2010/2011

Right-o, I think it’s time for an end of year review and a broad plan for 2011. The review is pretty simple: Lots prepped, not much painted!

So I hereby declare that for me, 2011 will be the “Year of Painting and Terrain”. What does that mean? Well, I’ve scratched out a few themes and resolutions.

(1) No more cleaning of figures until the backlog is cleared, with a few exceptions:

• Assembling, mounting, and priming figures already cleaned in 2010 is ok (need to get them on the painting table)
• Figures needed to complete a project (e.g. Vietnam), SYW India skirmish, air can be cleaned etc.
• Terrain is fair game, as it’s the other half of the year’s theme.

(2) Purchasing will be scaled back, I did my piece for the world economy in 2010; in particular, no NEW projects! Well, ok, two new projects may be allowed – 3mm ACW Terrible Sharp Sword, now that it’s released, and 6mm Hammer’s Slammers, IF they ever get released by Old Crow. Otherwise it will be:

• Terrain purchases will include a space mat, an aerial mat (overland, already have naval), some 10/15mm pieces, 2mm Irregular, and 3mm from Simply 6 (via Picoarmor).
• 2mm purchases for SYW India, my two fantasy projects (Kull, Imaro), Star Wars, and Land Ironclads.
• Star Wars capital ships from Studio Bergstrom (falling under the “completing a project” exception).
• Some more Pulp Figures, particularly if I manage to make the Hot Lead convention in March and PF is there with a booth.
• If Brigade (US version) has any sales, I’ll pick up some ERB Martian figures and VSF skirmish stuff.
• If Brigade (UK version) has their summer sale again, I’ll pick up some Aeronef and Land Ironclads stuff – I hope you all admire the way I didn’t spend any money during their Xmas sale.
• Splintered Light Miniatures have a few sales during the year, and I expect they’ll have some cool new Splintered Lands mini’s I’ll need, plus I have some of their 15mm stuff in the pending pile.
• In January I expect to put in an order to round up WWII over the Pacific, there are 6 mini-starter packs that will do me, plus some spares for China. And some modern odds and ends. And I found I need another pack of D.XXI’s for the Finns. But THAT’S it.
• At some point I’d like to place a small order with H&R for 1/300 WWI a/c, I have some gaps in my lineup, and they’re the only ones with a reasonable collection of interesting Interwar a/c.
  

Hmmm, so that looks like two rules and about 20 exceptions, but at least it’s a plan!

I’ve spent the last few days working on re-jigging my hobby area layout, and added 7 new shelving units to the house – 1 fancy bookcase, 1 utility shelf, 3 pairs of big wall shelves, 2 pairs of little wall shelves. Some of it’s to deal with my book overload, but I also want to get work station #2 back to being a work station, right now it’s a storage area for in-progress terrain. I also waste a lot of time trying to remember where stuff went, because it’s a pain to access much of my collection. This should put things out in the open, in a less jury-rigged fashion. Now hopefully I don’t move come spring…

Hope everyone’s had a good Christmas, and is heading towards a good new year.

CJR