Lead Adventure Forum
Other Stuff => General Wargames and Hobby Discussion => Topic started by: AndrewBeasley on June 18, 2022, 05:43:38 PM
-
OK a bit of background.
Been a gamer / collector for 40+ years and not been a regular player for years.
Some bits sold / some given away - mainly the cream of the crop leaving me with bits I thought I may be interested in.
I do suffer from mental health issues and find it hard to remember rules / meet people and am trying to force what I have into games I may be interested in but to be honest its getting more of a problem (either scenery or part set of troops).
Life wise, I'm looking more at Döstädning than trying to find a new things but I wonder if it all goes and I just buy a few troops (painted) it would work or would the 'oh nice, shiny' syndrome hit?
So my question is - have you ever started again FROM SCRATCH??
-
No I haven't. But part of me wishes I could. I would do things much differently.
Staying in just one scale. Focusing on just a few periods or eras. I realized that I have
done twenty five lines of figures, all various periods and scales, that I have gotten rid of
over time because they were more impulse buys than anything else. Yet still have numerous
periods and scales left.
-
Wargaming is one of my three main hobbies, and one of the only ones I can afford at the moment.
I spend "most" of my time designing games, painting models and playing games. However, a couple times a year I do find myself wondering why we - as a group - engage in a hobby which is often so much work. I do think to myself, "Man, how much money and spare time would I have if I didn't do this hobby...".
Then I wonder if I'd enjoy the hobby as much if I did, as you suggest, just skip all the stuff and invest in smaller commission painted forces for games. I honestly couldn't tell you. I don't enjoy painting...but I love the result, if that makes sense. I like finishing something and having something unique, but I don't paint for fun. It's not terribly relaxing for me, etc. I'm not in it for the art.
While I will never quit wargaming, I have compressed my goals towards a small handful of projects to which I dedicate myself, heavily. My friends would agree I don't do anything "half assed". I have killed off most of my impetuousness from my youth - something I see most of my 20-30 year old friends struggling with (i.e. they BUY everything...paint half and play with none of it).
I have finally decided to ditch all of my 40K stuff which is a real load off. I hate having a ton of minis for a game I can't stand. I even tried to get myself to play some 2nd edition, which was fun enough, but not something I play enough to warrant having minis on hand. So I'm selling off a massive 40K collection and it feels great. I'm increasingly unimpressed with Games Workshop, so it's fun to kinda break up with that pscyho girlfriend.
I do heavily endorse being honest with yourself. I know some people here advocate "never throw anything away!". I'm the opposite. Be honest with yourself. For every box of models I ask myself: 1) Do I have the enthusiasm to actually build and paint this. 2) Do I have the enthusiasm to actually build and paint...all of this, one or two armies worth. 3) Do I ever plan on actually playing this game? Do my friends play it? Hell, do I even enjoy the game?
Life is short; don't waste time collecting stuff you won't paint, or painting stuff you won't ever play (again unless the art or zen-nature of painting is what you enjoy, obviously).
I have a friend who legitimately concerns the rest of our group; as he more or less has the hoarding mental issue. He collects a staggering amount of stuff, to a point where it is financially detrimental to him, and he's just stockpiling half-built/half-painted stuff. He serves as a kind of warning to the rest of us; have some hobby discipline.
I think, if you don't "love" the hobby aspect, I think streamlining and simply buying some 2nd hand or commissioned painted forces for a handful of games you enjoy is a very legitimate way to enjoy wargaming.
-
Life is short; don't waste time collecting stuff you won't paint, or painting stuff you won't ever play (again unless the art or zen-nature of painting is what you enjoy, obviously).
Wise wise words…one day I may even follow them :)
Have tried trimming the projects, and then branched out again….cut off one head, two more shall take its place…Hail Hydra.
This time (it’s slightly) different… my projects are now falling into two camps…those I want to enjoy painting/building myself, and others that I just want to get on a table (well…maybe at some point)….the latter consist largely of buying in painted minis, possibly rebasing.
-
In answer to your question, Andrew: kind of, yeah. Long answer then short answer incoming!
When I got back into the hobby after a misspent early adulthood, I have only had one *project* as it were - the thing that really sparks my imagination is building a world (and *lots* of skirmish factions for it) based loosely off Rogue Trader era Imperium and the sci-fi that influenced it. I originally got quite a long way to completing this by collecting and converting old GW lead. But around 6 or so years ago I sold off almost all of that, and started almost from scratch. The new GW plastics are pretty much like Lego in that you can build whatever you want out of combinations of them - that made building the factions I wanted for my world both easier (I never want to cut up metal minis again!) and much more creatively rewarding.
So, short answer: I'd say yeah, do it, but only if you're really clear in your head why you're doing it. In my case, I saw a very clear reason to, which was particular to what I find most rewarding in the hobby anyway.
-
I had a massive clear out when I split with my wife due to lack of space and needing the cash .
I have only bought few things rules etc, but those projects have stalled but with postage costs it’s not really viable to sell big hardback rule books .
I am tempted to have one last push clearing it all the miniatures and loose weapons etc fit in a small plastic toolbox . Then there is the frostgrave and death in dark continent rules.
I am tempted to start doing Dark future again though mainly for converting the cars .
-
Like you my mental health issues caught up with me about 15 years ago (my son and I both had a diagnosis of Aspergers). Prior to this I had been very active on the 15mm DBM competition circuit and was beginning to write for one of the larger figure producers. Was winning painting prizes etc. Then I just stopped, All my drive disappeared. Sold everything (even my prize-winning stuff) for a ton of cash. Did nothing for 2 years.
Kept in touch with some of the decent people I had known but socialising was a no-no.
Realised I still loved painting about 7 years ago and started collecting 28mm and slowly got back into collecting. Luckily I came across ADLG and a few of the skirmish-level games (the Rampant series, Frostgrave etc) so I could play the odd game with trusted friends. This coincided with me assisting someone to set up a club specifically for people with MH issues and I have eased back into playing in friendly competitions but I will never make it back to previous levels.
I love this hobby and 99.99% of the people in it/
-
Yeah, I do this on a fairly regular basis.
Every idea I ever have concerning wargaming projects (which frequently grow into expensive purchases of many miniatures and terrain) inevitably comes crashing down in flames. When this occurs, sometimes I sell things, but most of the time I sweep everything into the bin, as I cannot be bothered to go through with the effort of selling and all that entails. The most important thing when "project collapse" (as I call it) occurs, I find, is not making the money back, but the psychological sense of purging what came before. My tabletop hobby journey seems to be a continuous, Ouroboros-esque cycle of creation and self-consuming destruction.
Sometimes I think this should be read as a sign that this hobby is not for me and I should try something different, and yet there's something about the concept of model soldiers, dice and rules which just keeps pulling me back. Each time this happens, though, I try to make the next project smaller, tighter and less ambitious than before. I have another one on the go just now and I'm just hoping I can keep this one ticking over without it turning into the usual cycle as described above!
-
I really appreciate the honest answers in this thread, I can relate to a lot of it. Many times throughout my decades of engagement with this hobby I have let go a bunch of the stuff I had collected, sometimes all of it, either by selling, giving it away or throwing it away. Like the original poster, mental health issues make stuff a real challenge, I cannot hold complex rules in my head and I'm fed up with the butterfly syndrome that leads nowhere but incomplete projects & lost enthusiasm. My main pleasure in the hobby these days is painting, I've always enjoyed the creative & visual side of this hobby. I also enjoy the history & narrative fun that games can (sometimes) give, but geographical & social isolation makes this untenable so I've had to give up on that idea. Some folks have the enthusiasm & motivation for solo gaming, I don't have that.
The hobby should serve you, the danger is, like many other pursuits, that we can end up being a slave to it - it masters us, whether that takes the form of OCD, hoarding, overspending etc. I used to work in a field that helped people with addictions, and trust me, the human ability to deceive oneself & others runs very deep.
Holding it loosely & finding simple enjoyment in it is what I hope to do & avoid some of the dead end turns I've taken before.
-
I lost everything not once but twice, both times I had built up massive collections of figures and collectables and here I am doing it again why because I love it! It is what I enjoy doing.
-
In my early 20's I sold off the majority of my stuff, thinking "this stuff is for kids" then regretted that a few years later as I got back into it. I kept a few things I really liked but the majority was gone.
