After you build 'em, then what?

Post by **aferguson** » Sat May 06, 2006 11:53 am

I thought it would be interesting to get a sense of what everybody does with their stuff. I asked a similar question to this years ago on GP's board but i thought i'd put it in the form of a poll this time, as it should get more feedback.

So, after you open them up and take them out of the package or have made your custom....then what? Do you play with them? Just display them? Wargame? Something else? If you play and display then choose the 'play with' option.

Player, displayer or something else, it's time to sound off..

Feel free to add any comments below.

Morian Miner · Post by **Morian Miner** » Sat May 06, 2006 11:57 am

All the above. Most goes on display because I have so stinking much. Then, when you're setting up displays, you start having them fight with each other. When I have time, wargaming is fun. Then, when you're trying to do something, they make a nice babysitter

tmanthegreat · Post by **tmanthegreat** » Sat May 06, 2006 12:44 pm

Interesting question! I mostly display my armor and aircraft and periodically modify how I have the pilots, drivers, and passengers positioned. I also set up and photograph dioramas - an option that was interesting left off the poll (though I gues it would fit under the "display" option). Occasionally I'll create a large-scale diorama (see my website) but most often they are very small displays tucked in a corner of my room.

Tanks & other armor pieces work great as "mini-dios" since you can place a bunch of soldiers riding on the vehicle, sitting in the hatches, etc. My aircraft are displayed both hanging and sitting. Sometimes I'll do a "ground crew" dio with a sitting aircraft display. The hanging planes are simply shown in all their flying glory, though sometimes I'll put one in "landing configuration" or have a couple types chase each other (like the Spitfire and Galland ME-109E) for variety.

dfoos · Post by **dfoos** » Sat May 06, 2006 4:19 pm

I display my 1/18th stuff. It's just a little too big for wargaming. Although, if one had the space and resources, I think the idea has merit. Everything under 32x scale is for wargaming for me. I would love to display all my 32x stuff, but I dont have room, to they are stored in ranks in an amoir and in drawers. Same with my 1/72, 15mm, 1/144 and 1/256.

Razor17019 · Post by **Razor17019** » Sat May 06, 2006 5:34 pm

I am a displayer/diorama moreso. But, I would love to set up a hugh 12 foot table and wargame. I use to go to GENCON in Wisconsin every year when I was back in college (2 kids, house and a loving wife make that unrealistic now...). I can remember a guy had set up several large tables to represent somewhere in Vietnam. He gave all the guys that signed up for this game 6 US troopers each. The gamemaster played the VC attacking our guys here and there and where ever... Another guy and I teamed up and kept getting mauled (but held the line) against constant VC attacks. But the coolest thing was a huey gunship was called in to napalm an area of the map. The "General" of our group rolled some dice and the gamemaster said, "Okay the Napalm lands... HERE!" and put cottonballs colored red on the area. Luckily, our guys were out of range and the VC were caught in the middle of it... Good times, good times...

Most of my stuff gets displayed, but I have some items in boxes.

Flytiger · Post by **Flytiger** » Sun May 07, 2006 6:45 am

Still filling up wall space! The aircraft are all wall mounted, gear down, nose pointed to the floor, just above 7' on up to the ceiling (12'). Makes it easy to see the underside and they're easy to dust since they don't swing around like when hanging from the ceiling.

Post by **aferguson** » Sun May 07, 2006 3:13 pm

yes, i would say that making dioramas of a temporary nature, whether for photographing or not, would qualify as 'other' rather than 'display'. Had i thought of it when i created the poll i would have made that a separate category...i guess i was thinking that was playing but it's really a different category unto itself.

You will note that i have been using the word 'unto' alot recently. I rather like the word, these days...

Lefty · Post by **Lefty** » Sun May 07, 2006 7:57 pm

Put it together, zoom around the house a couple of times, then go in for a safe landing until I can find a space to hang it from the ceiling in my basement!

flpickupman · Post by **flpickupman** » Mon May 08, 2006 4:47 am

Since the number of vehicles I have is still small, I play and display. Just yesterday I was fooling around with my WC51 and 4 OMG bubbas.
One driving, one on the .50, one kneeling at the back w/Garand covering the left rear quadrant, and one sitting at the back covering the right rear. It actually doesn't look too crowded.

I find myself unable to leave my stuff alone. It may be a couple of months between 1/18 Scale exercises, but they get their training in whether they like it or not.
Planes on the other hand are a bit too unweildy to go running around the room with. I play with those for the first or second day out of the box and then they get strung up or parked on a shelf.

Threetoughtrucks · Post by **Threetoughtrucks** » Mon May 08, 2006 6:13 am

I display mine with the newest "buy" or project on display in "public" areas of my house and then they find a place in the "bunker" where I can marvel in private. I only drag people down who I know will appreciate what I have.

My problem now is so many projects, all in the works at the same time. It takes time to acquire parts and some are limited production so it's buy now for the future use or snooze and loose. We're talking about 1/6 now. For instance, a new kit just came out to convert a RC Stuart to a M-4 High Speed Tractor. How can you pass that up? I don't even have the extra Stuart right now, but the kit might disapear, so I buy it and it collects dust, along with the limited production armor shields for my Dragon 20mm, which I don't have time to assemble right now. I've just given up on the idea of a catch-up period.......I just know something really neat is just right around the corner, something I can't resist

At least, I'm not into customizing 1/18.....they just go on display or on the shelf.

TTT

luftpanzer · Post by **luftpanzer** » Tue May 09, 2006 1:35 pm

I remeber as a kid having fun with M80s and plastic models. hehe