Definitely YES on MicroMark!
They have tools you probably never even thought of, that make model building so much easier and open up new avenues of detailing.
Yes, in the past I have used Verlinden and Squadron. Bear in mind, I've been using mail order model companies since.......1980-81, before the internet. One of my favorites and the one I used the most was Armor Exchange (IIRC), they sent out a flyer each month; being a 14 year old kid, some of the models I had only read about and wasn't sure what I was gonna get, but that made it more fun. Not once did I get any damaged merchandise.
Micheals, at least up in the area, has really gone downhill on model building tools as well as model selection. Your mileage may vary depending on where you live........