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It has come to my attention that many wargamers buy lots of stuff at a time and then spend a while without building it. I'm curious just how widespread this phenomenon is.

For my part the number is usually around zero (I've got good comparatively self-control when it comes to plastic crack), though at the current time I have about 150 USD's worth of unopened SoB boxes after buying some stuff from a fellow player who bought more than he had time to build and paint. I should have remedied this in a week or two.

None! I'm very quick to open and assemble stuff. It's the painting that keeps me in a state of eternal shame.

My plog here:
https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/767743.page#10254658

I consider myself a fairly efficient painter, but I still have about 2-3 years worth of just my stuff awaiting to be painted; I’m doing commissions, so that will probably stretch to 5 years.

The entire sisters of battle box set, of which I've completed 2 models from, plus an additional box of plastic BSS which I've completed 1 model from, plus a penitent engine, a Adepta Sororitas Command Squad box, a box of metal BSS, 2 Immolators, a Rhino, a Razorback, 2 heavy weapons squads, a infantry squad, some Sisters of Silence from the Talons boxset, and some custodians.

Lots of stuff. I try to work my way from the bottom of the pile up, sometimes though excitement make things happen first [like the 2 models from the sisters of battle box] or need to use them in a list [a dreadknight and a vendread passed the queue because I wanted them in a list.]

Well, seeing as you attached a $ value to your poll choices.... I guess mine would fall into the Huge Pile of Shame category. Even though it's actually quite small quantity wise.
* the Tzeentch 1/2 of Eather War for AoS,
* 1x Ghorros Warhoof (Beasts of Chaos character for AoS)
* 1x Darkoath Warqueen (Chaos character for AoS)
* 1x Darkoath Chieftain (Chaos character for AoS)
* 1x Slaughter Priest (Chaos character for AoS)
* 2x Forgefiends (40k)
* 2x FW Necron Pylons - these guys will keep me in this category forever.
* 1x USS Constitution for Black Seas (Warlord Games)

* The AoS Chaos mortal stuff was for a Path to Glory campaign back in Nov/Dec. But then I I changed direction & went with Goblins & put the Chaos mortals on hold for a future campaign.
* Ghorros & the Tzeench stuff will be built soon as I'm currently playing Beasts of Chaos in AoS proper.
* The Forge Fiends? Believe it or not they're actually intended for a D&D campaign. I picked them up when there was spare $ in the Hobby Budget & they'll get assembled/painted closer to when they're actually needed on the table. After that they'll become part of my Iron Warriors.
* The Pylons? I've had them for ages (as in almost 20 years). Immediately upon my getting them, the next day FW changed their rules & made them Super Heavies (aka Lords of War nowdays). Well, the place I was playing at at the time didn't allow Super Heavies. :( So they went into the back of the closet where they've stayed buried ever since. Now we're in 2020 & shops have come & gone, groups have changed, and there's no hangups about SH/LoW units. So, if I ever pull the Necrons out again I'll build these things. Unfortunately 8th ed just doesn't inspire me to pull more stuff out of storage than I already have....
* The USS Constitution? Just a model to build for my own shelf. No particular game use atm. And after building/painting/rigging 30+ English/French/Spanish ships for the game? I'm just a bit burnt out on dealing with tiny ships (other than to play with) atm.

There's a reason my wife refers to my hobby closet as Pandora's box - sometimes you're better off just not knowing...

i have a few blisters here and there of extra units i didn't need, that i thought i did. but mostly i have boxes filled with spare sprue bits i keep for future needs

On the just model side i still have a GP02, 03 and GM custom master grade kits from mobile suite gundam 0083 i have not built due to time and space restrictions...my gundam display cabinet is kinda full with all the SDs, 0080, 0083, 08th ms, chars counter attack and F-90 kits

Rogue Trader is the only unopened 40K Box I have.
But there's a Khand and a Spider project on the Lotr side which sit in unopened boxes since years...

Man, thousands.

10000+ points of Sons of Horus all FW
9000 points of Black Legion
3000 points of Imperial Knights
3000 points of Dark Eldar
3000 points of Custodes
2000 points of unfinished Death Guard
2000 points of Mortal Khorne
3000 points of Demons
2000 points of Tyranids
10000 points of WHF Dark Elves
3000 points of Wood Elves
3000 points of Empire
3000 points of Beastmen
2000 points of Grey Knights
2000 points of Black Templars
The new Sisters Starter Box

writing this list hurt a lot.

Unopened? None.

Unassembled, I have a few boxes worth - less than $100 worth.

Several more assembled, but somewhere between unprimed and unfinished - some where around $300-$500 worth.

The real issue for me is that I like a good amount of the stuff GW is releasing. And it's too hard for me to pick one game or faction and stick to it. I've more or less started every necromunda gang except the orlocks at this point, and have probably only built about 10 models worth. Good thing about specialist games is that starting these skirmishy type factions is not some massive commitment like a 40k or AoS army, so i'm not sweating much over this box of cawdor that has yet to be assembled.

