As I write this in our home office, the table of my toy/wargames room next door is groaning under the weight on numerous REALLY USEFUL BOXES full of toy soldiers. Sorting them out into some sort of order will take place either later today or tomorrow, but the first thing I must do is to address the contents of the large crates that were stored behind them.
These larger crates contain all sorts of things: spare Heroscape terrain (mainly 21-hex pieces, of which I seem to have over fifty!), all manner of green and sand-coloured cloths, boxed games, a few books, and various pieces of gaming paraphernalia. On top of the crates were several boxes containing models, a drone (which I have yet to be master flying!), three large rolled-up vinyl wargames terrain cloths from Games Workshop (two desert and one green), two large cardboard tubes (one contains rolled-up vinyl chessboards and the other contains rolled-up Chessex gridded games mats), and two large pieces of felt ... one green and one sand-coloured.
I am definitely going to keep some of this stuff ... but the Games Workshop terrain cloths are going to have to go (I'm never likely to use them) as will some of the spare Heroscape terrain. The models are saleable on eBay, but difficult to post, and the vinyl chessboards have served their purpose and I would like to pass them on to someone who will be able to use them. I will take some of the stuff to COW in the hope that one or more of the attendees will find a use for my cast-offs ... and may even be willing to part with some beer-vouchers in exchange! As to the rest ... well that is something that I am going to have to think about.
These larger crates contain all sorts of things: spare Heroscape terrain (mainly 21-hex pieces, of which I seem to have over fifty!), all manner of green and sand-coloured cloths, boxed games, a few books, and various pieces of gaming paraphernalia. On top of the crates were several boxes containing models, a drone (which I have yet to be master flying!), three large rolled-up vinyl wargames terrain cloths from Games Workshop (two desert and one green), two large cardboard tubes (one contains rolled-up vinyl chessboards and the other contains rolled-up Chessex gridded games mats), and two large pieces of felt ... one green and one sand-coloured.
I am definitely going to keep some of this stuff ... but the Games Workshop terrain cloths are going to have to go (I'm never likely to use them) as will some of the spare Heroscape terrain. The models are saleable on eBay, but difficult to post, and the vinyl chessboards have served their purpose and I would like to pass them on to someone who will be able to use them. I will take some of the stuff to COW in the hope that one or more of the attendees will find a use for my cast-offs ... and may even be willing to part with some beer-vouchers in exchange! As to the rest ... well that is something that I am going to have to think about.
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Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteI would love to be a fly on the wall in your room at the moment - echoes of Howard carter and the tomb of Tutankhamen - "Things, wonderful things....!"
All the best,
DC
David Crook,
DeleteActually it was more 'when - and why - did I buy that?
All the best,
Bob
I have been gripped for too long by similar over-collecting and the arrested mindset that results ..... ‘be bold’ are the few words of advice that I can offer, if only I could follow my own advice :-)
ReplyDeleteNorm,
DeleteIt is a quite cathartic exercise. Over the years I have acquire huge amounts of stuff that I will never use, and this way I end up with more space for what I will use.
Its a positive result as far as I am concerned.
All the best,
Bob
Bob,
ReplyDeleteYour description of your hoard makes me realise what a pathetic wargamer I've been, as I've failed dismally to amass such a collection - although, perhaps my book collection might rival yours. Being a Miniature Wargames reviewer means I regularly receive new volumes...
Perhaps never having had a dedicated wargame room - our loft conversion, which I had originally envisaged in that role, has instead remained a bedroom - has prevented me doing so? so maybe that was for the best.
My current strategy is to focus all my future wargaming on Portable Wargames for black powder era battles, using the Hexon terrain I had from you (to which I may add) and the Imaginations armies I've had painted. So, no more expensive rulebooks; no uniform references; cull my collection of Napoleonic memoirs and history; sell the few boardgames and miscellaneous bits and pieces, and I'm good for the future.
Good luck with your downsizing!
Best wishes,
Arthur
Arthur Harman (Arthur),
DeleteSome sections of my book collection are sacrosanct and have avoided the cull. These are my wargames and my naval books. Of the rest ... well if I have space and it doesn't duplicate something else, it will probably be kept.
Having a dedicated toy/wargames room is great ... but it can make one a little unaware of just how much stuff you have. I think that a situation somewhere between what you and I have would probably be ideal. In other words, space to setup and play wargames that doesn't get in everyone else's way, but not so much space that you can become frivolous and try to do everything that takes your fancy.
