Amazon sales listings can be overwhelming, and many items of interest to miniature hobbyists may appear under different categories than you would imagine. I have combed through this year’s Cyber Monday offerings and collected links to deals of interest to hobbyists. I will continue to periodically check back on the sales to add new offerings or remove expired deals until Tuesday.
Categories include: Miniature brand products, miniatures; domed drybrushes; pointed brushes; painting handles; welled palettes; dry palettes; brush cups; brush cleaning textures; brush travel and storage; studio tools (clippers, files, paint mixers, etc.); sculpting tools; basing supplies (static grass, terrain); display cases; travel cases
LAST UPDATED: December 2, 1:30pm EST
Added new deals (including larger sized practice busts); removed expired deals
Previously: added Wargames Delivered, painting handles, handle adhesives, texture rollers, AUSPDICE store, removed/swapped expired links, corrections, added Stonehaven miniature deals, corrections
NO FOMO!
At this time of year many of us earmark our money for other people and put our personal hobby buying on hold. If you are in that position, I recommend that you just close this page and go on with your day. I’ve been doing this a few years now, and I see the same products (or similar) crop up for every Amazon shopping hype event. If anything, there are more options and more discounts during Prime Days.
Purchases made through these Amazon affliate links help me pay the maintenance fees for this site, at no additional cost to you. Unless stated otherwise, I do not have any personal experience with specific brands.
Deal Checking and Coupons
To check whether a current Amazon price really is a great deal, compare it to the collected data on the camelcamelcamel site. Enter the name of the product or paste the URL link into the search box. If you get a list of options, look through to find the specific product you’re considering. Scroll down a bit to see a graph of the Amazon history for that item, and a list of highest, lowest, and average prices.
When scanning through listings on Amazon, look for a red banner/badge that says Cyber Monday Deal. That indicates an active deal. It should display a percentage savings, current price, and typical price. Be aware that Amazon often adds non-discounted sponsored items to search results. And sometimes regularly priced options are cheaper than ‘discounted’ ones.
Always check the listing for a coupon for additional savings! You may see an orange Coupon badge, and/or green text. Check the box in this area to apply the coupon and save even more!
Limited Time Deals
The products linked below are limited to a certain number of units. Once that amount has sold, they will return to regular price.
Marvel United Civil War expansion
Several Marvel: Crisis Protocol boxes
Etherfields Alternative Advanced Heroes Miniatures
Miniature Brands
The results Amazon displays for any search always include sponsored items. So my general search link to sale items from The Army Painter or WizKids will include products from other brands and sellers. Where possible, I have included a second link to each specific brand’s Amazon store front. There you will see only products from that brand, but you’ll have to scan through all of their products to find the ones that are on discount.
The Army Painter (Cyber Monday listings)
The Army Painter has a number of products on sale, including the Speedpaint Complete Set 2.0, the Fanatic Mega Combo with paint station and brushes, the Fanatic Most Wanted Combo set, the Complete Airbrush Paint Set Combo with paint station, as well as some individual items. Shop by category at the Army Painter Amazon store link.
WizKids (Cyber Monday listings)
So far just a couple of things – Fizban’s Treasure of Dragons Super Booster, and Marvel Heroclix: Earth booster packs. You can also shop at the Wizkids Amazon store.
CMON (Cyber Monday listings)
Most CMON games are no longer on discount, but a number of A Song of Ice & Fire sets are discounted 25-30%, You can also shop the deals page at the CMON Amazon store.
Star Wars Mini Games
The Star Wars: Legion Vital Assets Battlefield expansion is on 50% off. A number of sets and expansions for the Star Wars Shatterpoint game are on sale.
Dungeons & Dragons (Cyber Monday listings)
A handful of D&D products are on sale for 40-52% off list price. (Scroll down a bit to see books.) You can also browse via the Wizards RPG Team store.
Osprey Games
Osprey has a few games, reference books, and a box of adventurer figures on discount.
Warlord Games
A selection of their figures and game sets is discounted.
Wargames Delivered
Several figure sets and one paint set are on discount.
Games Workshop
Space Marine Adventures
Miscellaneous
Condition Markers
Rings that go around the base of a miniature to indicate conditions like rage, concentration, charmed, etc.
