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I came to an interesting revelation last week that I'm almost done with the hobby and consumer phase of my 40k collection. After tonight, I'll have a single fig left that I actually want to paint and play left after 15 years of being involved on and off with 40k. Ironically, it's the retro gamesday fig from last year based off of the old 2nd edition boxed set cover that I'm painting up for my entirely metal (except for my RT vehicles) Blood Angel successor army (my first army). I've generally started a new army over the years to generate a different play style and I keep buying until I fill up a double sized GW army case. So far, I've got 6k of rhino rush metal 2nd/3rd/RT Blood Angels, 3k of Space Hulk Deathwing (that I painted up as my BA successors), 2k of Tyranids using horrorclix alien figs and various toys, 3k of varied Tau, 2.5k of footslogger Cadian IG, and 3k of Mech Eldar. Some casualties along the way have been 3.5k of Speed Freak Orks (my personally fav and most fun every to play army), my original IG army (a hodgepodge of literally every type of IG made up until 3rd edition), 2k of both Eldar and Tyranids bought when my student loans coincided with a Newwave sale (and sold without ever leaving the shrinkwrap or my closet!), 3k of Ultramarines that I bought from a friend, 2.5k of Chaos Marines in their cheesy 3.5 edition glory, and 2.5k of Space Wolves in their 5th edition cheesy glory. After all that and 15 years, I'm left with a single figure that I plan on finishing and have room for in my carrying cases. I don't plan on not playing with my collection or selling them so I don't want people to confuse this with a rant.

I've always had army ideas kind of simmering in the back of my head occasionally bubbling up but they've largely dried up for a number of reasons. The first is that I think I've covered most of the playstyles that I want to. I've got footslogging horde (IG). I've got mixed infantry and vehicles (Tau). I've got an all around Jack of All Trades army (Blood Angels). I've got a superfast glass cannon (Eldar). I've got low model count super elite (Deathwing). I've got just for poops and giggles (Aliens as Tyrannids). There really isn't another army style that I'm drawn to left and the only thing that I'd be possibly interested in is restarting my old Ork speed freak list when they get a new book. Unfortunately, the model count necessary for even an "elite" ork list like speed freaks brings me to my second reason.. cost. After the extremely poor quality finecast switchover coupled with a simultaneous price increase, I reached the limit of what I considered GW figs to be personally worth. I've bought a single boxed set since the switch and the rest of my GW spending below has been on rulebooks and codicies for armies I already have and the even more random state of 6th edition doesn't suit my fancy much in any case. I don't have an issue with trading my overpriced toy soldiers for someone elses equally overpriced toy soldiers but I just don't see myself buying more unless another Gamesday or FW open day fig catches my eye.

So... to get to the point finally... what is hobby life like after you're done collecting the single biggest part of your hobby "career"? I'll be at that stage for the first time in regards to 40k sometime next week and I'm curious if anyone else out there has satiated their 40k appetite as well. Mind you, I'm not talking about people who have gotten fed up with GW policies/prices/rules/whatever but rather have put down the fork and pushed away the last plate at the GW buffet.

Death... that's what happens...

You don't die until you've painted your last fig.

After you have finished collecting, your teeth begin to rattle in your skull, your gums bleed endlessly, and you start to gnash your teeth and howl in impotent fury.

I'm kidding, you don't actually stop collecting mate.

Even I, a bloke who swore he was a one army kinda guy.. has somehow picked up.. well.. all kinds of gak. It just sorta happens....

 Alfndrate wrote:
Death... that's what happens...

You don't die until you've painted your last fig.

If only that were true... Some of the older grey hairs that got me into minis gaming in the early 90's have unfortunately passed on and they left enough 1970's lead minis to make the US Navy diving weight collection jealous. :( In any case, I do have other figs for other armies (like half my Heavy Gear southern army that was decimated with the scope of the changes in the last book) but 40k has always been the largest portion both in total spent as well as number of figs of my minis hobby (not included prepainted minis of course).

What is this strange thing called "done with collecting" ?

You find a new game and start all over.

The moths in your wallet finally get some dinner.

You become a Brony.....

