As the saying goes, "what's good for the goose is also good for the gander", so here are some simple rules to being a good garage kit client. 

No garage kit is ever going to be absolutely perfect. - Unless you pay for it, no kit comes out of the box ready to paint, every kit will need some work, be it cleaning off mold release, sanding down mold lines, etc..  Depending on the kit, sculptor, molder/caster, some kits will need more work than others.   If you don't want to do the work, you have 2 choices, pay someone to do it for you, or find another hobby.  

Simple repairs aren't the end of the world. - If a kit comes with a clean break, a few pinholes, or a casting bubble, that's easily fixed with a drop of superglue, some putty and some light sanding ... suck it up and fix it!!  YOU'RE A MODEL BUILDER, it's what we do, we BUILD models.  If you can' do simple repairs, find another hobby. 

Be realistic with shipping expectations. - Most garage kit producers have full time jobs, and some can only ship on the weekends.  Just because 1 or 2 producers have a 24 hour turn around time, doesn't mean that all of them do.  Don't judge 1 producers capability, by anothers.  When in doubt, just ask when something is expected to be shipped.  Expecting a shipping notification 1 hour after you've sent payment isn't realistic. 

You won't get away with shit for long. - This is a very small hobby, and producers talk!  Just like word of bad producers gets around, word of difficult, unreasonable or prima-donna clients does too.  You might get away with some shit for a while, but it won;'t last forever, so don't act surprised when one or more producers won't sell to you any longer. 

The customer is not always right. - Just because you're buying someone, that doesn't give you the right to be a horses ass.  Politeness, manners and simple respect go a long way. 

Haggling can be considered insulting. - If you've never produced a kit, and/or have no idea what goes into producing one, especially the costs involved, don't assume you're a better judge of what someone's time is worth.  If you can't afford something, simply say "Thank You", and move along. 

Quantity Discounts - If you want a quantity discount, most producers will be happy to discuss that with you.  But buying 2 or 3 kits, IS NOT quantity. 

Producers are human too. - Just like everyone else, we make mistakes.   We'll sometimes accidentally pack 2 of the same part, or miss a part altogether.  Just let us know, POLITELY, and we'll make good on the error. 

Please be considerate at shows. - Most clients/hobbists at shows have no idea goes into prepping for a show.  Vendors usually have to prepare for days if not weeks prior to the show, often times drive long distances to get to the shows.  If we're lucky, we sometimes get a short rest prior to set up, only to be up at 5 am to scarf down a quick breakfast, to be at the booth by 7am.  Most shows have early bird and general admission, so that means 2 waves of clients to attend to, which often means we can't even get a chance to go to the bathroom for hours (if at all) once a show starts.   By the end of the day, we're exhausted, hungry, in desperate need of using the bathroom, not to mention a shower, so it's understandable that some folks might be a little irritable .... cut them just a little slack.