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When you quit a game, what do you usually do with the miniatures?
I realize that some miniatures are not made with a specific game in mind, but what do you do with figures that were either specifically designed or were purchased specifically for a game that you no longer play?

Note: This is NOT regarding armies that you no longer play because you've switched armies. I'll have a poll about that later.

Sell or trade them. Give them away. Do people actually toss miniatures?

Needs to be multiple choice... Depending on the miniatures they would either be used for other games or just sit in the miniatures cabinet for display.

I melted down most my old GW miniatures...into the smelting pot they went.

Actually, with the exception of a few figures from other companies, most my "human" figures went in the pot to be reborn as new figures over the last 8 years or so. I find it to be the best cure for heroic scale figures.

I checked "use them with other games"
I buy and sell alot of miniatures, but once a miniature for a game has been painted I rarely (though there are exceptions) sell them. I'll just keep them and find new rules that I like better or that the club is more likely to play. Void Junkers (never did get around to playing Void) find new life in WarEngine or ITEN, 40k armies hit the field in Warpath 1.0. The ganger figs I painted up for Combat Zone end up in wastelands and other post-apoc games, etc, etc.

 insaniak wrote:
Needs to be multiple choice... Depending on the miniature…..

Done.

 Sean_OBrien wrote:
I melted down most my old GW miniatures...into the smelting pot they went.

Actually, with the exception of a few figures from other companies, most my "human" figures went in the pot to be reborn as new figures over the last 8 years or so. I find it to be the best cure for heroic scale figures.

D:

... D: D: D: ...

...

Wow. I hope no Confrontation or Sisters of Battle met that fate.

I sell mine.

If I particularly like them or can use them with something else I'll keep them, otherwise I'll trade them on for something I will use.

I've got more mini's than I'll ever paint, or can display, so someone may as well get some use from them

I just keep them. Swings and roundabouts. I quite WHFB years ago but kept almost all of my figures (I gave away some plastic Orcs and gobboes, which I not regret). Now that I've started KIngs of War, I have a number of armies that require no purchases to get up and running.

Games tend to go dormant for me, more than "quit". Besides, painted figures are forever.

I am a collector, companies come and go but my collection stays!

If I can I give them away, although I have ended up throwing a few away.

My Warmachine and World War 2 models were particularly problematic, in the end, they went in the bin as they had been lugged around from house to house and were just taking up space.

 insaniak wrote:
Needs to be multiple choice... Depending on the miniatures they would either be used for other games or just sit in the miniatures cabinet for display.

This.

Some of my 40k stuff gets used for Tomorrow's War. The rest goes in the cabinet to look pretty.
My VOID stuff, my Urban War stuff and my Warzone stuff all get used in Tomorrow's War.

I only dump miniatures I can't otherwise melt down or get rid of (I've given stuff away because I've not wanted it anymore - not because I didn't play the game. I've melted down more (metals). I then reuse the ingots in other casting endeavours.).

Hoard everything.


Everything.

 Drefan wrote:
If I can I give them away, although I have ended up throwing a few away.

My Warmachine and World War 2 models were particularly problematic, in the end, they went in the bin as they had been lugged around from house to house and were just taking up space.

Wait, what? You could have easily sold them and got a good price. Whilst GW stuff is pretty much saturated on eBay, the same is not true for other lines so a fairly good price can be got for them.

All depends. If they are usable with other rule sets I still use then they get kept, otherwise they usually go on eBay.

I've still got my WFB Dwarf army despite not having played the game itself in years. I hope that one day an edition will come out that I like or I find another mass battles rule set that people in my area actually want to play.

 Grimtuff wrote:

 Drefan wrote:
If I can I give them away, although I have ended up throwing a few away.

My Warmachine and World War 2 models were particularly problematic, in the end, they went in the bin as they had been lugged around from house to house and were just taking up space.

Wait, what? You could have easily sold them and got a good price. Whilst GW stuff is pretty much saturated on eBay, the same is not true for other lines so a fairly good price can be got for them.

It depends on your local scene; some stuff just will not shift. Up here it's pretty much impossible to get rid of LOTR or Warpath stuff, for instance, and almost as hard getting rid of WHF (I've been taking the same stuff to conventions with lower and lower asking price (down to 50p for 4 Bretonnian knights) with no interest).