No I have way too much stuff and having had a huge amount stored for a good long time it has made me think do I miss all this stuff and the answer is, YES. I want all my minis back so I can look at them and decide what to paint next despite he fact that I will probably only ever paint 10% of my stuff, Will I downsize, I guess so. Just a paint to sell things off. I can't be bothered with the packing safely etc of everything.
-
The hobby should serve you, the danger is, like many other pursuits, that we can end up being a slave to it - it masters us, whether that takes the form of OCD, hoarding, overspending etc. I used to work in a field that helped people with addictions, and trust me, the human ability to deceive oneself & others runs very deep. Holding it loosely & finding simple enjoyment in it is what I hope to do & avoid some of the dead end turns I've taken before.
This really hits the nail on the head for me. In my previous post I didn't really address the reasons for "project collapse", just acknowledged it happened, but it's all connected to the above issues. There comes a point in every project I begin where, once the initial excitement of starting something new begins to plateau, I begin to feel 'mastered' by it, and it's the realisation of this that triggers the collapse. Sometimes it doesn't even get that far: sometimes it's simply that the enthusiasm grinds to a halt even before I feel I'm being 'mastered'.
It also doesn't help that I'm fairly socially isolated (not in terms of geography -- I live in a capital city -- but just that I have never been great at making and keeping friends) so a lack of "group dynamics" means that the only thing that sustains my interest is...my own interest. I used to have a real passion for solo-gaming, about a decade ago (before I had kids), but as I've got busier with work and fatherhood responsibilities, my solo-gaming drive has almost completely dried up. There may come a point where my kids get enthused about tabletop hobbies, but so far I've had little success in that regard (the cyclical project collapse syndrome hasn't helped on that front!)
-
Went through bit of a rough time in my early 30s so decided to sell my (mostly GW) miniatures games (except for Space Hulk - I would never part with Space Hulk) and use the money to visit a friend in America. Soon after I returned home I started collecting mini's again but this time round from lots of different genres and manufacturers. It felt good clearing the decks, I did something worthwhile with the cash, but soon wanted to collect again.
-
At first (this phase lasted from when I started ages 11 until late 20s) I HAD to
keep EVERYTHING! Then I (slowly) began to realize that while my desire for
'stuff' was infinite, storage space was finite.
I have had several really big clear outs. These have normally followed a couple
of years after big growth spurts.
e.g. Club did 25mm Sudan. When the Campaign finished I bought the armies
from the others. Played with the large collection for a few years then sold it on.
Few years later did the same in 10mm.
Similar happened with Aztec 28mm, ECW (Cleared the decks of all the Minifig &
Hinchcliffe 25mm by giving over 20 file-boxes full to a School Wargames club,
so I could start with fewer 28mm) Napoleonics, again got rid of a LOT of 25mm
Minifigs so I could move on to fewer 28mm.
When DBA first hit our club it really helped to melt the lead mountain, but after
a while I sold on 45 (yes forty-five) 25mm DBA armies.
In short I follow the advise of a wise friend (thanks Dave Brookes) 'If it has sat
on the shelf unused for years, get rid of it.' also 'Don't consider wht it would cost
to replace it, price it to GO'
I now am working towards having enough figures, scenery, rules etc. to be able
to put on a game at short notice. I am at that stage with some of my favorites,
but not all. This will not stop be getting excited with new projects, maybe that is
why I am still doing this after half a century.
-
I've had two major clearouts on here before - one of them was this year. I've still managed to end up with a load of new stuff since then, though my impulse control is WAY better than it used to be. I am someone who has enthusiasm for a lot of ideas, but who lacks the discipline to realise most of them. Not helped by the next shiny idea being on the horizon. Gotta say, the desire to clear out literally everything and start over from scratch is something I can sympathise with. I'm of the character where lots of "clutter" or "to do projects" really can weigh on my mind.
-
I’ve never had a clear out of minis. Two main reasons:
1 Nostalgia. How could I part with those badly painted figures from my youth that starred in the epic battles of yester year?
2. Those ambitions of galactic/Old World dominance continue and thanks to Lion Rampant they can. Also home brewed a Chain of Command and Rampant mash up that fits the 40k Oldhammer figures perfectly.
I’ve only added one (sorry two!) new period: 6mm Napoleonic (and Blood Bowl, whoops). I have been tempted by many ooh shiny moments but apply the following. Tot up all you’ll need, put it in a basket online, leave it a week and think about it. Who will I play it with? Will I ever paint it? Is it compatible with my existing stuff? Will it displace the existing? Storage space is not an issue for figures as I have a large loft!
-
Wow, big thanks to all that has taken the time to reply.
Over the last few days we (the family not royal) have moved 15 boxes of books out of the roof that have been there for four years untouched and a significant number of those came from the old house and had not been taken off the bookshelf their for at least another six due to the owner being at uni then her own place so it seems to be a family habit :o
Other bits we uncovered have included knitting / material by the mile / pictures / empty boxes / a bed / two old desks and I've found a pair of my shoes I though I'd lost! Interestingly though I only had four boxes of wargaming bits - one was a 4l RUB and one a small carry case of 15mm figures (mainly painted but unbased).
One problem is the scenery materials - bags of flock, grit, glue galore etc. This seems to take more room than the figures. This is way larger than I expected.
A second issue is boxes - the RUB have a big frame around them to give strength but at a cost of space.
The last issue is a mix of sizes - I seem to have 2mm, 6mm, Warlord Epic, 15mm, 25-28mm and heroic (big bods 32mm+) That excludes the resin blocks and a box of card Ogre maps and counters!
Having tried to sell some book through clearance (Music Magpie etc) I now know that a clearance deal is not going to be self funding - maybe a Bring and Buy could be a better option...
Anyone had success at Bring and Buy (more aimed at the U.K. folk as that's where I am)?
-
Anyone had success at Bring and Buy (more aimed at the U.K. folk as that's where I am)?
Bring & buys have been a terrible saga of experiences for me. There are
lots of entries here on LAF to tell you I am not alone.
MUCH better are the 'Trade at Table' events. I use the one at Hammerhead,
though there are a few at other places around the country.
I can:-
Look after my stock, strike any deals I fancy, and move items around the table
if I think some are being missed. I keep the (initial) pricing simple (e.g. £10 a box)
The box can be small or large depending on what is in it.
An other choice are dealers in second hand wargames stuff.
I have had good results with these, but also the occasional bad one, so be careful.
Bear in mind they will want/have to make a profit so you will get less than if you
sold everything yourself. It is a very good way to:-
Find out what prices will be paid for what you've got,
clearing the bulk of what there is,
avoid all that hanging around on e-bay & the posting/packaging.
By the way don't forget us on LAF. One man's meat is another's poison.
What you might chuck out could be what someone else needs to complete
a unit/project. I, foe example am on the look-out for some 25mm Ancients
(Hinchcliffe/Garrison) to make a couple of DBA armies. Nostalgia, it ain't what
it used to be. lol lol lol
Let know how you get on
-
Back when I moved cities to go to uni, I sold my only Space Marine army over there, because as a student, one is always short on cash.
It was supposed to be book money, but the readers were delayed, and the bar didn't wait, so I ended up drinking most of it away.
At the time I wasn't too bothered, but only months later I ended up running with a crowd of avid wargamers and it was then that I began lamenting my impulsive decision of getting rid of them.
But being strapped for money, I could only afford the occasional blister or so, and I had only retained a box of a Necromunda gang and some other smaller items. So I ended up playing a lot of Necromunda in uni.
The rebuilding only came years later, when I had a steady job and my girlfriend didn't mind me creating my own little space to paint. It was then that I found out that I am in it mostly for the creating aspect; painting and converting. I take pride and joy from doing the best I can on my miniatures; actual gaming only comes second for me.
So to this day I regret selling of my enamel black Dark Angels RTB01 beakie army (complete with support units and vehicles)...
Recently, I had a major culling of my lead and plastic mountain (range), when I moved rooms in the house with all my hobby stuff. I was shocked at the amount I had accumulated over the years, and I just had good and honest look at the amount of stuff I had, passed each and every item through my hands and decided if I really 'needed' it, or that I could do without.