Colour Wheel
A colour wheel is a handy tool for choosing colour schemes and colour mixing. (A value finder is a handy tool as well.) If your primary concern is choosing colour schemes, this compact set of reference cards includes includes a lot more examples for variations of each colour and is discounted for Cyber Monday. The most common ‘official’ colour wheels (both RBY and CMY) are manufactured in the United States by the Color Wheel Company. My experience has been that these display high quality printing and colour fidelity. So far as I can tell ALL of the options on Amazon are knock-offs, even those purporting to come from well-known art companies or which display the Color Wheel Company trademarks. If you want to ensure you get the real deal, purchase from one of the art companies I linked below. I received a free colour wheel from a Kickstarter with very poor colour reproduction, so it’s a buyer beware situation.
Miniatures
Stonehaven Miniatures (Cyber Monday listings)
A number of Stonehaven figures are discounted. You can also shop from the Stonehaven Amazon storefront.
Mutant Zone Wars – Robots and Psionics Expansion
A selection of post-apocalyptic figures.
AUSPDICE
This company offers a small selection of miniatures, terrain products, and dice towers.
Cheap Miniature Busts
If you don’t feel comfortable practicing on $50 busts, these resin busts are less than $2 each. Each listing includes a photo with measurements, but on average they’re 2.7 inches tall. This 10 piece set includes Roman/Greek/Renaissance male and female heads. This 5 piece set is based on famous sculptures like David. This set of 10 Greek/Roman includes a simplified face that helps you visualize how light falls on the planes of the face.There is also a 7 piece set with the busts of classical composers like Beethoven. If you’d like to practice on a larger scale bust, these are about 6” tall (including plinth): Artemis, Aphrodite, Mozart, Beethoven. This 8” tall Julius Caesar is also pencil holder. (Et tu, HB?)
Monster Protectors
This company offers multi packs of both painted and unpainted miniatures at low prices. From the pics these aren’t highly detailed figures, but they might be of interest if you need to throw a lot of figs on the table cheaply and quickly. Most of their deals are 20% off regular price.
Dragons
The dragons in these kits look like decent sculpts for the price. I wouldn’t expect expect much from the paint, but the other extras could come in handy. This set has 3 different dragons plus palettes and cardboard scenery. (If that link is sold out, this is a slightly more expensive link to the same set.) This set has 2 copies of the same dragon.
You can also check out all the listings for miniatures in the games subcategory.
Painting Handles
Attaching your miniature to something you can hold while you paint reduces hand fatigue and makes precision painting easier. This doesn’t haven’t to be something fancy! I’ve used old prescription bottles and wooden thread spools for years, lots of people use dice cubes. Some of the fancier options do offer nice features, like a hand rest you can use to steady your painting hand or a more ergonomic grip. I have a few (not these brands) with the hand rest and have found it helpful on occasion. You may also want to check the complete Amazon listings for painting handles to compare prices and features.
Jucoci Plastic Painting Handle with Hand Rest
It comes with five caps that screw onto the main holder so you can swap between miniatures while you’re working. The hand rest is removable, which can be helpful for some awkwardly shaped figures.
Jucoci Wooden Painting Handle with Hand Rest
Jucoci has a couple of wooden handles on discount. This one has a curved hand rest, and comes with 4 mini holders. This curved hand rest one is a slightly different shape, and comes with four holders.
Jucoci Anti-Shake Wood Painting Handle
I have not seen a design like this before. I haven’t had a chance to try it (though I’m tempted!), and I don’t have issues with shaking, so I can’t speak to how well it works, but there are some reviews you can check out. The design is a wooden arch with finger/hand grips. You can use it two ways. One, place the miniature on a holder within the arch and grip the sides of the arch with your fingertips and the base of your hand. Or you can spin it around and place the miniature on the bottom side of the holder in the arch.
Miniature Attachment Options
Most handles, and many figure cases, require you to use something to attach the figure to the handle/case. Most people use mounting putty/poster tack, a few use double-sided mounting tape. Double-sided mounting tape works best when the base of the figure is flat. Poster tack works better when you’ve got a slotta base or something other texture for the putty to grab on to.