 Ginjitzu wrote:
None! I'm very quick to open and assemble stuff. It's the painting that keeps me in a state of eternal shame.

This is me.

I'll usually build everything I buy by the next day off, sometimes sooner. Love building, and it doesnt take that long.

Unless you have kids or other commitments like that literally preventing you from building, I dont understand how anyone can have a stack of unbuilt stuff!

Definitely too many:

All Warhammer Conquest models from issue 1 to issue 70.
Warhound Titan

Each of the above puts me into the top bracket. In addition to those I have:

Sisters of Battle Army Box
Defiler
Helbrute
Land Speeder

First two issues of Warhammer Mortal Realms, and I don't even collect AoS.

Think that's it. More than some, less than others.

Most consistent thing for me is buying stuff quicker than I build and paint. Pretty sure I'm not alone in this.

Unopened - a box of newly released Oathmark goblin wolf riders.

Opened, built and primed? That's my problem. Maybe 400 minis across six or so armies plus "stuff". Some are infill or updates for existing armies, there's a complete Empire army of 100 minis and I have a set of six giant beavers and an ambot for... reasons...

In fairness, I did recover about 150 minis from 1990-2005 from someone else's Pile of Shame. Stripped them, repaired missing or broken pieces then rebuilt them. They include about 70 LotR metals, a full Gondor army and 2 Eldar Falcons.

I reckon RRP on my unopened pile of shame may top £2000. It's only recently I've taken a step back and said enough is enough.

I have over 200 models primed or primed + some paint.

Over 300 models built but unprimed

More models than I want to count unbuilt.

2020 is the year I intend to get a handle on it however. Once the weather gets better I'll get a stack of models undercoated which will clear space in the boxes they are stored in and allow me to at least build a bunch more and reduce the tower of boxes.

I have zero unopened boxes.

I have two boxes that are opened and some/all the minis are built, but none are painted.

If I were to dwell on how much it is all worth I would cry!

I'm a sucker for a bargain.

I did not include stuff which I bought as part of a collection though. I only included stuff which I eventually plan to paint.

$251+ is a pile of shame?

I've got an unbuilt gorgon buried somewhere under my stack of unpainted stuff... what's the term for a pile of piles of shame?

A.T. wrote:
$251+ is a pile of shame?

I've got an unbuilt gorgon buried somewhere under my stack of unpainted stuff... what's the term for a pile of piles of shame?

Pile + Pile = molehill.

A molehill of shame.

Well if I add my Tyranids to the pile - LOTS - esp since I've two of their old battleboxes chock full of gaunts sitting around.

That said I did strip out a load this year and I've tried to keep on top of newer purchases (which is slowly steadily failing....)

I've got a box of Necron Immortals that's remained unopened because my enthusiasm for Necrons has steadily dwindled this edition.

I'm a sucker for a bargain, and even if you might not necessarily call any GW sets bargains I keep buying two player starter sets that just end up sitting on a shelf. In addition there's so many projects and so little time. I'd have to quit work and my family to get anywhere near through it.

 Stux wrote:

 Ginjitzu wrote:
None! I'm very quick to open and assemble stuff. It's the painting that keeps me in a state of eternal shame.

This is me.

I'll usually build everything I buy by the next day off, sometimes sooner. Love building, and it doesnt take that long.

Same here, building stuff is the best part of the hobby. The only reason for me not to build something immediately is when I want to magnetize them and lack time or magnets to do it immediately.

For me, it's a set of Sector Mech bases, and some Star Wars Legion phase 1 clones. Aside from that, I've just finished painting every assembled model I own, and the few other units are mid-assembly.

I've got a couple of ten man Cadian boxes. I got them along with the 8th ed rule book. I like to think of them as my emergency reserve, in case I run out of bit for conversions or the like. Maybe if I ever get all of my infantry painted then I will build them.

With the prices of boxes these days, it doesn’t take many to peg your scale.

I just hit the store yesterday, and recently got a supply drop 2 weeks ago, so I’m in an abnormal state right now with 3 boxes still sealed.

I do have a lot of sprues around, but most of them are from larger sets and partially built. Pile of unbuilt shame is extensive, but not outrageous.

Well... Unopened only a box of gretchins and one of flash gitz, but unbuilt:

3x Gretchins
1x Flash Gitz
1x Lootas
1x Ork Warbuggy
1x Speed Freeks set (6x Warbikers, one Kustom Boosta-Blasta and one Shokkjump Dragsta, plus sceno pieces)
1x Megatrakk Scrapjet
1x Boomdakka Snazzwagon

I think that was all

I voted none, but then I remembered that I have the Chaos half of the Dark Imperium box in my closet. Does it count if it's plastic that I have no intention to ever build? That stuff is trade-foder as far as I'm concerned.

The Newman wrote:
I voted none, but then I remembered that I have the Chaos half of the Dark Imperium box in my closet. Does it count if it's plastic that I have no intention to ever build? That stuff is trade-foder as far as I'm concerned.

Sounds more like basing material to me!