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If you've ever stared at a tiny sprue and felt equal parts excitement and panic, you know why picking the right supplier matters. The right store can mean the difference between a smooth-build weekend and an afternoon lost to missing parts, glue fumes, and paint that refuses to behave. Whether you're assembling a 1:72 scale fighter or scratch-building a diorama, access to quality adhesives, paints, tools, and replacement parts will keep your hobby moving forward and your frustration level down.
Walmart shows up on a lot of model makers' radars because it's convenient and budget-friendly. You can often find beginner model kits, basic paints, brushes, and hobby glues at many locations. If you're after mainstream plastic kits, decals, or hobby tools without spending much, Walmart is a logical first stop. Think of it as the convenience store of the model world—good for immediate fixes and starter kits, but not always your source for specialty resin parts or professional airbrush systems.
Look for entry-level kits in 1:24 or 1:25 car scales, basic acrylic paint sets in small bottles (usually measured in ounces), and inexpensive tool kits with cutters and files. Walmart also stocks craft supplies like foam and glue that can become handy in diorama basing measured in inches and ounces.
Michaels is a solid pick for hobbyists who blend crafting and modeling. You'll find a wider array of paints, specialty adhesives, airbrush-friendly primers, and basing materials. Michaels frequently runs coupons and seasonal sales, so you can score expensive items—like a decent brush set or weathering pigments—at a discount. They also stock display cases and scenic materials in dimensions often given in inches, which makes planning a display straightforward.
Keep an eye out for artist-grade acrylics, flocking material for landscapes, and small hobby tools. If your build needs tiny wood strips or precise foam sheets, Michaels often has those in convenient sizes. They tend to be more craft-focused than pure model shops, but that cross-over is great for custom bases and mixed-media projects.
Hobby Lobby caters to a wide creative audience, and model makers can benefit from their creative supply range. The store usually carries paints, some model kits, foam board, and scenic accessories. Since Hobby Lobby regularly offers sales, you can pick up bulk adhesives or scenic supplies without stretching your budget. It's a good place to mix art supplies with hobby tools when you want to get creative with textures and finishes.
For scenic modelers, Hobby Lobby's selection of grasses, mosses, and miniature foliage—often sold in packages with dimensions or weights in imperial units—can make diorama building quicker and more realistic. Combine those with acrylic washes and ink pens from their art aisle to add depth to landscapes and urban scenes.
Joann may be best known for fabrics, but that same inventory is gold for modelers creating realistic interiors or soft elements in a scene. Their foam sheets, batting, and adhesive sprays lend themselves well to terrain and structure building. If your model requires full-sized materials scaled down, Joann's yardage system and product dimensions listed in inches open up more creative possibilities.
Use fabric scraps for seat upholstery in car interiors or blanket textures in a figure diorama. Joann's batting can be compressed to simulate clouds or smoke effects in a diorama, measured and trimmed using rulers marked in inches for precise control.
If you want specialist-oriented inventory—think aftermarket detail parts, high-quality paints (enamel and lacquer), professional airbrushes, and scale-specific accessories—HobbyTown is a top choice. Because many HobbyTown locations are staffed by hobbyists, you often get know-how along with inventory. That can be a huge help when you're choosing a thinner that’s measured in fluid ounces or picking the right nozzle size for an airbrush measured in millimeters but supported by conversion charts in-store.
Choose HobbyTown when you're moving beyond beginner kits and need advanced supplies: high-grade adhesives in ounces, specialty decals, or metal upgrade kits. It's especially useful for scale-specific modeling like 1:48 aircraft or 1:35 armor where aftermarket parts make a big difference.
Amazon is the online department store for everything hobby-related. The upside is obvious: thousands of kits, paints, tools, and aftermarket parts with customer reviews to help you decide. Shipping sizes and weights are often listed in pounds and ounces, which helps when budgeting or planning. If you're hunting for rare decals or obscure brand supplies, Amazon's marketplace sellers often fill those gaps.
Read reviews carefully—look for photo evidence from buyers and comments about drying time, running, or odor measured in real-world use. Watch out for knock-offs on specialty items; sometimes buying from a known hobby retailer yields better support and authenticity even if the price is slightly higher.
Blick is a go-to when your model needs top-tier paints, primers, and varnishes. Their artist acrylics and precise brushes can bring scale finishes to life when you’re aiming for museum-quality paint jobs. Blick often lists paint volumes in fluid ounces, and you can find high-quality masking supplies and airbrush accessories that help achieve crisp lines and realistic weathering.
Modelers who paint competition-level models or who want archival-quality finishes appreciate Blick’s selection of higher-grade paints and varnishes. Pair those with proper brushes and solvents sold in-ounce measurements to create smooth, professional finishes.