I am only including products that I have used and would recommend in this section. There are tons of off-brand versions of these if you want to go looking for cheaper options, but I recommend testing them thoroughly! The difference between mounting tape and regular double-sided tape is that there’s a layer of flexible gel or foam in between the two sides of tape, which allows it to adhere to surfaces that aren’t 100% level and flat. It also has a stronger adhesive.
Blu-Tack
There a Cyber Monday discount on a pack of 6 x 75g packages. The 2 x 75g pack is not on sale, but is a cheaper overall price rather than the cheapest per unit option.
Gorilla Tough & Clear Double Sided Mounting Tape (not on sale)
After this was recommended to me, it became my top choice. The fact that it is clear is a big part of the appeal. Poster tack and my previous mounting tape added colour and value that would often draw my eye while painting. It’s not a huge issue, but it’s nice not to have colours unrelated to the miniature and makes WIP photos look prettier. If I had a complaint it would be that it adheres too well. It’s sometimes hard to peel it off the base.
Scotch Mount
Before I found out about the Gorilla tape, I used Scotch Mount. It is sold in different widths and volumes, and in the US is the one you’re most likely to find in a pharmacy or grocery store if you have an adhesion emergency. It is a ‘sandwich’ of tape, foam, tape, and removing all of those can sometimes get a little fiddly. It has a sturdy and lasting stick though.
Terrain
TowerRex (Cyber Monday listings)
A number of their laser-cut wood terrain pieces and sets are on sale for 20% off. You can also shop the TowerRex Amazon store.
Hautico
Hautico has a small selection of 3D printed buildings on Prime Day specials.
SMONEX
This store also has a small selection of laser cut wood terrain options.
CZYY
This store has a small selection of laser cut wood terrain options.
Texture Rollers
A couple of companies are offering a small selection of texture rollers. Note that some individual listings offer multiple texture options. (A texture roller is a cylindrical stamp of a texture like cobblestones or brick. You roll it across a flattened piece of putty or clay to stamp it with the texture. Since you can roll it continuously, it allows for creation of a wide variety of sizes of textured surfaces, from bases to terrain table features.)
Dungeon Doors
Are your dungeons in need of doors? This box includes 40 unique doors for 30% off.
More Terrain
Check this link for additional Cyber Monday terrain options. I found some different terrain options with alternate search terms.
Basing Supplies
Grass, Mats, Bushes, etc
Check this link and this link for a look at the basing material options on Prime Day discount.
Dried Flowers
I have a collection of flowers like the ones I’m listing here, but I don’t remember the brand. These are real dried flowers. They come dyed different colours, but you can enhance them with paint or paint completely over them. Cyber Monday options include this set of 24 colours. This set is similar, but includes an extra box with different kinds of flowers for not much more. Some of the flowers in the previous sets are too large for gaming scale figure bases (though could have possibilities for terrain.) This box has only the small flowers that scale well with standard figures.
There are some additional options available with searches for miniature base and basing supplies.
Professional Art Brands
Every time Amazon has a big sale I check sale prices on artist brands like Liquitex, Golden, Winsor & Newton, etc. And every sale, I am disappointed. Oh, there will be a few items, but it’s usually a particular size of a medium or just a few colours of paints. Even then, the prices always seem to be at least a little higher than the prices at one of the big online art sellers linked below.
I think the big art brands do not allow online sellers to sell their products below a certain price unless something is on closeout. The board game company Asmodee does a similar thing.
I have shopped from all of these stores (I like traditional art supplies as well as miniature hobby ones). They’re established, respected storefronts. If you live outside of the US or UK, ask other artists in your area for the best online sellers. You will also find that different brands are more or less economical depending on where you live. Schmincke paints are much cheaper for Europeans than for North Americans, but I think the reverse is true for Liquitex.
I am not sponsored by or affliated with and do not benefit in any other way from non-Amazon links.
Jackson’s
I believe Jackson’s ships to many areas of the world, and you can select the currency for your region from the main page.
Paint Brushes: Domed Drybrush
For years people searched for domed shaped drybrushes in the cosmetics section. Now inexpensive goat hair dome brushes designed for painting use are much more readily available. Artis Opus pioneered these brushes in the miniature space, and their Opus D Series set is gorgeous, but it is expensive, so it is natural that people want to try that kind of brush more inexpensively first. Given the way we use these brushes and how they’re made, I don’t think it’s too risky to buy an inexpensive brand. Most listings include a photo that shows the dimensions of the brushes so you can compare between options.
