I don't want to buy any new models/kits in 2018 - but how?

[joroas]

I am in the same boat and, I would bet, most of the folks are suffering, or have suffered in the past, from the shiny syndrome.  It is quite pervasive and, if untreated, kills off interest in the hobby by the sheer scale of the task you have created.  It is no surprise to see skirmish gaming on the rise! Write up your tasks for 2018 and put the rest out of sight! Take care and enjoy.

[Onebigriver]

Was watching "Hoarders" on CBS Reality yesterday. A bloke had too many toys and his family was sick of it. I caught myself thinking that I should have bought the diecast Rogue One At-Ats in Poundland on Friday. There may be no hope!

All I can suggest is stick to following threads that will inspire current projects and absorb as much inspiration from books, films etc at the same time.

[Skyven]

The best way I found was to have a joint bank account and shared credit cards. If the spouse knows what you are spending and doesn't like it you'll soon find out. My partner is an external conscience. :-)

[joroas]

Sadly, my wife encourages me to spend and can't understand when I won't go to shows or order stuff.  It is an addiction, plain and simple!

[Mick_in_Switzerland]

I found a good solution to buying hobby stuff.

The rule is that you are not allowed to buy any figures, vehicles etc for one month.
This is simple to operate and incredibly effective at stopping impulse purchases.
If you want to buy something, you have to write it down with the date.
After one month, go back to your list and, only then, you can either buy it or cross it off the list.
You will actually find that in most cases, you no longer want the item.

This works for all sorts of tools, hobby and sports equipment.

[joroas]

I have a list of about £200 worth of stuff I WANT, but there is nothing that I currently NEED, so it will not be bought for some time! Paints, glues, etc are a different thing.

[LeadAsbestos]

I found a good solution to buying hobby stuff.

The rule is that you are not allowed to buy any figures, vehicles etc for one month.
This is simple to operate and incredibly effective at stopping impulse purchases.
If you want to buy something, you have to write it down with the date.
After one month, go back to your list and, only then, you can either buy it or cross it off the list.
You will actually find that in most cases, you no longer want the item.

I will second this one! Once the Ohhh Shiny! passes, it really won't be missed...

[joroas]

I realised that, even after selling loads, I have 12 armies for Black Powder!!!!!! Worse, I forgot I had some of them.......

[Gunbird]

Thx guys, but I really don't want to make lists or tabs anymore of what I would want etc......I just want to make due with wat I have next year and be done with it (paints, tools, decals excluded of course). Buying kits/miniatures has been (and still is) an addiction to keep trying to make fresh new starts. The time has now come to finish.....and I mean this in the lightest of terms because no army is ever finished.... what I have in a playable state so I can actually game more.

Also, I have unsubcribed from a ton of FB groups and narrowed it down to just a few specifically related to what me and the guys play, and I'm also down to just 2 forums. All of that should go a long way to remove at least some of the Ooh shiney from areas not related to what we game but what would attract me.

Will it work? I dunno. I'm only (mostly) human after all. But buying stuff to quickly feel better is not the way to go, I want to get my fullfilment from finishing stuff like I did when I started this hobby 15+ years ago. Chasing after the next best thing just isn't worth it.

[Gabbi]

Depending on the commitment you have on the subject, you could give a read to Bauman's books. Recently discovered his works myself, so no worthy suggestions from me yet, but looks like something could help understande the urge for instant gratification in purchasing stuff.

[joroas]

My downfall was replacing my largely painted 15mm armies with 28mm Perry and Warlord plastic and metal armies which still sit unpainted........

[Daeothar]

I've been through a pretty rought financial patch in the past, and from that I've learned to budget myself really strictly.

Even today, now that I really have nothing to complain about when it comes to disposable income, I actually feel guilty when I exceed my self imposed monthly budget. And I actually find it invigorating to realize I've dodged another bullet by keeping myself to my budget.

In fact, during those days, I did all my weekly grocery shopping on my way home from work on Friday afternoon (usually being hungry), and when I was able to leave the store with just those items that were on my list, I could be proud of myself, having resisted the lure of stuff I didn't need (and usually couldn't afford anyway).

