the classic Testors quarter floz is going away.

These are the times that try men's souls ...



(and about 3 times that many bottles of PollyScale railroad and military colors ...)
(These have been constants in my life for over half a century)

[irishtrek]

Talked to my nephew last Friday and according to him it's just the Testors paints which are being discontinued. Their glues and the MM paints will still be made.

[bing_oh]

Talked to my nephew last Friday and according to him it's just the Testors paints which are being discontinued. Their glues and the MM paints will still be made.

I checked some other boards after I read the original post on here. There are several (alleged) quotes from Rustoleum stating the opposite...that MM is officially going bye-bye but they will continue to make limited colors in the classic square bottle Testors and blue-label rattlecans. I have yet to find anything directly and officially on a Rustoleum source, Testors site makes no mention of any discontinuations and still shows MM as available, so take this as total rumor and speculation.

[irishtrek]

Just took a look on facebook and testors does have a facebook page and the 2 most recent posts say nothing about the brand being discontinued.

[TurkeyVolumeGuessingMan]

Talked to my nephew last Friday and according to him it's just the Testors paints which are being discontinued. Their glues and the MM paints will still be made.

Does your nephew work for Testors?

[irishtrek]

Talked to my nephew last Friday and according to him it's just the Testors paints which are being discontinued. Their glues and the MM paints will still be made.

Does your nephew work for Testors?

No he does not work for them, he works for himself driving an 18 wheeler for the past 6-8 years.

[gsb5w]

Talked to my nephew last Friday and according to him it's just the Testors paints which are being discontinued. Their glues and the MM paints will still be made.

Does your nephew work for Testors?

No he does not work for them, he works for himself driving an 18 wheeler for the past 6-8 years.

I think turkey was asking about your source so to speak. In other words, How would your nephew know the business model if he didn’t have first hand knowledge?

Right now I’m sure i cant trust anyone’s speculations as accurate unless it was released by the company.

[southwestforests]

Right now I’m sure i cant trust anyone’s speculations as accurate unless it was released by the company.

Why would you trust the company, everything they release is going to have been massaged by the public relations lawyers.

[bing_oh]

Right now I’m sure i cant trust anyone’s speculations as accurate unless it was released by the company.

Why would you trust the company, everything they release is going to have been massaged by the public relations lawyers.

Well, it would seem that there was quite a bit of rumor and misinformation about Testors stopping production last year, even including a bogus press release, so it's tough to believe anything that doesn't come first-hand from the company.

[irishtrek]

I think turkey was asking about your source so to speak. In other words, How would your nephew know the business model if he didn’t have first hand knowledge?

Right now I’m sure i cant trust anyone’s speculations as accurate unless it was released by the company.

Yes I am aware of why he asked that question. My nephew probably got his info from the forums he's on, in fact he claims that the reason Richard Petty won 200 races was because he cheated and NASCAR let him get away with it was because Richard was a popular driver.

[gsb5w]

I think turkey was asking about your source so to speak. In other words, How would your nephew know the business model if he didn’t have first hand knowledge?

Right now I’m sure i cant trust anyone’s speculations as accurate unless it was released by the company.

Yes I am aware of why he asked that question. My nephew probably got his info from the forums he's on, in fact he claims that the reason Richard Petty won 200 races was because he cheated and NASCAR let him get away with it was because Richard was a popular driver.

Ok.

[naoto]

I heard from a reliable source -- who happens to be the nephew of the brother-in-law of the best friend of the former college roommate of the next door neighbor of postman of ...

... and to verify -- I consulted one of those psychics you see advertised on the TV that you can phone -- so that pretty much settles it.

[NX-17000]

Personally, it would make more sense to me if they were only cutting out the MM lines.

Their models, standard paints and glue are carried by the likes of Michaels, while I've only ever seen the MM line in dedicated hobby shops. It can't be a cash cow, but there's got to be enough volume there making it somewhat profitable - If it wasn't I'd think that the main line stores would have already gotten rid of it (Even if it has shrunk over time, it's still there - That has to say something).

Hopefully that's the case - I switched from MM paint to Tamiya because it was actually available out here, but I'm still using their tube cement for large parts. Cheaper than anything else I've seen locally, and it's available at more than just the proper LHS.

[irishtrek]

The 3 hobby shops here in the Portland area I frequent all carry Model Master and Testors in enamel lacquer and acrylic, there's is a 4th shop though which does not carry the MM acrylics and that's only because the new owner say the acrylic does not sell.

[hotrodnz]

I just visited my LHS here in Sydney yesterday who told me that all Testors had stopped making all hobby related paints, spray cans etc.

I decided to buy 4x cans dullcote to meet my modeling needs for the next few years.

I’ve only just started weathering with oils and dullcote was perfect at protecting the underlying layers & also quick drying being a lacquer.

Sad to see this brand go.

[irishtrek]

I just visited my LHS here in Sydney yesterday who told me that all Testors had stopped making all hobby related paints, spray cans etc.

I decided to buy 4x cans dullcote to meet my modeling needs for the next few years.

I’ve only just started weathering with oils and dullcote was perfect at protecting the underlying layers & also quick drying being a lacquer.

Sad to see this brand go.

Don't take their word for it, check it out your self. Back earlier this year I googled the question of whether it was just the MM brand or both and I wound up clicking on a link which took me to a page that had an announcement from Rutsoleum and it said the MM, Polyscale and Aztek lines had been discontinued, in fact a guy who works at the local Hobby Town told me when the aisle with all the MM paints becomes empty it will be stocked with the new revell paints.

[jpolacchi]

Well,you can still find/buy Testors and Model Master enamels. I've found web sites that are still selling select colors,all be it many of the colors are lacking in diversity and for all intensive purposes are limited in most of our applications. Specifically for those of us who are trying to replicate the same colors seen on Star Trek and Star Wars subjects.There are many sellers on Evil Bay selling the Model Master and Testors enamels,but you really need to watch out.Some of the sellers are blatantly ripping buyers off.Others you can get somewhat or a fair deal.I have also found sellers who appear to be selling the paints "cheap",until you look at what they are charging for shipping. I've found M.M paints priced at $3.00 ea.(or occasionally less) but the S&H for "one bottle of paint" being in excess of $7.00.It doesn't even make sense,but it is obvious they are attempting to obtain additional money in sales for charging a high S&H fee but you don't receive the items any sooner. There are some group purchases available,but often I've found that most of those colors are of little use (for me anyway).I figure that the enamel paints will be around a while longer,at least until the supplies completely dry up.

All of this applies to the Flowqil R.R enamel line also and those paints have also significantly been listed at over bloated prices anywhere between $20 and upwards of $50 per 1oz. bottle. Typically the ones listed for under $20 are unpopular colors that just aren't selling. I've also found sellers attempting to sell Flowquil bottles that have been opened,thus breaking the airtight seal and basically starting the time clock on that paint and they still want $25.00 for the 1oz. bottle.Additionally partially  used bottles...one of which that comes to mind was a specific color I have been wanting,found and it was listed as an 80% full bottle.When I asked,the seller stated only half of the contents within was usable as the remainder inside the bottle had began to dry and clump together rendering the majority of the paint "useless" with still a high $20 price tag for 40% usable paint at best.Sometimes you can get lucky,other times you have to decide if its worth the pain in the bank account to buy 4-5 Flowquil enamels for well over $100.00 on average.Some sellers just won't "budge",others can be flexible if you make it worth their while.Deals can be made and had,but are few and far between.So, certainly "buyer beware".I just thought I'd put this out there for everyone.