You can see examples of results with different kinds of drybrushes here, and read about how I used dome drybrushes to paint a gingerbread man figure.
All of the brushes listed below appear to be made with real goat hair. If you prefer a synthetic option, this synthetic set of 4 brushes is 20% off. This 6 brush set looks like makeup brushes being remarketed as drybrushes, but they are synthetic. This set of 3 makeup brushes actually look more similar in design to miniature drybrushes, though the range of sizes is limited.
Sdanart Drybrush Set – 3 brushes, 3 sizes
If you’re new to this kind of brush and want to try one out for as cheaply as possible, this is one of the most inexpensive sets I’ve seen (from a company I’ve seen before that has some reviews to consider.)
PANDAFLY Drybrush Set – 3 brushes, 3 sizes
If the Sdanart set is sold out, this set costs just a little bit more, and is from a company I’ve seen selling art supplies for a few years now.
GACDR Dry Brush Miniature Painting Set – 5 brushes, 5 different sizes
This company has also been around for a few years, and this listing has a good number of reviews to help you evaluate the product.
Golden Maple Set – 6 brushes, 6 different sizes
Golden Maple has been selling art suppplies on Amazon for a few years now.
LIGHTWISH Drybrush Set – 9 brushes, 7 sizes
This set has a lot of different sizes and brushes for a pretty reasonable price. And one bonus round brush.
NicPro Drybrush Set – 7 brushes, 7 different sizes
I’m not quite as familiar with NicPro, but I’ve seen their brushes on sale for a few years now. This is the first set I’ve seen with seven different sizes of brush! It also comes in a snazzy looking storage case, and with three options for handle colours. Although it’s not discounted, it’s still a great price.
Brusarth Drybrush Set – 6 brushes, 6 different sizes
I’m not familiar with this brand, but if all the others are sold out, it’s an option!
Artify Drybrush Sets – 5 brushes, 5 different sizes
Artify is an established student/crafter art supply brand whose products have received positive reviews from art product reviewers I follow. Currently their Cyber Monday discounts are modest compared to what I’ve seen them do on Prime Days. Their card-packed set is 15% off. The box presentation set is also 15% off and includes brush soap. However, I do want to note that the box presentation set is pretty much a direct knock-off of the gorgeous Artis Opus D Series set, minus the wood box. Almost everything inexpensive on Amazon is a knock-off. The listing includes options for white handles or black handles.
In the unlikely event that the sets listed above are sold out or higher priced when you look, you should be able to find more options from this list.
Boar Bristle Stencil Brushes
Stencil brushes are often made with flat tops, but occasionally you can find them in the dome shape. These are made with boar bristles rather than goat hair. When dry, the boar bristle feels very rough and stiff. It softens up considerably when used with water-based paints or when rinsed in water. Despite this, they do offer somewhat different textures than the soft goat bristle brushes. The Royal Brush set includes two domed brushes and two flat top brushes, and is currently on sale for 50% off (first time I’ve seen it on sale!) The CraftSmart set is not on sale, but includes 4 sizes of domed brushes for $10.
Paint Brushes: Domed and Detail Sets
I found a few listings for sets that include the domed drybrush style brush packaged together with small detail synthetic brushes. From the photos the drybrushes do look like real goat hair, but I think all the detail brushes are synthetic. I highly recommend spending the money for a quality Kolinsky sable like Winsor & Newton or DaVinci to paint precision detail work, but having a few cheaper synthetics for rougher jobs can also come in handy.
Transon Combo Set– 8 brushes: 5 drybrush, 3 detail rounds
PANDAFLY Combo Set – 12 brushes: 3 drybrush, 3 flats, 5 round
The flats and rounds have a comfort grip feature on the handles.
Golden Maple 10 Combo Set #1 – 10 brushes: 3 drybrush, 1 slanted flat, 6 teeny-tiny pointed rounds
These pointed rounds also have triangular comfort grip handles.
Artify Combo Set – 14 brushes: 5 drybrush, 9 round
The round brushes have larger handles rather than just a grip.
Golden Maple 10 Combo Set #2 – 10 brushes: 6 drybrush, 4 pointed rounds
The pounced rounds on this look like a more useful size, and you get a wider variety of drybrushes.
