Anti Shiny Syndrome League

[seldon9 12954xp 1]

I find with rulebooks that those I wish to keep will stay on the shelf. Those I didn’t like or didn’t play much will go when I need the space. I don’t think too much more about it.

[taochi 6267xp 6]

After spending most of my life collecting shiny boxes which mostly remained unopened, I have started in the last few years to question this habit and make slow but quite dramatic changes. It all boiled down to the declining effect of this spending spree bandaid. I have suffered, since childhood, from anxiety and depression, making it a habit to purchase new things to calm for a while the angst and sadness that regularly reared their head. Several years back, after a break from the hobby of many years, I dipped a toe back in and was immediately lured into delving deeper in the acquisition of paints, games, miniatures, etc… To the point that today I have populated a large corner of my office with a painting studio  and annexed one room of our home as a game room full to the rim of shiny boxes which most are left unopened. Yet, I came to realize that the acquisition of these new toys no longer masks the anxiety and that, rather than calming  my spirits, new kickstarters, games, miniatures tend to increase the angst and provoke hobby paralysis. As a result, I started selling tons of games and putting a major break on new acquisitions, deciding instead to focus on the more than a ple collection of what I am interested in playing. I will of course retain my 3D printers as I use them to bring terrain to life for games such as Frostgrave/Stargrave/Moonstone, but have cancelled my patreons and not acquiring any 3D printed miniatures. I have decided to not delve into miniature-intense kickstarters any more, going so far as to planning the immediate sale of a couple, coming my way before there are even open. I try to make my sole hobby expenses the next few months paints, brushes and a few spools of PLA. I find it hard, but it freeing as it allows me for the first time in a long while to focus and calm my mind on the riches I have without desirting any more and rekindling my childlike ability to immerse myself with a few miniatures on a corner table without daydreaming about what I will get next, in short, to be present.

Thank you for this thread and thank you for raising the flag of responsive gaming. I am glad to join this sub cult and spread the word 😉

[sundancer 42972xp 2]

Thanks for sharing @taochi

I feel this is a very much recurring theme: KS and 3D patreons and downward spiral of buying combined with mental health issues. This hobby of ours should relax us. Bring joy and calm us. (Aside from the occasional table flip because that damn dice…) But instead some forms of the hobby (FOMO being the worst.. looking at you G’Wullu and KS Exclusives) really do the opposite.

Stay cool and only buy what you really want to paint. Stacks of unopened boxes will help nobody except the ones who are selling them 🙂

[warhammergrimace 13766xp 2]

I’ve been following a similar pattern with regards to miniature purchases over the last 12-18 months. I’m now considering getting a 3D printer for the purpose of printing terrain pieces for the games I play.

Most of my purchases recently have been rule books for war gaming and RPG. I’ve worked out which games I want to keep and play, so now what I need more than anything is terrain for those games. I did start purchasing MDF terrain but it gets very expensive when you’re buying for multiple games. So I decided that long term getting a 3D printer might be a cheaper option. As I play games in 15mm and 28mm in various genres and some terrain will double up I’ll still need a decent variety to make games interesting.

I stopped buying into Kickstarters a few years ago and I think the last one I did was around 2016. In fact I no longer go on the sitesite and? this has helped reduce my purchases dramatically.

I’ve no intention of jumping into any new miniature games in the near future. I need to build and paint what I currently have in my Grey army.

For me the realisation that I already have too much has occurred over the 12 months in lockdown and on furlough.  I managed to paint around 500 miniatures and it didn’t significantly dent the Grey army.

[taochi 6267xp 2]

It feels rather good to set on that path, as if a weight had been lifted. Not to say the occasional innovative idea will not catch my eye, but how many of these are out there on a regular year? Also, the ability to grab new miniatures for games I already play is very satisfying as I feel I am adding to my hobby rather than ‘butterflying’ from game to game, never tasting the true nectar they have to offer. Also, I always kep in mind games I can play with miniatures I have. For example, Zombicide Invaders is great to lay Stargrave and Five Parsecs, while Zombicide is also fantastic for End Days (nd yes, Undead and Alive for Dead Man’s Hand or Fistful of Lead). Finally, as was mentioned in the Weekender three weeks ago, WWII miniatures can be used to lay Bold Action, Chain of Command or just about any other WWII set of rules with wildly different flavors. So reusability is also key, as rule books take a very minimal amount of space compared to minis, terrain or big box games. I did not want to leave without mentioning one of my favorite kitchen sink system: 7TV.

[pagan8thParticipant 10863xp 2]

7Tv is a good option. I’ve picked up two of 7TV games (Pulp and Fantasy), plus the 7TV Cthulhu (just the core, no terrain and minis). Crooked dice do some amazing miniatures that are perfect for their games, but you can use whatever is lying about.

Frostgrave, Stargrave and Rangers of Shadowdeep are also good use for existing minis.

Speaking of Zombicide… I didn’t like the Black Plague game much, but the ks hero minis have been gradually painted for use in RPG’s and Rangers of Shadowdeep.

[phoen31 2353xp 2]

My realization about my loss of FOMO was when I bought the Indomitus box, as I was paying for it I somehow knew this was my last 40k purchase. Now, I’m not saying I’m cured I did buy the rules and the army book for the new kill team. My pile is decent size, I have the all in pledge of a couple of kickstarters(Reichbusters, Be a Better Human) and I have another odd 60 or so models (some 40k, but most of it is Necromunda and Infiniti models oh and said Indomitus box) and I feel content not to buy the newest shiny thing  now. I still love to paint, but with the pandemic and 2 jobs my chance to play is non existant anyway so I have ..I don’t know RETIRED(is that a thing) , from the whole must buy stuff mode. I’ll happily work my way through my stuff..and maybe do some more 3d printing..in the future.