Turns out that I could do without a surprising amount of stuff, so I sold off what I could. Haven't missed anything so far.
But what I will never (again) sell off are miniatures painted by myself because the regret is real... ::)
-
Never cleared it all out - but had a couple of major thin downs (probably around 40-50% thinned out, a few times). The most recent one was solely a case of raising funds, done on on a vaguely Marie Kondo 'what brings the most joy' type approach.
Before that was the realization that some stuff was duplicated across three scales (20mm, 28mm, 40mm...) and I had lots of fragments of scenery/projects that didn't really go with much (2 Mexican houses, some part built sci fi scatter terrain, a small force of early anglo-saxons, etc).
The fastest way I found to get shot of stuff was a wargames table-top sale (E.g. The Lincombe Barn Wargamers table-top sale) but often you got significantly lower prices as everyone was out for bargains and there was a lot of competition.
The eBay website is a about as much fun as sitting on a cactus. The phone app on the other hand works really well and once you have had a little bit of practice you can list pretty quickly. eBay always seemed to get the best prices overall (sometimes for the most surprising things - but hey if someone wants tp pay £3.50 a figure for some painted 20mms I won't argue!). But also more obscure stuff tended to go for first bid/not go at all.
Selling through the LAF is a good option. Less faff than eBay. Better prices than a table top sale. Often better prices for slightly more obscure stuff.
You will eventually regret selling some things. I certainly have. Most stuff you will never remember having had.
Some stuff I have brought/sold several times over lol (looking at you Foundry Blackfoot Indians!).
The suggestions of some folks to not sell anything that you have painted is a pretty good one, atleast whilst you get the unpainted pile under control.
The suggestion of not selling anything that is out of production is also pretty good... but the way some wargames companies come and go can be very limiting!
-
Having tried to sell some book through clearance (Music Magpie etc) I now know that a clearance deal is not going to be self funding...
Books - I use "WeBuyBooks" if they don't want them I drop off at the local charity shop. (Not much money in 2nd hand books now - Ebay 10 years ago, usually got 25 to 50% of new price. Those days are gone. Too many at it.)
Hobby stuff - Ebay. (Please don't anyone shoot me for saying this BUT Ebay is still the only game in town. Quick, easy and they have regular reduced fees deals for occasional sellers.) If you have lots you want to get rid of, try the Forum first, and with either the Forum "Sales" or Ebay my best advice is "little and often." Otherwise, if you have a mountain to get rid of it all becomes too daunting. Much better to auction 3 or 4 items every week than listing a huge amount in one go. And/or do "bundles" of related stuff. I once auctioned a load of random single figures in one lot just to shift minis I didn't want to paint and didn't want to devote the time to individual listings. They sold. And the delight in shipping a load of unwanted stuff for a reasonable price is quite liberating. ;)
-
Books - I use "WeBuyBooks" if they don't want them I drop off at the local charity shop. (Not much money in 2nd hand books now)...
And the delight in shipping a load of unwanted stuff for a reasonable price is quite liberating. ;)
Just used Ziffit - part of World of Books but between three 'buyers' I've still got two full boxes to go to Oxfam. The main problem I have with Oxfam is that they have a good selection (it's a dedicated book shop) and I often come back with a couple, sometimes books we have given them before :)
Main issue with eBay are boxes - never seem to have the right size but I agree on the feeling - knowing bits are heading to someone who wants them is great.
-
Some wise words and experiences I can relate to. I guess the only time I have ever had major clear outs was when I moved house or some other such upheaval and I came face to face with the metal mountain. All my fully painted 15mm ancient armies went on E-Bay. I now have a regular check on my stocks to (a) still see if I have an opponent/ opposing force....I have had several where my opponents have moved or sadly died and (b) if I have a good ruleset....I recently dusted off my 25 year old SYW armies when new rules came out plus (c) does the period genre still interest me. Under this rule my 40k forces are deemed surplus to requirements and large Catachan and Imperial Epic forces have gone to a new home.
-
I've had minor clearouts and quite a few lulls in the hobby, but I never got out entirely or completely restarted. I realized this year that this hobby and making music (bass and Pedal steel) are the two activities to which I continue to return and to which I think I want to pursue forever.
As for "clearing it all out" I did just have a friend who got out of the hobby entirely and claims he will never return. I bought him out completely and am selling off the items I decided not to keep. I kept enough however, that it's forcing me to do a MASSIVE selloff to bring my collection back to a merely-moderate-level of unmanageability.
It's been a good time to abandon certain projects that will never happen such as a platoon/company sized medieval army for Dragon Rampant, Battletech, several minor games, pirate gaming and everything related to steampunk gaming.
It's also been a good chance to refocus on what I enjoy, which right now which is fantasy gaming with my son and daughter, 40k-by-way-of-Grimdark-Future with my son, and Kings of War with my gaming club.
All this to say, I've never cleared it all out, but I've know folks who have and I'm currently engaged in my biggest clear-out ever.
-
Had one giant clear out about 10 years ago when I moved from 15mm to 28mm. Got lucky selling a few bits on fleabay and the buyer asked if I had any more stuff to sell ? To cut a long story short he bought everything off me ,so I did really well.
I still have mini clear outs regulary and would do it more often but the pain of photographing,preparing for postage and time wasters puts me off. Saying that the stuff I have bought and sold on here has been really easy.
-
Got lucky selling a few bits on fleabay and the buyer asked if I had any more stuff to sell ? To cut a long story short he bought everything off me ,so I did really well.
Same here, one crazy guy bought all my 40mm moderns - figures, scenery, vehicles - painted/unpainted/unfinished conversions. Man that was a big box.
-
First of all, totally feel your pain!
I haven't done 'everything all at once' but I have done a few major 'dumps' of figures over the years. Entering grad school, I gave a number of figures away (mostly Warhammer) to friends who were collecting them at the time, or to teens looking to start their own armies. Later on in grad school I sold away a number of figures, including Squats, some 'unseen' Battletech figures, and a number of rulebooks that I figured I'd never get to. Then, when my son was born and fourth edition 40k was transitioning to 5th, I was just terribly overwhelmed and sold off a lot of my 40k stuff (though I kept my Eldar and Valhallan armies) and used that money toward Warmachine, which I was more actively playing at the time.
Some stuff I've regretted getting rid of, and found myself replacing them. Some I haven't had a second thought about. Some, especially given away to kids to As others have shared, the creative piece is probably the most important aspect of the hobby for me. And now that my son plays (mostly historicals) that's given me a new outlet.
Most of my stuff is 28-32mm (historicals/fantasy/science fiction), and other than some outliers like Battletech (my first love) and Flames of War I've been pretty well behaved.
Thankfully my health is good and I'm not too old (mid-40s) and I imagine my son will want some of the stuff once he's on his own (he's 15 now), but I have various plans to whittle the collections down or get rid of them entirely "before the time comes" so my family doesn't have to figure out what to do with all the stuff!
At the risk of sounding Marie Kondo about it, what of the stuff are you not just using, but makes you happy? Hold on to that, even if it ends up being odds-and-sods. The rest I'm sure can go to new homes. and if you find yourself wishing you'd kept X, well, it's an opportunity to start over!
-
No, but I have always had pretty tight control of the "input" side of the hobby so less need to "dump stuff" later. I have never really gotten rid of anything, but I also am not swamped with minis yet either.
-
Yes. I had a complete clear out about 20 years ago, for a number of reasons. The miniatures that were top of the range 40 years ago are now attractive only for reasons of nostalgia; my painting has improved vastly in the same time and I find re-painting utterly soul-destroying; over 40-plus years my interests have genuinely changed (colonials, fantasy and WW2 genuinely no longer hold appeal).
I also faced life-facts: the army-collecting clock is running. It might take 3-5 years to collect a sizeable, well-painted army. I reverted to type in the last 20-odd years of life to the periods that inspired me in the first 20-odd. My first love was ACW in 20mm, a Union army I am recreating in 28mm at least for the next couple of years. After that, it will be French Napoleonic c.1812-15, probably in 15/18mm (the one I had in the '80s was in 25mm). I won't go on, but I don't see 'clearing it all out' as remotely negative. I see it as rejuvenation, if not redemption in many ways. Surely there comes a point when gaming with figures that annoy you defeats the object of gaming in the first place?