Fuumuui Set – 18 brushes: 3 drybrush, 3 angled flat, 12 pointed round
NicPro Set – 21 brushes: 5 drybrush, 4 flat, 12 round
These have a comfort grip and come in a round cardboard container.
Golden Maple 18 Combo Set – 18 brushes: 3 drybrush, 14 pointed rounds, 1 flat
The round brushes have triangular handles and a nice range of sizes.
Texture Palette/Brush Wipe
Wiping your drybrush on a textured surface allows you to remove excess paint and judge whether the brush load is correct for the texture you’re painting. There is an option available on Amazon, but the reviews are mixed and it’s a little pricey.
Other Paint Brushes
(Possibly) Sable Brushes
Check through these listings carefully! Some of these sets include larger sized brushes that are intended for watercolour painters. Some brush sets listed are made with synthetic bristles but used deceptive search terms or sponsored listings to show up on the search.
Note that I am not recommending any of these! My personal recommendation always is to spend the money to buy at least a couple of the brand name Kolinsky sable brushes recommended by many miniature painters. (Winsor & Newton and Da Vinci are two popular brands.) I’ve never had a cheap sable or a synthetic brush that kept as fine a point for painting detail. From the photo these look like real sable brushes for a great price, but you can’t tell how well a brush keeps its point from a photo.
Miniature Paint Brush Sets
Due to the demand from miniature painters and nail artists, the offerings for detail brushes are constantly expanding! There are a few options as low as $7-8. The variety of shapes and sizes can vary widely among sets, and some include a carrying case or tube.
Brush Rinsers and Cleaners
Silicone Rinse Cups
The cups in this category have soft silicone nubs and textures at the bottom of the container. Swishing your brush across these gently agitates the bristles to remove paint. Most are sized for somewhat larger brushes than what we use, but should still work. Many include a removeable silicone brush holder ring for the top of the cup. Some include drip trays that may or may not be removeable. The Cyber Monday deals in this category are pretty slim to what I’ve seen on Prime Days.
These products are knock-offs of the original Paint Puck Water Rinser, which is a well-reviewed quality product that comes in a variety of heights. I’ve included a link below, though it’s not currently on sale.
Collapsible Paint Rinse Cup
This looks like it might be a little larger than some might prefer, but because it’s collapsible the height is adjustable.
Collapsible Brush Rinse Cup
This is an inexpensive option with a nice variety of cleaning textures.
Game Envy Collapsible Brush Cup (not on sale)
This cup isn’t on sale, but it’s not too expensive and is specifically designed for miniature painters in size and features.
Paint Puck Water Rinsers (The original, not currently on sale)
The Paint Puck water rinsers come in a variety of sizes, so you can get a smaller one if that better fits your workspace. You can hang brushes along the edge to dry over the drip saucer. (Or you can remove the brush holder part if you find that gets in the way.) I have one of these for watercolour painting that I like quite a bit. The Dish option on that listing is their version of the collapsible rinse cup.
Standalone Silicone Cleaning Tools
Knock-off Mini Paint Pucks (not on sale)
Both the size of the product and the size of the texture look larger than the official Paint Puck version listed below. This product only has a small number of reviews.
Mini Paint Pucks (not on sale)
(Ignore the part where it says it’s for oil painting, these work fine in water.) Put these small silicone pucks in the bottom of whatever rinse cup you want. I used these to clean my brushes for many years. The silicone nubs are very gentle on brushes, and the textures are sized well for our smaller brushes. There is a ring of ridges around the outer edge as well as different sizes of nubs. They have suction cups on the bottom, but I find that these don’t really work and I often have to jab it down to restick it.
Game Envy Weighted Brush Scrubber (not on sale)
I am currently using the Game Envy Scrubby from their recent Kickstarter. It is a weighted silicone scrub pad. It moves around a little more than I hoped, but less than the mini paint puck. I guess my dream would be a weighted scrub with a suction cup.
