Resources: Poll about art supplies

[mekare]

Hey all, sorry for being so absent last week. I'm back and off to comment on all your wonderful Inktober posts in the next couple of days.
ETA: I decided to make a poll. Sorry if the answer options a kinda dumb, it's my first poll ever.

Poll #18995 Art supplies

This poll is anonymous.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 16

Where do you get your art supplies?

View Answers

local art supply shop
11 (68.8%)

online art supply shop (which?)
4 (25.0%)

get them as birthday/Christmas gifts
3 (18.8%)

a subscription service (artsnacks, scrawlrbox...)
1 (6.2%)

amazon
5 (31.2%)

ebay
0 (0.0%)

other (please put info in the comments)
5 (31.2%)

Where do you get your information about art supplies?

View Answers

Manufacturer sites
2 (12.5%)

Customer reviews in online shops
3 (18.8%)

my local art supply store
2 (12.5%)

Artist friends
7 (43.8%)

Artist blogs (which?)
2 (12.5%)

Review blogs (which?)
0 (0.0%)

I usually just buy and try them out myself
9 (56.2%)

Other (please specify in comments)
7 (43.8%)

sexycazzy mentioned subscribing to one of those art supplies box services where you get a mixed bag of art supplies each month, I think earlier there was a post or a comment about a service like that in the US (and after a brief search I realized there a a lot of services like that out there). So, questions:

1. Who here has (is being) using a service like that and what on earth do you do with the supplies that pile up? Since you don't know beforehand what you'll get, I'm imagining there's supplies left and right that aren't being used.

2. Do you have recommendations for sites where supplies are being reviewed (apart from amazon which is obvious)? Of course, I have my local stationary store I use for the basics (it has reduced price on Schmincke watercolours at the moment which is fantastic). For the rest I use a German online art supplier. Unfortunately its site is pretty light on the customer reviews.I'm guessing I'm looking for your personal experiences with different supplies as well as trusted sites where I can believe the reviewers. That box-service is awfully tempting (and since I'm not a poor student anymore I could probably afford one) but I am hesitant to spend money when I'll have stuff here that's not getting used.

Oh right, I'm looking for ink stuff, pastels, watercolours and brushes mostly. And there probably are a lot of cool special effects tools out there that I don't even know exist.

Comments

[goss]

On Art Supplies:
I get all my art supplies whenever I travel abroad, every 1 or 2 years, mainly from this wonderful art supply shop called Curry's in Toronto. I usually end up filling my suitcase with watercolour pads, sketchbooks, canvas on sale, good quality brushes and acrylic paint.

These are items that are either rare, unavailable or crazy expensive on my island, so I'm usually like a kid at Christmas when I'm wandering around their store, wishing I could fit one of everything in my suitcase! :b

On Recs:
Recently, I've been getting a lot of wonderful recs and reviews for art supplies on YouTube. :)

(ETA: UUUGHH! I just clicked over at their website and now I am COVETING MASKING FLUID, AND PRETTY COLOURED AND GOLD INK, AND... And I won't be back in Toronto until next year July. /o\ /o\ /o\)

[mekare]

Hm, though it must be frustrating to wait for such a long time it makes the eventual trip that more exciting, doesn't it? Atm I really need to tell myself that I need to save some money for Christmas gifts and not spend it on lovely pens and brushes and paper. Though I did order masking fluid and am very excited to try it out!

[goss]

I am weak and have decided to order coloured inks and masking fluid from the store online. I'll ask a relative to bring it, who is luckily coming here from Toronto in a couple weeks time. I have decided to justify it as a birthday present to myself (my birthday's next week). *g*

[dirty_diana]

Someone else who shops at Currys lol, I was not expecting that. *high five*