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I've been sitting on 5k worth of space marines since I started back in 3rd edition. Tons of tacticals, scouts, and a little bit of everything else from back in the day. Including the old metal whirlwind. I was just going through old boxes and found all of them along with some reaver jetbikes and Asdrubael Vect (I think? It's been a long time!).

I've been debating just holding on to them and updating them when I've completed my guard army vs just selling it. But due to their age and the fact the majority of the army is tactical marines, I can't imagine I'd get much money for them. So, dakka dakka, what do you guys do with your old armies?

I sold at least 1/3ed of my unfinished unpainted collection as it was burning a hole in my brain space dedicated to the hobby

ultimatly you could always use older models. some are super cool and have a ton of character. but if its doing you no good and its just wasting space and you dont even like it anymore then id just get whatever cash you can for it and move on to another thing.

or if you think you can do something with it then do it.

I'm an army packrat, and many of my models are older ones. I also tend to change up my lists almost every game. As a result, even my less powerful or older models tend to see semi-regular use.

Also, 40k is cyclical. That Vect model is totally going to be the new Magnus one day. Hang on to that precious artefact, archon.

As for tons of tacticals... they won't sell for much, but it sounds like you have quite a few of them. I say hold on to them until a new army bug bites you and you suddenly feel the urge to field a Black Templars army or whatever.

Burn them, record it, upload it to youtube, and become a warhammer community meme.

 Galas wrote:
Burn them, record it, upload it to youtube, and become a warhammer community meme.

the Dark Elf army set ablaze at the dawn of AOS instantly comes to mind

 NurglesR0T wrote:

 Galas wrote:
Burn them, record it, upload it to youtube, and become a warhammer community meme.

the Dark Elf army set ablaze at the dawn of AOS instantly comes to mind

Ohmygod I didn't hear about that one. Got a link?

Slayer-Fan123 wrote:

 NurglesR0T wrote:

 Galas wrote:
Burn them, record it, upload it to youtube, and become a warhammer community meme.

the Dark Elf army set ablaze at the dawn of AOS instantly comes to mind

Ohmygod I didn't hear about that one. Got a link?

Of course
http://tencopper.com/article/2015/09/man-burns-warhammer-army-over-age-of-sigmar/

skip to around the 8:15 mark. Rather than sell the army, he wanted to burn it out of spite. Like a true son of the Dark Elves.

 Colonel Cross wrote:
I've been sitting on 5k worth of space marines since I started back in 3rd edition. Tons of tacticals, scouts, and a little bit of everything else from back in the day. Including the old metal whirlwind. I was just going through old boxes and found all of them along with some reaver jetbikes and Asdrubael Vect (I think? It's been a long time!).

I've been debating just holding on to them and updating them when I've completed my guard army vs just selling it. But due to their age and the fact the majority of the army is tactical marines, I can't imagine I'd get much money for them. So, dakka dakka, what do you guys do with your old armies?

There's more than one good option.

Even if they're outdated, if the entire army is old they can still look good all together. I often find it jarring when armies with a more "unified" look have a mishmash of old-and-new models that look significantly different. With certain armies, like Orks, size differences don't matter that much and with some kitbashing and sculpting even truly ancient Orks can be made to look relatively modern.

I imagine certain older vehicles, as long as the scale isn't too far off, could still look good when mixed with more recent kits. Like, if you ran an Iron Hands army or a successor chapter I imagine they might have a lot of really old vehicles that they've kept going for millennia and your old metal Whirlwind would fit right in.

You can also keep some or all of them around as an army to introduce people to the game when they come over to your house. Maybe you never take them to the FLGS or a tournament, but they might get limited use for Garagehammer. Related to that you could do a lot of cool conversion work on a small number of them for Kill Team and/or Shadow War.

If you really can't stand the look of the old models you can sell them. Even if you don't very much money, some is better than none.

Alternatively you could give them away as a Christmas or birthday present to someone who has shown interest in the game. Or you could donate them to a FLGS or convention that is doing a charity raffle.

They also have a lot of use as terrain. You could put bits and pieces of them in craters, or put them inside of some buildings so that when you peer through the windows you can see them. If you have non-Imperial armies you could model one of your heroes tearing a couple Marines apart or have them being crushed under the treads or feet of one of your larger models. They could also make for interesting casualty counters (people often just knock models over to represent casualties for keeping track of Morale, but with Boyz and 'Gaunts that hasn't worked so well for me as I tend to knock them over as part of moving them). They could also be modeled up as objectives or you could go all-out on making an awesome diorama.