-
Late to the party but I have not cleared anything out...yet. Sold and traded a few items over the years, but almost nothing sold. It doesn't hurt that until Kings of War I never had a true army of anything; prior to 2013 I had nothing larger than a Blood Bowl team, Necromunda gang, or the contents of board games like Heroquest, Siege of the Citadel, and Dark World.
I went nuts with Kickstarters in the 2010s and probably need to cull a lot of my Kings of War stuff, not to mention Malifaux and some others too. It gets hard sometimes, though, because some of the models have strong emotional/memory attachments to them (my small collection of RTB-01/Rogue Trader/early 2nd Edition Marines aren't going anywhere).
The advent of minatures-agnostic games like Frostgrave has breathed a new life into some of my old models, which adds a new complication- why buy more when I can grab some old stuff that I still like but haven't been able to use, and use it?
That said, I have a fair amount of stuff that is unlikely to ever be completed, so I need to sell it.
The mental health struggles mentioned above hit me hard (thank you for sharing- it is helpful to know I'm not the only one that has had them adversely affect my hobbies.). I have friends who got out of the hobby because it was a net negative for them, or they lost the motivation to paint, or their lives got too busy to have hobby time. I've had periods where the hobby was more of a burden than a joy, too. I'm still working through my mission of "finished is better than perfect" for painting models.
-
Never started over completely from scratch. Painting -wise, I started out in 15mm, then went to 20mm, and now I do 28mm. I still game periodically with some of the 15mm and 20mm stuff. I've only ever sold 2 sets of minis. I did do up a bunch of 6mm cold war stuff, and ended up selling it years ago. I also dabbled in some 28mm Old West and Anglo-Zulu War stuff, but sold them years ago too. As it turns out, I should have kept the 28mm Old West stuff, as I am now back into that...
Soo while I have started from scratch in each scale, I can't bring myself to part with any minis I already have, scale-regardless... 8)
-
I have sold stuff off from time to time (usually in response to those bills with the pretty red writing :) ) but wholesale clear-out? Never!
These days I have vastly more figures than I could ever paint and am still planning new projects and adding more figures and terrain.
I live on my own, I have space and cash enough to cope, so why not.
Clearing it all out ... I'll leave that to my kids to arrange when I'm carried out of here, feet first, in a pine box!
-
Clearing it all out ... I'll leave that to my kids to arrange when I'm carried out of here, feet first, in a pine box!
My Step-daughter & Son-in-Law helped clear out my Mother-in-Law's SMALL flat.
It involved moving two display cabinets to my Wargames room (to good to give
away). They took one look at the room & told me that I had better start down-
sizing... NOW !!!! lol lol lol
-
Not worth it. I make more money at work and my investments than selling off stuff. Then there's when you sell or trade something and find out it's eBay value is about ten times as much. Besides eBay, BoardGameGeek lets you put up your collection and stuff for trade, and I had some *really* good trades, at least as I'm much less interested in my RPG stuff and more interested in miniatures.
That said, if there's a gaming flea market and you want your unloved games to go to a good home, go for it, but try to get some friends to share the table. The setup before buyers come in is the best time to get bargains. Got a ton of Magic, GW, and D&D Adventure games that way, from the same guy even, at different events at the same store. If someone else brought their kids, it's a great way to foist stuff onto -- er, introduce -- a kid into the hobby. Ask the organizer if they have a "free stuff" table -- I got rid of several boxes of CCG's that way, and the guy who took 'em away was really happy to try a new game, and I don't miss the cards. I probably brought home more stuff than I tried to get rid of, but it was better stuff, or so I keep telling myself. :P
Also, if you get kids coming over for Halloween, give away unloved games, comics, trading cards, etc. Their eyes pop out (: you get rid of junk, and you're not stuck with candy afterwards.
Nowadays, I accumulate MORE written stuff, but it's all on the hard drive. The only miniatures I've gotten rid of were Epic scale, and I know I "lost" money on them (got them used, myself), but I'll never play anything that's not 28mm. Someone's going to write an agnostic solo ruleset for the miniatures I have, so I better keep 'em, just in case! :D
-
My Step-daughter & Son-in-Law helped clear out my Mother-in-Law's SMALL flat.
It involved moving two display cabinets to my Wargames room (to good to give
away). They took one look at the room & told me that I had better start down-
sizing... NOW !!!! lol lol lol
A clear sign from the gods that you should buy that army you fancied but couldn't justify the purchase of! >:D >:D >:D >:D
-
I have mentioned this elsewhere, but this thread seems like a good place to reiterate in more detail.
This week I had the biggest clearout of my life.
Between 2011 and 2015 I collected pre-painted 90mm scale figurines made out of PVC, produced by a variety of companies: Papo (France), Schleich (Germany), Safari Ltd (USA), Bullyland (Germany) and Plastoy (France).
It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Back then, I was averse to painting (a problem I'm pleased to say I have now overcome), but had always harboured a strange love of collecting toys -- actual toys, geared for children -- something I had never really grown out of. I then discovered Song of Blades & Heroes (I think it was via Board Game Geek, which I spent a lot of time browsing in that era).
The idea of a wargame system that was simple to learn and didn't require a specific range of miniatures really struck a chord with me, and an idea exploded in my mind:
"Wouldn't it be fun to combine toy collecting with skirmish wargaming?!"
And thus began one of the biggest follies, if not the biggest, I have ever undertaken. Within four years I had amassed a collection so ridiculously large that I had to use an entire wardrobe unit just to contain it (I moved my clothes into boxes to accommodate).
Song of Blades & Heroes didn't satisfy for long, and I found myself on a fruitless quest trying to find the perfect wargaming system that could both be adapted for 90mm figures on a 3' x 3' table, and also be interesting and fun to play. To be fair, I did have some good moments (using Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader to simulate an Old West gunfight, for example), but overall the experience proved to be a huge waste of time and money. No rules system seemed to satisfy me. No matter what I tried, I never found lasting enjoyment from it.
Eventually, after many an attempt to keep the ailing project alive, I just got sick of it all. I got sick of the stupid toys and sick of the amount of effort I was putting into them to make them work as wargaming miniatures. I buried them in a (large) corner of the attic for years and contemplated ways by which I could just make them all disappear.
Could I sell them? There were too many. It would take too long. I just wanted to be rid of them all in one fell swoop. Could I give them to a charity shop? Again, there were too many. Plus, I don't own a car. The logistics for transporting such a collection anywhere, in a usable state, would be a nightmare. That seemed to leave only one option: binning them all!
I live in a fairly industrial part of the city, near the docks. There are dumps and large public bins aplenty. But again, there were too many figures. It would take me too long -- possibly hours -- to walk to and from the nearest bin with a backpack, taking one bag of figures at a time. As I said I don't own a car. But then an idea came to me: we have a two-seater bike trailer we used to ferry our two oldest children around the city when they were little, but in recent years we've used it to cart goods around when we need to transport things too big for a backpack. It's really on its last legs and we'll be getting rid of it very shortly (probably within the next couple of weeks), but I thought I'd put it to good use one last time.
In the space of two hours, I had transferred all the figures (and all the 90mm TERRAIN I had bought as well) into nine black bin-bags and stuffed them into the bike-trailer. I then carted the bike-trailer to the nearest large public bin (about a 10 minute walk from my house) and threw them all inside, then returned home. The amount of determination and willpower it took to do that was colossal. Finally, after a whole decade of feeling "enslaved" by this collection, I had BITTEN THE BULLET and the job was done. Now, after all that wasted time, money and mental energy, it's all over. I am free.
Was this the best solution? No. Was it financially or environmentally responsible? No. But, I am now free from a burden which had come to dominate my mind and my living space to a detrimental degree, and that is what I needed.
Others in this thread have mentioned mental health. I don't know what exact mental health issues I am afflicted with, but I am of the belief that the desire to obsessively collect this monstrous horde of figures in the first place, the failure to derive enjoyment from it, and the huge difficulty I had in getting rid of it are all related to issues of that nature. I feel like ridding myself of that collection has cleared a path for a healthier mind and a healthier approach to this hobby, going forward.