Texture and Sponge Cleaning Pads
Silicone texture products designed for cleaning makeup brushes can also be well-suited to our needs. I tried one designed to slip over your hand a few years ago, but it was clunky and hard to use at my desk. If I were to buy another, I’d get something like this compact silicone and sponge set, or this silicone and sponge set. They intend the sponge for wiping powder off of dry brushes, but I use a damp sponge with brush soap and then rinse in my water cup with silicone texture pad, so I might rather use it that way. I don’t know if the included soap would work on acrylic paint, you might need to use something like the Masters Brush Cleaner instead.
Other Brush Cleaning Tools
Electric Paint Brush Cleaners
What if you took a silicone brush texture pad and spun it on a motor? The products that answer that question are too weird for me not to share. I suspect the cup and textures are out of scale to detail brushes, but I have to admit I’m tempted to try this for larger brushes like I’d use on terrain or canvas painting because I find those such a pain to clean. I recently watched a review for one of these products and the reviewer felt the silicone texture was more helpful than the automated spinning element.
Paint Brush Storage/Travel
Check this article for more information on my experiences and recommendations, and some tips for no-buy options.
Dry Palettes
Ceramic Welled Palette
Most of the welled palettes on offer are not ideal for us. We want palettes with small wells since we use smaller amounts of paint. Paint doesn’t dry out as quickly in small wells. It’s easier to clean dried acrylic paint off of ceramic than off of plastic. This Meeden palette has the style of wells I recommend. Note that ceramic palettes are quite sturdy, but it is possible for them to break, so may not be the best choice for all setups.
Silicone Palette Options, Fidget Poppers
In the past few years painters have started using fidget poppers and other flexible silicone options as welled palette alternatives. These are very convenient to clean. Just let the paint dry and then it pops right out of the well. Paint that is heavily thinned for washes and glazes doesn’t pop off the same way, but is easily removed with a dish sponge. Check the sizes in the dimensions photos! You want the wells to be pretty small in diameter to keep the paint from drying out quickly. This hexagon option is on sale for a great price (much less than I paid!), and comes in white, black, and grey. Neutral colours are the best options for paint palettes, but are not popular colours for fidget toys.. This pack has a much nicer form factor, but in very bright colours.
Silicone Palette Options, Miniature Painter (not on sale)
TurboDork manufactures a small white and small black and a large white and large black silicone palette. These are more expensive than fidget poppers, but well designed in size and colour options for miniature painters.
Plastic Welled Palette
If you’d like some inexpensive and lightweight plastic palettes for kids or conventions, there are several options on sale. You can get the common round 10-well palette in packs ranging from two to 100 from these sellers: Hulameda, WNATN and Infus, among others. If you prefer the smaller rectangular palettes you can get 100 for $18.
Wet Palettes
Just a few years ago the only options were homemade or the clunky Sta-Wet palette. Now there are a plethora of choices! Note that many inexpensive knock-off options do not offer refills of sponges or paper. You will need to find and cut replacement sponges to size, or use folded paper towel. Parchment/baking paper works well for palette paper refills. (There are fewer wet palettes on sale than usual, and the discounts on some have already expired. I’ll keep checking and add more if I can.)
D’Artisan WetNDri Palette (Refills Available)
The package includes a textured bottom tray, a separate plastic palette tray with space for brushes and paint wells, two sponges, 00 sheets of paper, a brush rest, and an elastic band to secure it. Dimensions: 8.6” x 6.2” x 1.5″
Nicpro Wet and Dry Palette (Refills Available)
The pack includes a separate plastic palette tray that has space for brushes and wells for mixing washes, in addition to the flat bottom tray, four sponges, 100 sheets of paper, a brush rest, and an elastic band to secure it. The main wet palette tray comes in white or blue. The dry palette option and sponges are gray for both, which is ideal for colour mixing. (I’d probably get the white option to keep everything in my mixing area a neutral colour.) This is similar to the options above. Dimensions: 9.6in by 6.2in
Kreapa Big Wet Palette
Just the basics, but big. Tray with flat bottom, clear lid, one sponge, 50 sheets of paper. Unless you need the space, I think a palette with more features or lower cost is a better choice. Dimensions: 14.5” x 9.5″
Jucoci Folding Plastic Palette
This is inexpensive, but not ideal for features.The lid folds back. This doesn’t look air/water tight to me. Tray with flat bottom, hinged lid, two sponges, 100 sheets of paper. Dimensions: 9” x 5.5″
Kreapa Folding Palette and Brush Holder
The lid is hinged and folds back. You can set the wet palette tray on it. The bottom tray is indented to hold 10 brushes. You would need to hold the brushes down with poster tack or keep brush caps on them to protect the tips if you want to travel with this. Brushes are NOT included. This does not look air/water tight to me. Contents include brush tray, flat bottom wet palette tray, folding hinged lid, two sponges, 50 sheets of paper. Dimensions: 9.43” x 6.28″
Studio Tools
Paint Racks
A selection of wall and desk racks. I have six of the wall-mounted acrylic shelving style racks, and I love having my paint so visible. I also have a tiered acrylic rack on my desk that holds the paints I want to have immediately to hand. The listings also includes some MDF slotted options for those who prefer that method of storage.
