on this note what kind of alternative brushes could i get for those prices?
If you live in the UK you can buy winsor and newton special value watercolour sable brushes from Whsmiths. £3 a pack and infinity better than the GW equivalent.
GW's primers are fairly standard as well... Provided you don't buy filler primer your generally o.k. i would advise against some of the plastic based primers tho as they tend to go on very heavy.
Grey car primer is cheap and just as effective, It also come in white and black in most cases. And more often than not a red as well.... The cans are also bigger and cheaper. Just do a test on a dead sprue first to check the plastic doesn't melt and you get a smooth finish.
For glues...
Revell contacta professional is great and has a needle nozzle. It's also half the price of GW's and you use less as it's stronger.
And for superglue go to your local builders merchant and get a mitre fix pack. You should get a huge bottle of super glue 50-100ml compared to GW's 10ml, and a spray that makes super glue set instantly for about £6. again cheaper than GW by a long way... and the glue is just as good as all superglue is in effect the same chemicals, Sometimes the solvents are slightly different but there all the same When it come to glueing metal together.
For paints.
GW's are good.
Vallejeo are equally good and often cheaper. they will split if you thin with alcohol tho.
Coatdearms is basically GW paint. They used to make the paint for GW once upon atrocity.
Humbarol have a water based acrylic line as well for modelling but i found there paints to have poor coverage.
Tamya also make a good acrylic line but there all alcohol based to prepared to get high if you use them! They have stunning coverage and come in matt and gloss varieties.
Basing materials. Find a model railway store.... they have more variety, more grades and colours and cheaper prices! they also come in bigger bags. the only thing i would get from GW is static grass as i haven't seen it anywhere else.