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Hey everyone,
I just recently got into the hobby and am interested in trying to make models out of extra bitz and stuff when I start collecting more.
Right now I don't have very many bits just a few pieces from some SM Scouts w Snipers but I really want to collect more bits but don't know how.

How big is your collection of bitz? Also how do you collect bitz I don't really know how?

I've got a lunch box full of the stuff :/ mostly not useful bits for me though :(
They come form just collecting mostly. A good majority of the boxes you can get from GW contain choices and options in what you're making. The spares can go in the bits box

for example; Space marine devastators contains 8 heavy weapons, but only 5 bodies and one is supposed to be a sgt.
The predator box contains 2 guns for the turret, 2 guns for each side sponson, blank sponson plates and a rhino top hatch.
Many fantasy boxes contain choices of weaponry and shields... often hand weapon and shield or spears, or bows etc.
And the growing trend form GW is to produce multi kits; lots of the boxes can make one of 2 units and contain a few parts designed for each along with the shared components.
I think all the flyers can make one of 2 variants for example.
Ork boys get a choice of choopas with sluggas or shootas,
....i think almost every race has some boxes that have optional bits in.

The easiest way to keep them is in plastic craft (bead) boxes. You'll get plenty if you assemble any GW box sets as they have so many extra bits in each kit.

+1 for the bead box, I failed to mention those. While I do have a lunch box full of random bits... I do keep a nicely sorted box of Space marine bits in a compartmented tray with a lid style of box. I found one for a few pounds in a local general stuff shop and grabbed it as it looked handy. Fishing tackle boxes proably do a good job too as they have sections for all your hooks and weights, floats, and nick nacks to save them being mixed up.

I have way too many bitz, from Ork arms to random imerial vehicles.

Search on EBay for Bitz bag or Bits Bag, you get some pretty good bitz in usually a sandwich bag full of random bits.

Sometimes you can trade for certain parts if you got other converters at your store or whoever you play with.

Good Luck!

I've got large sorted craft-style boxes. 1 space marine, 1 chaos, 1 high elf, 1 imperial vehicle bits, 1 misc stuff, 1 for bits I produce myself from my own sculpts, 1 just full of bases, and 1 for IG bits.

And then I've got all manner of plastic containers with half-built, unbuilt or models in need of stripping.

Bacause i'm a cheap-ass i often convert up stuff using basic bitz and not get better fitting parts. But still my bitz collection has grown despite that.
I have a few "good" bits and cut up pieces sorted in tiny plastic bags as well as two plastic boxes i got from my mother originally used for storeing her yarn spools. One for my chaos stuff and one for my normal space marines.

And you answered your own question. You'll get extra bitz once you start buying kits here and there. Depending on the army you play there are a few interesting boxes with cool bitz.
For space marines interesting boxes are the command squad box and the commander box. Most upgrade sprues from other chapters also have cool bitz if you have the conversion skill to remove the chapter iconography that doesn't work for you. Like for example the black templar sprue with all those chained weapons and the tabard torsos. Also the Dark Angel one and so on.
But i found that ebay is often the best source for those or bitz bags in general like already mentioned. You just need to invest a little bit more time but at the end you'll most of the time will get the bitz much cheaper as if you had bought them piece by piece from a bitz-shop.

Most of my purchases over the last couple years have been almost nothing but bits and paint.

At this point I'd say the bits in my little 'factory' take up about a cubic foot.

I have FAR too many bits... Mostly still on sprues. The sprues themselves take up a 60 gallon tote with some additional boxes and parts in horrible disarray due to a moving tragedy a couple years back that I have not fully recovered from (my models and modeling supplies got dumped from the trailer as we were going down the road spilling the contents and destroying many models... Lost two entire armies due to other cars running them over.) In my defense I have also been in the hobby since 2nd edition.

I have one of those restaurant take away plastic boxes full of bits of Dark Angel bitz.

2big...
still trying to sort

If you're willing to spend, shoot me a PM. I seem to be quitting the hobby, and have bits to dispose of.

i have about one and a half.... maybe two.... of these:
(thank you by the way Ironklawmadgutsmek... , means i don't have to take a pic of mine)

A half filled medium sized bottle of pills.

Not big enough.

I tend to build stuff when I get bored.

Some bits retailers also sell pots of random bits that can be good to boost an immature bits box. Bits and Kits in the UK certainly does them.

Some bits retailers also sell pots of random bits that can be good to boost an immature bits box. Bits and Kits in the UK certainly does them.

Just make sure you get to see the bitz first 'cause over here you get very easily cheated.

Not many at the moment due to 90% of my stuff being old crons, which had no bitz to them besides I think an additional tomb spyder head for some strange reason.

Ebay has tonnes of stores to buy from (hell just typing what you want into search is enough) such as troll trader, aa-wargames (sometimes), and more.

I've a battalion box half full of Empire, High Elf and Undead/VC bits. In the last couple of years I've also amassed a collection of leftover parts from various model battleships and aircraft; spare brass photo-etched parts make for especially good basing materials.

