With retirement looming ahead, I’ve decided my hobby needs to be a wee bit more self-sustaining than it is. So I’ve decided to start selling off some of my figures on TradeMe, the New Zealand version of eBay.
I’ve never been that keen on selling any of my figures, as I feel I’ve invested so much time and care in painting them. So the decisions on what will go and what will stay will be really difficult. If I don’t come up with some sort of system, I’ll probably end up deciding to not sell much at all.
So the system I have set for myself is that if I want to buy any new miniatures, I’ve got to fund at last half the cost from my existing collection. Let’s see if I can make that work!
The first collection for sale are some Foundry pirates and a ship. I’ve rationalised this by putting up only half of my small pirate collection for sale, as I usually need less figures than I own to play skirmish games anyway. And I’ll still be able to sit and admire the remainder of them in my display case.
So here’s how I advertised them:
Arghhhh, me hearties! Here’s a motley crew of 28mm metal pirates from the Wargames Foundry range, exquisitely painted and based – and a fine ship for them to sail the Spanish Main in search of plunder!
These will give you a crew of eleven scurvy pirates to play any skirmish pirate game. Included are Captain Morgan, Calico Jack, Anne Bonny and even the infamous Blackbeard himself.
I’ll also throw in a skeleton pirate and Queen Elizabeth 1, whom I’m sure you could find a way of incorporating as characters into a wacky game scenario!
Of course, pirates need ships. So this sale also includes a natty little brig beautifully converted from a plastic ‘Weapons and Warriors’ play-set toy. Its been re-fitted with a balsa deck and given a realistic wood-like paint-job. The masts and bowsprit are removable, as are the four small metal cannons. She measures 25cms long, 9cms wide and 18cms high – plenty big enough to carry the whole crew!
Note that the scenic background and buildings in the photos don’t come with this sale (but if you twist my arm I could include the three palm trees!).
Of course, there is the problem of what if no-one buys them? But let’s cross that bridge after the auction finishes next Saturday night.
DRESSING THE LINES 