"Ever Just Throw Figures Away? Yup..." Topic

You were asked – TMP link

Okay I know this is heresy, but have you ever just tossed some figs in the bin? Perhaps they were crappy plastic or lead jobs that just were not what you expected when you ordered. Or perhaps you ended up with a few extra minis from a project and just didn't want to take them to the new house. Various reasons.

58% said "yes, I have thrown figures away"
38% said "no, I have not thrown figures away"

About to
They have been sitting in "dump pile" for a month or more.
Several pounds of 15mm odds & ends. Indians, cavalry & the like. Picked them up for free like 20 years ago and have never done anything with them.
Oh, and some poorly painted Airfix Napoleonics I have been lugging around for almost 50 years.

The Philadelphia Science Fiction Society has a 'No Fund' table at their meetings, where members can put 'Stuff That's Too Good To Throw Away But Not Worth The Trouble of selling on eBay', in case some other member could make use of … whatever.
I have passed this idea on to various of the people who run the HMGS conventions.

I haven't tossed them, and never will, but have a couple dozen 7yw 15mm figures pondered taking to convention to see if anyone would want them.

I used some really, really crudely sculpted Estruscans & Samnites as weights in a 120mm figure base. So, yes.

Damon.

I just pitched some 'Car Wars' models, I think from Martian Metals, that were too badly cast to be worth saving.

If it's bad enuf, put the metal in a Chinese soup container, (after eating the soup,) and sell it at a con as scrap lead.

Yes…I have.

Lead rot carried off a bunch from my Earlies. What would be the point of holding on to them?

If you know of a caster, I suggest giving the unwanted figs to them. At the current price of metal, they'll probably thank you.

I don't know any casters – but if anyone wants a couple of pounds of lead let me know.

Some time back Reaper (here in town) put out a call for unwanted minis but they were very particular about the metal – had a whole list of companies' figures they did not want.

They won't take it. I offered a couple pounds of old Hinchliffe to a prominent American caster.
He didn't want it, and apologized. He could not be sure of the quality of the alloy used. Understood, as I am a former employee of a different type of manufacturer.
Casters fine tune their equipment to the casting quality of the alloy provided, and do NOT want to take any chances.

I know some people will try to shout this down, as they have done in the past, but they're dead wrong on this.
Almost as wrong as the omodhauns who insisted they used to wash their hands with toluene in grad school before lunch.

I've actually have been able to give metal away to casters… But as a sculptor, I have tend to have a lot of relatively new metal castings that would be more welcome than 40+ year old, Hincliffe or Kriegspiel.

A caster that takes unknown metal and then contaminants his whole melting pot will never do it again.
Worse yet, get terrible pitting on every figure they cast.

Russ Dunaway

I have hiffed out some old and terrible minis and models over the years. I regret it though. Not 'stay up at night' regret. But 'wouldn't do it again' regret.

lots, metal lasts only about 3 yeras play then then ther is sufficent dammage and paint flaking that its time to toss. Not worth repainting all and replacing some. Plastic not so much, it lasts longer and rep-printing spares is easy.

I do have a battered metal moderen German 1/144 reluctant to dump. It was replavced arly as platic is superior. It would start sombody off in the club for free.

UschCha, I believe I have heard you mention this before elsewhere?
I have not a single idea what you do with your collections ?
I have painted armies, 45 years of gaming with, an occasional broken bayonet or sword -- but otherwise as they were 45 years ago.

Russ Dunaway

Give away, Yes

THROW away, Never

Well, if I throw dirt bombs or M80s at my tanks, I can see how that would damage the paint job.
Or if I smash them together shouting "KUSH KUSH KUSH!", that might chip them too.
But, I'm a civilized gamer.

metal lasts only about 3 yeras play then then ther is sufficent dammage and paint flaking that its time to toss.

I have no idea how badly you treat your miniatures, but I have metal figures that I painted 30+ years ago. They are used regularly and the paint is as good as the day I painted them.

Yup. Still have the first figures I ever painted in 1978. Still in the same shape 43 years later.

I have ships in my gaming collection over 40 years old and some units over 30. Most are in fine shape (although my painting is better on the newer stuff) absent the odd broken bayonet, sword or spear. Fixing the occasional paint chip or broken mast isn't a big deal.

I drop the pewter ones in paint bottles as mixers.

I drop the pewter ones in paint bottles as mixers.

What an inglorious end

I think someone doesn't know how to paint figures properly. Judging by past posts, he doesn't really care.

What an inglorious end

For some sculpts it's an act of mercy.