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Hobbycraft pull a fast one.
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Message
Posted
I generally paint with Daler Rowney System 3 paint which I buy from Hobbycraft. My nearest store is 15 miles away near Leicester.
On Sunday I went across to stock up and of course being Easter Sunday it was closed; there was a note on the door but a fat lot of use that is if you live miles away; there was nothing on the website, I looked before I left.
When I got home I bought the paint on line and it arrived yesterday.
In the store a 150ml tube is £4. Seeing tubes priced at £4 on the website that is what I ordered. When they arrived they were all 59ml, less than half as big.
I should of course have seen that the size was different before ordered but I didn't. Why though is a tube less than half as big the same price online as the big tube in the store? It's not to cover the delivery charge, you pay that as well. I feel that I've been ripped off.
I now have a choice, pay £7 for a tube online or £4 for exactly the same thing with a 30 mile round trip.
Posted
It might be the Graduate subset of system 3 that you saw in store Peter. They often mix them up in my local branch. I find System 3 doesn't store well. Some of mine liquidised in the very hot days last year. So stores may be selling off stocks.
Cowling & Wilcox are another online outlet that I've used in the past.
They are dependable.
I'm slowly replacing with heavy body paints like Liquitex. I expect in the long run they will only be slightly more expensive as they go further.
Posted
I use a variety of acrylics - still haven't tried Liquitex though; interested in the comment from Norrette about System 3, because I have some of that, and haven't noticed it deteriorating - I do prefer to use Cryla (same company, Daler Rowney). Have tried Graduate - cheap; thin; but has its uses. But has anyone else noticed System 3 deterioration?
Posted
Maybe I store them badly. It's particularly the Cobalt, Ceruleum and Cadmium hues, which fall out of the tubes and sometimes separate on the palette. They are likely to be examples I bought in around 2022 (doesn't time fly)
I see there's a nice heavy body Cryla starter set online at Jacksons.
(but no, my Acrylic shoebox is full!)
Posted
My Hobbycraft store has been charging £4 for the large tubes for as long as I've been using it.
Maybe they have just increased their prices. An example of shrinkflation I think. Why not call the store and ask them what they charge for 150ml and whether there has been a recent price hike. I was in there on the 14th.
Posted
I generally paint with Daler Rowney System 3 paint which I buy from Hobbycraft. My nearest store is 15 miles away near Leicester. On Sunday I went across to stock up and of course being Easter Sunday it was closed; there was a note on the door but a fat lot of use that is if you live miles away; there was nothing on the website, I looked before I left. When I got home I bought the paint on line and it arrived yesterday. In the store a 150ml tube is £4. Seeing tubes priced at £4 on the website that is what I ordered. When they arrived they were all 59ml, less than half as big. I should of course have seen that the size was different before ordered but I didn't. Why though is a tube less than half as big the same price online as the big tube in the store? It's not to cover the delivery charge, you pay that as well. I feel that I've been ripped off. I now have a choice, pay £7 for a tube online or £4 for exactly the same thing with a 30 mile round trip.Hi Peter, I find that Hobbycraft often have special offers at times when schools are on holiday and my local store only ever seem busy at these times. I wouldn't be surprised if online sales are the only thing keeping them afloat. Many others I know find Hobbycraft pricing perplexing but they are convenient. I've used System 3 for years and find the 500ml pots keep longer than the tubes and the smaller the tube the faster it deteriorates after opening. But I do flit from one medium to another frequently so months can go by before I paint with acrylics. Like Norrette, I have found Cowling and Wilcox to be reliable and speedy. I'm fortunate that I can get over to Ken Bromleys at Horwich at a pinch and find them the most helpful; nothing is too much trouble and they do online orders. I hope this helps and share your frustration with Hobbycraft!