I see my future being inexorably linked to my PORTABLE WARGAME rules (basically 1800 to 1950), and using the figures that I already own. I might acquire a few others for small projects, but these additions will be measured in tens rather than hundreds of figures.
All the best,
Bob
Arthur Harman - it is good to hear that you will be following an Imagi-Nations theme...which Thetre-Era will you be following...very interested to know your 'Theme' - mine is 1846 Somewhere in Europe. Cheers. KEV.
DeleteKev Robertson,
DeleteArthur's interests are late eighteenth/early nineteenth century (i.e. mainly Napoleonic).
All the best,
Bob
How big are the GW mats? I'd intended to get a desert one just as they stopped making them.
ReplyDeleteI've found it quite simple to sell odd books via Amazon, there's another site Ian can recommend for selling larger quantities.
Nigel Drury,
DeleteI think that the mats are 3' x 4'. If you want one of them, I will put it to one side and bring it to COW for you.
Thanks for the tip regarding selling books on Amazon. I may well follow it up when I reach the stage of selling the books I am getting rid of.
All the best,
Bob
Bob,
ReplyDeleteSounds as though your knee deep into the long and arduous- though pleasing plight of clearing away a Collection of a life-time...I've done this sort of thing fairly regularly in the past- trimming down to what is important and essential to my interests and where I want to be with my Miniature Armies. One aspect of clearing things away- I never parted with the raw materials I use regularly for Scratch Building - I've a very nice collection of Cardboard going back decades...all very useful. Anyway- all the very best with sorting things out - The Charf from the Wheat. Cheers. KEV.
Kev Robertson,
DeleteI can hardly move around my toy/wargames room at present, but the end is in sight ... I think!
You are right about keeping raw materials for modelling. It is always worth having stuff like wood and Plasticard to hand just in case you need it.
All the best,
Bob
I came down from the loft after what I considered "Job Well Done" in putting the loft in order (only one box deep all-round so I can now at least see what I have) to which my wife say .. "You still have a lot of stuff" .. I realised after the fact that I should have tried to hide the smile. I will be interested to see what makes the trip to CoW :)
ReplyDeleteGeordie an Exile FoG,
DeleteMy my wife didn't realise that there was an alcove full of boxes in my toy/wargames room that couldn't be seen because it was behind another pile of storage boxes ... but now that she does, she has 'requested' that I empty it. In fact this makes a lot of sense as I couldn't access anything in there without moving everything out of the way first!
I'll be bringing some stuff to get rid of at COW. Is there anything particular that you might be interested in?
All the best,
Bob
Only in buying you a beer mate ;)
DeleteGeordie an Exiled FOG,
DeleteMake it a pint of Diet Coke,
All the best,
Bob
Geordie an Exiled FoG,
DeleteI'll see you in the bar!
All the best,
Bob
"Pleasure and pain" comes to mind.
ReplyDeleteI'm just pleased that I can now get into my cupboard under the eaves. Not done yet!
Be bold, be bold but not tooooo bold.
Ross Mac,
DeleteIt is a painful process ... but I know that the end result will be worth it.
All the best,
Bob
Bob
ReplyDeleteI've not seen a hexon terrain cloth but they sound potentially useful. If you bring them to COW is certainly like to take a look. Not absolutely sure I can use it at the moment though - i have some half imagined projects in mind.
Cheers
Andrew
Rumblestrip (Andrew),
DeleteSorry to disappoint you but the hexed terrain mats are made by Chessex, and are A3-size very small hexes. I can certainly bring them along if you might be interested.
All the best,
Bob
Sorry Bob my mistake. I was referring to the GW mats that Nigel was talking about above. If you can fit them in when you come to COW and I can have a look, that would be handy. But if you're already laden don't worry about it. As i say it's a possible addition to a backburner project.
Deletecheers
Andrew
Rumblestrip (Andrew),
DeleteI'll bring along the mats if I can fit them into my car.
All the best,
Bob
I'd be interested in one of the game mats. So much nicer than my collection of ratty old cloth.
ReplyDeleteMartin Rapier,
DeleteI am afraid that the game mats might already be spoken for. One might become available if the person who wants it cannot collect it from me.
All the best,
Bob