As I have been made a convert to an online purchaser, which company do you recommend to purchase from in the UK. I am not after a company bashing here if I was I would have mentioned the name of the shop that has made me a convert which I will not do. I just want an idea of the online companies in the UK you feel are the best as regards cost, delivery time, customer service, and choice.

Try these Darren

http://www.netmerchants.co.uk/

http://www.modelsforsale.co.uk/

http://www.modelsinmotion.co.uk/index.asp

http://www.hannants.co.uk/

http://shop.afvmodeller.com/customer/home.php

one more

http://www.accurate-armour.com/

karl

Darren, if you are going to begin purchasing from on-line stores, why limit yourself to UK ones? Even taking postage costs into account, you will obtain most things cheaper if you shop around..............all around.

Vinnie

Darrin - as someone about to open a retail model shop (USA), I'd be interested in knowing what offense the local retailer committed... again - no need to mention names of the dealer, but an idea of the situation would be interesting...

I buy a lot on line and my first port of call is always Netmerchants - they email to say when stuff is one its way and it usually arrrives 24 hours later (sometimes if I've ordered early enough during the day it's been with me the following morning!).

hannants are very good, but slow. Stuff can take a week or two.

http://www.armour-models.co.uk/ is a good site - stuff sold by a chap called Lou Sterner. He's a modeller himself and while this maybe isn't the slickest site on the web, it's a great source for less common stuff (resin zimmerit sets, PE, resin kits, conversion sets, etc)

http://www.historexagents.com/ again useful for resin sets, figures etc. A huge catalogue, but not many pics, so you need to know what you want before you go there!

http://www.modelshop.co.uk/ for some landscaping and scrathbuilding materials

And in the Dioramas forum someone recommended this site for trees, groundwork, etc. I haven't ried them myself yet though
http://www.barrule.com/workshop/index.html
(For overseas members looking for rubberised horsehair these guys sell it and are willing to ship overseas).


Sean

In a nutshell, I try very hard to support local retailers even when it costs me a bit more than retailers further a field. However I also believe you get what you pay for and when a retailer prices all Dragon kits at the same price regardless of age or contents IE prices that make your balls ache and makes divorce look cheap. I get a little upset.

I made a post in here looking to find out who was ripping me off as I saw it, the retailer, manufacturer or wholesaler. It looks like it’s the retailer.

This part may sound strange but I don’t always purchase from the cheapest supplier as they don’t tend to last long and harms the retailers who are charging fair but realistic prices. Also I have always supported the providers within the country I am currently in. I do this, as I believe it is for the betterment of my hobby in the long run and prevents good people from going under unnecessarily.

So if you charge a fair and realistic price for your product and give some form of incentive to your regulars (in the UK it’s usually a 10% reduction) and lastly have a reasonable selection, you should acquire regular loyal customers. All the other factors relate to your geographic location I feel.