It's so easy to cave in to the shiny, but I've found that after about two years or so of mandatory frugality, the lure of the new has decreased dramatically.

Nowadays, I basically only buy for the projects I have running. They may be dormant for years, but when I see a good deal, I will pick it up, even if I won't be getting to it for years. But this always makes me ask myself 'is this required for the project?' first.

This sounds exactly opposite to what you're after, but hear me out I almost never buy anything new! Basically, I am a hobby vulture, preying on all those impulse buys that get thrown back out into the market, often at vastly reduced prices. That does mean that my projects get fed only piecemeal, as I never know when something will pop up, but the thrill of the hunt and find have rewards all of their own...

So I avoid stores (it helps that there is only a small GW in my city, and no other hobby stores at all). This includes webstores by the way, and I get my kicks on Marktplaats and LAF.

I've found that buying 2nd hand miniatures does nothing to diminish their value as paintable and playable items; they're just (vastly) cheaper. And by making sure that I only buy what I will (eventually) use, I also greatly reduce the amount of shiny I will allow myself, while still scratching that capitalist-consumer itch.

This means that even though my collection has also reached an impressive volume over the years, there is very little chaff so to speak. I only have very few miniatures that I know I won't be using, and those get sold off.

Also, I still allow myself to go to Crisis and Poldercon each year, but I only carry cash to pay for my purchases, and that cash usually gets saved up over the year (all proceedings from my birthday go into this fund for instance).

The suggestion to only use Paypal for purchases is a good one btw: it eliminates AliExpress and brick stores, and you can tightly budget yourself as well.

Good luck on this venture; I've seen many who struggle with this challenge (I've been guilty of falling off the wagon myself too ). I suppose I can look back myself on my misfortune back in the day and take the additional self-restraint as a big positive that has come out of it...

[N.C.S.E]

I've found that buying 2nd hand miniatures does nothing to diminish their value as paintable and playable items; they're just (vastly) cheaper. And by making sure that I only buy what I will (eventually) use, I also greatly reduce the amount of shiny I will allow myself, while still scratching that capitalist-consumer itch.

Seconding this. Wargaming purchases are a great luxury for me so I always try to look around for great and second hand deals first. My only GW purchase in a decade was when I got a hold of some rather rare (and hideously expensive) imperial guard figures for a steal.

The suggestion of keeping a list (and given the season - checking it twice) is a terrific one and I'll definitely be stealing that!

[Duncan McDane]

As a fellow hoarder collector I have to wish you good luck. 
The only - sound - advice I can give you is don't buy under pressure, because "it's a sale, it's a kickstarter, black friday, I have the other books/kits/games/models in that range too and blablabla", just let it go. It will turn up 2nd hand sooner or later, when you actually can afford it ( be it moneywise, roomwise or projectwise ). So many great new things will turn up on a daily base, it's impossible to back/buy them all, let alone paint/game with them. Sure, you'll feel initially regret by missing it but in the end 99,9% chance you won't miss it. And even if you do, there's always the 2nd hand market.

[Predatorpt]

As a fellow hoarder collector I have to wish you good luck. 
The only - sound - advice I can give you is don't buy under pressure, because "it's a sale, it's a kickstarter, black friday, I have the other books/kits/games/models in that range too and blablabla", just let it go. It will turn up 2nd hand sooner or later, when you actually can afford it ( be it moneywise, roomwise or projectwise ). So many great new things will turn up on a daily base, it's impossible to back/buy them all, let alone paint/game with them. Sure, you'll feel initially regret by missing it but in the end 99,9% chance you won't miss it. And even if you do, there's always the 2nd hand market.

Yeah, this is great advice and what I'm trying to do - stay away from temptation, from the "Ooh shiney" factor.

Gunbird - your idea about just putting aside some money to buy decals, etc. seems to be right step. But even that should have a limit. Just buy for the projects you can finish and are related to what your gaming right now (Battlegroup, Black Ops and Gaslands). 

Maybe do a big sale at the start of the year, of all the stuff you won't be needing in the near future and put that money aside.

PS - did you buy a big lot of Leman Russ track guards in a FB group two weeks ago? If it was you and you don't need them, I can take them out of your hands