Lead Adventure Forum
Other Stuff => General Wargames and Hobby Discussion => Topic started by: LawnRanger on August 26, 2015, 10:30:04 AM
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Lads..
I have Now faced the fact that i am a Lead hoarder ..and need help..
i have not bought a single figure this year (well just a few at salute :D but thats it...) .I then promised my self to paint up what i have MY GOD :o :o I did not realize just how much stuff i have ! I even found 70+ 28mm 1812 yank militia tucked away !
Oh theres a few packs of Peter Pig AWI stuff ... i say to myself 6 battalions later and i still have more to go ... oh look theres 3 Carthaginian El.. under that bubble wrap.. best get them done then ...
Oh Arse did i buy all them WWII 8th army in 10mm i swear i painted them all up,, ah yes then i ordered more !!! ;) .. I cant see the end of my mountain ..But i will get to the bottom of it all,
I need you lads to tell me thats its ok to have a few spare packs of figs dotted around ..
and its normal for us wargames to have them.
It aint that i am a slow painter .. this year i have managed to paint 1254 figs so far I think 40-50% is my stuff, the rest is club members ... Its that i have collected SO MUCH STUFF its a joke ! I have half packs of figs every where .
How do you get round not buying stuff ..my big problems are..
A)buy TOO much stuff at the start .. the rules say 600pts is a good start I best buy 900pts just in case...
B) I buy and paint up the a small amount have a game and stay all we could do with a few more units of .....Order the dam things and Never get round to painting them ....
c) Impulse Buying Oh they look great you get them and i will get the other side .
D) Dave you got some of these ..you can have them mate (ooh free figs :) they will fit in fine.
These are my faults that i have to sort out .. I will try and hold out till the mountain is a hill at least .. but i have a long way to go with the mountain at least ..
WHY do we buy so much stuff ! we all know that we cant possibly paint it all up .. but we still buy more and more ..the thing is I know there are some real BIG lead Mountains out there.
If you want to share the pain of not getting them all painted.I am here for you Brother..
Happy gaming chaps LR.
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I share your pain brother. I blame my attention span that's akin to a goldfish. A book, a film, wargames mag article etc is enough to send me off on a tangent, and coupled with a magpie syndrome, picking up odds and sods from conventions, ebay, etc means my lead mountain is somewhat eclectic.
That said, I've been good and bought very little for the last 2 and a half years and just cracked on with conquering the lead mountain, but I'm weakening as I've dug out the 15mm colonial British an LAFer sent me & I can't paint them without acquiring some Zulus to fight them, can I? That would be ridiculous. :D
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I'm a lead hoarder too.
I just got round to starting to paint up the 150+ Dragontooth lizardman army I bought (and had given to me) in the late 70s. That's got to be a contender for the record.
Get a glimpse at: http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=80685.0
<g>
Cheers, --- PhilB
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I recognise that nickname :)
Guessing your rained off today aswell. No excuses start painting that lead mountain buddy. Won't get done hanging around on here ;D
Karl
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You are definately in the right place then. I think everyone here knows the feeling.
For years i hva tried to combat that very same problem of hoarding. I made endless lists of what I needed to paint. But I have actually now turned the "problem" around. Now I embrace my "ohh shiny" attentionspan of a butterfly. This is my hobby, it is what I do to unwind after a stressfull workday. If I want to paint napoleonic line infantry one day and undead skeletons the next. Why shouldn't I? I am a grown (ish) man, I have the money to spend.
It has actually helped me finish some things to have this attitude as painting and building becomes more enjoyable and less of a chore.
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I am.
Just as bad...
Although my hoarding is compressed into one small room - its a very full small room.
I came back to this hobby after many years, with the pressure of work, I needed a little something that takes me away from it, helps my brain run down, and my imagination take me away from the grind and frustrations, just for a bit.
Still, magpie hoarding and stacking up of little projects and things to paint up, get them in order, setup a plan of action to tackle the mass.... oh look new shiny o_o must have and... oh o_o
Sigh. still there are more expensive, and more destructive distractions and addictions, so I feel lucky in that regard, and the company in evidence seems good, and in as much, also a comfort.
