Last friday, before heading out to the club in Tilburg, I made a detour to Wouter, one of my readers in Belgium, just across the border. He had a few boxes of stuff for me, free if I wanted them. After a good hard look at his display case, in which there was anything from 6mm right up to 15mm, he showed me a stack of boxes and said, that is it. Stacked on top of each other the pile would have been more then half my height! He hadn't toutched the stuff in ages.
After managing to load everything in my car, I was again told I was free to do with it as I pleased, and we exhchanged emailadresses, and his reply is already in so Wouter, I will send you a reply asap after finishing my Blogpost for the day. :)
After a considerable detour (at one part going through a forest on a dirt road, just following locals who seemed to know where to go even if the detour signs in Belgium seem to lack anything usefull like information which way to go! I made it to Tilburg.
It was already past 8, so I could not do too much greenstuff work on the drone, but I managed to make both fanhousings look more organic, for the lack of a better word. A few nice chats and a first hand view at Mark's excellent conversion of a Bloodthirster (I hope I'm getting that right), plus me gazing at the new Mechanicus robots and their engineer, and the soon to be released Techpriest, all brilliant models for Inquisitor.
Came home, told the wife what I had in the car and was met with the foulest look in weeks. She was most definately not pleased! Well, it was (quite) a bit more then what I had expected myself, but our rules are clear, only free stuff can enter the house and anything unwanted must be sold.
Saturday was spent cleaning out the backyard and piling stones, so nothing got done that day, I didn't even manage to unload the car. Sunday my wife needed the car to go over to a friend (she won't be back till monday evening) so it had to be unloaded. I got that foul look again when I carried everything into the house.....
After she left, and I had put the kids to bed I spent a good 4 hours sorting stuff from all of those boxes. I managed to collect a big box of Chaos Space Marines, a big box of Dark Eldar and a box filled with various sprues. Also a box full of Epic Building sprues. All of that will need to go, as I have no need for those armies (having said that, I set all of the Plague Marine bits aside to keep, a good strip and they can be painted to join my Plague Marines) I then sorted all of the metals and painted stuff, again more Dark Eldar, lots of Chaos Space Marines and Terminators, a small painted Tau Force and then 2 big boxes of various stuff, 1 to keep, 1 to sell or trade. A full set of Warhammer Quest heroes inthere as well, plus some enemies, I think I will strip them and use them for painting practice. Also included were a Chaos Predator and a Eldar Fire Prism (with the metal bits), in open but complete boxes. The Predator can stay, the Prism will need to get a new owner.
4 hours well spent, I will need to get the unwanted stuff listed fast cause I'm really running out of room now, so I'm thinking of selling the boxes of Chaos Space Marines plastics, and the Dark Eldar plastics and metals as 2 big lots at a low price locally with free shipping to make room fast.
What a weekend. Thx Wouter :)
A journey of a man trying to fight his Ooh! Shiney! addiction while painting interesting things at the same time....
maandag 25 mei 2015
woensdag 13 mei 2015
Conquering the Lead Mountain
I can always use more incentive to stay on target, and Wouter pointed out to me that there was a initiative to help me with that. It's the:
Conquering The Lead Mountain FB page and historyspiderweb article
The rules are simple enough:
Oh, and the chest I tried to cast last night? 95% ok, so more then passable for a tabletop piece.
Conquering The Lead Mountain FB page and historyspiderweb article
The rules are simple enough:
1. No purchasing of new miniatures, EXCEPT if you use a joker. You get three jokers to use on a figure purchase. Could be a blister pack, an ebay bundle, or a single figure...you can't splurge. The only exception to this rule is if you need bitz or A FIGURE (Singular) to complete a unit/warband etc.It starts June 1, 2015 thru November 30, 2015 so I'm just in time. Of course I will try to get in the plus by selling more figures as well, but I want to paint too, dammit.
1.1 - There is an opportunity to "earn" additional jokers. If you complete an entire project (whole unit/army/warband etc.) with pictures of starting, WIP, and completion, you earn yourself a Joker.
2. Gifts do not count against you. Holidays, birthdays etc. Also, if you're given gift cards by your hobby illiterate family or friends, you can without penalty use them on anything you want miniatures wise.
3. Paints, terrain (or materials), and other hobby supplies do not apply to the no purchasing rule.
4. At least one hobby related blog post and/or Instagram update a week. If you instagram, be sure to hashtag your pic with #6MMRPC
5. Zombtober will be part of the 6 month challenge so, Zombie related stuff during October is ENCOURAGED. Other theme suggestions are welcomed.
6. Anyone that wants to submit a before and after picture of a miniature that they are proud of completing during the course of the challenge to dmcffd@gmail.com will be entered into the running for a gift certificate to a online wargaming store of their choice. Judging will be by an un-biased person. Amount on the gift certificate will be dictated by winners nationality but should work out to about $30 U.S. I (Spiderweb of History) will not be eligible to win.
Oh, and the chest I tried to cast last night? 95% ok, so more then passable for a tabletop piece.
donderdag 7 mei 2015
Last of the many and a tough choice
Today I received all of the bits needed for the Nurgle Drones (not the baby Drones) plus a large lot from a Belgian collector full of RT era stuff and other bits, many that will be sold off to pay for that and make a profit to go straight into the bank account.
I have 2 more payments to do for a total of 35 euros that had been accepted auctions from 2 weeks ago that I can't back out of.
