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Monday, August 21, 2023

Emergency Planning

Fire devastation at Medical Lake, WA
If faced with the choice of saving only one wargaming collection in an emergency, which one would be rescued?  Now, in this hypothetical scenario, assume that all of your really valuable possessions, family, and pets are safe before turning to picking a collection to load up.  

A string of recent natural disasters in the news included one firestorm hitting close to home this weekend.  Friday's wildfire caused a nearby town (15 miles away) to be evacuated on short notice to due high winds and a quickly spreading brush fire.  That fire is still burning having already consumed more than 10,000 acres.  Choked by smoke from wildfires burning all around the Northwest and Canada (Spokane registered the worst air quality on the planet this morning), I wondered which collection would make the escape with me if thrust into a similar situation.

This question is similar to the Desert Island puzzle.  Tough one for me to answer straight away.

After some careful thought, I figured a horse & musket period would make my first cut.  Which one and in which scale?  Having collections in Napoleonics (15mm and 25mm), Franco-Austrian War, AWI, SYW, French & Indian War, and ACW, how do I choose?

Given some thought and weighing the pros and cons of each, I select the 18mm SYW collection as the Chosen One.  Even though it is not my largest collection, it is of good size (over 4,000 figures) with a number of different combatants.  Lots of colorful uniforms and I can fight a variety of battles from the 1730s to the 1770s.  Yeah, that's the one.

If time allowed for two collections to be loaded up and saved, which collection gets the second spot?  That is even a more difficult question requiring even more of a think.

While the choice is a hard one for me, perhaps the decision is not such a challenging a question for some.  If faced with a similar conundrum, which one wargame collection would you save and why?

I await your answers.  Perhaps a good case will prompt me to reconsider my choice.

77 comments:

  1. Would have to me my WWII collection. The period I am most knowledgeable about and enjoy playing the most.Also one that I started in the early 90s and is my largest and would take a while to replace, longer years than I have ahead of me for sure.

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    1. Thanks, Phil! Time needed to replace a collection is a major factor for consideration.

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  2. I am a split boardgamer / figure game and surely no administrator could bring themselves to force me to make a choice, it would be like having to choose between one’s children!

    So, the boardgame that would come with me would the The Old School Tactical system.

    The figure collection would be 28mm Wars of the Roses, simply because of the joy I get from just looking at them.

    I hope the climate related matters in your neck of the woods abate soon and that you remain safe.

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    1. Thanks, Norm! For me, choosing one boardgame to pack along is almost as challenging. I will have to think on that one.

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  3. That’s really concerning. Hope the fires die down soon.
    Now onto the question. At 4,000 figures, with the variety of types, your SYW collection would be an excellent choice IMO. Given yours is a bigger scale, I reckon I could easily get my WHOLE collection into the same space if allowed. (63x20x40cm excluding terrain, buildings etc). If forced to narrow it down it would have to be my SYW collection too. Around 5000 figures I think. At 6mm I could stretch the period back to 1700.
    Chris/Nundanket

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    1. Chris, I thought your SYW collection might be the one that gets saved from destruction. Good choice!

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  4. Strangely enough, it's a question I've pondered, especially seeing news stories of countries where wild fires are raging.
    It's a tough one. I'm torn between my plastic Soldier King armies and my plastic Roco Minitanks Israelis. As can be seen from my blog, they are the two current obsessions, but that's not the reason for choosing them.
    The first, which is completely illogical, is that they are plastic, which in my mind renders them particularly susceptible to heat; the fact that metal is unlikely to survive the sort of heat from a fire is something I acknowledge intellectually, yet still see the plastics as more "vulnerable" .
    The second reason is more logical; they are unique and if not irreplaceable, certainly very difficult to replace. As out of production ranges, re-acquiring is challenging but not impossible, but some things are. My personalities are all unique Fimo figures, I have done lots of converting to both miniatures and vehicles. Even if I could get the raw materials, I doubt I would have the will to start again. Turning to other collections while some could with money be easily replaced, others could not. I have many figures from ranges no longer produced which rarely turn up sor sale. I have conversions and especially command groups where figures have been brought together.
    All in all, it's a prospect not worth thinking about.
    Neil

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    1. Neil, seeing you work through the decision is enlightening. Funny that you have been pondering such an event, yourself, but decide in the end that this exercise is not worth the effort.

