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Author Topic: Why so many figures?  (Read 3702 times)

Offline Easy E

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Re: Why so many figures?
« Reply #45 on: January 20, 2025, 09:35:26 PM »
I tend to start a rules-writing project and that also requires the forces to go with it.  I then paint them up, play a bunch, put them in the rulebook, and then...... move onto the next project. 

I don't really have a pile of shame, because once a project gets to the Miniature stage, then it is mostly done.  I paint models as the last post-production step and promotional steps.   
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Offline FifteensAway

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Re: Why so many figures?
« Reply #46 on: January 21, 2025, 02:24:43 AM »
Not sure if this should be in this thread or if a new one should be started - and I fully realize there is no specific 'right' answer, but a carefully considered and thoughtful answer might be of great value to some.

And the question is what is the ideal number of figures to have in a collection?  And it does matter.

Case in point, yesterday I ran an AWI game using Rank and File for five players and we had just shy of 500 15mm figures on a 5' x 6' table.  That didn't quite crowd the table but it did provide some traffic jam issues but as intended, I wanted to force the players to have to do some maneuvering before engaging in combat and it seemed to work.

I would say the number of figures in that game was an upper limit of what can be put on that much table space for that size figure, for smaller figures, perhaps higher numbers, for larger figures, smaller numbers.  And, of course, the number may vary for this with regular access to larger tables - or smaller tables are all that is available.  So I guess the number is relative to table size.  So maybe keep the 5' x 6' table for the purposes of discussion.

And the way it relates here is this: if people have a good idea of the upper reaches of a particular sub-collection for a specific historical period (may still apply to fantasy and sci-fi but I am focusing on historical) maybe that will provide a broad guide of how many figures is too many figures to collect for a given period - keeping in mind available table size for regular play.  Obviously, for conventions and other special events, there may be much larger tables available.  But how many of us would have adjusted what we own if there was such a 'magic number'?  And, again, it matters and can be discussed despite the slippery element of pinning down such a number.  Think more of it as more of a broad guide versus a hard and fast rule.

-----
Part of why I have so many figures is in times past I could count on 8-16 players in a game on 16' tables.  No where near as many players available on a regular basis anymore and table size is more in the range mentioned above but can sometimes double the table size.  I suspect if I had a more well-defined 'ideal number of figures' to shoot for when I got started I'd probably have somewhat less than half of what I do now, maybe only a third; still be a lot of figures but somewhat more reasonable.  And, of course, my enthusiasm far outstripped the realities of getting that many figures painted - and this from someone who has painted 1,000+ figures for four years running. 
-----
« Last Edit: January 21, 2025, 04:42:53 AM by FifteensAway »
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Offline Khusru2

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Re: Why so many figures?
« Reply #47 on: January 21, 2025, 03:06:28 AM »
As someone who collected a Late Achaemenid army in the early '80s I would say no number is too many! On a 6x4 table it was from one side to the other with a mass behind the main force. Thankfully, that was before DBA when armies were army size.
Then it was wall-to-wall Classical Indians etc, etc.

Offline fusilierdan

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Re: Why so many figures?
« Reply #48 on: January 21, 2025, 12:02:20 PM »
Not sure if this should be in this thread or if a new one should be started - and I fully realize there is no specific 'right' answer, but a carefully considered and thoughtful answer might be of great value to some.

And the question is what is the ideal number of figures to have in a collection?  And it does matter.


Short answer. Another thread as there's a number of factors to consider and it will be interesting to hear others thoughts. It's a great question.

Offline Mick_in_Switzerland

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Re: Why so many figures?
« Reply #49 on: January 21, 2025, 12:11:19 PM »
I always buy two opposing armies so that I can host a game.

Over the years, I have done everything from Spartans to ultra modern, plus Aliens, Space Crusade, and fantasy LOTR, D&D and Heroquest.

I think I have at least 5,000 painted 28mm figures. I also have WW1 & WW2 & 1970s in 10mm Pendraken & 3d prints.

I enjoy building and painting and making scenery.

Offline Tom Dulski

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Re: Why so many figures?
« Reply #50 on: January 21, 2025, 12:16:30 PM »

 Would it be out of line to say that many of the people on this forum are retired or nearing retirement? I'd also speculate that most of us have mortgages that are paid off and enough savings so that we can safely buy minis without our bank accounts taking a hit? I'm at the point in my life that if I want something I buy it. We're not going to be here forever so enjoy it while you can.  :D

Offline ithoriel

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Re: Why so many figures?
« Reply #51 on: January 21, 2025, 03:47:31 PM »
Would it be out of line to say that many of the people on this forum are retired or nearing retirement? I'd also speculate that most of us have mortgages that are paid off and enough savings so that we can safely buy minis without our bank accounts taking a hit? I'm at the point in my life that if I want something I buy it. We're not going to be here forever so enjoy it while you can.  :D

This!!
There are 100 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary and those who can work from incomplete data.

