My name is Michael and I'm a Toy Soldier-aholic

[Midpoint]

...and it has been 16964 since my last confession.




But the thing is, I might be in recovery.

Most recently I've been filling out my ECW collection. That more or less done I've been scouting for a new project. The thing is, each time I come up with a candidate I come up with a list of reasons its not worthwhile or wouldn't give me an experience markedly different from what it already in the collections.

I could do imaginations - but then my 6mm WSS could easily cover that. Indian Mutiny is tempting, but I have large AWI and Napoleonic collections. Vietnam would be different to the rest - but that means a lot of investment and volume wrt terrain and scenery, and I'm not sure I like the Bohica rules I got recently.

So, am I done collecting, or is it just a matter of time until the bug strikes again?

[has.been]

Relax & play/enjoy what you have. The Bug WILL strike.
Maybe not for a while, but anything can trigger its attack.
A song, film, book, article, nice figures/scenery. I know. 

[Midpoint]

This time of year we'd be getting the Salute noise about new shines. Not this year though...

[Shahbahraz]

Ha..  anyone who only has enough figures that they can actually be counted rather than weighed, or enumerated by rooms.. well, you aren't trying hard enough.

Don't worry - something will come along.

[Inkpaduta]

You could try a new scale. 2mm, 20mm, 40mm or 54mm?

[Golgotha]

Go on... get some more, I know you want to!

Besides as someone who suffers from figmentia you ultimately will not be able to resist.

[FierceKitty]

Binge on terrain or on baggage elements? Do you have a good games mat? Naval? Hiring muscle for levying promising youngsters from subject communities, and taking them off to the capital to be raised as fanatical gamers?

[syrinx0]

Probably just a temporary lull.  I have managed to keep my collection down to only one scale (the ONE TRUE ONE of course) but otherwise on the same trajectory.  I have recently purged old projects but usually with the already planned purchase of new miniatures.  I have noticed though new projects tend to be skirmish as opposed to full armies but that may just be a temporary trend too.

[Fred Mills]

Love the graphic, and the passion behind it!! My attraction to the record keeping, however, is somewhat outweighed by fear of the actual answer! Having yesterday added two more US WWII trucks to a vast and mostly unpainted 1/72 scale collection (you know, for future skirmish games...), I find a lot of unpainted lead and plastic laughing at me from those basement shelves.

But, without shame, I add and add!!

[Midpoint]

Thanks Fred.

We all found things to do during lockdown!

I had partially organised spreadsheets for each scale - it can be useful to know how much cavalry you have for example. The Napoleonic spreadsheet took the weewee with a calculation of mass and the length of magna basing used. I have calmed down a bit since then.

[The Dozing Dragon]

Tis' but a temporary thing brought on by insanity. Worry not 

[mellis1644]

Ha..  anyone who only has enough figures that they can actually be counted rather than weighed, or enumerated by rooms.. well, you aren't trying hard enough.

Don't worry - something will come along.

+1 for sure.

'A lot' and 'a huge number' are allowable measurements of figures IMO.

[FifteensAway]

syrinx0 - congratulations on choosing 15 mm!   

It is possible to get to the end of collecting figures - I am almost there.  Finish off my German East Africa when QRF is back up and running and they release the Belgians and Portuguese and some African scenery.  A few things from Peter Pig for Mexican buildings and some cars (for pulpish sort of games).  Then it will only be the odd bit here and there - if even that.

Plenty to paint in pending retirement (two months to last day worked, three months to the big day!) with something between 36,000 and 40,000 figures collected over the decades, maybe 20% painted - maybe.

Are you there, Midpoint?  Only you can figure that bit out.  Do consider this: unpainted figures, by my approximate calculations, take about 1/3 as much storage space as do painted figures.  Do you have enough room to treble the space taken by your still unpainted collections?  That is certainly the scary part for me - where the heck will I find room for everything once it is all painted!   

[Midpoint]

syrinx0 - congratulations on choosing 15 mm!   

It is possible to get to the end of collecting figures - I am almost there.  Finish off my German East Africa when QRF is back up and running and they release the Belgians and Portuguese and some African scenery.  A few things from Peter Pig for Mexican buildings and some cars (for pulpish sort of games).  Then it will only be the odd bit here and there - if even that.

Plenty to paint in pending retirement (two months to last day worked, three months to the big day!) with something between 36,000 and 40,000 figures collected over the decades, maybe 20% painted - maybe.

Are you there, Midpoint?  Only you can figure that bit out.  Do consider this: unpainted figures, by my approximate calculations, take about 1/3 as much storage space as do painted figures.  Do you have enough room to treble the space taken by your still unpainted collections?  That is certainly the scary part for me - where the heck will I find room for everything once it is all painted!   

Those numbers are for painted figures only. Leadpile is pretty ruthlessly managed and is currently at about 20 figures total! That may change as I but another batch this month...

[FifteensAway]

Something around 17,000 painted figures is quite impressive!  Good job.  One day I hope to be where there are few to none figures left to paint.  That is a several years into retirement, though.  Maybe more than several. 

What I need to do is get enough of each collection painted to be able to game with it and then just slowly build each collection to completion - painting wise, they are almost all complete as far as purchases.