When I first realised, years ago now, that this project wasn't working out, I had hoped that there would someday manifest a reason why I embarked on that foolish endeavour. Something to give it meaning and purpose, that would somehow justify it or make it all worthwhile. In the end, all I see is a lesson bitterly learned: the foolishness of hoarding stuff. That might have to suffice.
-
Thank you for sharing! Seems a dramatic end, but clearly something that was the right option for you. And as you say now a weight is lifted and you can enjoy gaming again!
-
I give it away to charity shops, used to use eBay and so on, but I'd rather have someone pick up my stuff for a penny or two in the local hospice shop and get some pleasure from my things. I got rid of everything [not just hobby stuff, everything, year zero style] when I was 40 due to a drastic life change, but have built it all up again subsequently. I solo game now as I don't particularly like people apart from family and church, have done clubs and individual games with others in the past but not for me. I have/had mental health problems so I do occasionally stop all hobby stuff for a while. I think the saddest thing, gaming wise, was when I realised none of my three children were interested in having my stuff when I have gone, always very polite about Dad's hobby but just not for them. I have four Granddaughters who again are not interested.
-
Only big clear-out I've done was of White Dwarf magazines from 2004 to 2008 when I was a teenager, but miniatures not. I've been selling things occassionally during years, mainly to fund other purchases.
-
Hello,
I did once bite the bullet and cleared out my 40k stuff. I had two armies, one were Space Marines, who I had started to collect since a trip abroad and just liking the figures, another were some 40k Orcs/Orks?... well Greenskins.
I sold most of them to a friend, definitely not making back the money I had spent on them, but someone else was happy, and while it wasn't the exact sum back, I did get a good bit back that I could use for books or other stuff at the time.
The rest? Some odd bits and bobs for conversions all ended up in a big box that I took to a local tabletop flea market, organised by Michael from TWS ( a german tabletop channel) and that basically left most things ending up in other peoples collections.
While I don't mind the Space Marines, and I am happy to have parted with them, I do now and then think about the Greenskins. I had invested some time in converting them and giving them a unique look that I felt was now lost in part.
So I suppose what it boils down to is, if it has been lying around too long, and you haven't done anything with it? Sell a given figure or collection. But with collections you are unsure about? Maybe bag them for another month or some such and think about selling them. Sometimes, as for instance Jim mentioned above, stuff can be handy or useful after a while, and you might end up missing what you gave away.
I do also now and then think that the hobby is a bit of a drag and doesn't equate to much, but it is a hobby, it's meant to be fun and take your mind off of things, so I usually stick to the collections I have and expand them, now and then getting a new one if I can see myself getting enjoyment from it.
On a different note, on a trip to Faversham or some city in the South of England, I picked up a few old GW books, only for the clerk to tell me someone's mum had brought an entire collection (of figures and rules and the like) in for free and just handed them off while her son had been at university. I can't imagine what that bloke felt like when he came back.
-
I give it away to charity shops, used to use eBay and so on, but I'd rather have someone pick up my stuff for a penny or two in the local hospice shop and get some pleasure from my things. I got rid of everything [not just hobby stuff, everything, year zero style] when I was 40 due to a drastic life change, but have built it all up again subsequently. I solo game now as I don't particularly like people apart from family and church, have done clubs and individual games with others in the past but not for me. I have/had mental health problems so I do occasionally stop all hobby stuff for a while. I think the saddest thing, gaming wise, was when I realised none of my three children were interested in having my stuff when I have gone, always very polite about Dad's hobby but just not for them. I have four Granddaughters who again are not interested.
What I would say to anyone like this is see if there is a toy auctioneers who could come look at your collection and take it away and sell it and you get a cut of some profits back from it, and save yourself a hernia, just a thought. As reading some of the blogs it seems like the financial commitment is the final block and not wanting to admit the feeling I was an idiot and have just wasted my money as bin all the old toys.
Hope you feel the better for it all Ben and well done on the self discipline :)
-
What I would say to anyone like this is see if there is a toy auctioneers who could come look at your collection and take it away and sell it and you get a cut of some profits back from it, and save yourself a hernia, just a thought. As reading some of the blogs it seems like the financial commitment is the final block and not wanting to admit the feeling I was an idiot and have just wasted my money as bin all the old toys.
Hope you feel the better for it all Ben and well done on the self discipline :)
Cheers, most days I’m fine. Thanks for your concern. The auction thing is food for thought too.
-
I've never been tempted to sell up and start again. I have put all my goods into storage for 2 years after a partnership break-up. And I didn't really miss it to be honest though I'm not sure why.
I sold some things I wasn't gaming with but have increased old armies and started new projects. But I still want to start more!
-
This thread has been helpful reading, really good to see the responses. My brain is… Interesting. I enjoy my hobby and the finished, painted results, but I really seem to dislike the act of painting these days. I’m now 40(!) and have done several experiments in recent times and each time it feels like biting tinfoil. But for me perseverance is the key - I now know that I will enjoy the end result!
Yet at the same time this makes mountains of plastic genuinely uncomfortable to be around for me. What I am currently planning is a clear out of all items I don’t have a proper plan for (no more whimsical projects or purchases until I can at least say ‘done for now’ on current toys!
I also now try to plan around my available storage and display space - that’s def helping me to self regulate.
It’s been said here already (and I’m so glad I read it!!!) but no more selling of painted models for me - I did that in earlier times for my original Eldar army and plastic Marines and I miss them now! Reasons at the time were okay I guess, but nostalgia is it’s own curse as I’ve ended up buying them back for future projects :P
-
A recent observation on selling a collection.
I mentioned earlier that my friend quit the hobby and cleared out 1000s of dollars in stuff by selling it to me for a fraction of that. I kept about 30% for myself and I immediately began selling off the parts I didn't want to pay him the agreed upon sum.
It's a couple months later and I've paid him back and made a nice chunk of hobby cash for myself. I've also got some great stuff, especially terrain, painted minis and hobby supplies. Months later, it's been more work than I thought it would be and I've still got a big of two of stuff that isn't selling and will go to a local game store auction for a tiny fraction of it's value. Still, a good choice for me I think, but a veryl big time sink.
My final observation is that for him -who didn't need the money, was through with the hobby and wanted to clear out the space quickly- to sell it himself piece by piece would have been a nightmare. Selling to me for the stuff cleared out, got his painted minis into the hands of his friends (I made sure club mates bought those) and put a bit of cash into his hand. A massive clear out via bulk sale -even at a very at a deep discount- may be the best option for someone who wants to move all of their collection in a way that doesn't require a huge about of time and effort.
In the US there are a couple of companies that will do what I did for a slightly higher payout. Even by mail.
-
In truth if I could sell everything in one go I'd jump at the chance. Far too overwhelming these days.
-
In the US there are a couple of companies that will do what I did for a slightly higher payout. Even by mail.
There is a mob here in Australia that has started doing this. I met one of the agents at a local convention, gave him a bunch of dusty old games, pinged off an email and washed my hands of those old games. A few weeks later they deposited a couple of hundred bucks into our family's holiday savings account. It was very easy and just the fact that it relieved the 'mental load' of thinking about all the stuff was well worth it.
As someone that has sold off a large collection of hex & counter war-games (I lost count once I had amassed over 200 war-games ....plus hundreds & hundreds of other euro & collectable games), this thread holds some personal interest. Back in the 2000s , I used to scour op-shops, garage sales and school fetes for collectable games that I would on-sell at a profit. For a few years it was a little hobby business that would fund my hobby spending in a self sustaining way.
Collecting & buying was addictive, and to be perfectly honest with myself, overtook the entire reason why I got into gaming. The money I made selling & trading might be 'self sustaining' but I could never get the time back.
My collection grew larger and larger but the fact was that I hardy ever played the bloody things. Collecting became the hobby. You see this kind of madness over on Board Game Geek. People just wildly consuming boardgames, playing them once (in the case of war-games...probably never...). The problem was the dread I faced when I looked at my huge collection. Sure it took up space, but more than anything I always felt this kind of guilt about never playing any of those games.
I became an eBay seller. I spent days of my life ebay-ing stuff, and although I got some decent prices for some of my rare games...the time and effort never quite pay off. It's the waiting around, the correspondence, the transfers, the boxing up, trips to the post office etc.etc. It's all very burdensome...for a bit of spare cash.
Now that I'm older it's time that is the most precious commodity!