Never underestimate your local hobby shop. These independent stores often carry the hard-to-find items, aftermarket brass or photo-etched parts, and resin upgrade kits that big-box stores don't stock. Niche online retailers—specialty resin producers, decal houses, and custom tool makers—are also invaluable when your project demands something unique. Think of them as independent cafés compared to the big-chain coffee shops: small, specialized, and full of character.
Use social media groups or local maker forums to locate independent stores near you. They'll often host build nights or lend you expertise, and they typically stock parts measured or described with precise dimensions in inches for scale compatibility—handy when matching cockpit interiors or trunk dimensions for car models.
Regardless of where you shop, certain supplies are universal: a good hobby knife, sprue cutters, fine tweezers, sanding sticks in multiple grits, hobby files, and a couple of quality brushes. Adhesives like plastic cement (measured in fluid ounces) and CA glue (cyanoacrylate) are staples. Paint-wise, keep acrylics for ease of cleaning and enamels or lacquers for particular finishes. Having a small cutting mat with inch grids makes precise work easier and protects your work surface.
Make sure you have a cutting mat at least 12 inches by 18 inches for comfortable workspace. A small bottle of plastic cement in a 0.5 to 2 ounce size is ideal for most projects, while CA glue often comes in tiny 0.2 ounce tubes for precise application. Sanding sticks usually run from coarse to fine—grab a set that includes grits suitable for smoothing in tight areas measured in inches so you can visualize scale.
Colors and finishes make or break a model. Prime in thin coats to preserve detail—primers typically come in aerosol cans labeled in fluid ounces or by net weight. Acrylics are forgiving and clean up with water, while enamels and lacquers may require specific solvents listed in ounces or pints. Varnishes—matte, satin, or gloss—seal your work and protect decals. When mixing or thinning, measure in teaspoons and fluid ounces to keep consistency across sessions.
Plastic often takes acrylics well, but resin or metal parts may need special primers. For models in 1:35 or 1:72 scale, thin your paints to avoid losing recessed panel lines. Measure thinners in small increments—like a few tenths of an ounce—until you get the right flow for brush or airbrush application.
Aftermarket brass, photo-etched details, and resin upgrade kits dramatically improve realism. Specialist sellers online and at hobby conventions often produce these parts in very limited runs. Search for vendors that specify scale compatibility in their product descriptions and list part dimensions in inches to ensure a correct fit. Forums and social groups are great places to spot limited releases and group buys.
When adding brass or photo-etched parts, you might need CA glue or tiny rivets; handle these components with fine tweezers and consider using a magnifier. Sand and test-fit parts, sizing with inch-based rulers or calipers, before final gluing to avoid surprises.
Want to be frugal without building a Frankenmodel? Use coupons from Michaels and Hobby Lobby, buy tools that are multi-purpose, and consider buying paint in larger quantities if you’re doing multiple projects. Thinner and solvents often give a better per-ounce price in slightly larger bottles. Also, trade or buy used kits and tools from local hobbyist groups—it's a great way to stretch your budget and find rare items.
Sign up for newsletters from big retailers for welcome discounts, and watch clearance racks at local shops. Group buys through forums can reduce shipping costs for heavy items measured in pounds, and swapping duplicates with fellow builders keeps your costs down while fostering community.
Organization saves time and stress. Keep parts on sprues labeled by kit and step using small zip bags and index cards with measurements noted in inches if parts need trimming. Use a small parts tray to avoid losing items the size of a grain of rice. When painting, work from light to dark and protect your workspace with a mat measured in inches so you can line up parts and measure masking areas precisely.
A comfortable chair and a worktable about 30 inches high will keep you building longer without fatigue. Use daylight or a daylight-balanced lamp to prevent color shifts and mistakes in mixing; brighter, white light helps the eye pick up subtle weathering and tiny decal placement errors.
The right mix of stores—big-box convenience from Walmart, craft flair from Michaels and Joann, specialist parts from HobbyTown and boutique online shops, plus the reach of Amazon—gives any modeler a solid supply chain. As you gain experience, your shopping pattern will shift toward niche retailers and aftermarket producers that supply the exact parts and finishes you need. The hobby is part treasure hunt, part precision craft, so enjoy the search as much as the build.
Model making is a journey from simple kits to intricate works of art, and where you shop plays a big role in that evolution. Start with accessible stores for basic kits and tools, then branch out to specialty retailers as your skills mature. Use the tips above to find the right paints, adhesives, and aftermarket parts, and remember: a well-organized workspace and a few quality tools—measured and used properly—will make each build more rewarding. Ready to dive into your next project? Grab a kit, check your tool list, and happy building.
| Model Making - Other | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Lightweight Rigid Eps Foam Cement Cinder Block Prop - Stone | $ 21,- |
