Over this last year I have unfortunately lost one close friend and three school friends that I grew up with and to be honest it does focus ones mind a little. Like all wargamers of a certain age you look at your collection and wonder what will happen to it.
John has a more pragmatic viewpoint and doesn't see the disposal as a problem or an issue to trouble which is an enviable position to have.He feels he's used them, enjoyed their use and its not his problem once he's gone.
Me being a sensitive soul view it differently.
The issue is not just the disposal of the figures, but all the books, magazines, handy pieces of kit etc etc. Once such a worry wouldn't have been a problem. There was always another wargamer who wanted to buy another large historical army or buildings etc for their use. Usually one didn't make a large profit, but you could usually rely on getting your money back for the sale. One was also certain they wouldn't end up locked away in a cupboard or worse a skip! But now?...............
Clearly the wargaming trend these last few years has been for small [50/60 figures] a side games. Additionally these gamers need less terrain and less buildings. Now I've got nothing against this type of wargame and I will admit I've enjoyed the ones I've played. They are fun.
Then there has been the massive increase in fantasy table top games again containing less figures albeit beautifully sculpted ones.Clearly these people have no requirement for a load of historically researched books and biographies and definitely any historical figures.
When one attends wargaming shows the large historical games containing hundreds if not thousands of figures are a rarity now and their replacements are more of these skirmish type games probably of a non historical bent. Again I have no issues with these small games which usually are very well done affairs.
The issue is that these gamers don't want of desire large wargaming armies and seem happy with their more modest displays and collections. Consequently the market for moving on large historical armies appears to be diminishing and the need for books is even worse. What does one do with a life's collection?
I am of an age who grew up in the years after the most cataclysmic event for many generations. As a child I was surrounded by the effects of the Second World War. I saw it on television, in comics, books, education and by listening to the rarely discussed question of family experiences during the war. As a child and teenager I was fascinated by all things military and was hungry for information. Once I discovered wargaming it became even worse? as I craved to possess armies and I mean large numbers of figures of wargaming figures. First they were Airfix plastics but as I grew older these were replaced by the 'adult' metal figures. How could you be playing with toy soldiers? These are pewter and impeccably researched and cost a lot of money.
I was lucky in a lot of respects, I had a job. As a family we had a little disposable income and more importantly working shifts meant I was able to find time at the oddest hours to collect and paint my soldiers. Yes the cash was tight but through birthdays, Christmases, overtime etc. I was able to build up my collection. And then I sold the lot and replaced them with 6mm armies which I again painted. At the time I never batted an eyelid. I could build the armies again. I had time and some spare cash.
And then of course I returned to my first love, 25/28mm metal figures. I think the colour and heft was just too much for me. Who can resist serried ranks of metal joyousness. The rest is history.
Unfortunately like a lot of wargamers one gets side tracked and begins to deviate from their main projects and buy figures that never will be painted or used. We've all been there if the readers are of a certain age. Younger wargaming souls appear to be different. 50 figures here, 50 figures there, they might make for a fun game but there is never a need for an army of hundreds if not thousands of figures.Books? Nah dont need them, just the latest set of rules and of course the inevitable lists of troop/monster types.
The net result is that as wargamers fade away, very few collections are wanted and certainly unless it is a very rare book, these beloved items are merely seen as candidates for a charity shop.In recent months Ive seen copies of my favourites being sold for the proverbial pennies. The Anatomy of Glory is a good example. I paid weekly to buy this book from a local shop until eventually I could own it. I felt I had won the pools [ a pre Lottery game] Recently I saw a copy unloved at a Bring and Buy selling for a fiver. It never sold? I nearly bought it because it was that cheap even though I still have my copy.
I've nearly completed my English Civil War Old School collection and wonder if I should consider building further armies. I hope I would have the time but realistically speaking I have armies now that dont receive enough action so what would be the need for building further armies when these should be used first?
I am currently piling up unpainted figures that I will sell. My book collection is more of an issue as most of them have a personal memory attached to them as I strove for information and the cash to own the book I needed. But I also have very very large collections of 6mm Napoleonic armies that have rarely been used for years. Do I offload these to the ever diminishing market, safe in the knowledge that another wargamer will use them? Or do merely leave them in their draws until I shift this Earth when they risk being skipped with piles of magazines and books. The very thought brings me out in a cold sweat. I appreciate this is a problem for wargamers generally but as historical wargamers disappear who will want their large armies? Certainly not the gamer who uses the latest offering of rulebooks.
The images are of my latest English Civil War additions. All Hinchliffe Miniatures.The cavalry were painted using a couple of pots of the new Games Workshop Contrast paints.Tried as an experiment.