      I think I missed your choice…

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    2. My choice was either the Spencer Smith plastics or the Roco Minitanks IDF conversions as these have unique irreplaceable items; however, once you factor in "irreplaceable" it takes in quite a lot of the collection as it contains unique conversions and figures no longer produced ......that's why I decided not to speculate further, as "all of it" wasn't a choice.
      I've wondered if burying it would protect it - how far down, how hot does the ground get?
      Neil

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    3. How can we play with our toys if we bury them in the backyard?

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  5. I might just take the insurance and start again from scratch. There are probably more important things to put in the car.

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    1. The really importance has been saved. Starting from scratch carries a high cost in time; a luxury some of us may not have.

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    2. I certainly don't have the time either, if I was to rebuild everything. I think that if I was saving anything it'd be one of the obscure periods, like the Taiping. Or possibly the El Cid plastics or similar, which are getting harder to find these days.

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    3. Picking an obscure project certainly has merit especially considering the research put into your Taiping project. Along those same lines, I thought your War of the Pacific might be a choice too.

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  6. At 10mm everything I currently possess would be easily portable in Blue Thunder (our teeny weeny Fiat 500), so no choice needed. Nearest fires to us were Bordeaux area last year over 100km away so no issues of that type yet, thankfully. With fires that near to you make sure you have a bug out plan, with or without your minis! There’s a lot of replaceable minis in the world - but only one JF.

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    1. Thanks, Mark! You are lucky in that you are not near fuel for wildfires and that you need not make a choice.

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  7. Funnily enough when I saw that you had bad wildfires only 15 miles away, I did wonder what you would do if you had to try and save something Jon. Now I know! Of course fingers crossed this will never happen. Some years ago I read about a chap whose house burnt down and he had his 'toys' in a fire proof box, which sadly didn't turn out to be fire proof due to the intense heat from the fire. He lost everything and the wider community chipped in to help him restart IIRC. Does make one wonder about insuring my stuff seperately rather than relying upon the general insurance to cover it...

    As to you question, it would have to be my WWII collection with BKCII rules. Second place would be harder as I'm torn between 18thC & 19thC ImagiNations, with HoW and BPII rules...

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    1. Thanks, Steve! WWII and SYW are tied at two votes apiece for saving. I wonder if a fire-proof box can withstand intense heat. Choosing a second collection to save is much more difficult for me too.

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  8. Oh god, I think I'd end up consumed in the flames trying to decide, though in all likelihood it would be my WSS/GNW collection,my first ever historical collection added to over 30 years

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    1. Neil, without a plan, that may be my fate as well. Saving your only historical collection is a good choice.

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  9. Firstly I hope the fire challenges settle down in your patch Jon. I’m tempted to go with Neil. It makes me wonder if you shouldn’t purchase some massive steel fireproof cabinets ? Then to an actual choice ? It is actually a very unpleasant thought…..eventually I might decide on my Early WW2 stuff., but could I leave the ACW and AWI to burn ?

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    1. In some years, only the arrival of snow brings an end to the fire season. I may look into fireproof cabinets and assess their specifications. Early WWII is tempting but you have enjoyed both of your ACW and AWI collections. Tough choices!

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  10. I hope the fires keep their distance form you!

    I routinely run this exercise for evaluating everything I have. If it wouldn't be the first I'd grab, why do I hold onto it? (i still might hold onto it, but i think it's worth considering why and what it means and tells me about myself). When it comes to my wargaming figures, my answer changes periodically and I personally find it difficult to not see the one I'm currently focused on painting or gaming with as the one to save. WWI Southern Front is always near the top of my list because it is the period I have the read most about, but I know I could be equally happy gaming the period with homemade counters or quickly painted plastic canvas armies. From a "brings me joy to look at" it would be my Lego-type minifigure WWII collection but while not cheap, they require no painting and therefore are most easily replaced.

    When I consider potential for story telling, the visual appeal (and the desire to NEVER have to paint them again) and the most stimulating to my imagination, it would be my VSF collection - French, British, some civilian personality figures, Lizardfolk, and Carthaginians (painted like Greek pottery). It is most often the one that makes the cut. With four small forces (around 100 figures total, and fits in two 12" x 12" x 3" bins + 1 Britain's red box for the lancers) it allows for 19th C. fictional encounters between two European powers, fantasy encounters between Lizardfolk and Dark Elves (that's how I treat the Carthaginians), lost world explorations, and VSF colonial engagements between Europeans and native populations without access to firearms.

