Your oldest paints?
The Warhammer Community page has a nice history of the GW paint range for your reading pleasure.
After reading the article I had a look in my box of paints and sure enough I still have a few of the old GW hexagonal paints. They are still in working order, and the hexagonal shape makes storing them together quite easy.
The lid for my Elf Flesh is cracked but still holding strong, while the polished blue is still ready to be applied to any model that wants to look like it belongs in a disco.
Further to the left Charadon Granite is indeed a magical paint as the article suggests. I used to add this to everything as an instant earth toner. These days I jealously hoard my last remaining pot, using some only when I absolutely have to.
The article glosses over the old ‘bolter shell’ paints, and with good reason. I threw out unopened pots of these as the paint had dried inside. Once opened you were on a short timer to get any use out of the paints. It was during this time I used other ranges, and still do. The Vallejo and Reaper paints in their dropper bottles are examples.
Finally the Retributor Armour is my most recently-purchased paint (or free with the first issue of Conquest if you prefer). One of the Voxcast podcasts mentioned how good it was, and after trying it for myself I have to agree.
Those hexagon bottles of mine are 20 years or more old. How old are your oldest paints?
My acrylics are only a few years old as I used to use only oils. These days I use both. My oil paints must be almost 40 years old with at least half the tube left in each and as good as the day they were bought.
Oils definitely last, that’s for sure
I’ve got some white-label round-pots, and some silver-label round-pots. Not *that* many of either anymore, though. The ones that predated them going to the hex-pots. I still have a fair few of those, though, including some still unopened.. bought a ton when Mind Games was clearing them out for a minuscule discount, but I wanted to preserve my supply of those colours…
My last white label pot (Hobgoblin Orange) died years ago, but the hex pots seems to last the distance.
That they do for sure! The lids become brittle and crack before the paint dries out inside!
That definitely been my experience with my Elf Flesh pot!
I’ve got the old hex bottles from the 90s. Mithril Silver is my oldest one I’d say. Made to last back then
They were! I also have the old metallic green and purple alongside the blue, still in good order
I’ve still got some Enchanted Blue from Citadel dating back to ~1990 that I still get use out of. Got to agree with you on the ‘bolter shell’ pots, those were truly awful!
That’s some good longevity!