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Hi, another poll for ya !
Today, I'm interested in where you buy your precious little toy soldiers, you paints etc....

Personnally , I buy most of my models and my hobby stuff to a retailer shop, because it is cheaper, but I have to buy certains models on the GW 's website (VPC only).
I don't think I bought directly from GW for a while (except ForgeWorld, but, eh I don't want to buy a copy on ebay).

Feel free to share !

I buy stuff from my FLGS.

There isn’t a GW nearby, so that’s not an option. I like to pay where I play, and enjoy having a local shop I can go to for pickup games. It’s worth paying a little extra locally so they can keep their doors open.

I buy my paints from the local hobby store, but all of my model purchases are on eBay. I do buy NIB most of the time, though.

eBay, Fantasywelt, and local shop. GW rarely.

My model purchases are roughly a 70:30 ratio of online to retail stores ,but with hobby supplies closer to the opposite ratio. I don't think I've bought anything from a GW official store since they raised of their paints to past £2.30 each.

Split between my local stores, an FLGS and a GW store. I've only gotten a few 'can't pass' deals deals online. Ebay doesn't give me a place to play.

When one of the stores stopped offering a place to play 40k (they took out the tables for some reason) they stopped getting cut of my 40k budget.

I believe in the pay where I play mentality. However, this is an expensive hobby, so don't judge people who go online to save money. I save money by using magnets.

Most of the stuff I buy is from a local comic/gaming store but as for the modeling aspect of the hobby, I go to the likes of Ace, WalMart, Lowes, etc. to get green stuff, blue stuff, grey stuff, magnets, hobby knives, and paint brushes.

I support my FLGS, so they stay open and provide a place to play.

SJ

Depends. I buy from a mixture of places. Most bits now from 4tkgaming, as I don't enjoy going to my local gw anymore. I buy from whw when I'm there. Vallejo paints and airbrushing supplies from ebay or the local modelling shop (geedee). Paint brushes from amazon.

My miniatures I mostly buy from online retailers (Wayland most often). Sometimes I buy a direct-only model from the GW online store. I also sometimes buy stuff from Forgeworld when I can afford it.
I rarely buy through E-bay or similar sites. I don't like second-hand stuff. The only thing I buy from there are (painted) Ork models, as I do not have the time or money to buy and paint a new Ork horde as large as I would want to have.
Hobby stuff I mostly buy at an FLGS. Sometimes I pick up a few models there too, especially when I have cash on hand. But apart from a few good deals on cheap metal Incubi and rare OOP minis, most of the stuff is cheaper to buy online.

The nearest GW store is a little over four hours away, so that's pretty much out of the question . I prefer to support local business when I can, so I buy most of my models, paints, etc. at the two FLGSs near my office. I'm not afraid to use Amazon when I see a good deal, though.

I buy everything I can from the FLGS.

Stuff they don't (or can't) get I order.

For Warhammer 40k models, mostly The Warstore, good pricing there.

For just about everything else I order online.

Ebay, FLGS and Chinaforge for me.

Ebay is nice because I occasionally find models already painted up in the scheme I like, and the prices are usually sane (often painted is equal or less than the unassembled, unpainted kits).

FLGS is nice because I can walk in and walk out with what I want same day. Also helps keep the local playspace in business - when I can afford the prices. I generally buy non-GW here.

Chinaforge is an interesting experiment for me and a big ol' FU to GW's overpriced models. Way better than buying anything in Failcast.

I use the Warstore to buy all my miniatures for that sexy, sexy 20% discount.

I buy the plastic kits from Darksphere as they seem to be the cheapest online site in the UK for ordering them that I can find. Their customer service is also excellent in my experience.

The 40k section of Darksphere:
http://www.darksphere.co.uk/pgc.php?c=212

As for pots of paints, I use the GW paints and sprays so purchase them from my local GW store. Sometimes you see them cheaper online, but by the time you pay postage on them, it doesn't make any difference (sometimes being more than you would pay in store for them).

If GW make something in plastic then I usually buy it from an online discount store (except character models). Anything else I go to Forgery World.

I buy majority of my stuff from China

I go where the price is the best, so generally eBay. Though if an FLGS has a good deal I can see paying a little more for the product being in my hands immediately and such.


Buying from GW directly is asking to be ripped off as most reputable places will give you 20% off their price, such as Frontline Gaming.

