Collector habits. (1 Viewer)

Simpson & his donkey.

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I have now been collecting for a few years now and my collection has grown so much that I have stopped looking at figures and only at AFV's .Is this the norm with collectors as they start with figures and move on to larger things.I have enough soldiers in the same fighting positions that I am looking for armour support to help them.I have found that I now get some RAF ground crew to support my Hurricane I got first.When I first started I got the the soldiers first and the AFV'S to support .But now it's the other way around.Is this what does happen when your collection grows.Simmo.
 
I have now been collecting for a few years now and my collection has grown so much that I have stopped looking at figures and only at AFV's .Is this the norm with collectors as they start with figures and move on to larger things.I have enough soldiers in the same fighting positions that I am looking for armour support to help them.I have found that I now get some RAF ground crew to support my Hurricane I got first.When I first started I got the the soldiers first and the AFV'S to support .But now it's the other way around.Is this what does happen when your collection grows.Simmo.

Mine started out focusing only on the AFVs plus the figures that came with them as add-on sets, but over time I started getting more and more figure sets. Now after several years of collecting, I am in the same boat as you are - out of room. I think I have enough figures, and am back to my original collecting strategy of focusing on AFVs.

Terry
 
Simmo,I always collected both actually.I kind of see it as one collection to be honest,for me K&C means Tanks and figures and I don't really differentiate.I admire the discipline of those who can collect just either one of them!.

Rob
 
I try to balance out my displays with a couple of vehicles being the centerpiece or focus point. I decide how many & then which vehicles I want per display or shelf. I then add figures or sets until I feel the display is full or complete. I find history, especially WW2, to be an amazing subject. I find my displays most rewarding when they speak or tell a story. I have more vehicles then display space so I will then just rotate them between a display and storage.
 
In addition, when I plan out a diorama I will always place the tank or vehicles first. I will then build all of the display around them. This way I allow enough room for vehicles. I learned this because one of my first displays had a road too small for the tank I wanted to use.
 
In addition, when I plan out a diorama I will always place the tank or vehicles first. I will then build all of the display around them. This way I allow enough room for vehicles. I learned this because one of my first displays had a road too small for the tank I wanted to use.

I try to balance out my displays with a couple of vehicles being the centerpiece or focus point. I decide how many & then which vehicles I want per display or shelf. I then add figures or sets until I feel the display is full or complete. I find history, especially WW2, to be an amazing subject. I find my displays most rewarding when they speak or tell a story. I have more vehicles then display space so I will then just rotate them between a display and storage.

I am just completing the organization of the WW2 collection into 8 display cabinets, one cabinet of 4 shelves per scenario. It's clear there isn't enough room to put out all of the pieces. Some shelves have dioramas, most lacking base mats and accessories; and some shelves are just AFV parks to put as many AFVs on display as possible. Making a shelf into a dio really cuts down the number of AFVs that will look realistic on the shelf.

Looks like I have entered the rotation game with some AFVs in dios, some in AFV parks and some back in their boxes. Any new AFV will now have to displace a dio piece to make it to the shelf, but this will be the engine powering the monthly changes to some of the dios.

Terry
 
Interestingly, I started with aircraft (the other AFVs) and only recently moved to figures. Since for that purpose, the periods that interest me do not have vehicles (except carts, wagons, cannons and maybe seige engines) I expect I will stay with those (foot and mounted) for the forseeable future.
 
I tend to buy a vehicle and build around it, creating lots of small displays. With the way I like to display my things, mostly in display cases, I have limited space for large dioramas. My problem is that I will get started on one display and then a couple of other vehicles come along that I really like, and I end up working on several at once. Gets expensive quickly!!

Until a couple of years ago, I had collected only Civil War though, and that was vastly different. I have been piecing together one battle scene from Gettysburg for nearly 10 years, and occasionally I would add something else I liked that was completely different. Now, I am putting together many smaller CW scenes too, including the new K&C Confederate cavalry.
 
I started with the AFVs and then moved to everything.
 
I collect 90% vehicles with an odd figure set thrown in, if I just like it..Usually, unless the figures that come with a vehicle actually go in the hatches, I will sell the extras...Michael
 
Originally I just started collecting WWII Commonwealth figures. Then K&C made some great vehiles and I had to have them too. Then they needed opposition ofcourse and thus the Germans appeared with their array of fighting vehicles. Since then I try hard to focus on Arnhem and D-Day for budget and space reasons.
Unfortunately I love history so much and the industry makes so many amazing pieces I dabble in a wide variety of era's, ( Napoleonics, Crusaders etc ).
My central focus has always been the figures with vehicles/planes/boats secondary. I find the uniforms fascinating and I think figures make a vehicle and history more interesting on my display shelf.

Cheers
CFM :)
 
I usually will only buy AFVs, but I have picked up tankriders and non-combat figures that go with the tanks, such as figures working on tanks.

Recently, I did buy the searchlight figure and his spotter.
 
I started collecting 1.35th scale model AFVs on bases some with groundwork others not,dioramas and vinettes,added some diecast 1.35th and 1.72nd scale AFVs and 1.72nd military aircraft,in order to utilise space i started to collect K&C figures only wasnt convinced about their early armour but have started to collect the few newer range i consider convincing enough for my collection.Eventually after 10 years display space has become an issue,one i can overcome with proper planning,i cant get my head around rotation of models,in the past i have sold some to fellow collectors to make way for new,if i cant display i will not buy,figures tend not to take up much space but i have started to create dioramas and vinettes with certain figures that do take up some space.My enthusiasm has waned in those 10 years but never for long and when it returns ,its more vigorous than before and fortunes are spent making up for lost time,a small price to pay for a regenerated enthusiasm,dont smoke ,drink or gamble,but do have loads on display for my money,happy days.
 
I, like others, started out with AFVs only cramming as many as possible onto display case shelves. Later when I got interested in dioramas I found that I had no figures to complement them so now I try to collect everything that catches my eye for later use. Doesn't help the pocketbook any ha

Bill W
 
I agree, I think most Diorama builders will decide and buy the buildings, terrain, and the "centerpiece" AFV(s), then get the figure sets later...

For non-Diorama pure put on the bookshelf types, the AFVs are vignettes in and of themselves, even with no diorama, so again they go first.

Hence the retired K&C lines always leave figures behind, where the AFVs go first, no?
 
6th Wisconsin I was reading your thread and your collecting habits are the same as mine I thought i was only one with that collecting habit. Nice to meet another collector like me. I know what you mean on money part. Good luck.
 

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