Ruminations on the future


A bit of warning:  this is a bit of a 'dear diary' post and thus has little of interest for those looking for pictures of games or models.  

Part of my "Paint or Die" initiative for 2016 is a thorough review of my entire collection.  I have been collecting and trading for so long, that the pile is completely out of control.  To that end, I did an inventory of my collection based on period and scale:


Key:  Dark Green - Completed for play
          Green- Project underway
          Yellow - Planned expansion for the future
           Red - Existing minis to be purged!


As you can see I have most of my periods of interest in at least two scales with some in three different scales.  I enjoy both skirmish and mass battles, so I have decided to select one scale for each where it is appropriate.  I probably have also cast far too wide a net in terms of "areas of interest."  I envy those that can devote all of their interest on one time period or era in gaming.  Even after doing this I realized I had left out my 1/1200 scale Age of Sail ships I picked up for doing the Naval engagements of the War of 1812.

With this in mind, I want to try and consolidate my interests into something more manageable.  My primary interest is in restricting it down to 2 scales and eliminating the parts of the collection that were not painted/organized by me.  I have come to terms with the fact that I have made the transition from primarily a gamer to primarily a collector.  So here are my criteria:

  • Reduce the # of scales per period to 2:  Primarily 6mm for mass battles and 28mm for skirmish with some exceptions.
  • Reduce the amount of terrain I need to have on hand, to ensure better looking games. (Focus on 6m and 28mm terrain)
  • Standardize my basing to some degree to reduce the logistics load of maintaining so many bases.
  • Eliminate miniatures painted by strangers in my collection.
  • Continue with my long term goal of collecting representative forces for each era of the US Army.
  • Mitigate the sense of existential dread I feel when I look at the lead pile
As you can see from the list.  15mm stands to be the biggest loser.  This is a result in the change to my painting style over the years.  I tend to approach 15mm in the same was as 28mm, which requires more time, and I am rarely happy with the outcome.  10mm lends itself well to the expressionist approach I use with 6mm, so they will be safe.  I am seriously considering eliminating the 20mm WWII collection as well, but the shear volume of Armor models, coupled with the expense of 28mm vehicles, is dissuading me from any rash decisions.  On top of all of this, I am noticing that all of my new display cabinets are rapidly reaching capacity.  If I run out of space, there will probably be an intervention in the house.



Comments

  1. Good luck with the re-structure! I tried something similar a while back, cutting out 28mm. It lasted about 3 years. 20mm snuck in for ww2 skirmish, then 28mm re-appeared because it is very appealing to my 8 year-old.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had a similar experience when I switched from 28 to 20mm for WWII back in the late 90s. My 10 year old demonstrates the same interest in 28mm.

      Delete
  2. Don't dismiss the project planning, posts. Always some of my favorites!

    Certainly appears 15mm will bear the brunt of the Big Purge. I often consider trimming down too but what to jettison? Perhaps if a collection has not been on the table for two years, I ought to give it careful consideration.

    As for intervention, you may need one. I suggest an intervention to build more cabinetry to store even more figures!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am running out of space for new display cabinets (and glass shelves). For me, it is not about how much use the force gets, but my connection to it.

      Delete
  3. Well, obviously, you, Jon and I all have very strong Collextor streaks! Thje only figures that I have ever gotten rid of were the 1000 or so figures of my French Napoleonic Scruby 25mm army, and some other related Scruby Napoleonics. They gave outstanding service for 25+ years, but an upgrade was needed. Other than that, I have pretty much every figure I've ever painted. My best decision ever was to use 25/28mm figures, and ONLY that scale. I do see another shelf unit coming on soon, though, as well as a definire slowing of the growth pf my collection. Of course, I say that now...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. One scale only does have its appeal. My long term goal is to get to the point that all of my existing collections can actually be fielded for a game, and future additions would be to diversify the existing collections.

      Delete
  4. Great post and something I was considering. Many years ago (pre blog) I got rid of all my 15mm and 20mm stuff. Now focus on just 10mm and 28mm best decision I ever made.

    I too was becoming a collector / hoarderbut I now force myself to play every week. My blog has helped me to outreach to new players in the area. Good Luck

    All the best

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would love to get 1 game in a month. Currently, scheduling and a lack of local players makes my gaming much more infrequent.

      Delete
    2. Jake, you did manage THREE games in April!

      Delete
    3. Yes, but that averages out to less than 1 per month for 2016....

      Delete

Post a Comment