A Stormraven box, a garden of Morr box, three smaller plastic boxes, two show boxes and an old biscuit tin full of parts from LoTR parts and five of the containers GW used to use in for sets of metal minis. Its an absolute pain trying to find a bits.

I probably have enough bits if I cut everything off sprue to fill up a large Tupperware easy. I typically only cut the juiciest stuff off the sprue and put them in a few wallet sized boxes I have. And them I have 2 landraider/ghost ark size boxes and 4 rhino sized boxes filled with sprues from the stuff I've collected.

I really should take a cue from some of you and get those nice small tray cases because I could fill one fairly easily.

Edit: and I don't know if they're still doing it but spikey bits super fat sacks were amazing. I got 2 and got a TON of useful stuff. A lot of marine stuff but also some skaven, eldar, and ork stuff too.

These are just bits. Mostly collected from kits but I have some from EBAY, toys, house wares and everything in between. I tend not to toss things unless I look at it and think 'what would an ork do??' I also highly recommend arts n crafts totes with several small/moveable size sections in it. I have all my left/ right chainswords seperated,all my pistols etc etc. Makes it very easy when someone comes up and says ' i need a left hand plasma'. Once I find the correct container it takes about 5 seconds to find the LH plasma. I hate diggin in bozes to find bits.

I keep all mine in 3 drawer carts. I have 2 carts, one drawer holds everything from KoW, one drawer holds all my other misc games, then I have drawers for IG vehicles, IG, Space Marines, Black Templar, and one drawer for my aegis defense lines (for some odd reason).

I also have another drawer cart that holds the smaller things like WIP and models that I might someday work on. GW Vehicle boxes hold all the bigger GW WIPs.

I also use a few of the bead containers, but less and less as I tend to keep more and more bits on sprue.

Wow guys. There is a lot of invested money and time in your boxes.

Any suggestions on organizing your bits boxes?

I have a compartmentalized toolbox shelf that my girlfriend INSISTED on organizing for me. Before that box, I just had it all in an enormous plastic bin, and spent hours shuffling through it. Then she got annoyed at the swooshing noises it made and one day sat for hours and sorted it all out for me. Heads, torsos, weapons, vehicle bits, guns, knives, etc. Everything is organized and it's something I'd have never done on my own that's for damn sure.

 PrehistoricUFO wrote:
I have a compartmentalized toolbox shelf that my girlfriend INSISTED on organizing for me. Before that box, I just had it all in an enormous plastic bin, and spent hours shuffling through it. Then she got annoyed at the swooshing noises it made and one day sat for hours and sorted it all out for me. Heads, torsos, weapons, vehicle bits, guns, knives, etc. Everything is organized and it's something I'd have never done on my own that's for damn sure.

I wish my girlfriend was like that.

Im ashamed of myself after seeing how organised everyone is
Ive simply got a large storage tub (3 feet square, 2 feet high) thats about an inch from the top.
And no compartments or bags, just everything floating about in said box.

Granted, it looks like a complete fething mess, but i know exactly whats in there, just have to try and find it

chiefbigredman wrote:
Hey everyone,
I just recently got into the hobby and am interested in trying to make models out of extra bitz and stuff when I start collecting more.
Right now I don't have very many bits just a few pieces from some SM Scouts w Snipers but I really want to collect more bits but don't know how.

How big is your collection of bitz? Also how do you collect bitz I don't really know how?

I have a considerably impressive amount of bits laying around and it is the result of years of collecting. I sometimes buy a box of specialty units, like Grey Knights, and just cannibalize the box. Also, until recently, there were the bits stores online that sold random bits bags. You can still find some one eBay but I would be wary, I have ended up overpaying for bags full of slag before.

 PrehistoricUFO wrote:
I have a compartmentalized toolbox shelf that my girlfriend INSISTED on organizing for me. Before that box, I just had it all in an enormous plastic bin, and spent hours shuffling through it. Then she got annoyed at the swooshing noises it made and one day sat for hours and sorted it all out for me. Heads, torsos, weapons, vehicle bits, guns, knives, etc. Everything is organized and it's something I'd have never done on my own that's for damn sure.

i thought so too, but i got tired of spending hours looking for "I know I've got it in here somewhere..."

All my buts are organised into certain kinds of jewellery trays. They're organised by bit type (weapon, grenade, torso etc...) from what army or make they come (empire, tau sm etc...).

All are already clipped and cleaned, so it's just a case of finding the time to use it.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 jason1977 wrote:

These are just bits. Mostly collected from kits but I have some from EBAY, toys, house wares and everything in between. I tend not to toss things unless I look at it and think 'what would an ork do??' I also highly recommend arts n crafts totes with several small/moveable size sections in it. I have all my left/ right chainswords seperated,all my pistols etc etc. Makes it very easy when someone comes up and says ' i need a left hand plasma'. Once I find the correct container it takes about 5 seconds to find the LH plasma. I hate diggin in bozes to find bits.

I love the makeshift table supports.