    A great question to think about long before it becomes necessary!

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    1. So far, the fires are kept at bay with no immediate threat.

      Good to see that you have given this question some considerable thought and that you have an answer. Much better to have a plan in place just in case.

      You know, I wonder if my choice of SYW is partly due to me currently having it under the brush? Hmm.

      Thanks for your considered response, John!

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  11. Good lord Jon, 15 miles away is a bit too close for my liking. I dearly hope that's as close as you'll have to suffer wildfires this, and any year going forward.

    "Fireproof cabinets" sound like a nice storage solution and whilst they can provide protection from direct fire exposure, they tend to do little to stop the heat from affecting their contents and I can easily imagine any miniature collections contained within to be melted were the worst to happen. Underground storage is the better option imo - with heat rising, you should have a better chance at seeing precious hobby collections weathering the worst case scenarios I'd imagine?

    After all that waffling, I move on to your actual question.... I am torn between saving my 28mm WW2 collection and my scifi stuff. Whilst my WW2 minis are my most played and extensive collections, some of those old scifi minis I've had since I was a young lad! Could overwhelming feelings nostalgia over-ride common sense in that situation?

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    1. I wonder about the efficacy of fireproof cabinets, myself. Perhaps worth a little time spent investigating.

      It is a tough decision to decide which collection stays and which is abandoned. You must decide!

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  12. I am glad that I live in a part of the world where so far it has not been an issue🤞I hope you and yours stay safe. As to the question, I just don't know. I feel like Golum with 'My Precious', I wouldn't want to leave any behind.

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    1. The West has been in drought or near drought conditions for many years. One gets used to this annual burning down of the place.

      I am with you on choosing a favorite collection to save. I don't want to leave any behind but I do not want to end up like Scott (above) being consumed by flames in indecision!

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  13. I concur with your choice of the 18mm horse and musket collection. Next up, in my mind at least, would be the 25/28mm ancients collection.

    For myself, and yes it does happen to be what I am working on currently, would be my 6mm stuff - sci-fi and historical/modern. After that, any plastic figures as I would hope the metal ones might survive!

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    1. Greg, great to have you concur with the choice of collection keeper! First choice had to be a horse & musket period and SYW seemed the best choice. Pick #2 would be harder. I think either a pike & shot period or Biblical.

      Which 6mm collection would you keep? Sci-fi or historical?

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    2. Both sci-fi and historical. The sci-fi collection is massive compared to the rest, as I only have a few packs of micro-armour (no more than 20) waiting for time at the table. But, if I had to choose one, it would be Battletech, as we are playing it more and more, and some of the units are getting 'reputations'. I should post some of this to my own blog some time!

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  14. I hope you keep safe - 15 miles away does not seem far away enough from bush fires for me!
    Interesting question - Which figures would I save in this evacuation scenario?
    Most of my childhood Airfix big and small figures only survived until now and many house moves by being in a metal engineers case (not fire proof) given me by my Dad. The box is shown here, still full of precious childhood Airfix veterans: https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2021/05/07/two-by-two-into-the-metal-airfix-ark-the-case-of-the-metal-box/

    I have a fishing tackle box of Airfix figures (or "penny dreadful" pound store figures) that I sometimes take on holiday. https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2016/06/07/portable-wargames-on-holiday/

    However oddly If I had to save any part of toy soldier collection it could well be this small blue bits box from the 1980s teenage years with lots of bits of unfinished projects in different scales including unpainted or part painted Peter Laing, some Platoon 20 modern sample figures etc;

    I enjoyed going through this memory box of drawers during Covid. I like to consider what games I could play with its varied contents if this was all that survived onto that "mythical desert island". I feel I ought to stash inside a couple of simple Featherstone Close Wars (appendix to War Games , 1962) type back of postcard rules, small ruler and some dice.

    https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2020/04/13/unboxing-the-blue-box-of-1980s-gaming-figures-time-capsule-parts-1-to-3/

    Keep safe!

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    1. The skies are choked with smoke but all is OK here. I like your thought of keeping something that holds great sentimental value to you. How many different games could you come up with out that box I wonder?

