"I have all the collections i want - how about you?" Topic

The wife asked if maybe she could buy me figures for a new army/period/genre for Christmas. i thought about it long and hard but, honestly, at this point, i have armies for all the games i care about.

I buy and paint because I like painting. And it's fun now to just paint odd ball scenic stuff and not have to finish up three brigades of lace to get a game going.

Just me? anyone else out there in my boat?

I'll stop buying more two days after I'm dead. It'll take some time for me to think about it.

Thanks.

John

I am a victim of OOOH-Shiney!- so will never end getting new figures for the latest club craze!

It's an age thing. You get to the point where a whole new army Or period is just not that appealing.

A new unit to add to an existing army still pops up every now and then. A little over a year ago, I picked up some used Spanish American War ships and filled out the collection as a COVID project. My retirement project Zombie attack on a trailer part started over 2 years ago was playable late last year. Before that my last major project was almost 15 years ago.

Not even close to all I want, but I probably enough for all I need.

Am getting down to extras that cost a bit for only taking up space, it's that or a new army.

Age 57, have been wargaming/painting/buying/collecting since age 13 and not even close to finishing yet……..

I am a long way away from that point, what with the Egyptians, Sea Peoples, Saxons, Early Mediaeval, Later Mediaeval, etc.

I do have lots of plastic 1/72nd WW2 that need assembly and painting, though, that will keep me for a while …

I got rid of a lot that I thought I wanted at the time.
I'm good, bar the unique unit or three that I "need".
I have enough unpainted lead on hand to give me something to do.

Yup got all the stuff I really need, culling the herd as best as I can. Still have lots to paint & need to sell off a lot of that yet.

After I've finished painted the Peninsular collection, I'll have storage space for two more big collections (2000+ figures each) – perhaps eight to ten years of painting. That will push the big collections up towards the 15,000 figures mark.

After that, I'll spend my time improving my terrain and painting nice to haves, like vignettes; I'll also probably do a few small collections of 500 – 750 figures each for small periods like French Indian Wars, AWI, etc., as the fancy takes me, and perhaps some naval stuff (because ships don't take up too much space or need much in the way of terrain).

I'm stopping at 50,000 painted figures. At 76 I can't see adding much more to my collections. Maybe it's just because I haven't been playing games during the Chinese flu lockdown. I keep seeing new things I want to buy like those new Philippines figures from company B But I still have thousands of unpainted figures to deal with. I really have trouble selling off painted figures. I spent so much time and money on them. I have a grandson 10, who is interested in gaming so maybe I can pass everything onto him :-)

I won't stop adding to my collections cuz I like painting but starting a new army/period/genre just ain't heppening.

MY GOD -- I own a large successful miniatures company that has cast millions upon millions of figures and I still "want and buy!!" Did I mention that I am also 70 years old?

Russ Dunaway

Probably going to add at least War of 1812 in 15mm, and The Boxer Rebellion, that's how it stands today anyway…..

Just adding bits & pieces to my existing collection to finish them off. Starting a whole new period not happening unless i get a tremendous deal on a SYW collection already painted.

Not as long as there are Perrys.

Need – Maybe.

Want – oh hell yes there's a lot more that I want.

Nope!

If you don't count 2mm, the last new period/scale was about five years ago--and that was 5/6mm. I got to retirement, finally got everything under one roof, and realized what a horrendous mess I'd created. I've been regrouping, consolidating and selling off ever since.

New regiment for existing forces, sure. New period? Maybe never again.

I thought I was ready to quit, but I want a few more and also adding a few unique figs here and there. But…….if I thought of an alternative hobby, I could easily quit.

I don't understand the question.

I would say yes but someone will make some figures for a period that I like and off I'll go.

I'm pretty much done buying. A figure for something missing like a radio guy or medic but no plans to add an army.

I have sold off some armies and am continuing to sell books and games I no longer play. That said I keep buying for smaller painting projects like Dredd various pulp figures. I have been very tempted by the recent NMTBH threads to start a small WOTR collection.

So, let me check if I've got this straight …

Your wife (clearly has angelic genes) says to you … "hey, extra crispy, I think I'll buy you new figures for an army for Christmas, what would you like? …"

And you go "…. nah, don't really want anymore … just get me some socks and ties …"

Are you for real?! What is the hobby coming to? I need to hide this thread somehow!

I'm 65 with lots of projects I really like, but rarely get to play with-and that's a pre-Covid observation. I still have lots of miniatures to paint-and like Extra Crispy, I really enjoy painting.

That said, I have my eye on a pretty small project, but that's probably it for new stuff. I'll just keep on keepin' on, trying to wrap up what I already have. Like others, that doesn't prohibit me from getting a new unit here and there, or filling out what needs to be filled out. But I don't expect to start a new Lace Wars project any time soon.

I'm with Extra Crispy. I like painting, and if I see somethine I want to paint, I'll buy it just to paint it. But I don't feel that I need or want anything.

I've got all that I need. I'm facing a move in 2 years, and frankly, the pile is just overwhelming. I had planned a mass sell-off this Fall, and had to put it off, but it is coming.

I don't think I'll ever have all the collections I want. There are a few I've always wanted but deliberately decided not to collect, and I'm always thinking up new ones. Almost a decade ago I decided to pare down my miniatures collection and I started jettisoning projects and periods, but I've acquired a few new ones since then anyway, and sometimes the new ones turn out to be new favorite gaming genres.

In general, I won't start any new project unless I have rules I like for the period, because there are two types of projects that are very hard to let go of:

• Periods I love to collect, paint and research, but don't like playing much;
  
• Periods I used to be very passionate about, and am not anymore.

It's hardest to know when to let go of one of these collections. Especially if I did the painting and crafting to make it.

- Ix

I'm doing pretty much only skirmish/rpg games these days. At 70, I really don't have the interest in painting up armies, however shiny the figures might be. Added to that, I play mostly solo!

I've stopped adding new collections—several times. Then I got 28mm AWI, War of 1812, and Mexican American War. But I think I am set now. Oh, wait, forgot 28mm WW2. 😀

I thought I'd stopped but then my regular opponent got into Mortal Gods and I bought and painted a Persian army…

Then he ran a Gaslands game for me and I found myself with a load of hot wheels cars and bits…. Not to mention the Wacky Races boardgame so I can use the rules for that!

Mike

I would say that there are no new periods for me, but I just Painted up an Elizabethan period army. So, nothing on the horizon but when the muse strikes, I will do a new period.

Lol… No such thing as too many minis!!! There are so many more that I want. I already have more than I could possibly paint even if I did nothing but paint minis all year long.

Want? – No, there are all kinds obscure things I'd like to battle with.

Need – Pretty much have it. I can only think of one other period to add on and at this point that's probably 5 years out at least.

I am 49. I am painting American War of Independence. Like 4000 of them. This is my last "period" buy. I have 12 large collections. One a month. If I hit the lottery I would just conrinue on, but real world, real space concerns tell me I am done except quirky stuff and favors. I love painting, very relaxing for me, but eyes and hands protest a fair bit.I would like to shift to playing much more.

Stopped buying figures about 2 years back.