Decals for Models

Where do you buy and why?

Sam

Reply to
sam owens
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More a matter of why than where. I have a few brands (Aeromaster in particular) that I stick with because of quality and subject availability.

I don't really care who's selling them, but I do prefer to look over the printing - some Superscale decals are sometimes mis-offset - so I tend to buy those decals in brick and mortar shops where I can pick and choose.

But not always...I'll generally buy decals were I find them - in a shop, online, at a swap meet, or from another modeler's collection.

Reply to
Rufus

Why? Sometimes you want a different variant or nation's vehicle/aircraft than the markings that come in the box. Other times the kit decals are not very good and aftermarket decals are of better quality. Other decals are purchased as replacements for old kits or decals that became misplaced or damaged for some reason.

Reply to
RobG

Well I ask because I want to know what a good online store is in your opinions. I live very rural and there are no modeling stores within 70 miles.

Thanks

Sam

Reply to
sam owens

Yer not my neighbor, are you?..

I reularly shop Roll Models, Squadron, Meteor, Hobbyland, and Micro-Mark and have never had a problem with them getting things to me in the middle of the Mojave desert.

Reply to
Rufus

Sorry, I was answering the "why" as in "why would you buy them" and not the "where" portion. I missed the "where" portion of your question. Where depends on what type of decals you need. I go to different places for aircraft, armor, NASCAR stock cars or science fiction spacecraft.

J-Bot does airliners, sci-fi, police cars and some others:

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Fine Transfers specializes in armor markings:
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Fine Details specializes in modern armor, in particular current OIF markings:
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Decals Inc. does Nascar decals:
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Connection in Canada carries a variety of types of decals:
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does mainly armor dry transfers:
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does some as well:
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The list can go on and on unless you specify what type of decals you need.

Reply to
RobG

I rarely use the decals from the kit that I'm working on, but that's because I really like odd and unusual markings.

There are hundreds of decal sheets in my file cabinet and I'm going to use every last one! :-)

I get most of them in trade and at hobby shows with a big percentage from Berkeley Ace Hardware. Sometimes I wait for a long time. I have had a Meikraft Long Midget Mustang since before he released it. I corrected it (about 40% of the thing has to be replaced and/or corrected), then put it aside until Aviation Usk brought it out with decals. They were kind enough to send me a set.

The huge selection of decals on the market have allowed me to do a Japanese Buffalo, an American FW 190, a Canadian EH-101, Presdential S.61, B-24 Dragon and His Tail, NASA F-104 and AV-8, Italian N.17, Belgian D.VII, French F4U-7, Swedish P-51B, Spanish Bu 133, Dutch CW-21, Austrian Beaver, Hungarian and Romanian 109s and a few others.

BTW, if you havn't discovered the Small Air Forces Observer magazine yet let me know and I'll put you in touch.

Cheers,

Tom

RobG wrote:

Reply to
maiesm72

If you're into different kinds of foreign markings, this is well worth a visit:

Decals Carpena makes some really nice decals:

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Flightdecs carries many different lines of decals:
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DACO is nice, too:
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Aeromaster/Eaglestrike have nice, easily-navigated pages:
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HTH if you need more let me know. I've got a boatload of decal manufactures saved in my bookmarks folder.

Reply to
Don McIntyre

I'm confused and need some help.

On this page:

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What would I be buying. Individual decals or decals of planes. I really don't know. It looks to me as if many sites think I know things I don't.

Thanks

Sam the Student

Reply to
sam owens

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You would be buying a package of decals allowing you to build each aircraft as depicted on pages 1-3 of that particular decal set.

That's the way they come.

Reply to
Rufus

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