Reply To: Anti Shiny Syndrome League

[jamescutts 6925xp 3]

I’ve been trying to get myself to a stage of joining this cult, I don’t think ill get to @oriskany levels but that is an aspiration.

Here is what I’ve done this last year:

• I stopped backing physical starters (almost).
• Trying to limit purchases of plastic crack, I must complete a thing before I buy a thing
• Stopped buying GW products, excluding the odd LotR minis.
• Unsubscribed from near all store newsletters.
• Created an in my head “hobby plan” for the year.
• Continued not backing any patrons that related to a product (e.g. STL files every month)
• Tried to focus on a few historical periods that interest me
• Sold off, or given away things I no longer use/want or purchases I never opened.
• Buying individual sprues for those extra few minis rather than a full box.

Here is what I still struggle with

• Rulebooks, I love books, I also love checking out rulebooks in periods or genres I’m interested in as much for the read and background information (I’ve not played any games over lockdowns)
• Bargains, I’m a Yorkshireman, I love a bargain and often cant resist seriously good deals
• Hoarding STL files, to someday be printed
• A new historical period getting my eye.

Some explanations

As I’m sure many others have discovered Kickstarter is a nightmare for the shiny syndrome, I back the second Joan of Arc release and got caught in the hype for it a bit, the only time I’ve done such really and I’m already regretting it before its arrived. Basically I now back very little on KS, with few exceptions, the Price of Crowns Napoleonic STL/Physical KS, it fits exactly the period I’m interested in and at €40 was very affordable for STL files I will someday use. The only other KS I’ve backed are a few STL files for a $1 and the Regrass Games wet pallet update, as I was considering buying a bigger one anyway so it will be useful when it arrives. I did also back more Barrons war and welsh minis, but I blame @panzerkaput for that.

Limiting purchases has been hit and miss, stopping buying any GW products has been great, while some models look amazing I’ve no interest in their games, with the exception of their LotR releases. In addition, focusing on a period, in my case, Napoleonics has been great, and I’ve managed to sort of keep to an only buy a box once one is finished. However I can’t resist bargains and if I’ve seen a box set in clearance price £20>£12 I’ve picked it up, so I’ve not got 8-10 boxes of Napoleonics in the backlog (alongside two starter armies I got less than half price). Focusing on one period has also let me consider what i want to have in my collection, I’ve sold off a load of minis I never used, many still unopened, thankfully due to my bargain purchasing habits, I actually turned a bit of a profit on them!

I had a thread a few months back about store newsletters, my main annoyance was the barrage of Saturday GW new release emails from every store selling the same stuff I wasn’t interested in, basically, I unsubscribed from them all, I now have one or two stores/manufactures in my mailing list and get much less tempted.