Floquil/Polyscale being discontinued?????


Cjcrescent

Master Mechanic
Heard on SER-NMRA list today that Floquil, Pollyscale, and Pactra paints were being discontinued.
The person on the list said that he heard it on one of the hobby groups lists!
Here is the posting;


I thought I would check this out with Testors. Here is there reply to my
inquiry.

One of the hobby groups just had a post that Testors is dropping the
Floquil, Polyscale and Pactra paint lines.

Any truth to this?

Thanks,
Mike
Grampa's Trains

Yes, it has just been announced that we will be exiting the market with
these Brands. These products will be discontinued as inventory is
depleted.
regards,

Conni Schultz
Sales Assistant
The Testor Corp.
800-435-2942, ext. 4085
fax: 800-962-0045
IN GOD WE TRUST

Trouble is, I have searched the Testor's site and there is nothing on it at all regarding this.

Has anyone else seen or heard of this????:confused::confused::confused::confused::confused::confused::confused::confused:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
http://www.railflyermodel.com/collections/acrylic-resin-paint

This a an alternative, it is non-toxic, 100% concentrated, handles more like a lacquer in regards to spray and finish than traditional acrylic paints but has the ease of water clean up.

The resin binding agent also enables some flex in the surface.

Any with images are in stock, 9 more are ready for release.

All the best,

Christopher Howard, Railflyer Model Prototypes Inc.
www.railflyermodel.com
 
Sorry if I don't believe it. The reason they bought Floquil/Polyscale in the first place was that it was far superior to their own paints.

It looks like a hoax to me.
 
Here is the letter I recieved from my distributor.

The Testor Corporation
_________________________________________________________________________________
Friday, May 17th, 2013

Dear Valued Partner,

I am writing to inform you about changes that are taking place at the Testor Corporation. For over 80 years, we have provided premium paints and finishing systems to the craft and hobby industry. Today, we announced that we are transforming our business in order to more effectively address the changing
needs of our consumers and their interests.

We’ve made the decision to exit the following businesses within the Testor® Brand family - Pactra®, Floquil®, Polyscale®, and ColorArtz®. This will enable the Testor Corporation to return to our foundation
of success – providing premium, innovative product that inspires creativity. We will continue to accept orders and ship product for a limited time based on available quantities. Going forward, the following brands will be critical to our success and development – Testor®, Model Master™, and Aztek®. These brands will be infused with marketing support, innovation and operational efficiencies.

In support of this, we have announced a consolidation of operations at our Rockford facilities. Over the next several months we will provide updates critical to your order and delivery needs as well as product availability. We assure you there will be no disruption to service during this transition.

Our commitment to the Testor brand has never been stronger. By implementing these changes, and the ability to leverage all of Rust-Oleum’s world class services, we are more strongly poised to take your business to the next level through product and merchandising innovations, and increased customer intimacy. Please contact me or your sales manager directly with any questions.

We appreciate your business!

Best Regards,
Kristin J. Schiro
Director of Sales & Marketing
The Testor Corporation
 
Supposedly many of the colors will be carried on in Testors new CreateFX line. Found this on Testors Facebook page:

Many of you have expressed disappointment regarding our decision to exit Floquil and Polyscale. Decisions such as these are never easy. Trends in model railroading have changed over time.
Creating product for weathering and scenery has been more of the focus as train cars have moved to pre-decorated. The good news is that the same great products for weathering and scenery can be found in Testor's CreateFX line that is available now.
Please check your local hobby shop or www.testors.com and search CreateFX for information regarding this product line.
 
While they may be keeping the weathering and scenery colors, that doesn't do the people who like to paint or repaint their cars and locos into other roadnames any good.

While there are other brands out there, like I prefer to use Scalecoat myself, Scalecoat doesn't make many of the colors needed sometimes, nor does anyone.
There are many colors in the Floquil line that no one but them makes.

Floquil & Pollyscale were the largest lines of paints in the hobby. I don't care what else is out there, the lost of these lines is a major blow to those who like to paint their own equipment.
 
Being on a near non-existent income I'm a natural cheapskate. Many of the paints I use are latex and satin house paints that I filter through a tea strainer lined with a piece of cheap paper towel to remove the lumps and chunks. Almost all of them are Valspar and Olympic mis-tints in 7.25oz cans. I pick them up for 75¢ to $1 each. Some, like the rust colors I use I have mixed. It costs a bit more but for the amount I'm getting it's like getting twenty-nine 1/4oz bottles for just a few bucks. And what's crazy about that?
 
There's nothing at all with that Jeff. I'm not and have never said there is.

But you'd be surprised at how many of my clients specify the brand of paint to be used on the stuff I paint for them. Substitutes like that generally don't work in the world of custom painting.
 
But from what I could see about these CreateFx paints on the Testors webpage they are only available as spray can paints and its just a very small line of very basic colours which you can get from any of the paint manufacturers.

Supposedly many of the colors will be carried on in Testors new CreateFX line. Found this on Testors Facebook page:

Many of you have expressed disappointment regarding our decision to exit Floquil and Polyscale. Decisions such as these are never easy. Trends in model railroading have changed over time.
Creating product for weathering and scenery has been more of the focus as train cars have moved to pre-decorated. The good news is that the same great products for weathering and scenery can be found in Testor's CreateFX line that is available now.
Please check your local hobby shop or www.testors.com and search CreateFX for information regarding this product line.
 
Here is a golden opportunity for Tru-Color paint. They already are making many of the popular prototype colors and the more universal blacks, etc. Their acetone base solvent takes a little getting used to with an airbrush but otherwise they cover and finish very well. www.trucolorpaint.com

As far as Testors selling off the Floquil line if they decided to do that it would probably be to an already etablished paint manufacturer. With all the Hazmat, OSHA, and EPA regs involved it would be costly for a start up to buy out the product line.
 
I'm afraid that Model Railroading is changing from a builders hobby to a collector/operator hobby. If the sales don't support the industry, they'll drop the lines. I remember slot car racing and control line model airplanes.

Steve
 
Skillman is right. I'm even guilty of it myself. I haven't been repainting nearly as much as I used to. I have everything I need. Most anything new I will add would be RTR.

Mostly I just paint a few structures as I build them. How many people are really still painting stuff toady? The market just shrunk away I think.
 
I stopped using Floquil line a long time ago was not happy with it at all I've been using Tru-Color paint for a few years now and I'm very happy with it.

I guess all the new unused jars of Floquil will be worth something after all,sounds like it maybe time to list some paint for sale.

N
 
Details parts will be next as fewer and fewer people super-detail anything any more what with the level of detail on today's RTR.

I'll give the hobby three, maybe four more generations until everybody's layout is covered with the same RTR freight cars being pulled by the same RTR engines past the same RTR structures as the next guy's layout.

Society is slowly becoming a bunch of mindless button pushers with no artistic desire or ability to produce something unique with their own two hands. Sorry, we've done this to ourselves.


Mark.
 
This sounds a little harsh Mark but I'm sure you're right. Scale modelers are a dying breed. The thrill of having something that no one else has doesn't seem to have the draw that it did 20 years ago. At least the creative draw. Even model cars and airplanes are now ready built. Hard for me to understand.

Steve
 



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