On-line hobby shops for diorama parts...

[SpitfireAce]

I usually try to buy as much as I can from local shops (as few of them as there are) to support their business. However, there are times I need to go elsewhere to find what I want. Can anyone point me in the direction of one or two on-line shops for diorama pieces? I mainly build in 1/35 scale. I’m also in Canada, although that shouldn’t matter to most on-line stores I would think.

Thanks,

Tom

[AlanG]

I always check out evilbay (eBay) first. Can normally find what i'm looking for on there. Also Scalemates generally can give you a list of vendors for items.

[Guest]

I usually try to buy as much as I can from local shops (as few of them as there are) to support their business.

:thumb2:

I’m also in Canada, although that shouldn’t matter to most on-line stores I would think.

It might make a difference to you, though, in terms of the amount of postage you have to pay, as well as possibly import duties, taxes, etc. on foreign orders. No idea how that works in Canada, but it’s in your best interest to find out before you order from a foreign country.

[JR]

Hi Tom .
Think Al is right in his post. I use Evilbay , would think you can get stuff like foam board and most modelling bits and pieces from sellers in your part of the world.
I've used foreign suppliers a couple of times, but in the case of importing from the US we have to pay import duties. The one time I did that from the US I paid the duty at the point of purchase, saves any shocks later !

[SpitfireAce]

Great. Thanks Alan!

:thumb2:


It might make a difference to you, though, in terms of the amount of postage you have to pay, as well as possibly import duties, taxes, etc. on foreign orders. No idea how that works in Canada, but it’s in your best interest to find out before you order from a foreign country.

Good points Jakob. I have had some smaller shops not sell out of their own countrie due to the hassle. USA for example. Duties could be $$ also.

[SpitfireAce]

Thanks John!

[Gary MacKenzie]

https://www.facebook.com/customdioramics

I have some stuff from the previous incarnation of the company.

[Guest]

Good points Jakob.

See at left

I have had some smaller shops not sell out of their own countrie due to the hassle.

I always find that a strange attitude: all they need to do is charge more for postage and perhaps fill out a sticker to tack onto the parcel, there shouldn’t be much more hassle than that. The main hassle will be on the recipient’s side, when the customs and/or tax people come knocking.

Not to bring politics into this, but I do wonder what effect Brexit will have on this. Inside the Schengen Area (most of the EU plus a few additional countries) there are no import duties and VAT is paid in the country where the seller is located, avoiding all this hassle. Could well be that ordering anything in the UK after October will suddenly require me to pay those here, and similarly for British people when ordering from a Schengen country.

[AlanG]

For some though, paying a little extra for freedom is money well spent .

Tom. Does it cost a lot to import items from America then? I'd have thought you could buy anything you can imagine from the good 'ole States

[SpitfireAce]

See at left :smiling3:


I always find that a strange attitude: all they need to do is charge more for postage and perhaps fill out a sticker to tack onto the parcel, there shouldn’t be much more hassle than that. The main hassle will be on the recipient’s side, when the customs and/or tax people come knocking.

Not to bring politics into this, but I do wonder what effect Brexit will have on this. Inside the Schengen Area (most of the EU plus a few additional countries) there are no import duties and VAT is paid in the country where the seller is located, avoiding all this hassle. Could well be that ordering anything in the UK after October will suddenly require me to pay those here, and similarly for British people when ordering from a Schengen country.

See at left :smiling3:


I always find that a strange attitude: all they need to do is charge more for postage and perhaps fill out a sticker to tack onto the parcel, there shouldn’t be much more hassle than that. The main hassle will be on the recipient’s side, when the customs and/or tax people come knocking.

Not to bring politics into this, but I do wonder what effect Brexit will have on this. Inside the Schengen Area (most of the EU plus a few additional countries) there are no import duties and VAT is paid in the country where the seller is located, avoiding all this hassle. Could well be that ordering anything in the UK after October will suddenly require me to pay those here, and similarly for British people when ordering from a Schengen country.

Jacob??? D’oh! Damn ‘auto spell correct!!’. I did originally spell “Jakko” - really, I did.

[SpitfireAce]

For some though, paying a little extra for freedom is money well spent .

Tom. Does it cost a lot to import items from America then? I'd have thought you could buy anything you can imagine from the good 'ole States

Alan, I tried to buy the new 1/35 Hummel kit recently released by Tamiya (it was available in the US a few months before Canada). As the shop owner explained to me over the phone when I called; “...I don’t have time to calculate international shipping costs, fill out customs forms, and trot down to the post office...”. It wasn’t a matter of duties per se, (I would have happily paid that), but of time and effort on part of that specific shop owner, I assume). Understandable, but hopefully he will update his website to clearly state “shipping unavailable outside the US”. Still, he does some awesome YouTube videos and he was pleasant to talk to over the phone. I guess globalization and free trade aren’t quite as prevalent as we are led to believe. (That’s why I’m involved in modeling and not politics )

[AlanG]

Still, he does some awesome YouTube videos

Is his name Andy by any chance?

[SpitfireAce]

Is his name Andy by any chance?