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  15. It would have to be 15mm Ancients for me. Not my first love, but they are the ones which see most table time. If I had to select just one army it would be the Carthaginians, but then that would mean taking the Gauls, Numidians and Spanish along as well. I hope the wildfires keep their distance. Every time I see a nice country place for sale here in Queensland I am quickly put off by the thought of potential fires.

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    1. Great! You made the choice with conviction. Having to choose just a single army is not really fair. You need at least two armies to game. The fires are kept at bay for now.

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  16. I couldn't even contemplate which to keep to be honest Jonathan....they are all my children! Plus they are spread through three locations in the house...maybe a very large fireproof safe is the only answer.

    We are watching the fires very closely as a number of my relatives are directly in the path of the fires in the northern Okanagan.

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    1. I know! They are all our children. The choice is tough if it must be made.

      When the wind is out of the north, the smoke choking Eastern Washington is coming from all of the Canadian fires. Hope your relatives stay safe. The big fire here that promoted the evacuation of Medical Lake passed eight blocks from a friend’s house. Luckily, the fire bypassed them.

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  17. Let’s hope you never have to make that choice. My best wishes for you. Told you outside was awful 😀
    Though I dislike it when folks compare losing miniatures to losing children. I know they’re not serious; but to me the two ideas are disparate.
    But to end on an upbeat note; I bet my answer is obvious. I’d save my ACW collection. I love that collection. It is after all, the best CW. 😀

    If your blog goes silent we’re all gonna assume the worse.

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    1. You have repeatedly warned that Outside is dangerous. What is worse than going outside is when Outside comes looking for you. Of course, children and collections are not comparable and comments are made without serious comparisons. Equating one to another is insensitive especially to those having lost a child.

      There was no doubt that ACW would be your favored collection to save.

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    2. Of course. No harm no foul. It’s just a phrase I dislike. I also don’t care for “it is what it is” and “hashtag blessed”. 😀

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  18. For me, this is, first of all, the WSS collection of Strelets. Apparently, these figures will become a rarity. Stay safe!

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    1. Although I did not know if you had other collections, I figured WSS would top your list.

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  19. Quite the conundrum, this one!

    First of all I hope the nearby fires remain under control and spare you the agony of decision. In my case my collection is almost entirely in 6mm so most of it would participate in an evacuation. My biggest regret would be having to leave my models behind as they are not easily transportable at all. That said, we don’t have your sort of wildfires here and houses are entirely built of stone. Not to say they can’t burn down but the process takes longer.

    What I definitely would take is my collection of world cup football (soccer) sticker albums which I have been collecting since I was a kid. The first edition 1970 one is quite rare and commands a decent value these days so I would definitely won’t want that to burn away.

    I doubt a fireproof safe would be effective. I would take Dai’s suggestion and go as far underground as possible but it’s easier said than done I'm afraid……..

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    1. Thanks, Mike. I agree that having to leave your beautiful models behind would be a tough pill to swallow.

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  20. We hope you never have to do anything with your property that involves a wildfire. Having been in two small grass fires I can't imagine the horror of a forest fire. I doubt that a fireproof box would help a lot as plastic and pewter don't take a lot of heat to be disfigured or destroyed. Underground storage might help, but do you have a deep cellar available? I know that areas of the country do not have basement areas, and I am not aware of your situation. Crawl spaces and partial basement situations are not useful in these circumstances.
    As you asked, I would assume a 15mm based collection would be most likely transportable. A larger scale requires a bigger car. I don't envy anyone trying to make such a decision. Probably the best solution would be a rider on your policies to take care of the extra investment which in a case of Extreme Measures is the only way you may recover all or most of the value you've invested. God bless and keep you and yours safe.

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    1. Escaping a fast-moving wildfire is an event no one should have to endure. We do have basements here but not sure if they would offer much safety in case of fire. Even with added insurance, how could a large collection actually be replaced? It would take years.

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  21. I have painted nearly all the figures in my collection, and would not want to choose what goes. I would need a panel truck for the collection.

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    1. Like you, all of the figures in my collection have been painted by my hand too. That alone gives them some sentimental value.

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  22. Its something I did think about when we had flood waters lapping (metaphorically for me) at our doors a few months back - which boxes are at the bottom of my cupboards in the garage and thus most exposed to water damage - ok, not as bad as fire damage - but it would be bad enough if I had to rinse sewage off them then start repainting bare metal from scratch!
    I dont have an answer really - possibly GNW or some other period none of my gaming mates have - after all, ECW or WWII - if I had no figures, the other guys still have plenty, so I could still get in games of those periods,,,

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    1. Keith, your GNW collection is a handsome one especially if it is singular among your group. Good choice!

