selling off and streamlining collections

[Norm]

I have put up a ramble on the blog about giving tighter focus to where I want my gaming to go, getting rid of distractions and more effectively giving time to the projects that need to grow. I have spent several years just looking at piles of different parts of the collection, knowing that they need sorting out - now they have been.

LINK

http://battlefieldswarriors.blogspot.com/2022/01/everything-has-gone.html

[Easy E]

Kudos to you! 



I am lucky in my gaming in that my wargaming budget structure and release timeline keeps me hyper-focused on projects to drive them to completion.  Therefore, I do not have a "Pile of Shame" that carries over year-over-year. 

I am lucky in that I have not had to sell anything in my "career".  However, I have heard good things about purging your backlogs and releasing yourself from the burdens of past projects.   

[Cubs]

Aye, it feels good, it really does. Every now and then I do a cull and it's surprising how, when it boils down to it, I am prepared to hold on to things for years that I'm never going to realistically even look at, never mind paint.

[Codsticker]

... surprising..., when it boils down to it, I am prepared to hold on to things for years that I'm never going to realistically even look at, never mind paint.

Same. I rarely cull, I just keep adding even though- for some it- there is a slim chance it will ever get out of it's original packaging.

[Vis Bellica]

Interesting post.

When I left university (many years ago: we were still taught in Latin) and started earning enough of a salary to start a proper collection of wargaming figures, I made the decision to collect only 15mm figures.

I've stuck with this over the years, despite the temptations of games such as CoC and Sharp Practice, and ranges such as the new 10mm Black Powder lines, and now have over 20,000 figures ready to game. It's proved, as the OP said, to keep me focussed enough that most projects can actually get mostly completed before the new "shiny, shiny" takes my fancy.

I have, however, never sold or otherwise disposed of a figure. Some of my gaming friends regularly sell off whole periods' worth of figures in order to invest in a new theatre or set of rules, but I'm lucky enough not to need to do that. Of course, I have only three pairs of shoes (work shoes, hike boots, trainers) compared to some of my (male) friends who can sport up to thirty-five pairs...but then they don't have fourteen different armies for TTS. More fool them!

Late last year, after a long hiatus, I played a couple of most enjoyable 19thC games (Austro-Prussian war to be exact). Half way through the first game I realised that my figures had not been out of their storage boxes for over twenty years! They still looked good and I took some satisfaction that I had been able to satisfy my new (or rather re-new) "shiny, shiny" without any sort of delay.

Where will I be in ten years time? Well hopefully still pushing lead, as it were, and probably retired and down to only two pairs of shoes, with the resultant gap in the cupboard packed full of even more figures!

VB

[modelwarrior]

I have been delaying a cull off for ages just because its such a pain to sell it off. You advertise things for ages and not a single bite and then you have the time wasters as well. Saying that I got lucky about 5 years ago and sold my entire 15mm WW2 collection to one very wealthy/happy chap so I might get lucky again.
 I like the idea of having a target amount to sell off each week just as an inspirational drive but I have to do something shortly as space is running out.

[Redshank]

I am probably at the opposite end of the process from most here, as I only got back into the hobby about 18 months ago. Despite everything I have read about piles of shame etc. I have started to get distracted from my original projects (Mex-American War and Russo-Japanese naval) driven by finding minis or rules I like the look of. One of the sidetracks (Victorian SF) has more or less turned into a 3rd main project.

In terms of clearouts, I have been nosing around ebay looking to get ahead cheaply with my collecting, but can't find much suitable.

[Harry Faversham]

Prevaricating's wot I seem to do best these days! I'm cogitating on selling my 15mm Crusader/Saracens, but then every time I look at 'em I postpone the plan.

[Major_Gilbear]

I'm cogitating on selling my 15mm Crusader/Saracens, but then every time I look at 'em I postpone the plan.

Well, if they are all painted and ready, surely you just need to try and get a few more games in with them? 

However, if, for whatever reason, you simply don't have any passion for the scale or period any more, and you don't/haven't/won't use them for a long time, then perhaps it's time for them to go to somebody who will appreciate them more? If they go to a friend, at least you have the possibility of still getting in some games with them in the future. It could free up some space and funds for the things that you are currently interested in.

Anyway, just a thought.

[Harry Faversham]

Anyway, just a thought.

That is a really good thought Major.
They're all painted up, but like you mention, the spark for the period has gone. Now, if I could sell them to a member of the Grimsby Club, I could still get to see 'em in action again.

[Easy E]

Once I put in the time and effort to paint them, they are not going anywhere.  I will FIND a reason and place to use them. 

Even if the game system is dead and they are unique models to that system, I still find a way to use them! Even if I have to writ the rules to do so myself!

[Pijlie]

....giving tighter focus to where I want my gaming to go, getting rid of distractions and more effectively giving time to the projects that need to grow.

You kinda make it sound like work 

But seriously, if this is what you need to enjoy the hobby, all the succes to you! I on the other hand don't bother with either focus or deadlines (those are for work only) and enjoy the hobby nevertheless. It has resulted, over the years, in dozens of playable projects (what does "finished" mean anyway?) and thousands of painted figures, vehicles and terrain pieces in 10mm, 20mm, 28mm and other scales.

But I do wish you hobby enjoyment devoid of focus-related stress, in whatever way works best for you.

[mellis1644]

I need dreams and plans for the future the lead pile is full of them. Yes I' have the squirrel tendency for some things and a magpie habit for collecting/bargin deals, but I really do have a plan and a dream behind each large lead pile....

So unless I really need to I likely won't see off too much - for now

[45thdiv]

I end up selling off armies as I run out of room.  It’s mostly the eras I have multiple sizes of figures.  Do I really need WW2 figures in 15mm, 20mm, 28mm, 60mm, etc?  Since I like skirmish WW2, I kept the 60mm.  I have been slowly trying to finish up the lead piles from various eras and things are looking good. 

[Norm]

Thanks all.

I had completed my ‘streamlining’ of hobby by early January this year. It is now the end of the month and my painting totals are probably around three times more than I was managing before.

The only difference that I can put my finger on is that motivation has increased and I think that is because I know I am now painting stuff that I am more likely to keep, so there is a greater sense of purpose.