Portable Paint Storage
If you need your paints on the go or don’t have space for racks, cases designed for alcohol ink and/or essential oil bottles usually fit standard dropper size bottles from companies like Vallejo, Army Painter, and Reaper. I’m thinking of grabbing this new BAFASO one as the separate trays would allow me to store paints for three separate projects and easily switch between them.
Hobby Tool Organizer
If you want to organize all your tools on your desk, this is a snazzy setup!
Silicone Mats
Silicone Mats are a great way to protect your surface from spilled paint and glue drips. You can get simple flat silicone sheets very inexpensively. There are also a wide variety of inexpensive silicone painting mats that include built-in palettes, rinse cups, or other features.
Cutting Mats
If you want to protect your surface from hobby knives and other tools, a cutting mat is a great option. Most include ruled lines and measurements which can come in handy. Paint does not clean up as easily from these as it does from silicone, but you can clean them, or layer a silicone mat on top when you want to get messy with paint.
Travel Lamps
If you like to take classes at conventions, I highly recommend bringing a travel lamp with you. There are always a few people who struggle to see in every class I teach. Bringing your own light can help a lot. Always check the dimensions and verify it is a portable lamp before purchasing. Some sellers use deceptive search terms or photos to show up on more searches, and the many sponsored listings Amazon pushes on you may or may not exactly match search terms.
Magnifiers
I recommend use of a magnifier for painting detail, especially for those of us who aren’t so young. Based on personal experience, I am only comfortable recommending the Donegan brand, which does not have any products on Prime Day sale. I prefer the lighter weight OptiSIGHT visor, but I happily used the original OptiVISOR for years.
Vortex Paint Mixer
These devices agitate your paint bottles. Nowadays you can find inexpensive purpose-made mixers like these all over Amazon. Back in the day we had to buy heavy and expensive refurbished lab mixers off of eBay. And even that was totally worth it! These are invaluable when you are doing maintenance on your paints (though a mixer does not replace all instances of needing to stir.) Thank you to the patron who suggested adding this to the list!
Epoxy Pour Leveling Board
I don’t have one of these currently, but if I ever want to do much pouring I’ll probably get one, since the floors in my home are more warped than I am.
Organizer Boxes and Organizer Drawers
We tend to collect a lot of little bibs and bobs in our hobby. These are a great way to store and organize them. I added plastic tray organizers to my hobby drawers a few years ago and find it helps keeps things tidier. I organized my bases by size and shape in a photo organizer case like these (And then a second photo organizer to sort my collection of pre-cast resin texture bases. Have I organized my actual photos in the last 30 years? Nope!) Thank you to the smart reader who suggested adding these!
Spray Booths and Tents
Airbrushing, sanding, and other hobby activities release particulates and chemicals into the air that are unhealthy to breathe, or which can potentially damage surrounding objects. If you spray prime/seal outside you may have issues with wind or marking up the pavement. There are both desktop and outside spray booths to help with either situation. An interior spray booth needs to be vented through a window to operate correctly. These come in a variety of sizes, make sure to check the listing carefully to ensure the product meets your needs!
Pin Vise
If you are assembling multi-part metal miniatures it is best to pin parts together for greater stability.
Small Strong Magnets
Some people like to assemble their miniatures using tiny magnets so you can swap out weapons and gear. If you add magnets to the bases of figures you can store them on metal trays, which several of the travel cases below include.
