What would you do if you had to start over?

[armchairgeneral]

I would do the American Revolution in 10mm instead of 20.....

That's a good point. Think I would go the other way and do AWI in 40mm instead of 28, using the amazing Fronk Rank range.

[zemjw]

I've been following this thread with interest, and I still struggle to come up with an answer.

I like nearly all the models I've painted over the years (otherwise, why spend time painting them), but there aren't really any I plan on taking into the afterlife with me (maybe a couple of my first dwarves, but not much else). I don't, therefore, see me trying to replace stuff that's out of production (which is a big chunk of my collection)

I think I'd stick with figures for skirmish games - fantasy, post apoc and SF. I'd try not to build up such a pile of unbuilt vehicle kits and I'd look to buy scenery that I could store more easily than a lot of my current stuff.

I've always enjoyed painting figures, so I don't think I'd stop, even after such an unpleasant event. I hope, however, never to have to put that to the test!

[Redmao]

I wish I could say I would focus on an era and a single scale, but I have to be honest, I couldn't.
One day I"m all about sci-fi, then a few weeks later, I want to build some WW2 troops for some commando action, then I get into super heroes, then spies, the space adventures and sci-fi again...
I buy a box of Caesar 1/72 soldiers then another and when I think I'm focusing on that scale I notice those awesome new Crooked Dice 28mm minis...

I'm a mess.

[Hu Rhu]

Weep. 

[Grimmnar]

As one who knows for sure as this happened to me back in 97.
I tried to replace where/when I could as well as I started over.
Lost my belongings to a flood back in PA.

Grimm

[Lawful Evil]

If I ever get back into army-wide wargaming, it will be 10mm.

Wish I'd started large scale gaming like this, 28mm is awful for whole army battles.

[grant]

Wish I'd started large scale gaming like this, 28mm is awful for whole army battles.

Yes; as pretty as 28mm massive armies are, they're, um, massive.

This is why I am such a 6mm fan, especially for WW2; I also have 15mm Naps. A smattering of 28mm that are for skirmish only. Big armies go small scale. Oh, and I have some Great War naval.

The obvious problem with this is terrain: a set is needed for each scale. A conundrum indeed. However, I haven't found any 6mm that I like other than GHQ, so it's WW2 and Moderns in 6mm.

For me, I've always been enthralled with AB for Naps, so this year for Xmas that's what I got - a massive amount French, Austrians, and Russians for Leipzig 1813 and the battles around. Buildings are going to be the problem as I'll need a whole new size.

For my skirmishy 28mm, I have some Republican Romans with an Aventine elephant, again something I always wanted, and I can get away without buildings I think. The wild areas to fight over will be enough. Maybe a temple or something. It's for that upcoming Gods and Monsters and Romans game that Mark Latham is putting out. No rush to get these done but that elephant calls to me!

[Constable Bertrand]

Good question.. sorry to hear your loss.

I think to me it comes down to people, do you still hang out with those people, do they have miniatures, is there a new board game they are playing. If so I'd be tempted to make new terrain for that and collect a team of skirmish minis to play.

I'd avoid large scale battle systems like the plague and id like to think I wouldn't morn the loss of my first miniatures: Bretonnians.

Otherwise.. perhaps I'd just buy a motorbike.

[joroas]

I have been having that wargaming Sméagol/Gollum chat for over a year and, I think, if I had to start again, then I probably wouldn't!

[Chuckaroobob]

I would skip the whole RPG period during high school and go directly into mini gaming!

[eilif]

I would skip the whole RPG period during high school and go directly into mini gaming!

I feel similarly. I wasted a year or two reading RPG's, then messed about with Battletech, then tried to find cheaper alternatives to 40k before settling on 40k.  Though if starting today I'd skip GW entirely, if speaking to my younger self, I'd say just buy the 40k stuff little by little. All that cash you wasted on other stuff could have been a whole other army for 40k.

[warrenpeace]

I wouldn't collect airplanes (1:300 scale WW2 and 1:144 scale WW1). I love painting little planes, but don't particularly like gaming with them. I wouldn't buy for mass army battles with multiple figure bases. Been there. Done that. Love my 15mm SYW and 28mm WSS figures. But wouldn't spend that kind of money and commit to that much storage space again. I wouldn't replace my 1:72 scale WW2. Got into that because of all the cheap but beautiful pre-painted Dragon Armor back in the day. Wouldn't spend on that again. And it's a really bad idea to have terrain in 3 or 4 different sizes. Ouch! I'd probably just stick with 28mm.

Not sure if I would replace my 1:2400 scale WW1 naval or not. Maybe I would buy a few models from War Times Journal for specific scenarios. But I doubt that I'd try to collect whole navies again.

I think I would mostly focus on Pulp, what I call "role playing scale," a level below micro-skirmish. Collect few figures, paint them well, and concentrate on making cool little tables for the movie scenes that make up Pulp games. Could always collect a few more figures to bump it up to micro-skirmish or skirmish scale actions. I'd probably only collect 28mm.

[3 fingers]

I am kind of doing something similar,I got back into the hobby recently and went on a impulsive buying spree,since I looked at my stash reality check that I wasn't going to do it all,
Decided to do two projects  ,28 mm skirmish ,one medieval style fantasy type ,one sci fi frontier planet/rogue trader type .
Looked through my stuff put few things aside and selling rest off.
Only things I'm keeping for hell of it is my flintloque ,but I will probably downside that as got tub full of it.

[Vermis]

I meant it as in you had a collection then didn't.

I sadly lost my entire 30 year collection in December last year.

First, I'd probably lie face down on the carpet and cry.

If I lost it all then I would probably just change tack.

Yup. I think I'd do what a lot of you already said - dropping GW purchases for one thing. (Perhaps barring one-off models or box sets, like Deathwatch Overkill) Especially at the current time, when the minis for their old fantasy world are being rapidly whittled down. Too much money and time to replace minis that might disappear in the meantime, or have already disappeared.

For another, I might make a bigger switch to smaller scales, especially with all the 15mm returning or popping up. Or I might even take the opportunity to follow my daydreams and start that fantasy range of minis I'd like to see. (I.e. not following GW's style or sculpted by old GW names who haven't changed style in two-three decades)

[manatic]

Like many others in this thread I guess I would start anew but try to keep it more focused. To be honest, I'm not too attached to a large part of my collection - I have a couple of old Warhammer armies that are nostalgic enough that I won't sell them, but it wouldn't be a killing blow if I lost them. Then again, not having lost anything, it's easy to say this.