Completing stuff also helps, as its a damn good feeling to.
I am a lead hoarder, but, I find I am happy with that.
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I have quite a bit of lead ...but to be honest the growth of the availability of decent plastic historicals, means I am more of a plastic hoarder- its cheaper sure but most things come in boxes of 20 plus miniatures... That and the growing availability of single sprues and people selling their surplus stuff on ebay...
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Good to see fellow brother with the same pain
Karl you be happy to know i finished off 3rd Regiment of New York ( AWI) before heading off to work, another 16 figs down still chipping away..
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Is the one of those things where it's one of the steps to recovery? If so I should not be posting here...
:o
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" i have not bought a single figure this year"
Yeah, I pretty much always buy them in lots too...
I have been in a painting (rather, no-painting slump) for between two-three years now. Which slowed purchases down, well, not very much if at all. But I am beginning to wet my brushes again. My wife is almost as bad about hoarding. Between us, we have figures and terrain squirreled away everywhere.
Like westwaller, my recent purchases lean more heavily toward plastic than metal. But metal and resin still come in through the door regularly.
-Michael
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I've been trying hard not to buy any new minis (X-Wing doesn't count since they come already painted) until I make a dent in the lead and terrain pile (new year's resolution).
Being low on funds helps. lol lol lol
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I don't see why you need to beat yourself up too much about your lead horde. There is a bit of retail therapy in buying figures admittedly but if it gives you pleasure then that's what the hobby is all about.
Okay there might be an issue if you have so much stuff you might be passing on a burden to others, as with Scurv's recent post, but as long as you are sensible and have the odd clear out, as many seem to do on the Bazaar, then why worry? :)
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I've been trying hard not to buy any new minis (X-Wing doesn't count since they come already painted) until I make a dent in the lead and terrain pile (new year's resolution).
Being low on funds helps. lol lol lol
Ditto! Nothing better than an empty wallet to provide an incentive for cracking on with the mountain. I can still hear those 15mm Zulus calling though...... :D
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Cool army...but what is it? Post Apoc of some kind I'm guessing....? What rules do you use?
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...Now I embrace my "ohh shiny" attentionspan of a butterfly. This is my hobby, it is what I do to unwind after a stressfull workday. If I want to paint napoleonic line infantry one day and undead skeletons the next. Why shouldn't I? I am a grown (ish) man, I have the money to spend...
This is exactly what I am telling myself these days, and it helps too. :D
There's no sense in having a hobby, when all it does is putting you in a guilt and frustration induced corner, right? Hobbies are there to enjoy and have fun, so just pick that part which you enjoy most and go with the flow. If that makes you a 'collector', 'builder' or 'painter' instead of a something you previously called yourself, so be it.
A bit of soul searching and self re-inventing might be required, but the most important part is to just enjoy yourself when spending time on your hobby... :)
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It is useless to resist....
Seriously though be sensible and try to stay focussed. I've recently hadca major sort out of the study. Desk is clear and organised psints are racjed and ordered and painting has become a joy again. The storage vats have been sorted and cleansed. I feel less pressure with less ontop and around me if u see what i mean.
Goodluck mate and as has been said already it's a hobby so enjoy it. ;)
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I feel your pain.
I have been hoarding for 40 years. I have the attention span of a gnat. If I am reading a book, watching a movie, or anything even remotely related to history, I inevitably make a turn for whatever it is I am interested in at the MOMENT. I can literally go from ancient Egyptian in 28mm to ACW in 10mm in the space of a few eye blinks. Therefore my painting table, workbench, workshop, shed, living room, hobby room, kitchen, bedroom, etc., ALL have multiple scales and periods piled up on shelves, trays, carts, books, tables and boxes. Thankfully, my wife met me when I was a wild and crazy 20 something, and knows there are much worse things I could be doing.