It's important to note that you don't have to go all-in on one option. You could sell the things that will go for a reasonable amount of money. Out of the leftovers, you could some to make a small army for Garagehammer (especially if some models have some conversions, painting or memories you're particularly fond of) and if someone takes a strong interest you could give them away or cut them a good deal on them. The leftovers you could use for terrain and other projects.

I love some of the old models. I just picked up 10 old metal assault marines...yep, gonna use those. I have old Eldar guardians with the cone heads....love 'em. Doesn't have to be brand new to be good, go to town.

 bullyboy wrote:
I just picked up 10 old metal assault marines...yep, gonna use those.

Are those the extremely top-heavy ones a friend of mine has? They're standing on scenic decorations, and the jump packs make the problem even worse. It's like they were made to fall over easily.

If it's those, good luck.

If you think you'll use them - keep them. Stripping down and repainting minis is a breeze.

If not, or if you have any real doubt - just sell them on eBay, recover what cash you can and move on. Nothing worse than tons of plastic or metal sitting in boxes gathering dust with a lot of "Well, maybe one day...".

They're just Space Marines so they're hardly special - and dead easy to replace for cheap.

 Colonel Cross wrote:
I've been sitting on 5k worth of space marines since I started back in 3rd edition. Tons of tacticals, scouts, and a little bit of everything else from back in the day. Including the old metal whirlwind. I was just going through old boxes and found all of them along with some reaver jetbikes and Asdrubael Vect (I think? It's been a long time!).

I've been debating just holding on to them and updating them when I've completed my guard army vs just selling it. But due to their age and the fact the majority of the army is tactical marines, I can't imagine I'd get much money for them. So, dakka dakka, what do you guys do with your old armies?

I had about 3K of Dark Angels from 2nd Edition that were sitting in storage after 3rd Ed made many of them either unplayable (the Assault Marines' weapon configs were not allowed) or I bought newer models (the Tacticals, Scouts, plastic Space Hulk Terminators and Devastators). Since I had taken them to a successful Canadian Grand Tournament I had too much nostalgia to dump them but they never made it onto the table. I lugged them through eight moves with the military.

Flash forward to 8th Edition and my son decides that he would like to start Flesh Tearers as a break from Orks after seeing Seth in the Index. I pull out my old Dark Angels, take a deep breath and repaint them as Flesh Tearers to give him a base to build on. They play every week (the Assault Marines are now Vanguard Veterans with Jump Packs) and I have only the slightest twinge of Dark Angels guilt. He has added Gabriel Seth, a Storm Raven and a Death Company but he has no intention of replacing the older models, even the horrible plastic Scouts. They have character.

Bottom line, we are always at risk of becoming hoarders, but sometimes it pays off!

Patience and ebay. Sounds like you don't need money fast, and 8th edition has people scrambling around with new armies more than usual (at least it feels like it).

Take a few good pics, put them up in squads and get some boxes ready to ship. As long as there is one person out there who likes oop sculpts, you will have one potential buyer.

I keep what I plan on using, i.e. my Marines, and sell off other unfinished models and armies I have no interest in. Just make sure not to sell or give away armies or models close to your heart. You will regre it when you inevitable want to play them again. Even though I don't play much right now, I would never sell the core of my Marine army.

I continue to use them.

I played a game of 8th last weekend with my 4th-ed and earlier eldar models (I downsized a large chunk of it (mostlyy 5th ed) a couple of years ago, and they were what was left).
My (apart from tanks) ALL metal eldar army - including war walkers and dread.

They still work.
I don't play in GW stores (only ever been in one that WAS big enough to game in, but it was Sydney's LARGEST (and first) GW store back then. The GW sturmtruppen did not bash down the door and demand we only play with the current stuff.

Bought some 1st edition Terminators many years back at the end of 5th when I got into Space Wolves. I sold most of my army off just before 6th, but kept most of the Terminators. Heck, I've even bought more online now with 8th out. I just like fielding that little bit of history on the Tabletop.

(Also bought some 1st edition Beaky Marines to use as scouts).

If I had more storage space at my house and you wanted to sell them, I would take them in a heartbeat. Sadly though, I've already got more minis than I can handle.