I cant tell you the number of times ive used Imperial guardsmen as Star wars storm troopers in RPGs. Even when your not using them for games such as 40k, most models have a good place to stand in for games like D&D, Star wars, D20 modern , Dark Heresy, ect

Herzlos wrote:
It depends on your local scene; some stuff just will not shift. Up here it's pretty much impossible to get rid of LOTR or Warpath stuff, for instance, and almost as hard getting rid of WHF (I've been taking the same stuff to conventions with lower and lower asking price (down to 50p for 4 Bretonnian knights) with no interest).

My local scene is eBay

 slowthar wrote:

Herzlos wrote:
It depends on your local scene; some stuff just will not shift. Up here it's pretty much impossible to get rid of LOTR or Warpath stuff, for instance, and almost as hard getting rid of WHF (I've been taking the same stuff to conventions with lower and lower asking price (down to 50p for 4 Bretonnian knights) with no interest).

My local scene is eBay

I did mention eBay. Local scene has nothing to do with it when you can send stuff over the world.

I'm a roleplayer, so minis rarely, if ever, go unused. I have sold off collections in the past, but generally figures from one game can be repurposed for another...generally...

When I stop playing a game, most minis sit in a "I'll get to it!" pile for a long time... usually way too long!

Finally, when I come to the point it is time to do something about the pile, I got through a decision like this:

-Do I like the mini in and of itself for the sculpt? Keep.
-Did someone I know express interest at any point in the mini(s)? See if they want it, give it to them.
-Is someone at the local store playing that game/army? See if they want it, give it to them.
-Is the game/miniature a steaming pile of poo (i.e. ugly, boring, not played in the community)? Throw it away.

The reason I don't try to sell things is that my time and effort are much more valuable to me than any piddling few dollars I'd get for selling miniatures. Packing, shipping, negotiating, and mostly the high likelihood of dealing with d-bags trying to get a deal makes it not worth it. I'd rather give it to someone I know/in the community or toss it.

That's why I usually sell stuff on a local club group or at bring & buys. You take a box to a show with a price sheet, volunteers sell it for you and take a 10% cut. I'd probably only sell a fraction of it on eBay due to postage costs and damage.

I pretty much keep everything as who know what the future holds. My Khorne Bezerkers might be useful again one day, heres hoping!

I have attempted to sell stuff on ebay but I haven't had much luck with it and what I have sold generally goes at a loss. So that's another reason for me keeping my stuff.

I'd sell some, but I'll keep others for the sake of keepsakes. There are also other games where I've put a slight tweak on the rules to shove them into another battlefield once more. I'll also keep the rulebooks in case I feel like giving it another try.

When I quite a game, I verbally shame my miniatures for not living up to my expectations.

Then they move into a studio apartment and call once a year for more money.

I'll echo "hoard everything."

I've had little success selling items, because the person with whom I'm negotiating invariably decides at the last minute that the excellent deal I offer, isn't excellent enough.

I only ever attempted to sell locally, because as others have said the bother of eBay is not worth my time or money.

Also, my group occassionally returns to an old system for another go.

I hold on to stuff. In spite of not having played a game of 40k since just after 6th ed hit, I have several thousand points of Tyranids just sitting on a shelf.

The fleet is dormant, waiting...

Tibbsy wrote:
Hoard everything.
Everything.

Even the sprues. and the boxes. and the little fluffly foam things cuz you can make foliage out of that....


I keep it if it looks awesome, I painted it well, or if I can use it for D&D. Metal Rackham models FTW.

Tibbsy wrote:
Hoard everything.


Everything.

Basically this.

 Sean_OBrien wrote:
I melted down most my old GW miniatures...into the smelting pot they went.

Actually, with the exception of a few figures from other companies, most my "human" figures went in the pot to be reborn as new figures over the last 8 years or so. I find it to be the best cure for heroic scale figures.

You are mad. Utterly and completely mad.
...
I like your style kid!

I'm sort of stuck at the moment. I haven't played Flames of War in over a year, and my British and Germans sit untouched in the basement. I can't decide if I want to keep them or possibly sell them for a bit of a cash infusion.