I have come to the conclusion that I am not a Gamer, painter, collector, whatever. I am a lover of History in all its many shapes and forms. I probably have as many books on history as I do figures. But I have enjoyed many, many, many, MANY hours of pleasure in the pursuit. Just remember the old adage..... HE WHO DIES WITH THE MOST TOYS WINS!!!!!!
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High I'm Has.been & I've been a lead hoarder for 49 years.....
What has been said is true, lose the guilt, it is your hobby, I have the attention span of a butterfly, etc.
Every so often 'something' comes along that helps keep it more or less under control:-
D.B.A. helped me paint, play with & eventually pass on most of my 25mm Ancients lead 'hillock';
Muskets & Tomahawks did similar to my unpainted AWI pile;
Frostgrave is doing the same for my Fantasy pile.
Donations of figures helps (about 12 file boxes of ECW,to one school club, Mini-figs & Hinchcliffe so I was not going to get around to painting them when Empress do such nice ones & a couple of boxes to another, dark age & fantasy for Frostgrave)
Bulky stuff (Scenery) gets passed on when I think I can do better. If I didn't get rid of those old..... I would never do the new improved version.
I buy less now-a-days (stuff costs more & I do more skirmish & less big battles)but 'SHINEY!!!' still gets me excited, but so what, it is still less expensive than a lot of other hobbies, & I enjoy it.
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I'm a highly reformed lead hoarder.
At one time in my life I had 15 large cases of GW minis, plus 4 10 foot shelves of books, boxes, and storage containers of blisters. Plus an organized bits cabinet...
When the floor was full, and the door in my storage room wouldn't close I knew it was getting bad.
The day I came home with a new purchase and found I had three of that blister already was the day I started reforming. eBay at 80-100 auctions per month, for about three years. After one bad eBay transaction (out of thousands! - the guy asked for a box to be removed, and then tried to claim broken stuff. I won. Screw him!), I ended eBay, and sold stuff on forums.
I've also recycled, thrown away, given away, and I am down to almost nothing and liking it.
Now when I want a new project I sell an existing project. Luckily I can get good money for my painting ability, so it generally works out.
I am a reformed lead hoarder, and will never hoard again.
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I'm a highly reformed lead hoarder.
I've also recycled, thrown away, given away, and I am down to almost nothing and liking it.
I am a reformed lead hoarder, and will never hoard again.
Someone needs to report this guy to a.moderator. I don't feel comfortable having this kind of behavior discussed on this forum.
;)
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Someone needs to report this guy to a.moderator. I don't feel comfortable having this kind of behavior discussed on this forum.
;)
lol
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When the floor was full, and the door in my storage room wouldn't close I knew it was getting bad.
The day I came home with a new purchase and found I had three of that blister already was the day I started reforming.
Ah, classic error.
I make spreadsheets for each project/game to keep track of what models I have to avoid inadvertent duplication.
When the house was full, I moved to a bigger house (had to spread the lead around though, as it caused the floor to sag about 8" where I had it stored initially).
This way, the lead horde can increase at ever wilder levels with little justification to ever stop growing.
Simples! ;)
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I also have a short attention span, love of multiple genres and styles, and enough disposable income to buy more than I can paint and play. I'm also a board gamer and love games that have miniatures in them too, so I often feel like those need to be painted as well. It used to weigh on me that I wasn't getting enough done, and it took a similar epiphany to realize that it was my hobby and not something with deadlines on it.
Now, even though I keep a giant to-do list, it's more to help me remember all of the stuff I have and things I want to build/paint. Things shuffle around in priority based on what I want to do, what games I want to get on the table, or how I feel on any given day.
I still buy too much stuff, but have also had some more recent success clearing out bits that I know I won't get to, or am simply no longer interested in. It's tough to part with things sometimes, but worth it.
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Maybe we should try creating a thread dedicated to actually playing more games and less stockpiling.
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Maybe we should try creating a thread dedicated to actually playing more games and less stockpiling.
Just because you live in Winnipeg and can't leave the house in winter for the cold, and summer for the mosquitoes, doesn't mean you have to gloat it over us how much time you have.