Offline HerbertTarkel

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Re: Why so many figures?
« Reply #52 on: January 21, 2025, 04:05:33 PM »
Would it be out of line to say that many of the people on this forum are retired or nearing retirement? I'd also speculate that most of us have mortgages that are paid off and enough savings so that we can safely buy minis without our bank accounts taking a hit? I'm at the point in my life that if I want something I buy it. We're not going to be here forever so enjoy it while you can.  :D

Very much so! I don’t worry much about money these days.
I AM Canadian.

Offline FifteensAway

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Re: Why so many figures?
« Reply #53 on: January 21, 2025, 04:55:03 PM »
"if I want something I buy it" <= exactly the mindset that led to my excessive number of figures.  Well considered restraint is a good thing in all areas of life.  But, given responses in my 'companion thread' to this one and personal observation over the decades in this hobby, "well considered", "thoughtful", and "reasonable", are rarely included in our purchasing decisions in this hobby.  Sure, some are quite well controlled.  Some, clearly, are way outside of that box.  So, keep having fun - until one day you wake up, look around, and ask yourself, "What was I thinking!?".  As alluded to in a response in that companion thread, the most valuable commodity any of us will ever possess is our time.  I am choosing to be much more mindful of that with my miniatures going forward.  Mind you, I greatly enjoy the painting process but I also understand it is only useful time if it meets the end goal of figures on the table and in a game.  Otherwise the time would be better spent on my other hobbies or interests.  Enthusiasm is grand until it outstrips reason.

Offline anevilgiraffe

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Re: Why so many figures?
« Reply #54 on: January 21, 2025, 05:33:52 PM »
Would it be out of line to say that many of the people on this forum are retired or nearing retirement? I'd also speculate that most of us have mortgages that are paid off and enough savings so that we can safely buy minis without our bank accounts taking a hit? I'm at the point in my life that if I want something I buy it. We're not going to be here forever so enjoy it while you can.  :D

not me... career took a terminal dive, 8 redundancies under my belt, at 51, I still rent, have a meagre hobby budget, no savings and not much of a pension to look forward to, so will be earning what I can to hobby as much as I can.

Offline v_lazy_dragon

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Re: Why so many figures?
« Reply #55 on: January 21, 2025, 06:52:32 PM »
Would it be out of line to say that many of the people on this forum are retired or nearing retirement? I'd also speculate that most of us have mortgages that are paid off and enough savings so that we can safely buy minis without our bank accounts taking a hit? I'm at the point in my life that if I want something I buy it. We're not going to be here forever so enjoy it while you can.  :D

Late 30's, 1 kid, 6 cats, about 20 chickens and 2 reenactment periods.... On a good month I can splash a couple $100s on hobby stuff, but those are somewhat rare. Being in Canada the 2nd hand figure market is poor and shipping is a major factor on purchases. That said, I have a big backlog of models from pre kids/cats/chooks when funds  were more available and shipping was cheaper.  lol

I culled a pile of projects before moving to Canada, but am still gently whittling away on some and growing others. Mostly trying to thin out projects with no/little painted stuff and/or those with different scenery requirements - the overall goal is to have a few projects that are well developed enough to be able to put on good size games with no 'it's not painted yet' restrictions and plenty of scenery options.
My Dad is a scale modeler with a substantial hoard, and I don't look forward to having to deal with inheriting all that!  I think that also partly shapes my thoughts. Much easier to manage a couple of coherent collections than many wildly scattered projects
Xander
Army painters thread: leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=56540.msg671536#new
WinterApoc thread: leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=50815.0

Offline Easy E

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Re: Why so many figures?
« Reply #56 on: January 21, 2025, 08:28:55 PM »
Not retired, but solidly middle-aged.  Single income household with two students in college.  More animals than is healthy on the Easy E Homestead. 

Therefore, my budget is based on what I can sell.  If I make enough selling wargame/RPG content, I can then re-invest it into the next projects.  Sometimes, the projects that get finished are the ones I can complete with existing minis so no "new" funding is needed.  Most hobby things I buy are intended to make some sort of return at some point and many are often multi-use.   

Offline mikedemana

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Re: Why so many figures?
« Reply #57 on: January 22, 2025, 05:54:44 PM »
I have a friend who does the same thing. When he buys an army for whatever game he's playing, he typically buys two. He paints one up to sell and the other to keep. Now that his kids are in high school, and actually interesting in going to wargaming conventions with him, he buys stuff in the flea market to sell to fund the convention trips. Several nights in a hotel can be expensive -- not to mention food for two high school age devouring machines!  lol Last flea market at Historicon, he and I sat down together at his table. He had 5 28mm Saga armies to sell and about as many 15mm fantasy armies.

Good strategy -- make the hobby pay for its purchases.

Mike Demana

Offline ithoriel

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Re: Why so many figures?
« Reply #58 on: January 22, 2025, 11:03:28 PM »
I used to say that I bought an army every year at Claymore (the Edinburgh convention), painted it, played with it for a year and sold it at a profit in order to buy an army at Claymore.

Fortunately these days I can afford to keep the old armies.

 

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