A tale of caution to all US TARDIS builders

[idiotwithabox]

I had been searching for accurate TARDIS door handles for months, when I found some online that were WAY overpriced. But, I bought them anyway because I didn't feel like searching anymore (bad call on my part). The other day, I was in the dollar store and found door handles that were visually accurate in every way but finish, but nothing a little chrome spray paint couldn't fix. I was so angry for at least an hour afterwards that I had spent $20 on door handles (not including shipping) when I could have got them for a $1. So, the moral of the story is: CHECK YOUR LOCAL DOLLAR STORE IF YOU CAN'T FIND REASONABLY PRICED DOOR HANDLES!!!

[warmcanofcoke]

Too true. I have often spent money on something that was close to what I wanted only to find the thing I needed at a less expensive price later .... what can I say. Sometimes you shop and you don't buy it quick enough and never find it again, sometimes you pay a premium to get the thiong you want. In the long run it is all part of the adventure of prop building.

[deck5]

but nothing a little chrome spray paint couldn't fix.

Chrome paint will fix the look, for sure, but it won't wear well on a handle.

[galacticprobe]

but nothing a little chrome spray paint couldn't fix.

Deck5 is right, but you could look into having the handles chromed. There are places that do rechroming for things like car door handles and bumpers. To them the little handles would be like nothing; they might even be able to do them in the same batch as some bumpers, so the cost could be low. Worth looking into (it costs nothing to ask).

Also, depending on what TARDIS model you're building, the chrome handles might be irrelevant as some models had the handles painted the same blue as the rest of the TARDIS. (And yes, as deck5 says the chrome paint won't wear well, so, too, on the TARDIS props you'll notice that the blue paint is chipped/worn/peeled away in spots, showing - usually - brass handles beneath.)

Dino.

[russellsuthern]

Hi, all.
I am always snooping around the pound shop as well as all the local skips!
You can get some great bargains in the discount stores.
However, there have been occasions when I have needed something & I'm so keen to get on with my build that I have gone with the more expensive, or sometimes less accurate item, then kicked myself later when something better comes along.
I think this is all part of prop building. It may be partly that I'm never 100% happy with my build, so something a bit better will usually come along eventually!
It's all a trade off, I guess, & a bit of trial & error.
I do think once the TARDIS is finished, the pain of the cost starts to diminish over time, replaced by the satisfaction of what you have created!

All the best with your builds.

Russell

[bdhuey]

After reading through some older post here on the site, I found a thread   Chrome Door Handles! Hooray, finally!  where one member named Gavvers found the correct handles in the UK and listed the company's name. Company name is inbrass.co.uk. Went to site and send an email asking if they ship to states and they responded that they do ship to the states, kinda expensive for shipping, £12.50.  They do PAYPAL, here's the site  http://www.inbrass.co.uk/acatalog/Chrome_sash_handles.html. Scroll down to bottom of page and there they are.  So I guess it's how much you want to pay for the real deal. I agree with russellsuthern on sometimes biting the bullet for getting the right thing in spite of cost.  I bit and am waiting on a return email for total cost to complete the purchase

[idiotwithabox]

Those are the first handles I saw. They looked great, but the shipping is CRAZY expensive compared to what I was willing to spend...

[Volpone]

...of course the other side of the coin is, in trying to save a few bucks you could go to the dollar store...and NOT find what you're looking for.  You could spend weeks and weeks of driving around, looking in stores for what you want and not finding it, buying something that is a "settle" to save a few bucks, spending more to make it closer to what you want, replacing it, and in the end you'd have been happier if you'd just got what you wanted in the first place. 

[galacticprobe]

...of course the other side of the coin is, in trying to save a few bucks you could go to the dollar store... You could spend weeks and weeks of driving around, looking in stores for what you want and not finding it...

And then taking into account all of the petrol/gasoline you'd expend during that driving, which even at the lower prices in the US at the moment it could take over $45 to fill a 20-gallon tank after all of the driving. So once a week, drop a few dollars into a jar - you'll never really miss it that way - and then once you've got enough saved up go ahead and buy the handles you really want. And if you just happen to come across those handles in some store you stop in, or on line for a better price (including shipping), you can still buy them, and then you'll have that money in the jar waiting for you at home for something else you might need.

Dino.