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  23. God willing I am never put in such a situation. But if so, I would rescue my 28mm French Revolutionary Wars collection. The decision is purely based that this would be the most expensive and time consuming to rebuild. The rest, at 15mm, 2mm and 6mm, would be painful but rebuildable.

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    1. Richard, approaching the decision within the context of a cost model is a good way to go. I would expect exactly this rationale approach from you.

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  24. Tough decision to make - and one hoping no one will have to make. That said, besides my large scale (120mm-200mm) figures, I'd probably want to save my Trojan War (mostly Redoubt) and/or Early-Samurai (TAG) metal figures. These were my first 28mm figures I paint and collected. Not only sentimental, but I put a lot more effort into painting them than I do with figures nowadays. But again, not something I would like to contemplate.

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    1. It is a tough decision to make and face. Hopefully, neither ever come to fruition. How long has it been since your Trojans were out on the gaming table?

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  25. Whew. That is a very tough one, that I hope I never have to face. And hope that you don’t either. Though that’s awfully close to you. Fire & water can move fast.

    My frantic one grab & dash would be my Collection of classic 25 mil Ral Partha fantasy figures dating back to the 70s. Painted & so many many more unpainted. As much for the Memories & sentiments, the decades of enjoyment they have brought me, as well as for the sheer beauty of Tom Meier’s sculpts. Only problem is that most are stored for display not transport. Which is something else to consider.

    Similar to some recent ruminations on ah shite we’ve suddenly become how much older? What do we do with the beloved toys we’ve spent our lives acquiring? What do we ask our Friends do with them? And what about the personal treasures that we haven’t touched in how long? (If I need to use all of my digits to figure out when I last used an army . . . Can I bear to part with them?)

    Wife, kids & critters first. If you’ve got time & space ~ favorite toys next.

    Thanks for the question! Now, I’m going to spend the weekend transferring stored figures I’ve been meaning to pass along to a Dear Friend into larger cardboard boxes. Fill their lock tight document boxes with the Collection I’d actually grab if I had an hour’s heads up.

    Hoping it doesn’t come to that for you & yours!
    ~ TT

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    1. Great response!

      One of the questions Nancy asks occasionally (well, one of the hobby-related questions, that is) is why I don't display all of my figures. For one, I would need many more shelves and cabinets. For another, I store for transport and quick access; not for display.

      How we dispose of our collections in the end is another can or works to open. Perhaps a good topic for another time?

      As a former scout, I say, Always Be Prepared!

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    2. We’re old Scouts as well. After friends in a neighboring state were just missed by a wildfire we finally setup our own go bags. One for the cat too. Almost needed to grab them the very next year. (There’s a separate one for ER trips. It includes complete medical records & various things you’ll never consider until the 2nd or 3rd day in the Hospital.)

      Yes. Disposing of our beloved hoarded preciousnesses is a difficult thing to consider. But one I think that is well worth contemplating before it’s too late. Plus, it’s neither fair nor right to leave it all to a grieving spouse or gaming friends to figure out. Especially without any written notes or plans of what to do with what. Which figures or Collections go to whom, and so on. Or, perhaps even worse, leaving it to the bitter lonely end for someone all unknowing & ignorant being left to confront ‘just what am I going to do with all of this old junk?’ I have no doubt that we all treasure our efforts & researches and accumulated papers. That also means that we are part of a small and rarified group that not just anyone can recognize or understand.

      What you want done with it all is, I think, a subject well worth considering. Hope that you’ll take that question up some time. You always stir up such good conversations and I’m interested in others take on the subject. It ties in well with your what would I grab question and is something that I am contemplating now myself.

      I need to get a move on packing up all of those long unused figures and those that tie in with his Collection that I am never ever going to even try to paint and give them to TtE. Then I can properly store my very favorite eye candy, that I too rarely actually look at any more, but that I would still grab first if I could. (I’ll leave it to him and his to figure out what to do with them now. That’ll bring me some amusement.) There are quite a few individual one off figures I did for our biannual DudeCons. Long past time to pass them along to the players they represent! They’ll Remember our games, and the laughs and good beer. Perhaps they’ll occasionally raise a glass ‘To absent friends!’ I don’t think of that as some sort of a macabre momento mori. Rather, it’s a celebration of the times and years that we’ve shared rolling dice together.