I have stopped buying, like 2 years ago, I am painting, modelling, sculpting and gaming. Over the time I have been in the hobby I have taken many breaks due to career, family, waning interest, etc but always hang on to my stuff and end up using it again later.

I have just said "I am done with my tau"
Now im saying "I wondr how Aun'va would do?"
you never stop. Never do you stop.

You can finish collecting when you're dead.

I stopped adding stuff to my marines 4 years ago. I hit the point of a battle company, 40 terminators, 40 scouts, 20 bikes, 8 speeders, 15 rhinos, 15 drop pods, 6 dreadnoughts and 9 or so tanks.

That was the "I'm never going to use it all in a game" point (I loathe apocalypse games. At least how my club played them. That whole bit about determining time limits and objectives PRIOR to the game - yeah - whatever.). I stripped it back.

My eldar hit the same point. I still had some units that were 5 man or less and weren't cost effective to increase in size (until now, 2 years after I stopped playing). I sold them off and downsized it.

MY infinity is a slow grow, but it still grows. My panO is mostly done, as is my Aleph and JSA. My QK has some models to go before I consider it "done".

When I am done collecting them, provided no other new game comes along to attract me*, I will simply play games with them and not collect more. I have 30+ years of rigidly enforced self-discipline behind me though (and a lack of space).

* unlikely. I've never been a one-game gamer, and I've never restricted myself to one game at a time (because that leads to boredom).

 notprop wrote:
You become a Brony.....

Good God, it's worse than I thought. Looks like when I die I will have a full Horus Heresy Legion of 100,000 Marines and die in a cardboard box so I can avoid such a grisly fate.

Done with...

I don't know what this means. You might not have anything left that you want from GW, but there is a whole world of better quality, better originality, and better utility out there to convert and paint.

Start running tabletop RPGs and you will NEVER run out of the need for more minis (and more dice, too, but that's a whole 'nother situation).

I hear when you finish the hobby, you get a ferrari and Jessica Alba.

I'm at the point where now as a painter I buy models that I just want to paint. I have no intention or desire to play most armies, but there is at least 1 model from every army that I want to paint up because it's a cool model.

My backlog of single characters and models for armies I don't play is an easy 4 years worth of work if I were to sit down and just paint instead of any of my other hobbies, so I won't be running out any time soon, and I still have a laundry list of models I intend to add to that. There are some models that I own that I'm saving until my painting is better than it is now, so those by default are years off from getting done.

Keep in mind I still haven't finished the 3 armies I own.

You can't stop the signal.

 notprop wrote:
You become a Brony.....

I may never paint my last Blood Angel if that's the case!


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 Surtur wrote:
I hear when you finish the hobby, you get a ferrari and Jessica Alba.

I like your fantasy better.


Has anyone here stopped buying years ago and have no inclination to buy upcoming stuff at all yet you still play and participate in the local playing scene for that game? I burnt out in 40k after 3rd edition and largely skipped 4th but I didn't feel "done" with buying or building. I was just tired of the rules and looking for a change if pace (which I found with d&d rpg and their minis game). Thus time around, I feel my collections are complete. I may tweak stuff a little bit and amputate the occasional space marine limb with the next Blood Angel codex but I doubt it'll go ant furher than that.

In the meantime and speaking of amputations, I've still got almost two dozen gears from Heavy Gear staring angrily at me wondering why they were all made illegal.

Find something else to do. When i was real heavy ino car's REAL LIFE CARS=GTO'S MUSTANGS...........imports. There was a point when i almost had (at one point in time) every car i wanted. That is coming from a real perspective i never wanted a lambo. I had my 500+hp cobra my GTO that i dailly drove a honda......which i still own. and other cars along the line. When i had come to the point where i was happy. I let cars go, no longer did i feel the urge to haul ass every where buy new parts or scout out my next build. Staying up all night thinking about what to build/rebuild next was gone. I could just sleep, seeing other cars that migtht have given me a good run while in the dd and whishing i had my beast of a stang urge was gone. I just moved on happy that i finished that chapter in my life. I found out what sleep was go to know my wife a little better (after 10 years of being with each other) and found out what i missed. Now i have fallen to the 40k urge of my past where everything i just stated about cars has returned in the form of plastic space people/things. What im trying to get at is once you are done you might find that little pocket of peace. Untill the next big game comes around or you take up another hobby. Enjoy it while it last!