Which leaves me a deal worth 55 Pounds for a AK-47 army that I agreed to buy as soon as I had the money for it, and for which I have bought quite the collection of aircraft. I've never backed out of a deal before, my word is worth gold to me, but in this case I have to be tough with myself and say no. I've always had nagging doubts about doing AK-47 in 15mm when everything I do, have and love is 20mm, and buying models in 20mm is just as expensive and even cheaper then 15mm. But 2 of my mates liked the idea so much I was drawn into it anyway, happy to have found likeminded individuals that don't live halfway across the globe. I really don't like to disappointing people, but in this case I have to be tough and choose me, myself and I.
And it sucks :( I've been looking forward to it so much. Picked up stuff and traded items for it. And now it has been all for naught. I'm going to return the bits I traded with my friends, sell of the rest and call it quits. The idea will remain in my head though, waiting for better times in the future.
Right, next up, make a blogpost about something nice.
I have 2 more payments to do for a total of 35 euros that had been accepted auctions from 2 weeks ago that I can't back out of.
Which leaves me a deal worth 55 Pounds for a AK-47 army that I agreed to buy as soon as I had the money for it, and for which I have bought quite the collection of aircraft. I've never backed out of a deal before, my word is worth gold to me, but in this case I have to be tough with myself and say no. I've always had nagging doubts about doing AK-47 in 15mm when everything I do, have and love is 20mm, and buying models in 20mm is just as expensive and even cheaper then 15mm. But 2 of my mates liked the idea so much I was drawn into it anyway, happy to have found likeminded individuals that don't live halfway across the globe. I really don't like to disappointing people, but in this case I have to be tough and choose me, myself and I.
And it sucks :( I've been looking forward to it so much. Picked up stuff and traded items for it. And now it has been all for naught. I'm going to return the bits I traded with my friends, sell of the rest and call it quits. The idea will remain in my head though, waiting for better times in the future.
Right, next up, make a blogpost about something nice.
dinsdag 5 mei 2015
I ain't no Scrooge McDuck
On a more serious note.
After my wifes incident (for lack of a better word) a lot of help has arrived for her and for us. One of them dropped in today to look at our financial planning (to prevent somebody asking for welfare, they send these guys over to make families financially healthy and steer them in the right direction....if possible, before they request welfare). My wife passed the test with flying colours, our mutual account just passed it but I failed it miserably. :(
As of today, my hobby budget is 0. Anything I sell will go into the bank account. I will not spend any money on the hobby for the next 2 months for starters, I'm not even allowed to trade bits (cause that would cost postage). I've already started a online cash registry to see what comes in and what comes out, and I've been shocked to see what I have been spending on the hobby for the last 6 months alone. The gentleman told me I have all of the characteristics of an addict as I refuse any help with clearing out my storage unit and downplay my expenses. On the other side he did praise me for being open about it and wanting change and told my wife to stop pushing me so much to sell, sell, sell as this clearly is a major issue between us.
In short:
I'm also told to have fun. Don't be selling all week, do that 2 nights a week and continue the hobby for the other 3. Go out to the club, after you drop by the storage unit. They are not teling me to quit the hobby, but to be more financially responsible with it.
And I agree completely.
Being in debt and buying models has caused stress and grief with my wife that we both can do without. If I keep at it till the end of the year and keep selling stuff I should be able to be debt free to the bank, but I know it will cost me considerable effort to keep my focus (again, that's where my mates come in) but if the end result is a happier wife, I'm all for it.
On a funnier note, the man handling the finances knew exactly what my hobby was about as he has had more clients with the same hobby, and the same problem! I feel I am in good hands, and he's coming over in the evening next week to further discuss steps that need to be taken, so I don't have to use holiday time to leave work earlier to get help. Cause right now, every single euro is needed.
And I'm sure I'll manage just fine.
After my wifes incident (for lack of a better word) a lot of help has arrived for her and for us. One of them dropped in today to look at our financial planning (to prevent somebody asking for welfare, they send these guys over to make families financially healthy and steer them in the right direction....if possible, before they request welfare). My wife passed the test with flying colours, our mutual account just passed it but I failed it miserably. :(
As of today, my hobby budget is 0. Anything I sell will go into the bank account. I will not spend any money on the hobby for the next 2 months for starters, I'm not even allowed to trade bits (cause that would cost postage). I've already started a online cash registry to see what comes in and what comes out, and I've been shocked to see what I have been spending on the hobby for the last 6 months alone. The gentleman told me I have all of the characteristics of an addict as I refuse any help with clearing out my storage unit and downplay my expenses. On the other side he did praise me for being open about it and wanting change and told my wife to stop pushing me so much to sell, sell, sell as this clearly is a major issue between us.
In short:
- Don't buy anything like miniatures, snacks or other crap (would make me healthier too)
- Don't swap, only sell, ask full postage, no more discounts
- Clean out the storage unit. Visit it weekly, sell what you can, throw out low value stuff and stop paying rent for it as soon as possible.
- Clean out the attic. Visit it weekly, sell what you can, throw out low value stuff and sell all of those fancy high end storage containers you have that are surplus (around 40 of em eventually)
I'm also told to have fun. Don't be selling all week, do that 2 nights a week and continue the hobby for the other 3. Go out to the club, after you drop by the storage unit. They are not teling me to quit the hobby, but to be more financially responsible with it.
And I agree completely.
Being in debt and buying models has caused stress and grief with my wife that we both can do without. If I keep at it till the end of the year and keep selling stuff I should be able to be debt free to the bank, but I know it will cost me considerable effort to keep my focus (again, that's where my mates come in) but if the end result is a happier wife, I'm all for it.
On a funnier note, the man handling the finances knew exactly what my hobby was about as he has had more clients with the same hobby, and the same problem! I feel I am in good hands, and he's coming over in the evening next week to further discuss steps that need to be taken, so I don't have to use holiday time to leave work earlier to get help. Cause right now, every single euro is needed.
And I'm sure I'll manage just fine.