I had good results with the bring & buy stand here at our major convention here in Australia - CanCon. Because I lived locally at the time, I just dropped dozens of boxed games off at the stall, and later in the convention, picked up the cash. Again...the mental load of it all was minimised.
The last big cull I had was a garage sale we had just before we left our house to move interstate about ten years ago. By that stage I was just done with collecting and just sold off every last boardgame in my collection for $5 a pop (to be fair..it was the dregs..). That cleared our the rest of the bunch.
Miniature gaming is slightly different I realise...there are really enjoyable ways to engage with the hobby, even without playing. Painting and crafting is a worthwhile pursuit I do get it, but if you've got shelf loads of unpainted minis that have been sitting there for years...it's probably gonna give you that same sense of grief & guilt I had.
At the end of the day, in my personal experience, is that if your collection is giving you grief, if you look at all your stuff and your heart sinks, a big cull is good for the soul. Every now and again I'm reminded that I used to own this or that..but small regrets and missed opportunities are a part of life I reckon.
-
The money I made selling & trading might be 'self sustaining' but I could never get the time back...
...My collection grew larger and larger but the fact was that I hardy ever played the bloody things. Collecting became the hobby...
...the time and effort never quite pay off. It's the waiting around, the correspondence, the transfers, the boxing up, trips to the post office etc.etc. It's all very burdensome...for a bit of spare cash.
Now that I'm older it's time that is the most precious commodity!
Lots of wisdom in your post. Clipped a few bits that I really relate to.
Buying, selling and trading have always been enjoyable parts of my hobby but I've gone too far in that direction recently and have also been doing too much acquiring.
The trading and acquiring parts of the hobby are putting to much pressure on the TIME in which I'd like to be hobbying and engaging in other hobbies.
-
My collection grew larger and larger but the fact was that I hardy ever played the bloody things. Collecting became the hobby. You see this kind of madness over on Board Game Geek. People just wildly consuming boardgames, playing them once (in the case of war-games...probably never...). The problem was the dread I faced when I looked at my huge collection. Sure it took up space, but more than anything I always felt this kind of guilt about never playing any of those games.
I became an eBay seller. I spent days of my life ebay-ing stuff, and although I got some decent prices for some of my rare games...the time and effort never quite pay off. It's the waiting around, the correspondence, the transfers, the boxing up, trips to the post office etc.etc. It's all very burdensome...for a bit of spare cash.
Now that I'm older it's time that is the most precious commodity!
Goodness, those are scarily relatable thoughts! Been there, done all that. Buying and selling stuff did become a hobby in its own right for me, for a while, which I think is terribly sad, when instead it could (and should) be about playing with the goods and enjoying the experience with others.
My new ambitions now are to:
1. Buy fewer games/miniatures, only the ones I am really passionate about
2. Actually do something with them
3. Resist the urge to put everything on eBay
-
What I found interesting is that, if it's a boardgame without miniatures, it usually stays in the closet. If it's miniatures, it stays in the closet -- except years later, when I finally use the mini's for a miniatures skirmish game. lol
With the unreleased Lasting Tales solo miniatures ruleset, I've painted Reaper Bones that were 9 years old, 2013 Privateer Press metals which were sitting in my room for at least three years unpainted, used some OOP Epix resin buildings, found a use for my not-Lego Wizards and Farm House dice towers, and extensively used Mantic Terrain Crates, Stonemaier resin tokens, and my original Terra Tiles modular game tiles. (Pre-order on the Ravenkeep website for the next printing!)
Solo's a good way to paint and craft at a leisurely pace, while the gaming aspect gives a focus of what to paint. Still no idea what to do with these other boardgames. :P
-
3. Resist the urge to put everything on eBay
Unfortunately this has proved to not be an ideal method for alot of my stuff that either isn't moving, or isn't worth the effort to post/pack/mail for the low price they get and after ebay has taken their fees.
-
Unfortunately this has proved to not be an ideal method for alot of my stuff that either isn't moving, or isn't worth the effort to post/pack/mail for the low price they get and after ebay has taken their fees.
Yes, exactly. I had some really lucky moments with eBay back in the mid to late 2010s; I was able to shift older Games Workshop stuff (rulebooks and board games, mostly) for hundreds of pounds at a time.
I think I got addicted to the thrill of seeing my stuff gain such high bids, and sadly I derived more excitement out of that than actually playing with the models or games.
But, I have had very little luck with eBay over the last couple of years -- can't seem to make anything significant over the postage cost -- so it isn't really worth the effort anymore.
-
Yes, exactly. I had some really lucky moments with eBay back in the mid to late 2010s; I was able to shift older Games Workshop stuff (rulebooks and board games, mostly) for hundreds of pounds at a time.
I think I got addicted to the thrill of seeing my stuff gain such high bids, and sadly I derived more excitement out of that than actually playing with the models or games.
But, I have had very little luck with eBay over the last couple of years -- can't seem to make anything significant over the postage cost -- so it isn't really worth the effort anymore.
The general resale market (ebay, forums etc) seems to be up and down and I seem to have less and less ability to predict what will and won't sell. In addition to the aforementioned gaming stuff, I've been selling of excess donated items for my local train club. I often cannot predict at all what will and won't sell, and making a big effort to sell something that doesn't is even more annoying when you're not getting a portion of the proceeds.
One key to successful selling does seem to be rather obvious: having a wide variety of items for sale at a given time. However, the nature of selling off a collection works against this in that you have a fixed inventory and often it is in particular areas and if those aren't currently selling well things will not move.
-
Seeing this thread pop up again and again has been motivating me to sell more of my 40K stuff. I'm "close" to having most of it sold and it's been a real breath of fresh air (and a nice amount of cash in the pocket for other hobby maneuvers).
-
I occasionally sell something or give something away, but no, I can't think of selling everything. I like painting, but it comes hard and slow, and my painted mini's are kind of 'my precioussss', especially my warhammer stuff.
I did get rid of my earliest mini's, they were so old and badly painted. And have had some wargaming and hobbying lows, actually quite a lot and quite a long time. I think I am in my wargaming heyday now.
M.
-
I actually went back and repainted some very old Ral Partha minis, some of the first in my collection for a D&D campaign we are playing.
Very satisfying giving those old (possibly dangerous) minis new life.
-
I've sold very little over the years, but I have begun to accept that there are figures and games in the loft that I'm never going to use or play, so perhaps it's time to find new homes for them.
Most of the stuff should sell, but no doubt some things will end up in recycling.
There are a lot of miniatures from the 80s and 90s, so, as with Easy A, there is a high lead content to contend with. I'm just hoping that lead rot hasn't set in o_o
-
I was going to start a new thread and noticed this already existed so please excuse the thread revival.
Covid eventually put an end to our normal gaming group and it's diverse group of active games. This year I finally cleared all my stuff out of the gaming club to bring it home. No more free space in my basement! I decided to update my painting log (purchased and painted yearly totals for the last few years) but with a full inventory of the unpainted lead pile by project. Shocking I know but it turns out I have twice as much as I had recorded. Given my lack of gaming and health related issues limiting painting, I decided it was time for a clear out.
Once I finished the count per project I make the decision on keeping or selling the project. All my incomplete army projects (painted as well as NIB items) have been sold or are on ebay. I still have over 1000 unpainted miniatures that made this cut but now they are in nicely labeled RUB containers. This takes a bit of work but freeing up a hundreds of dollars a month from stuff gathering dust on the shelf makes me feel better. Hell, maybe the new owners will get some paint on them too! I am retired so the overhead of ebay selling isn't getting to me yet.
Contemplating selling all or a portion of my painted IG, Dacian and Zulu armies. Planning on taking new photo's of all of them first in 2023 though so I have time to change my mind if I start gaming again.
-
Good luck with all of that Syrinx.
I still remember my mother coming home from night duty, she was a nurse,
with a couple of carrier bags full of Airfix planes. A work friend's son was having
a clear out & my brothers & I benefited. What joy! A bit of glue & paint & we
thought they were wonderful. Whenever I part with things I hope someone has
the same joy.
Another thing I have done, usually with the REALLY BAD stuff, is to hide some.
When some old beam sockets needed filling, in went some toy soldiers.
When we planted a new tree, a tub of figures went into the bottom of the gole.
