Cabinet of Shame

[Tactalvanic]

I better start throwing out some of my wife's crap....

Remember, everything that is yours, is hers, everything that is hers, is still hers.

Now ask her to write a list, of her crap in order of what can go first, if she really loves you, then your collection will be no 1 on it, and you, second.

[Codsticker]

Lol, I don't think she has any idea; I don't think she even knows what she has.

[Robosmith]

Remember, everything that is yours, is hers, everything that is hers, is still hers.

Now ask her to write a list, of her crap in order of what can go first, if she really loves you, then your collection will be no 1 on it, and you, second.

Reminds me of an episode of Hoarders where a couple were both hoarding. She blamed him entirely until they started to throw things out and half of it was hers and she didn't want to let it go.

Does no one else have a trunk of models? I have an old carry case full to the brim of models thrown in. It's like a bit box you could fit a cat standing up inside with room to swing it's tail. I keep meaning to toss out a bunch of old stuff I'll never touch but 4 weeks later I get a conversion in mind and off I go into the box to find the bits for it. That's all I have.. honest.. please don't open the closet, it's full of skeletons (and many other undead...)

[Daeothar]

This is why I love the LAF.

Bear with me: a couple of months ago, I finished the move downstairs to my dedicated gaming room, but I had to bring everything down there. And boy, was it a lot...

I was really flabbergasted to find out how much hobby stuff I had actually accumulated over the years, and quite frankly, it was sort of a humbling experience as well. And because I really wanted to keep my new lair as neat and organized as possible, it was inevitable that I would be getting rid of a lot of low priority items, because I simply lacked the storage space for it all!

In fact, I'm right in the middle of that process, please check out my sales thread in the bazaar...

But while reading this thread, I found I'm not as bad as a lot of other collectors/gamers. Not by a long shot. Which gives me courage to face the coming period of downsizing, knowing it could have been infinitely worse

[khartoum2]

The cabinet in all its glory and shame

The bright blue Batman stuff stands out most

Old cabinet nearly empty but will have to work on filling that with stuff in boxes.

My 2 boxes under pressure to reduce (but I've got rid of one)

[Onebigriver]

The cabinet in all its glory and shame

The bright blue Batman stuff stands out most

Old cabinet nearly empty but will have to work on filling that with stuff in boxes.

My 2 boxes under pressure to reduce (but I've got rid of one)

I've got to say I don't think it's a bad idea. Having the unpainted miniatures on display with the painted ones may well be a good motivator to get them painted, instead of having them tucked away in boxes where they can be forgotten.

[Tactalvanic]

I've got to say I don't think it's a bad idea. Having the unpainted miniatures on display with the painted ones may well be a good motivator to get them painted, instead of having them tucked away in boxes where they can be forgotten.

It is, my study cabinet is mainly unpainted stuff, the majority of painted goes in boxes once done, a few stay to motivate, and the undercoated masses motivate from the opposite direction.

Feels good as a shelf fills with completed and the colored in stuff starts to out number the not, the already done ones help by showing you what you can achieve, and help encourage more painting and less work depressed fugue.

Nice cabinets, I only have a standard Ikea Billy with extra shelves - keep meaning to get s couple more extra shelves..

[Cubs]

Looks like you bought the same cabinet I did when they were going cheap in Lidl! I've got two of your wall-mounted one, and this is where the (only painted) stuff goes. Both are about half full so far, but I could squeeze more in by adding the extra shelves.

The unpainted stuff is hidden in tubs, drawers, boxes ... anything but on display.

[jon_1066]

My stuff isn't too bad.  I have half a dozen boxes in the loft, a set of shelves in the general purpose office come games room and the storage under the gaming table in the same.

One tip I would give is go to 6 mm.  My 6 mm napoleonics (French and Austrian armies) take up one box including terrain (most of which is woods)

I like the idea of putting everything in glass cabinets on display, painted and unpainted.  It would act as a motivator to get stuff done if you had a system whereby finished miniatures made there way up the shelves (ie unpainted low down, painted up high). 

[Onebigriver]

I like the idea of putting everything in glass cabinets on display, painted and unpainted.  It would act as a motivator to get stuff done if you had a system whereby finished miniatures made there way up the shelves (ie unpainted low down, painted up high).

I don't know, having an unpainted unit adjacent to painted ones might be the better motivator than banishing the unpainted figures to the depths of the display cabinet.

[Aerendar Valandil]

I've been in a surge (well, a very slow surge) to paint my piled up stock since about three years. I'm a slow painter, and although I have been collecting for ages, it isn't that bad. I think within a year or two most of my stuff will be painted. I have (painted and unpainted) two big chests and a few boxes, that's it.  The collection must remain limited though, as we live quite small. But hey, we cope.

[jon_1066]

I don't know, having an unpainted unit adjacent to painted ones might be the better motivator than banishing the unpainted figures to the depths of the display cabinet.

Ha yes!  Shame the unpainted unit by arranging it beside their painted brethren.

[khartoum2]

Feeling the shame I've started to work on the top shelf to make it look better and got a few pieces painted since the cabinet arrived

All of them are from 15mm Joan of arc Time of Legends - although the monsters wouldn't look out of place with 28mm figures

Still more to do

[Duncan McDane]

The point of shame has been passed ages ago over here  .
But seriously, after having been to hell for over 15 years, in retrospect even longer ( personal matters ) and still clawing my way back I've rediscovered that collecting and enjoying mini's simply makes me happy and relaxed. It just feels good to look at them, handle them, clean them, prime them and paint them ( although I haven't finished a single model in over 15 years. Coincidence? Probably not...
Shame? No. Not for those who really matter, they've seen me at my lowest point and they're still there. The rest I don't care about.
But I've always been a collector. Books, music, folk art, audio, toy cars, just name it and I probably got some of it.
However, at one moment one has to start downsizing or else. And that's what I'm doing atm, ditching the audio ( it took up more than 1 room at some point ) and only buying miniature board games ( kickstarters ) that actually will be played over here. And I'm more selective with models, not longer getting boxes with plastic sprues "because I could use it for  this or that"...  No. It won't happen. Never. Not in this household. So for me a waste of space and money. Better spend it on models that will actually see the light of day on the painting table or on the battlefield. I limit myself to boxed games though, like Kill Team, Warcry, Necromunda, that sort of things. Those plastics will get on the table.
Recently I shifted to backing kickstarters of and ordering from smaller companies and it feels satisfactory. Cool, original models, something else. Like e.g. Black Crab from Andrew May, Mom Miniatures, Into the Abyss, Midlam, Ragnarok ( Colin Patten ) and the next one will be Bob Murch's 1066, both sides probably. And the money? Not a rich man - far from it - but simply a question of priorities. I don't care for a new tv or new smartphone every 3-5 years, don't care for expensive clothes ( especially not inhouse ), never buy new bikes or cars, don't go to fancy restaurants, don't have expensive cable networks or whatever. Get my books and music from second hands or goodwill stores ( or when on sale ) so yes, then you can do a lot with the same money.
But it helps I live alone these days; when having a wife it quickly becomes a different matter. And that's a kind of freedom I don't want to give up now. She's got her place, I got mine and that's about it.
Ah, well, back to what really matters, cleaning and priming my beastmen  .

[Antonio J Carrasco]

Fortunately, I have no shame. Otherwise, I would quit the hobby!