Vallejo conundrum

[Daeothar]

The weirdest thing...

I have been using Vallejo paints for over ten years, and have been satisfied for all that time. Many times I have bought replacement bottles when one was empty (and not dried out, Citadel... ) and there never was even a hint of colour difference.

Until today, that is!

I had ordered a new bottle of VGC Filthy Brown, which I have been using as the base for my caucasian skintones ever since I changed to Vallejo from Citadel.

But this new bottle is not a little different from my old bottle! In fact, it's actually a near match for another VGC brown shade; Plague Brown.

I have included pictures of both, so you can see for yourself. What do people think; a bad batch, a formula change, or perhaps a mislabeling?

[Blackwolf]

Bad batch,I had some English Uniform years ago like this; they must sell thousands(I’ve got most of them,haha),always pretty consistent,buy a lottery ticket

[Elbows]

I've had this issue with Vallejo on a couple of occasions - though not quite so definite...agree it's probably a bad batch.

I've had a couple which are slightly different colours - then I realize my older bottle is also 10 years old!

[fitterpete]

Maybe a bad batch but over the years I've had 4 or 5 Model colors that dont match the old color. Only way to tell is buy another and see.

[pixelgeek]

Looks like it was just mislabelled

[Daeothar]

Cheers guys.

I'm thinking bad batch myself as well.

Figured it couldn't hurt, so I sent Vallejo an email about this.

Also, I've already got another supplier with whom I will make another order (I need some matt varnish anyway), so I can see if this was an isolated bit of bad luck...

[SotF]

Cheers guys.

I'm thinking bad batch myself as well.

Figured it couldn't hurt, so I sent Vallejo an email about this.

Also, I've already got another supplier with whom I will make another order (I need some matt varnish anyway), so I can see if this was an isolated bit of bad luck...

Hope the new one is the one that was in error then...

[Robosmith]

Some Vallejo paints will change tone slightly as they age. I've had a flat red turn a bit darker than the fresh bottle I bought.

[mikedemana]

I had the same thing happen with craft beers. I bought some doppelbock and it was actually a peach lager. I messaged the brewery and...what? Oh. That's not a relevant problem?? 

Hey, I got a free 6-pack out of it, plus four bonus beers!! 

Mike Demana
http://leadlegionaries.blogspot.com/

[Daeothar]

I just posted in a different thread about yet another Vallejo colour matching issue, and referred to this thread, only to realize that I had never reported the outcome of this issue.

So here we are, just a bit belated

As I wrote earlier; I contacted Vallejo customer service about this and the reply was that a couple of years ago, they changed the formula of their entire Game Colour range, and this difference was highly likely due to that change.

I sent along the same pictures I posted here, for their information.

In the end, they generously offered to send out a replacement bottle. But if their explanation was true, and I had no reason to doubt them, the new bottle would simply be another more yellow one, and not the nice skin tone I had been using.

So to spare them the expense of having to send a single bottle of paint from Spain to the Netherlands, I respectfully declined their offer.

And that's the thrilling conclusion to this nail biter of an episode...

[2010sunburst]

Must admit, though I can easily see the difference, I don’t see anything brown about that colour at all  . To me they’re  yellow, not a brown…..

[Just a few orcs]

I have found it pays to buy several bottles of any paint that  you will want to be exactly the same on all your figures/armies.

Make sure you colour match before using to much of your replace

I have just bought for the 2nd or 3rd time 3x 100ml b0ttles of each of the main colours I base with.
You do need to check them reguarly (every 3-6months) to ensure they don't dry out. Covering the top of the paint with water works for acrylics. If there is too much left when you need to use it, just carefully poor the excess off.   

The other alternative that works is to purchase another bottle before the existing one is more than half empty. If there is a colour mismatch you can mix in some of the new paint  every figures/units, then the change is gradual  and far less noticeable.
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