Tuesday 26 April 2011

When is Enough Enough?



This weekend, while i was hiking and conquering all that Dartmoor National Park and her Tor's could throw at me:

(hansome devil)

I got to pondering about the hobby that we all love. Now I'm not usually one for insightful debates on this blog (if it can be called that!), but i got to thinking; 'when will i actually stop collecting toy soldiers?'

Now by this i don't mean 'grow up and do some sort of "Adult" hobby', i mean when will i put a cap on the number of models I'm collecting, painting and converting?

This is obviously a question that can't be answered right away, but it did make me look at my motivations for the hobby. My motivation is like the rest of the hobby world: I like collecting, painting and converting wargames models, simple as that. Then i thought about why i like Forgeworld models so much. Again, its probably like the rest of the world, I like finely detailed and superb looking minis. Then it struck me, as my mouse pointer drifted over to the PURCHASE button on the Forgeworld website later that evening. Why am i buying these Cadian Hazardous Environment Conversion Kits? Simple answer, most might say (well, to anyones who's seen the kits anyways!), but i then realised that i might be buying these minis because I'm obsessed with the BRAND, like a guy who likes Nike and not Adidas!

I've got 4 Imperial Guard Armies (3 of which are Forgeworld), why am i buying minis for a new one?? I'm also trying to get my Dark Eldar off the ground as well, so whats the the point in sinking money into an army i don't need especially when the current project has cheaper minis?

I'M OBSESSED WITH FORGEWORLD, AND I NEED HELP!

There, i said it. I'm told its the first step towards a cure! I have found what makes my hobby clock tick, and its a desire to collect a brand, no matter how much I've got already.

So i didn't buy those kits, and decided to stop buying any more models until the DE are done, and then put a cap on it after that. I've got 5 playable armies at the mo, with the sixth being built. For me, for the moment anyways, enough is enough, and its time to slow it down!

All this being said, i comfortably predict that this won't last past the summer, when I'm sure they'll be more models that i want, and buying will resume in full, and probably, with a vengeance!

Out of all that text, i hope that you fellow hobbyists can extract the point that I'm trying to make: when do you stop, and what keeps you going?

The GunGrave

11 comments:

  1. I stopped collecting models when I realised that based the average amount of painting I can do in one day, I would need about a year to paint fully designated army lists for each of my main "race" (BA, IG and Orks). That's pretty bad isn't it? Ideally I will finish my BA in a couple of months and then my IG in 4 to 5 months and then probably another 3 of four months for the Orks. So no point buying any new models right now if more so if you consider that I am waiting for the new Necron codex to buy some stuff :)

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  2. This could have been written straight out of my head.

    For me it was the realization that someday (hopefully in the very distant future) I'll be gone. If, and I do mean 'if', I collect minis till I die, what will become of them after that? It all started to feel kind of futile after that. I collect, I build a bit, I paint a little, and I almost never get around to playing a game. So I've stopped buying more minis for the time being. I have enough armies and bits for conversion to keep my busy for years. I guess I'm starting to feel bad about spending the money knowing it will likely all end up in the boot of someones car and nothing I've done with my toys will matter.

    At least till new Sisters of Battle come out... damn!

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  3. I had a similar epiphany not long ago when my family and I were having a major clearout. It was then I realised quite how many unopened boxes I've amassed(a large cupboard full)! So I decided to go on purchase strike! Now I won't let myself buy unless I've painted three other 'things' that are old first.

    I've surpassed myself by not buying any tomb kings stuff even though I've been eagerly awaiting their return after realising they didn't work having read WFB8thEd.

    I recon that as long as your still having fun doing it, go on ahead. Inner Geek don't give up! At the end of the day its a relatively cheap hobby that we all get hours of fun out of. Just don't spend more on buying models than your actually going to ever have time to paint!

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  4. I would say I am like the rest of you. It's when you look at what you have left and go oh my god I need to stop buying this stuff and paint what I have. I say that and I have just purchased two boxes of Grey Knights and a special model for a friend who wants me to do a paint job for him. But that will be it now for a long time, unless Games Day brings something special like a Plastic Warhound say.

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  5. I was talking to Rob earlier tonight about how the hobby has really run dry for me recently. I was re missing on how I would give anything to get that feeling of being completely enthusiastic about a new 'shinny thing' again.

    I put it down to that fact that for over a year now I have had 0 disposable income and I have come to value other things that I would normally take for granted more highly.

    Perhaps you keep buying forgeworld simply because you can. You earn a good wage and so does Leanne and so you have a guilt free personal budget for warhammer, which doesn't take away from rent and bills. Perhaps you spend simply because there isn't anything else you need the money for so you may as well buy something nice for yourself? Thats not necessarily a problem. I'm sure that when I get a wage back in October, I might re-discover my gamers itch.

    I know what you mean though, when is enough really enough? I asked myself the same question a while back on my blog. In short, I would say enough is when it begins to take away from things that really matter, like the financial health of your household or your relationship. Until that happens, I would worry about it

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  6. He he he, a plastic Warhound would probably lead to my financial ruin! But i wouldn't care!

    I've found a way around hobby stagnation that doesnt involve buying in new models, and thats repainting old ones. You've probably seen my latest DKOK, which are all (mostly) repaints. Its like buying a whole new army again!

    I'll be repainting all my metal Vostroyans soon, as im taking them to a tournament at the end of June. Im hoping that this will quench the implulse to buy anything new for a while!

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  7. @ Smurf - yeah, having a larger disposable income definately plays a part in the Forgeworld addiction, without a doubt. Foutunately the situation is such that no other part of my life is suffering because of it. Well, not yet anyways! We'll wait and see if Forgeworld do go ahead and make a Warlord Titan! That might just finish me off!

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  8. I find myself doing the same thing from time to time. I buy a load of models over a few months, then I say, "Why am I buying these models I already have so many to paint..." So I stop buying for awhile and get close to catching up when I decide I want something else and start buying again. Only yo repeat the cycle. We do it because we enjoy it. As long as we enjoy it, we'll keep buying. I'm going to be buying some System troops from pig iron soon. So at least it's different from GW.

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  9. I may have just put a dent in your wallet as well ;)

    Mark-
    DreamForge-Games

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  10. I think we all must hit this point at some stage. Im not allowing myself to make any more purchases beyond what I need to finish a project. I have been limiting myself to only working on a few units at a time, and will only move on to consider my next project when those units are done. This has helped me focus my hobby time and ensure I use up as many o those poor sprue laden minatures which deserve to see a table top.

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  11. Kill team is the way to go mate... less to buy and less to paint (unless you go crazy like I do and end up with 4 or 5 different ones - then it might as well be a new army). On a serious note though, I think that as long as you are financially secure, happy, and have a decent relationship with the woman in your life, then why shouldn't you splash out every now and then on some of the luxuries of life.

    I understand where Smurf is coming from as well mind, this year has been tough on a lot of us and GW don't throw us a bone by hiking up prices and making new shiny kits.

    I find ebay to be my best friend these days if I feel the need to start a new project.

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