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I'm about to sell off my Orks. They are in the way. About 60 are painted, over 100 in boxes unassembled (mostly AoBR), and another 50 primed, and I haven't touched them since 5th edition. They've moved across the country twice. I've finally reached the point of "F it. They need to go."

Orks are the ultimate white whale. Everyone wants an army, no one wants to paint one.

I may have currently succumbed to the allure for the second attempt....

I think that most gamers hit the "i have to much" wall eventually.

When 40K and classic battle tech were my only 2 games i had way to much focus on 40K. i ended up selling or passing forward my Tyranids, SOB, deathwing, ravenwing and tau. the key for me was helping others get into the game so i "sold" armies at ridiculously low prices or just gave stuff away to players in need. i also gifted my old MKI FOW army since it was a game i never really played.

Even with all the house cleaning i still have 7k of salamander, around 3K of dark angels and about the same in admech. that isn't counting all the other games i have gotten into. fortunately everything i have is painted and completed. they are almost all skirmish level games that all fit in their own little tote box that i can break out when i feel the need.

 LunarSol wrote:
Orks are the ultimate white whale. Everyone wants an army, no one wants to paint one.

I may have currently succumbed to the allure for the second attempt....

Count me in that. Years back I bought enough orks to do the "Last stand at Glazer's creek" Never painted a single one and sold them off. Now through a couple of very lucky buys, I've got another 2k+ worth of orks and the only painted ones are the ones that came that way. I love the idea of an ork army and the conversion potential, but it's a heck of alot of painting. Daunting even with my fast-paint methods.

The more I'm in this hobby, the more I'm thinking hunting down bargain figs that are already painted may be the best course of action when it comes to building armies.

 LunarSol wrote:
Orks are the ultimate white whale. Everyone wants an army, no one wants to paint one.

I may have currently succumbed to the allure for the second attempt....

My ork army is about finished. The secret is having a "desired end state," which is to say, a top-end army size.

Over the holidays I did a comprehensive census of all my models. This was very useful to understand my storage space needs. Some years ago I began selling off models I could honestly say I didn't want to paint.

The advantage of clearing off that was that it freed up money and space for things I actually intended to finish.

Yeah, I started purging things pre-pandemic and got rid of enough that during quarantine I got most of what remained done. I've been at a state for a while now where my purchases are my current project and only recently have let things build up again due to a bit of bad planning and new release dumps.

No Orks for me but I do have an Orc army

Reporting that I sold hundreds of models already and about 1k up with some free storage space recovered.
I had a bit of a recent problem though and in the end I failed to resist Leviathan, adding 70ish minis to the pile.

I still feel the need to downsize more.

Sounds like a big chunk out if you've lost 100s and only gained a few 10s!

Personally I might pause at that point. It's REALLY easy to get into "I'm getting more hobby money/bills money" and clearing stuff out and end up getting into a rhythm; then before you know it you go too far.

 LunarSol wrote:
Orks are the ultimate white whale. Everyone wants an army, no one wants to paint one.

I may have currently succumbed to the allure for the second attempt....

I was that way for a while. I'd paint what I had but not to a very high standard and nothing felt complete but at this point I can say %95 if not %100 is painted to about my highest standard. I've been a painter for a long time, take commissions and it felt really bad to have my army look so bad when ever I was out at a shop with it and some one would point over at me and say that guy paints models for money. My army was not a good reflection of what I was doing and actually capable of that and I got sick of the condition they were in. I sold everything I was never going to use and so would never finish building and painting.

Best advice for Orks, paint one box then buy and paint the next box. I was in a ad spot for more than 10 years. Hurts the soul. This is the only way I do any models now.

I wish I could sell all of my stuff, I hardly play anymore and am doubtful I will play again.

Been on a similar journey myself over the last 3-4 years. It all happened after I'd just moved house during late 2020. Boxing up and looking at the piles of miniatures, old rules, games, etc got me thinking that I'm just not enjoying having this hobby shaped sword of damocles over my head everytime I want to paint or am tempted to buy. Some of the models I had were decades old and brand new. Was I ever going to paint them? Generally the answer came back as "No". So I took a big decision to start clearing out old stuff I never will use or enjoy further. Painted models were never for the chop and have been kept in my display cabinet. So far, I have cleared out the following:

- Almost my entire 1st-4th edtion Epic model collection, unpainted. This clocked in at a ridiculous 1500+ individual metal models and plastic stands. Not including loose. Included in the sell off were all editions of the rules, boxes, etc with the exception of my copies of the 4th edition rulebook and Swordwind + a few 1st edition metals.
- My Rogue Trader and WHFB rulebook collection from late 80's/early 90's. Including all Ork books (Waargh and the like) as well as Realm of Chaos and a mint Chapter Approved book. I kept Rogue Trader, the Battle Manual and the Vehicle Manual
- My huge 1st Edtion Imperial Guard collection. These were the metal models with plastic arms. Again, all unpainted including bikes, jetbikes, rough riders, penal troops, 2 boxes of the plastic guards, arms, etc. Over 200 models.
- My Rogue Trader Orks with plastic arms, including original plastic battlewagon.
- 2nd Edition Space Marines army
- 2nd Edition codex collection. My 2nd edition box is the debating to sell pile.
- Several current edition Blood Bowl Teams
- All Space Hulk sets I owned, expansions (including a mint Campaigns book), metal hybrids and metal purestrains
- My 4th Edition Empire Army, unpainted
- My Forgeworld Mechanicum Army, unpainted
- Currently in sell off is my Forgewolrd Solar Auxilia collection (4,000 points approx)

It has been quite cathartic, seeing huge swathes of older unloved models leave, some that I've had decades and remain unpainted. No regrets at all, except maybe for a Space Hulk set or 2. I'm still left with a nice collection but I'm finding it easier to motivate myself to paint my models. My Titanicus maniple is largely complete as is my Knigh Household - those aren't piles of shame anymore, but sit in my display cabinets looking proud and painted! I still have more I could sell off, but I'm taking my time with deciding if I want to. I am getting to the point now where I'm a lot more happy with my collection. I still have a ways to go and I'm currently debating selling off my backlog of Heresy models including a load of resin MkII marines.

However, there have been regrets to previous clear outs that happened a number of years ago. This is mainly Forgeworld Imperial Armour models including a load of Imperial Guard tanks and infantry that are now OOP as well as Orks and Eldar Corsairs that are gone. I wish I kept those :(

One thing I do to keep the clear out motiviation going is to watch "Pile of Shame" vids on YouTube to inspire myself to not be that guy. Some of those unpainted collection videos are simply eye opening and I can't for the life of me understand how they find enjoyment of, in some cases, entire rooms filled with multiple duplicates of years old boxes still in shrinkwrap!

One thing I did do a while back that you've reminded me is that I did get a coffer. Not a huge one, but decent size. I "try" and keep my unassembled mountain fitting in the coffer.

I feel like it keeps it tidy whilst also at a size that's not so insane its self defeating.

I do agree once you're at rooms full of unbuilt models and stack after stack of boxes either you're shifting your collection style to one where you're content to collect boxes over models as such; or you need a clear out because whilst its a huge pile of potential; its almost too much for most people and can be very demotivating.