The thing about hobbies is that you are always at them, in other words, you don\'t have to buy everything at once, because it\'s not for a one-off project.
Over the last 17 years or so, I have bought only what I needed at that time and kept everything I do not use safe, so at the moment I have just about everything a painter could possibly want!
The paints are probably the biggest section, particularily with acrylics, which do not mix as well as oils (most acrylics will mix fine with a similar shade). It is best to start out by getting what you need/can afford first, then each month add a few more colours. Before long, you will have all the colours you need!
Instead of just getting the Vallejo \"starter set\", have a look at the colours that are in it - if they are all \"essential\" colours, e.g., the primary colours (yellow, red, blue), + white, black, green, brown and maybe another couple, then yes, start with that. If you are not happy with the colours in the pack, then just buy individual bottles. I bought my Vallejo acrylics from a store in the Republic of Ireland - they offered me a discount if I bought all 220 at once, and as I had the money that is what I did!
I mentioned in an earlier forum that Vallejo are (from the point of view of many long-term painters who know the difference between good and bad quality) the best acrylics at the minute. They are very heavily pigmented, cover far better than other acrylics, and don\'t dry as quickly. This being said, they are also a little bit thicker than some other acrylics, and some thinning is pretty much essential to get a smooth coat. Acrylic flow enhancer is best for this, water can be used but it tends to dilute the paint rather than thin it, and water evaporates quickly so the drying time isn\'t really extended either.
At the minute I use \"Cryla\" acrylic flow enhancer, I have also used \"Daler-Rowney\" and \"Windsor and Newton\" acrylic flow enhancer, they are all fine!
As far as tools go, you will need the usual, a good knife, needle files, sand paper (of various grades), a pin vice (tiny hand drill), a box of paper-clips, some masking tape and some super glue to start with. Then you can add whatever you need. Say you want to sculpt something, you will need modelling clay of some sort. Any good art store should stock milliput, and GW sell that \"green stuff\" which is quite good.
Paper-clips are used for 2 things - first, they should be used when assembling any metal figure, even if you are attaching a plastic part. Just drill a hole into one of the parts and glue a piece of paper clip (you will only need a few milimeters each side) into the hole. Then line up the 2 pieces and drill a corresponding hole on the other side. The paper-clip will act as a support, and the join will be far stronger. Secondly, if you have a small part that is hard to paint, just drill a hole in the back of it (the bit no-one will see) and glue a whole (bent) paper-clip in place! Now u can hold the paper-clip and not get fingerprints on the surface! Masking tape is used to hold things together while the glue dries (I also have a small metal vice with rubber clamps). Super glue is actually very useful because it drys very hard - If a figure has a \"gap\" between the parts, then just \"fill\" the gap with super glue! Once the glue has dried overnight, just sand down any excess with the appropriate sanding tool! The glue in the gap will be as hard as plastic and once you paint it, it will look just like part of the kit or figure (as long as you sand it correctly)!
Oil paints are the easiest to blend and all oils can be mixed together. However, oils are a bit of an investment as they also need their own brushes. This is because oils need to be thinned with refined linseed oil (from any art store) and cleaned with turps substitute - after only one use, the brushes cannot be cleaned in water and are unsuitable for acrylics. Oils are also more expensive than acrylics, being about twice the price for most shades, but some shades are twenty times the price (depending on their permanency). Still, most oil tubes are 3x or 4x the size of a Vallejo bottle, and as the oils are about 100x more concentrated you only need the smallest spot on a figure. Because the tubes are quite big and you will hardly use any great quantity, they will last you forever (some of mine are 10+ years old)! Because oils are easily mixed, you don\'t need all, or even most, shades. I have only 24 oils and mix all my shades from those!
I also have such exotic things as a miniature anvil with a square tip and a round tip (great for bendind things, like photo-etched brass!), a weighted base with \"crocodile clamps\" (to hold stuff I am painting) and an airbrush (for large kits). At the minute, I am investing in a \"punch and die set\", a small tool that lets me make my own \"rivets\" to add to vehicles and scenery. It just goes to show, even after nearly 2 decades, I still don\'t have everything!
Most of the above has probably been mentioned before, but one thing that hasn\'t is something to keep it all in! I have a \"box\" called an \"Art Bin\" that I got from an art store - it is an American product, and the store only ever had one! Inside there are multiple trays designed specifically for holding brushes and art supplies. It is a good size and I can get all of my tools (apart from the anvil!) inside. Because it closes up, there is never any dust on my stuff and it is all in the same area, so nothing gets lost! (The \"Art Bin\" was a gift from someone about 6 years ago, I have no idea how much it cost!) Failing that, \"Daler-Rowney\" (et al) make various art supply boxes, even ones that come with a few oil paints and a pallette! You could also go to a hardware store and get a big tool-box to keep everything in, just check the size first!
Just build up a balance of what u need and what u can afford! Before long u will have it all!
), basing material...whatever. Bear in mind I\'m trying to keep this first chunk of money dumped back into the hobby to a reasonable level, so while that delux dremel with 200+ different bit attachments would be nice, it\'s not quite in my league right now! 