I like to think of someone, maybe in a hundred years trying to figure out who & why.
A comedian said, 'When you're about to move, & you quickly put up new wallpaper,
first get a tin of red paint & write, 'I WILL KILL AGAIN !!!' . Sometime in the future
someone will discover it'
lol lol lol
-
Have not painted any miniatures this year. I have deposited into the bin a lot of miniatures and resin vehicles...not worth the hassle to sell on evil bay. I'll look next year to finishing off painting the remainder of my Zulu War project as Its close to completion.
What I've started to do is collect toy soldiers in 1/30th scale and I place these on display.
-
The weirdo my father bought our second house from wrote weird stuff on the walls. My father (the cop) just shook his head and painted over it and would point out it's too small an area to fit a body which my brother and I accepted without question. Looking back on that...
Much like all the family clothes and furniture I have recycled lately, I must admit I don't get tossing stuff in the bin as opposed to ebay or giving it away at some event nearby. Sure it takes some effort, boxes, tape and perhaps some packing but whatever you get is greater than nothing and might bring some one joy. All things considered Ebay might make as much off it as me but that makes me feel better than just discarding it.
-
The stories of trashed hobby stuff do make me a bit sad. At last resort a charity shop would take it (in which the proceeds would benefit some cause) and a bulk box almost anything hobby related will sell on a local sales forum (craigslist, facebook, etc) if the price is low enough.
I take care of sales of excess equipment and donations for my local model train club. I sell quite a bit and we get some real crap at various times. However, except for some rusty track (which I leave on top of the dumpster for the metal scrap guys) I can find a seller or reseller for virtually anything. Almost nothing ends up in the landfill.
Not trying to guilt anyone (well, maybe I am a little...) but there's almost always a better end than the dumpster/trash/bin/skip.
-
Not trying to guilt anyone (well, maybe I am a little...) but there's almost always a better end than the dumpster/trash/bin/skip.
I agree.
-
I can see why people become tempted by binning it, I've pretty much reached a point where I know I dislike painting enough that I'm never reasonably going to do even a fraction of my collection. Now, I'm too bound up by sunk costs to actually throw anything away (that would be a waste and it also makes me slightly sad as well), but my experience of trying to sell miniatures on Ebay or at bring and buys has been fairly poor. Usually seeing the one or two items of obvious good stuff getting picked out cheaply and the rest travelling home with you or relisting endlessly for week after week, price drop after price drop, until it's no longer economic to consider posting.
I could see someone who was time poor and frustrated just wanting to be rid of things.
-
With eBay you don’t have to drop the price when re-listing. I’ve found with eBay nearly all the effort is at the start, in sorting stuff out, taking photos and listing it. Once that is done whether it sells in 1 week or 5 really doesn’t matter.
I’ve also done job lots on eBay to get rid of the odds and sods. But there has generally needed to be a fairly big driver to get me to do the listing - and its usually space. But after doing so seeing a good chunk of money in my Paypal account has always been pleasing too!
-
I'll hand out the tissues to anyone who feel peeved by such actions taken by folk who take to depositing their hobby collection in a matter that seems fit to them. There are stories behind decisions made by folk at the time. Respect their right to decide and not go on the merry go round of being 'holier than thou' and you will be much wiser for it!
-
I don't usually comment on this kind of stuff . . .
My father was a hoarder. He was a blacksmith in his retirement and filled my parent's home will all sorts of crazy and expensive hobby stuff. My Mom was quite ill when he passed and it fell on me to clean up the house. I sold many things at a crazy discount, I threw out things I should have kept, and I donated most of it to a worthy charity. My friends said I should keep it, or sell it, and that I could make a lot of money if I organized it better.
The thing is, all the stuff has a weight. It made me feel really overwhelmed.
In the case of my Dad's stuff, it wasn't mine so it was easy to donate. It made a lot of people happy, and probably helped them become better smithys.
The joy is in the art of building and exploring little worlds. I feel as my collection gets bigger, I'm often looking for that initial research/building/exploring phase.
I always try to remember that it's fun to make terrain, or paint miniatures. It's not always about the finished product.
Anyways . . .
-
I haven’t done a big clear out, but I can see the attraction. Just getting free of some of the older moribund projects and rule books I won’t play (or probably read again) would lift some of the ‘weight’ Oldben1 describes.
-
I can understand why someone might just get rid of an old collection if there's emotional baggage or trauma attached to it, or if storing it has too much of a cost (emotional or financial).
If not, I'd prefer to see it sold or given away. Let it bring someone else some happiness.
With that said, I've also seen people who are not experiencing any sort of pain or difficulty, who threw out perfectly decent miniatures just so they could brag about it online, when they could have easily given them away. That's just wasteful, and a missed opportunity to get someone new into the hobby.
-
I did, more or less, because I immigrated from the USA to Britain and just couldn't take it with me...
In truth, this probably resulted in one of my most enjoyed hobby periods. In Britain, I bought a brand new set of paints and a few figures. Since I only had a couple of figures, I painted them to the best of my ability and really enjoyed the process. Then I got a few more, based specifically on the type of game that interested me right at that moment... Strangely, this was probably aided by the fact that I was poor at the time and couldn't afford much, so I really had to enjoy and focus on what I had.
Eventually, I got a bit more money, and my buying overran may ability to paint or play with the things I had bought. Quick dopamine hits, replaced the deeper satisfaction.
I now make my living on wargames, but it is still an aspect I struggle with, knowing that less often is really more.
-
I really like the idea of giving stuff away for free to good home. I have given up trying to sell stuff on fleabay simply from people offering a £5 for a £20 item just because it did not sell after 7 days. Might be an idea to open a thread on the site offering free stuff ? You just have to collect it or pay for postage? Perhaps only open the thread to users over a year old to stop the beggers or just have a collection of stuff given by people on here and give it all to charity via a raffle at a wargaming event or something ? I would happily donate for free.
-
Might be an idea to open a thread on the site offering free stuff ? You just have to collect it or pay for postage?
I'm not aware you couldn't just do that anyway with for Sale items, simply title *game system* or *period* books/models/dvds/terrain free to a good home (add hometown as indicator for local arrangements). Then first come first served, could maybe add a sub entry on the bazaar of obscurity for free/give away stuff?
I've been doing that with some books, that can't be bothered, for the 50p I'd make not worth my trouble to sell but don't want to bin a perfectly good item just because I don't want it and will still bring joy to someone else.
-
I've been doing that with some books, that can't be bothered, for the 50p I'd make not worth my trouble to sell but don't want to bin a perfectly good item just because I don't want it and will still bring joy to someone else.
I pretty much leave any paperback I have read in a high traffic space like a bus stop, airport, train station, waiting area, etc. with a sticky note on the cover that says "Free, please read and/or pass on".
-
I'll hand out the tissues to anyone who feel peeved by such actions taken by folk who take to depositing their hobby collection in a matter that seems fit to them. There are stories behind decisions made by folk at the time. Respect their right to decide and not go on the merry go round of being 'holier than thou' and you will be much wiser for it!
Well said; I completely agree with this, except that I'd expect people to provide their own tissues.
-
It does rub me the wrong way a little seeing any hobby stuff thrown out... partly because I know I've binned 1/72 plastics knowing it's so cheap, only to be tempted to re-buy years later when I'm into the scale again!
I'm fully aware it's no worse than anything else thrown out - I'll be the first to admit I've thrown out food, clothing, toys etc. that could have gone to a good home. I did once donate a big collection of toy castles that I never got around to converting into a warhammer fortress.
Every hard waste collection where I see exercise bikes or gym set ups that were left to rust and now unusable, I think that's a a way bigger waste of resources than some toy soldiers or RPG books thrown out and yeah, you don't know another person's situation or mental state so I try and keep my trap shut.
The subject itself here I find interesting and the replies have given me much to think about - I might add my own when I get a chance. The Christmas break has been an eye opener for me (I had all these plans, but the time wasted tidying up and distractions from sheer number of projects on the go).
-
I've been doing that with some books, that can't be bothered, for the 50p I'd make not worth my trouble to sell but don't want to bin a perfectly good item just because I don't want it and will still bring joy to someone else.