I do miss Carlos & Murphys.
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Maybe we should try creating a thread dedicated to actually playing more games and less stockpiling.
Stockpiling is a hobby in and off itself, and even maybe, classified by some as a game in its own right.... ::)
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Back in the dusky dawn of this forum, the LPL was created to encourage folks to get their lead piles painted and show off what they had accomplished. It was an exercise I getting stuff done, and now it has turned into a wonderful way to showcase some of the talent here. The standard of painting just kept going up and up!
A few of us were doing the Army Painted threads, but it seemed to showcase how most of us stall out on projects. The Living Lead projects too, now that I mention it! No cure, I guess... ::)
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Stockpiling is a hobby in and off itself, and even maybe, classified by some as a game in its own right.... ::)
He who dies with the most toys, wins!
(http://noahfineart.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Screen-Shot-2013-01-16-at-12.03.12-PM.png)
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He who dies with the most toys, wins!
(http://noahfineart.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Screen-Shot-2013-01-16-at-12.03.12-PM.png)
oooh now thats an idea, have them all put in individual miniature coffins and buried with me.
Add that project to the end of the list...
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I actually switched to a smaller scale so I could store more ;)
Hey it's not that cold in Winnipeg, although I can't actually prime any models outside after November. It was 15 degrees here yesterday.
I haven't been to Carlos and Murphy's for a few years now.
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A couple of years ago I posted about this on my blog: http://tenfiguresaweek.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/weighing-in.html (http://tenfiguresaweek.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/weighing-in.html)
And things haven't improved in the interim. I now have a plastic pile to add to the lead mountain (plus of course more lead to complement the plastics!!!). I think I'm resigned to the fact that I'll have a growing lead population - my books already line the floor of the loft (largely because I'm concerned that if they were stacked up in one place the building might become unstable) adding an extra layer of insulation.
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I actually switched to a smaller scale so I could store more ;)
Hey it's not that cold in Winnipeg, although I can't actually prime any models outside after November. It was 15 degrees here yesterday.
I haven't been to Carlos and Murphy's for a few years now.
I used to live in St. Boniface, walking across the Provencher Bridge into downtown was ... chilly :D
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A couple of years ago I posted about this on my blog: http://tenfiguresaweek.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/weighing-in.html (http://tenfiguresaweek.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/weighing-in.html)
And things haven't improved in the interim. I now have a plastic pile to add to the lead mountain (plus of course more lead to complement the plastics!!!). I think I'm resigned to the fact that I'll have a growing lead population - my books already line the floor of the loft (largely because I'm concerned that if they were stacked up in one place the building might become unstable) adding an extra layer of insulation.
An interesting exercise!
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I found it interesting on your blog that you actually weighed your miniatures. I guess that is why most of my terrain is styro.
I think I'm going to start a thread with playing more in mind. Once work slows down . . .
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Oldben - Counting them was clearly impractical. I store my unpainted figures in old cardboard wine cases (I worked for a wine importer) - each Napoleonic nationality gets a separate case. And most of them are pretty full.
Even with that I have the attention span of a butterfly, and no sense of proportion - I "needed" 70 or so AB Jena Prussians so I could paint up a unit of Laval's Division (find the entry on the blog to see the mental gymnastics required to justify this!) so I was looking on eBay and there was a guy in America selling said figures plus a lot of others. So I bought the lot, requiring my sister to carry several pounds of lead over from the States when she came to visit.
I'm doing fairly well with AB Spanish, largely because they are easy to paint, and you can do lots of different colour variations. But I just paint what I feel like, so Perry Wars of the Roses plastics have featured strongly, and this weekend I bought some Empress Miniatures 28mm Afghans purely because they look great - of course I'm not even sure what war they are for (2nd Afghan War perhaps?) but they have what look like Lee Metford rifles. Either way the British had stopped wearing red by this time so I've no interest in painting the opposition (whether they be in khaki or multi-cam - bright uniforms attract me, khaki doesn't).
