"What % of lead gets painted?" Topic

We have all heard the stories and seen the flea market tables so we all know there are huge collections of unpainted lead that have been lying around for years, if not decades. Which gets me wondering, if you had to bet $1,000 USD on it, what percentage of lead would you think gets painted within 5 years of purchase?

I know I'm an anomaly at 95% or better, but then I use my hobby budget for painters more than lead these days…

I'd go with no more than 30%

30%-40%. I am now painting figures I bought in the 1970's!

I am also a 95% anomolay as I generally plan what I need to buy, buy it, paint it, then onto the next thing. However I think 30% is low.

If I was betting on it, I'd go with 70%.

60% of the time 100% of my minis get painted within 5 years of when someone asks when I bought them… Actually I'm pretty good, but im strapped for cash with going back to school so I have more time than money to buy new minis.

From my own collection I am about 50/50. That is mostly historical figures. My fantasy is at 90 percent painted.

Matthew

For me it is about 25% I'd guess although I have a lot of painted lead.

Way too small.
Same goes for plastic as well :(

Yes I'd say that's about right on average for most. Pretty much a common joke/truth among wargamers. Of course there are more productive ones or disciplined in their painting habits, but I feel that's probably pretty accurate at 30 to 40 percent for most including myself.

Christopher

Like Martin, I am a planner, but I do have quite a lot of unpainted stuff. Everything is in a list to be eventually painted, I just haven't reached that day yet…

I'm paying somebody to paint.

I would think that I have painted about 10-15% of my pile. Last year I bought 750 figures and painted 100. I have about seventy years worth to paint!

I was doing not too badly for a while and was slowly chipping away at the lead pile.
Then we had the third kid and after a two year break I am slowly getting back to painting.
I did have a fun habit of picking up bulk lots which I am trading away for painted pieces to fill a couple of gaps or liquidating for cash.
I have become more disciplined in buying lead now as the time just isn't there so any new bare metal will have to be part f a huge bargain or I'll pass.

I would say I am at 5% painted within 5 years, though we have had three kids and moved house in that time frame.

David

I still have figures that I received for Christmas two years ago that have are not even out of the boxes.

5%

Hmm, looking at my stash about a 1/3 is painted (after 40 years painting) and 2/3 unpainted…and my painting is slowing down. Oh shiny, and more are added to the hill

My purchases have slowed down dramatically in 5 years and like Mark my budget now goes to get a lot of it painted while I work on what I feel like doing.

I'd say after 46 years of being at this maybe 40% of my figures are painted.

It varies with the individual and with time and circumstances. I used to have 100%, now it is more like 5%.

Over the last 7 months I've been averaging approx 70 Calpe Prussians a month. Thus about 500 figures. I've got about 300 left to go. However lots of French and Austrians in the que. So guessing 40% unpainted.

One day I will die because the accumulation of unpainted figures in my attic will collapse the ceiling and crush me. I estimate I have about 6-8 000 painted minis. 5-10 x as many still to go!

I need to paint faster because I can buy models quicker than I can paint them even with a small monthly budget. 1 box of plastic soldiers is about as much as I can paint in a month.

I paint it all (lead/plastic) within a year. It will be interesting to see this year. I have basically been shut down from November til now due to my move.

I'm at about 75% for Napoleonics. But I spend most of my time painting for others

Well, the more that get painted, the more they flood a market, and the less they are worth. Hopefully not many get painted but with the cheap overseas painting companies, massive amounts of figures have been painted and are floating around out there. Just my 2

I paint about 50% of what I purchase lately but I was probably averaging only 20% in earlier years. I sold off quite a bit of my older collections so the painted percentage rose dramatically. I would guess I have 35% of my collection painted.

95% painted… for me, that is!

10% if I am lucky like at any buffet my eyes and wallet are too big for my stomach and painting time

Only the surface gets painted so less than 1%.

60%

I am reluctant to even think about it…..

@Gonsalvo

You need more lead!

100% of mine, 40% of total purchased.