For books, we have "Little Free Library" birdhouses around the neighborhood, as well as a community "Friends of the Library" organization. Someone just used an old bookshelf instead of making a birdhouse thingie to hold the books.
https://littlefreelibrary.org/
https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/little-free-library-plans-1357149
Our FLGS used to have a "free things" table that people dropped off hobby stuff. Maybe have a local game club or Meetup group could have a "free game" day? Leftovers go to the local thrift shop?
-
Living in New Zealand it is difficult to off-load unwanted books and miniatures without a lot of effort and expensive postage, so I now tend to keep everything.
Like may other respondants I am finding painting a chore and the resulting unpainted plastic/lead mountain starts to detract from the fun of wargaming.
As kids I am sure most of us played with Airfix or Matchbox miniatures - unpainted - and had lots of fun. It got me thinking about whether a fancy paint job is really needed to enjoy the game. I have taken to trying a more monochromatic approach - spray with a base colour and add a limited number of other colours (I try to keep this to just 2 or 3) without trying to get all the detail. Use of washes of various hues help here. So, my Elves are armoured making the base spray a metalic silver, my Orcs show more skin, are dressed in ragged clothing and mainly use spears - base spray is brown. Horses are batch sprayed grey, black or brown.
The only well-painted figures will be commanders and other important characters. Even this plan is plodding along slowly, but at least some progress is being made.
The other thing detracting from the game is the rules. I keep trying to adapt rules to fit what I want. In doing so I get too involved with the changes and trialling them instead of getting on with a game that has rules that are good enough for what I want and are fun. It seems that perhaps expectations are too high and this affects the experience of gaming for me.
I can understand why for some people the frustration leads to throwing games out. This probably makes a clean break and is cathartic to some degree. But overall I think this is a shame and I would prefer to think that people would donate games and miniatures to someone rather than them going into the rubbish.
I have found this thread rather shocking that so many of us are no longer deriving enjoyment from the hobby and for some of us it is a real burden :'(
-
(https://i.ibb.co/LpsfdjM/pew-pew.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Ky8Hx4Y)
"Charge!" Pew, pew, pew. Boom!
Perhaps we would be happier playing like this.....
:D
-
I have taken to trying a more monochromatic approach - spray with a base colour and add a limited number of other colours (I try to keep this to just 2 or 3) without trying to get all the detail.
The other thing detracting from the game is the rules. I keep trying to adapt rules to fit what I want. In doing so I get too involved with the changes and trialling them instead of getting on with a game that has rules that are good enough for what I want and are fun. It seems that perhaps expectations are too high and this affects the experience of gaming for me.
Two really good points. I look at my collection of half finished armies painted in different styles, different basing, and wish that with each new purchase I just undercoated a solid colour and drybrushed a lighter shade, picked out a few colours and based.
Rules I do the same playing solo, always trying something new so every game is a boring "test game" with little thought put into the scenario or armies played!
-
I have dumped it all in the past. It’s liberating.
Unfortunately, the break was only 4-5 years and I got back into minis painting and gaming around 2016. I’ve done quite a bit in this time, and have sold some more recent work, I wish I hadn’t.
Anyway, anything not painted by Dec 31st 2024 is getting binned. I turn 50 on that day. I’m not hanging up the brushes, but refuse to have a queue after that point. Just the infrequent, small addition to my current collection.
I’ve got a ways to go so am in a two year sprint.
-
Rules I do the same playing solo, always trying something new so every game is a boring "test game" with little thought put into the scenario or armies played!
yup, I know that problem all too well :(
-
As kids I am sure most of us played with Airfix or Matchbox miniatures - unpainted - and had lots of fun. It got me thinking about whether a fancy paint job is really needed to enjoy the game.
Absolutely! I had a total blast playing with Airfix modern soldiers (and tanks) in my grandma's backyard flower-bed, pretending the rose-bushes were trees! Didn't use any rules, just took turns moving a single soldier at at time, choosing a target and making my best automatic rifle sound effects. Best wargaming experience of my life, really.
But now, as an adult, that just wouldn't do. I have tried playing unpainted and it's so uninspiring. I can't do it!
The other thing detracting from the game is the rules. I keep trying to adapt rules to fit what I want. In doing so I get too involved with the changes and trialling them instead of getting on with a game that has rules that are good enough for what I want and are fun. It seems that perhaps expectations are too high and this affects the experience of gaming for me.
Exactly this!
-
As I said before I am a very slow painter and i am very attached to my models. I have binned boradgames and books the last few months as they were lying around unread and unplayed for too long. Perhaps some of my side projects may suffer that fate.
My pile does shrink though. I've built up one in the past, but the last few years I paint more than I buy. I have finished some projects and I have a few games that I play regularly, so there is motivation to continue. And the few things I want to get rid of - if you play and build up experience in painting, it';s easier to adjudicate if you really WANT to paint or play something. So it's easier to get rid of it.
On a side note: I follow a solo wargame group on Facebook and I have observed that many there play with unpainted models. There is no reason why you shouldn't (especially when nobody sees it!). Play your game how you want it.
-
> I have taken to trying a more monochromatic approach
This actually works well with zombies! I doubt anyone has centered their games around the miniatures that are easiest to paint, but I'm fine with the easier to paint fantasy armies like undead, over the harder ones like humans and elves. I went with generic fantasy, since so many fantasy miniatures can be played in different rule systems, including RPG's, boardgames, miniatures games, etc.
> The other thing detracting from the game is the rules.
It may not be fun (I don't find painting fun, either), but writing rules can certainly be a hobby itself. Interestingly, I'm only interested (: in having *one* generic fantasy miniatures rules set and *one* sf set, since I don't like un-learning common combat concepts, such as line-of-sight, which seem to be different for every miniatures game, while most miniature games boil down to dice-throwing. I find it interesting because I have MANY more boardgame rulesets. Lasting Tales satisfies my munchkin itch, although, once I finish the LT scenarios, I'll probably end up going back to Gloomhaven.
> I turn 50 on that day.
I started *after* 50, or was that I started painting after I retired? (: Unfortunately, I now have to reduce the blood sugar, so painting is even slower.
-
I guess I've ended up doing it a bit like roller coaster dieting. Lose 10 pounds, then gain back 14, lose 14 then gain back 17...etc. etc.
I've had quite a few purges in my years of collecting/gaming, but it always seems I get back deeper into the next time....and on and on it goes.
But at the end of the day, these shiny little toys and the intimidating rule books give me a lot of joy and peace. It's a safe refuge from the more trying times in real life. Maybe that makes it all worth it.
-
In the US at least, if you are out of options, take it to a Goodwill.
Goodwill isn't the best of nonprofits, but the odds of your old gaming stuff finding a new home is pretty high. It's also a good place to look for used stuff if you're willing to accept that an entire lot might not be in ideal condition.
-
In the US at least, if you are out of options, take it to a Goodwill.
Goodwill isn't the best of nonprofits, but the odds of your old gaming stuff finding a new home is pretty high. It's also a good place to look for used stuff if you're willing to accept that an entire lot might not be in ideal condition.
Goodwill and other similar nonprofit thrift stores make it really easy to drop off items. Box it up & drop it off. If they can't sell it, they will bin it but at least there is a chance for reuse. In my area there are church groups and high schools that can even assist (kids get service hours for graduation).
-
In the US at least, if you are out of options, take it to a Goodwill.
Exactly what I did with all mine. I love the idea of someone shopping at Goodwill and stumbling across some gaming goodness.
-
Exactly what I did with all mine. I love the idea of someone shopping at Goodwill and stumbling across some gaming goodness.
Some day I'll luck out and find someone's abandoned treasure! 🙂
-
Friend of mine tried selling, no takers. Then decided to throw a ton of GW stuff away, because he was moving and didn't want to mess with the idea of haggling. This price, or I throw it away.
He posted when he threw it away. Guys were picking through his trash.
-
Interesting recent situation on this topic. A friend at my model railroad club is getting out of wargaming. He seems to be keeping his painted stuff and hobby supplies, but he gave me $500+ of unbuilt WW2 stuff, mostly Rubicon. Only request was that it gets used. Last night I distributed it for free among those of us at the wargaming club who are interested in K47. A boon of new kits is a kingly gift, but if it had been leftovers, painted stuff, random figures, etc, we still would have been glad to take it.
Whether the charity shop or a club, there's always a taker for free stuff.