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I actually had a stock take and came up with 350 painted figures out of a total of 800. Based upon my current rate of progress this year I have enough unpainted plastic and lead to last me 8 years of painting (not including vehicles, scenery, buildings, etc) that is without stripping some of the worst figures from my youth and having another go.
So why exactly did I need to buy 5 more RT era Orks from Ebay? Because I needed a heavy bolter to round out my Ork platoon to play a game of Chain of Command variant set in 40K. I couldn't just have a heavy plasma gun stand in could I?
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What self respecting Warboss wouldn't have a heavy bolter? Fully agree with your justification.
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Switching scales didn't really help because I find I'm buying similar figs in smaller scales. I also buy painted minis, and try where I can to mash up genres. STar wars and Firefly blends war, western, samurai, and sci fi. It covers all the bases.
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Switching scales didn't really help because I find I'm buying similar figs in smaller scales. I also buy painted minis, and try where I can to mash up genres. STar wars and Firefly blends war, western, samurai, and sci fi. It covers all the bases.
I tried doing the mash-up thing - but it just leads to the worst kind of squirreling. It just turned into a mess. Better to focus, in my mind at least.
(http://data.whicdn.com/images/36012414/large.jpg)
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I used to live in St. Boniface, walking across the Provencher Bridge into downtown was ... chilly :D
Well, I'm from Winterpeg originally myself... ;D ::)
Notice that the common theme is trying to escape it lol
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Maybe that's why I have such a healthy fantasy life.
Most of my buddies from the old days moved to B.C.
I nice amount of Winnipeg threadomancy here.
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Not me, I moved to smelly old Toronto.
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I've also recycled, thrown away, given away, and I am down to almost nothing and liking it.
Someone needs to report this guy to a.moderator. I don't feel comfortable having this kind of behavior discussed on this forum.
;)
For me it was when he said "thrown away" that got me. A little piece of my soul dies when I hear a gamer say that. :-(
Grimm
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I, too, am a lead hoarder. And I've realised that I don't care.
As substance addictions go, it's benign enough. My fellow addicts make for diverting and improving company. I have an outlet for my magpie instinct, as well as my creative urge. It promotes contentment while encouraging endeavour. It teaches me to enjoy the journey as much as the destination.
It's more than an addiction, it's a lifestyle. It's mine. I love it.
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I have use figs for fishing weights. Needs must n all that. I have figs you could not give away. Why not convert them into fresh australian salmon?
Literally. I've tried to give away stuff, and after a while, when it's clutter, it needs to go. People think that junk lying around doesn't cost anything, but it does. Space. Time when you have to move it around to make space for new stuff. Eventually, you just get tired of X and toss it.
If there was a Salvation Army Donation for Old Miniatures, I would have done that, but there's not. Also, I've recycled rule books. Literally tossed them out. lol
Better than landfill to recycle.
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I, too, am a lead hoarder. And I've realised that I don't care.
As substance addictions go, it's benign enough. My fellow addicts make for diverting and improving company. I have an outlet for my magpie instinct, as well as my creative urge. It promotes contentment while encouraging endeavour. It teaches me to enjoy the journey as much as the destination.
It's more than an addiction, it's a lifestyle. It's mine. I love it.
Well said :)
Pretty much says it all.
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too, am a lead hoarder. And I've realised that I don't care.
As substance addictions go, it's benign enough. My fellow addicts make for diverting and improving company. I have an outlet for my magpie instinct, as well as my creative urge. It promotes contentment while encouraging endeavour. It teaches me to enjoy the journey as much as the destination.
It's more than an addiction, it's a lifestyle. It's mine. I love it.
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D
Well said Sir.
Further to the 'just couldn't give them away' figures. I put them in boxes/tins and bury them at every opportunity:-
Under the patio; in the bottom of the hole for new tree or bush; below boards in the loft etc. etc. It will either be a surprise to future owners or drive archaeologists crazy in centuries to come.
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The buried stuff idea is inspired. Archeologists will truly wonder!