 

[ced1106Participant 6224xp 3]

Quitting is easy! I’ve done it hundreds of times! 😀

Paints: Well, I’ve actually looked at some DIY contrast videos and it turns out that contrast stuff uses the same ingredients (half matte medium, a little flow aid, half ink) as Les Bursley’s wash mix (same but with more water), so I can stick to my less expensive brushed-on airbrush primer and washes (now DIY contrast). Also for terrain, I still use craft paints and makeup brushes. The 1/2 ounce hobby paints pretty much stay in their clogged bottles, other than Reaper skin tones.

Miniatures: Reaper Bones went up in price and weirdness, while Blacklist Games drove generic plastic miniatures to fifty-cents each, while Archon tosses in the kitchen sink of sprues. Meanwhile, CMON still makes dice-based combat games. So I’m not even looking at plastic-infused $150 KS games. although I’m gonna admit buying terrain and the occasional niche miniature KS. Tiny Forge’s “Sitting Miniatures” will start in November and Archon may have another Rampart KS. Huzzah!

Boardgames: Gloomhaven fired everything. Yes, I enjoyed HeroQuest with its custom-dice throwing and AD&D with its polyhedrals, but, geez, does every Ameritrash game have to be some dice-throwing game? Why spend $150 on rules and more miniatures to paint on yet another similar boardgame? Oh, wait. CMON’s offering all those western miniatures? Hmmm…

Retail Sales: Not backing all those boardgames on KS I was sitting on the fence on not only means no waiting or drama, but sometimes I can get the base game at *half* the price and shipping KS backers paid, particularly during the holidays. Still means I’m buying stuff though…

3D Printing: Not touching it until I paint my minis! But 3D printing now allows us to not have to buy miniatures that are only “close enough” besides the other benefits, from not paying shipping costs, to no delays, to failed KS projects. What I particularly like are customizable mini “kits”. Hopefully, some will even have a random button so that you can surprise yourself with a new mini every print.

Uh… I can quit anytime! 😀

[sundancer 42972xp 2]

Acknowledging you have a problem is the first step @ced1106 😉

[horati0nosebl0wer 19645xp 2]

I think that @taochi hit upon something that was rather poignant. The acquisition under anxiety. As a minor dopamine rush we like the new and shiny for the proof that we can have “this thing”. The thing is a token that we can be in control of something or perhaps is just the idea that we are capable/qualified in some manner to be great.

Namely we get stuff with great ideas in mind and then sit on our assess letting the material collect dust as our disbelief in our abilities kicks us about. Sure, the box art looks great but we can’t ever get there. Watch videos of other people and think that they’re skill is something beyond us. Pbbtttt!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18EA6WF-Xxo&t=5s

Paint/use what we have, give it away if need be, and clear the space we live in. This is really one of the main things that drives my Giftmas barrage that I’ve been doing. Every year I give away stuff around the world to people I have never met and it feels good that the shiny I had is now theirs. I sometimes kick out unpainted stuff as I know there are people who might well just want to do it themselves but its really Christmas for them. The unexpected thrill of “what could this be?”. As @sundancer has found out, to his chagrin, there are themes that can be developed and you can keep these parts of our inner children alive for wonder and glee. Zen thought and some Marie Kondo declutter might be therapeutic. If you really want the hardnose approach take in a few episodes of Hoarders.

[taochi 6267xp 1]

Well said @horati0nosebl0wer ! I agree that decluttering our space leads to calmer mind and much  more enjoyable hobby. Also, you are correct in your analysis of the acquisition and the devolving of the initial joy and hope into yet another self-perceived failure to birth our vision and our comparative self-bashing born from an idyllic perception of our achievement. Our inner child fairs better when our imagination is unhindered by the commercial vision of others…

[taochi 6267xp 1]

I like your concept of Giftmas. I have already let go of a lot of games for far below cost as I would rather people make them come alive that their gathering dust, sadly, on my shelves. I may emulate your tradition this holiday season rid myself of the last few unwanted boxes that populate my shrinking game room. I have even thought about giving the new version of Kill Team away (and most of the old one also, save for the terrain which I really like).

[pagan8thParticipant 10863xp 1]

Finalised my Mythic Battles Ragnarok pledge. I only backed at $1 as I wanted the upgrade kit and possibly an add-on for my Mythic Battles Pantheon pledge.

Final spend… $1… yep… they were asking stupid money on shipping for a $20 add-on. I think it was going to be $53 total and that as just the update kit, no extra minis.

KS shipping fees are ridiculous. An online retailer can ship a game for free when you spend over a certain amount. Why can’t the KS creator who gets all the profit?

I did spend last week though… the third and final big box expansion for Journeys in Middle Earth… Spreading War… knowing it’s the last and that I do actually play the game makes it acceptable.

I have a few games that are complete now… no more expansions… so my money is safe.

Despite the temptation of KS and GW I’m controlling my impulse to buy… it’s not perfect… but with addiction if you give up completely… you can sometimes go crazy in a moment of weakness.

[sundancer 42972xp 1]

KS shipping fees are ridiculous. An online retailer can ship a game for free when you spend over a certain amount. Why can’t the KS creator who gets all the profit?

Because retailers can get better rates with their delivery service. Also they have a different set of calculation with all their products to get money in and not just one KS product.

[somegeezer 18431xp 2]

Yup. When I worked at GW (1994, Jeebus I’m old) they’d negotiated rates with Royal Mail – good ones too. Very few KSes will have the clout to negotiate on postage, some may also have the business sense to do it.

[Author]

Posts