Sculpting Tools
Silicone Sculpting Tools
Silicone tipped sculpting tools work well to sculpt and smooth epoxy putties and bakeable clays. They were once quite pricey – each of the individual tools I have cost as much or more than these sets! The Sdanart listing includes options for both a size 4 set and a size 8 set. The larger size is useful if you sculpt terrain or larger scale figures. This set includes three sets of different sizes of tools and a plastic case for not much more money.
Metal Tools
The only really small sculpting tools I’ve seen were handmade and are not often made available for commercial sale. The ones on Amazon look like the kind and size of tools commonly available for sale in HobbyTown or similar stores. So bigger than what we would ideally want, but they can come in handy for some jobs. I like the flat spatula like the one in this set for smoothing putty into a flat layer to cut a shape into, and it’s come in handy for other uses. This set is twice the price, but includes twice the number of tools, and a nice zip-up case to store them in.
Tweezers
Tweezers are a useful hobby tool! They make it easier to pick up and assemble fine details, like adding flowers and leaves to bases. You can use fine point ones to pull the support struts off of 3D printed miniatures. Curved or bent tip tweezers help reach into awkward corners without touching the figure. This 14 piece set includes a great mix of tweezers, incuding one reverse tweezers, and a carrying case. This inexpensive 6 piece set includes a fine point, blunt point, and curved fine point.
Reverse Tweezers
Reverse tweezers hold an object clamped down until you press them open. This can act as a third hand and make some assembly tasks much easier. This set includes two very fine point tweezers, one curved edge and one straight. For tasks that need a little more surface area grip, this is a set of 6 for $6. (It’s worth looking at that listing for the insane example use photos…)
Miniature Prep
Diamond Files
Small diamond files are my preferred tool for removing surface issues like mould lines from metal miniatures. Used with a very very light hand these can also work on some types of plastic, but always test in an inconspicuous area first! This set of 10 costs only $3! If that’s out of stock, this set isn’t on sale, but isn’t too expensive, either. Double check any listing you pick and check that the size is 2 x 100mm. 2mm shanks mean the correct size files for our purposes.
Clippers
I really like the Xuron brand clippers I have. They cut flush, and do not require a lot of hand strength to operate. This brand can be a little pricier than no name ones, but is 12% off currently. If you want to take a shot on some inexpensive ones, there are some options (many of which do not seem to be less expensive.)
Display Cases
Clear Plastic Display Case
The small case comes with four shelves, the large case has five shelves.
Clear Plastic Case with Magnetic Door
This case comes in a variety of sizes, but not all of them are discounted.
Lighted Case with Wood Shelves
This case comes in a variety of sizes and shelf numbers, though not all of them are discounted.
Painted Miniature Storage/Travel
I have an article that discusses the various options for storing and transporting painted miniatures in more detail. There are a number of different types and sizes of storage options available with Prime Day savings. Storage and transport needs can be very specific, so you may find it worth looking at all of the carrying case options on Amazon, not just the Cyber Monday cases.
Cheap and Light Plastic Organizer Option (price drop from Black Friday price)
If you’re looking to store sturdy plastic miniatures or you’re willing to add your own cushioning of bubble wrap or paper towel, this collectible toy organizer may work for you. You can remove the slots between sections to create larger spaces.
Hard Vinyl Case with Two Layers Pre-Cut Foam
The case has 64 gaming miniature size slots, and a pocket in the lid to hold books or papers.
Hard Plastic Case with One Layer Pre-Cut Foam
The hinged lid opens up to allow easy access to the 36 foam slots.
Hard Backpack Case with Metal Shelves
The case includes five shelves, a top handle, and two backpack straps. Reviews seem mixed, and also offer some tips for easier assembly.
Hard Plastic Case with Moveable Magnetic Shelves and LED Lighting
The case has a transparent front panel, six trays, and three methods of powering the LED light strip.
Clear Hard Plastic Case with Moveable Metal Shelves
This case is completely clear hard plastic, and includes a handle. The interior is slotted so you can customize the heights of the six metal shelves. It weighs more than 9 pounds and is one of the more expensive options.
Disclosure Statement
Links to products on Amazon in this article are affliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission when someone makes a qualifying purchases by using these links. There is no extra cost to you when buying through these links. The commissions I earn are used to pay the costs of maintaining this site, and I very much appreciate your assistance!
Bird with a Brush 