The Big Sayonara–Or why I’m Giving Stuff Away

But wait . . . there’s more . . .

I had a realization last night that I wasn’t ever going to do anything with my huge pile of 28mm ACW figures. They’d sat in a drawer for nearly three decades. Most were unpainted, a few weren’t. I didn’t have a plan for them. They didn’t even fit in my mind’s painting queue (which is different than something I sit down and commit to paper.) For example: here is my plan for this summer

1. Finish Moro War One Hour Skirmish War Games project in June/July
   • Work on 1/300 planes for Pearl Harbor scenario
   • Finish last two 1/1200 WW II ships
2. Finish Paymaster PNW natives for Tribal
   • Wrap up Ogopogo monster.
3. Work on Viking SAGA army for SAGA and Tribal. Try to finish by end of August
4. Begin final work on Spanish-American War/Cuban Rebellion for The Men Who Would Be King in September with no later than December completion.

That’s what’s in my head. It still allows me to muck about with other plane and ship projects, some skirmish projects for OHSWG I’m thinking about. After that I plan to commit fully to my AWI project and get it done in 2025. Those are the really big projects on my plate. And I know what I want to do with them.

250-300 ACW figures I’ve had for 30 years, without a plan. I think about ’em. They take up space. But what do I do with them? I’m giving them to George Kettler. He has a plan. He knows what he wants to do. He needs the guys. And I gotta say this isn’t just Kevin playing Santa Claus. I have benefited greatly from the kindness of others who have passed things along to me. Whether it was David giving me his Paymaster Indians, or Mark 3D printing stuff for me, or John passing ships to me, or in my alter ego Kevin the Record guy, folks passing along some great vinyl, I have benefited from others’ generosity. I can do this.

This will be my third big giveaway of 2024. In February I parted with my superfluous lot of 1/300 scale planes. Passed ’em on to Michael and Scott. There were probably 300 or so. It allowed me to narrow my list of unfinished plane projects to WWII in the Pacific and Vietnam. That doesn’t mean there won’t be more purchases; it just means I know what I’ll need and I can get ’em when I need ’em.

In April I passed along all my DBA armies to new friend Mark Wesnahan. When DBA was hot 10-12 years ago, I really enjoyed it. Paul Hannah and Andy Hooper have kept it a going concern. But honestly it’s chiefly played in Seattle. It hasn’t made it’s way out of a closet in more than five years. Mark is new to the hobby, but loves the game and plays with Paul and Andy, and he’s a terrific person. Supporting him seemed a smart thing to do for everyone.

Giving figures, indeed entire projects, to those who will make use of them does one important thing for me–but the one thing has an A and B phase.

A. It makes a little more room in my ever crowded space for my completed projects.

B. More importantly, it lessens the chatter in my head that demands “What the hell are you going to do with this stuff?” Whatever money I’ve lost in this deal, it’s paid off with better mental health.

That others can make use of it is just a blessing.