      Thank you for stirring up the mental dust mites. Perhaps uncomfortable to think of. But, oddly comfortable once you actually do. Be prepared.
      ~ TT


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    3. Happy to give the mental dust mites a vigorous stir! Thank YOU for contributing to the conversation!

      Considering what to do with our collections in the End Days is a topic I relegate to the back of mind. Since Nancy says I can't take them with me, I do have contingency plans in place. Good friends have volunteered to help in the somber process of disposal.

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  26. Jonathan I hope you stay safe. This is an excellent question for me as we get large fires near us once or twice a decade. It is very worrying when the smoke is joined by burnt leaves.
    Thinking about it all, I looked out the window and remembered that I have a pool 😂so I could just toss them all in there and they should be safe - crisis averted and I could just take my boardgame collection.
    But keep your escape plan ready so you can make sure you and your family will be safe.
    Luckily you have your blog so you may lose the figures but not the memories.

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    1. Yes, I am in no danger here. Would losing a lifetime of work yet retaining a blog be a positive or a terrible reminder of what once was?

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    2. I think it would be a positive reminder of what you have done. I enjoy reading my old posts and remembering the games.

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  27. Coming late to the party, but I would have to begin by saying that this would have to be only a partially rational decision, the bulk and transportability of the collection being overlooked, for instance. I have been thinking about trimming and downsizing, so I would have to say that I would retain my 28mm 17th Century collection: they are the most multipurpose (appropriate for everything from Thirty Years War, English Civil War, and Eastern Ren, plus a few others) and being singly mounted, useable with many, many different rules sets. And I like the look of them and the period has been among the first that sparked my interest (running across books of Durer prints in my college library in the middle of the night when I should have been working on a paper...).

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    1. Never too late, Ed! I am somewhat surprised by your choice. I figured, without much doubt, that your beautiful 19th Century collections would be the project carried away to safety.

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    2. Quite so. I'd probably have to do the honorable thing; after seeing the wife and dogs safely off, I'd wrap the colors around me and go down with the collection, singing the Meanderer national anthem: "Hail, Hail Fredonia!"

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  28. There have been enough times in the last decade that we were concerned that we might have to skedaddle that I've considered this before. In the end, by the time we get our pack of hounds and HM Minou, with food etc into our small and medium vehicles, there wouldn't be much room for toys. So, nostalgia looses out to practicality and I have a 20mm plastic "game in a box" packed and ready to go.

    I suspect that I'd also be able to find room for my 20mm plastic ACW boxes. All the 54mm, 40mm and 25mm metals would have to take their chances.

    Hmm, now I think about it, instead of my current ACW storage with 4 boxes, a box of infantry and a box of cavalry, arty, staff etc for each side, I should reorganize them into 4 boxes, each containing all arms for both side boxes in case there's only room for one or two. Hmmmm

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    1. Thanks, Ross! Good to see that have your escape plan (mostly) settled.

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  29. Having given your question some thought Jonathan I would have to say that the toy soldier collection that I would grab would be my shiny Napoleonics…
    Not because of any rarity or value but because it is a collection that always makes me smile when I look at it…
    Which would definitely be something I would need if my house was a smouldering wreck or buried under the waters of the river Trent…

    In truth the first collection I would run in and grab would be the set of sixty hand drawn birthday cards my daughter gave me on my sixtieth birthday… a treasure beyond value.

    Let’s hope we never have to make that choice… maybe I should get the builder to fire proof my cellar… just in case.

    All the best. Aly

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    1. Aly, a collection that brings a smile to your face when you see it is the collection to save. Good choice!

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  30. It would be a difficult call between my ECW collected as a young lad and AWI Peter Laing figures, but the ECW would win as it too 40+ years to get the collection painted and on the tabletop.

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    1. Good choice! I can see how a “First in, Last Out” makes a lot of sense.

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  31. First I hope the fires stay away from you , the collection I would keep ( and I have thought about this) would be my Italian wars collection as they're a memorial collection as the money came from my inheritance after my dad died, the intention being that I would think of him when I painted/ played with it, so an easy answer from me!
    Best Iain

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    1. Iain, I would be sorely tempted to save my Italian Wars collection as well but mine has rarely seen the table where SYW is out fairly regularly.

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