I buy where I play.

Some at my FLGS some at my local GW store.
I like to scratch build a lot and get my hobby supplies for it I buy wherever I can get it. Ebay, arts stores, DIY suppliers etc.

On top of that I buy a lot of parts and oop stuff on ebay and bits sites.




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Things I really hate is Web only stuff.

Since it leaves me with the following options:
- Order it from GW. Get it fast, but pay for shipping and I am not supporting my local store this sucks.
- Order it from my local GW store. Always suffer "unexpected" shipping delays. On top of that I run the risk of him tagging me on a public facebook page :\
- Order it from my FLGS. Knowing that he is secretly ordering it with his next gw order and running the risk he actually orders something else since most of the time he doesn't write it down. :\

I get my models and most of my paints from independent retailers. I order non-GW stuff from Weyland and I also buy bits from Bitz Box whenever I need.

Also selected 'steal' because I have 'borrowed' some paints until I've emptied them. And '???' Because I have some airbrush cleaner around even though I don't use an airbrush I also have a single Ork Boy, even though I never bought them - I don't have a bloody clue.

I voted for the "Steal" option. When such an option is included in a poll like this, it deserves to be voted

Other than that, I've built my CSM and IG armies by adquiring models from diverse sources: my FLGS, a FLGS from a nearby town, online independent retailers, alternative manufacturers and eBay (mostly this).

First I try Ebay. If I can't find it there somehow, I try my FLGS. If they don't have it (which they usually don't tbh) I order form GW online. All my paints and such though are from the LGS

I'm sure most people use a variety.

One of my favorite things to do is find badly painted used armies, strip the paint off them and then paint them nicely. Sometimes I'll even sell/trade them on bartertown for a bigger, poorly painted, army and then repeat the process.

Mix of FLGS, FW, GW, and eBay.

Books I buy from my local game store, models on occasion. I mainly stick to eBay n the swap shop here. Some insane deals when you can get $1000 for 450 why wouldn't you?

While we have two official 40k (and other wargames) clubs, we only have one rather small official GW store (not suited for playing at all) and one almost as small independent store that REALLY sucks at stocking stuff. They're more focused on board games, and both their GW and X-Wing stock is miniscule. I tried to get new X-Wing dice and was VERY disappointed - they didn't have the dice booster nor either of the Starter Boxes in stock! Their only comment was "yeah, those are gone as soon as we get them" - I didn't bother asking why they wouldn't just order a ton then if they're selling that well.

And since I'm not gaining ANYTHING from having either store around nor are they able to provide me with what I need, I'm simply buying all my plastic crack online. Even at the GW store I have to order through the guy there online - I'm sorry, but I can do that faster on my own.

All they're good for is ordering direct-only GW stuff for pickup at the store, and I can do that online, too.
I mean they can't even order forgeworld stuff for me, that's plain stupid.

For paints I don't think I actually own any Citadel paints anymore - I used them back in 3rd edition but when I restarted the hobby in 7th I went with Vallejo which neither of the two stores here actually sells anyway.

All of that comes on top of online sellers here offering up to 20% discounts.

As a side note, almost all my paints are Apple Barrel acrylics. I've tried both GW's and P3 paints and haven't noticed a difference worth paying the extra over. The only exception to that has been some of the technical paints (blood god red, the muddy earth stuff) and GW's gold paint - I haven't found an off-brand that goes on as well and is as bright.

I agree with the majority sentiment expressed above - pay where you play. Support the store that lets you enjoy your hobby.

My local GW is run by a top bloke who got into the hobby when I was a casual at GW. He's a very talented painter and really enthusiastic. He runs a good store with a really positive vibe for the most part - most people seem to play to have fun - yeah they want to win, but they're just in it for the dice rolling and the shouting. I could probably get most of my GW stuff online at a discount from a third party, but I see the "GW tax" as money going into all of the good that I get from the store - the chats, the hobby advice, the free use of tools/paints when I'm there, and the gaming space.

I buy 90% of it from my FLGS since I know the two owners. Still sometimes I catch one hell of a deal that I can't turn down from out of their store on occasion. Also I don't usually order books through them since they have no choice but to price them higher to make money on them.

The Kauyon book I ordered direct from GW since it was as cheap as I could find it.