GW releases the new plastic crack mega walker for your army and you buy a dozen of them.

That's when it is time to hone your talents with painting and modelling, choosing unique stuff you like, not based on a system or army, but purely for the appeal of the model alone.

Look into the wide blue yonder that is the rest of the wargaming hobby, and on to greener pastures.

Seriously, have a loot at other games. You might just find one you like.

It's like the Matrix, you wake up and realise that you were actually the hobby, and 40k was dreaming you!

Done with collecting? there is no such thing, so many interesting systems and figures, i need my shot of resin and plastic!

 notprop wrote:
You become a Brony.....

I think im proof that doesnt stop you, your wallet is even MORE drained.

You really can't be done collecting... but I imagine you make terrain then haha . Once, when I thought I was done, I made a ton of terrain for three months and had a full ork city, jungle outpost, and moon landing site

If you're not interested in other games, I agree terrain is probably the best thing to do. If you don't have your own table, look to making one, whether it's a fully sculpted one peice board, modular tiled board with moveable terrain or even just a mat with moveable terrain.

To make it even more fun, use the massive amount of bits you've amassed to theme it to your armies. If you've based your armies the same way, base your terrain the same way.

Life after hobby is life between hobbies.

I stopped collecting GW about 4 years ago. I hit up Malifaux and then stopped that as well. Still have Malifaux and still play occasionally, but haven't bought anything in awhile.

Now most of my time is spent designing terrain for my company, rustforge.com (NOT in any way, shape or form affiliated with Resin Forge. Those people are idiots and I have an Llc license!)

So thats what I have done since collecting stopped.

 -Loki- wrote:
If you're not interested in other games, I agree terrain is probably the best thing to do. If you don't have your own table, look to making one, whether it's a fully sculpted one peice board, modular tiled board with moveable terrain or even just a mat with moveable terrain.

To make it even more fun, use the massive amount of bits you've amassed to theme it to your armies. If you've based your armies the same way, base your terrain the same way.

I've got other games that have always been waiting in the wings but it's not that I've lost interest in 40k but rather lost any interest in buying/painting any more 40k. I've got 20k worth of figs ready to go at a moments notice from a half dozen different forces and 40k will still always be tucked away in the trunk as a backup or primary game for trips to the store. The terrain idea is interesting as I've always wanted to have a home table set ready to go but the closest I've gotten is nebulous planning of a purchase of the cardstock Dropzone buildings.


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Shepherd23 wrote:
I stopped collecting GW about 4 years ago. I hit up Malifaux and then stopped that as well. Still have Malifaux and still play occasionally, but haven't bought anything in awhile.

Now most of my time is spent designing terrain for my company, rustforge.com (NOT in any way, shape or form affiliated with Resin Forge. Those people are idiots and I have an Llc license!)

So thats what I have done since collecting stopped.

Have you found your interest in playing dropped when you stopped purchasing/modelling? I'm curious if there is an out of sight/out of mind effect in the hobby in that having something on the to-do-list for a game makes you think about it more and therefore play it more often as well.

You start other games systems. I had no intention of starting another game, but I was trawling the 'net last night and came across the Judge Dredd rulebook. One free download and one hour later, I was ordering a Street Judge gang and a Punk/Juve gang

The bug never leaves you, you just start buying random stuff to paint and model...

There isn't a fat enough lady who's singing would stop me.
There isn't a referee with a big enough whistle that I would hear.

After 25 years of mini gaming and collecting (I started gaming with Blood Bowl and before that I used minis in tabletop RPGs), it's finally dawned to me that to me personally miniatures and gaming in general is not a hobby - it's an extension of me, a defining aspect of who I am now. Stopping would be like amputating a mental limb.

Sure there have been breaks - years even - while I've not played a single game or painted a single miniature. You know the times when you get married, spawn progeny and nest.