So, how's 2009 treated you?? (1 Viewer)

[Currahee Chris]

Hey fellas- am recovering from a bad fall down the stairs at the home- got a bruised kidney out of it

Just checking in to see how 2009 has been for everyone collecting wise. Here is my AAR so far:

1.) DDAY was the theme for me this year- scooped up some great sets at the GBurg show in April (i think). Bought the JG Omaha bluff set. Went to the DDay museum on vacation back in March. Am happy with where it stands now. Decided to pass on buying any landing craft. Just plan on grabbing the new KC Nazi officer set and the Conte Bloody Omaha sets and this dio can be put to bed.

2.) Bought my first Romans this year- Mostly East of India with some nice looking St. Pete figures. My battle of Alesia is well on it's way.

3.) WW2 was surprising dominant this year. Decided to unload all my Battle of the Bulge sets. Figured I would just concentrate on the Breakout period (June 7- Oct 1944) and call it a day. Am having fun with that option because now I am not chasing around a dozen different WW2 sets each month.

4.) Took the plunge into WW1 with ONTC. Purchased the German Tank- The AN7V at the GBurg show. It is neat. Am planning on getting the AEF Tank they did in a month or so.

5.) Dressed out my AWI and Egyptian sets pretty nicely this year.

6.) Purchased misc sets for my Thermoylae (East of India Persians) and War in Iraq dios.

What's in store for everyone in 2010?? Me, well, I am looking to dress out my Egyptian diorama. I have a 7'x3' area ready and waiting to go. Won't be done buying the figures but plan on having the diorama ready to go. I am going to buy either my first Redcoats (20-24) if they don't retire before the end of the year OR my first St. Pete mounted Roman. Guess KC will make the decision for me.

So, how's things shaking out for you guys??

 

[marco55]

Didn't do too much at all.Sold most sets off.Kept a few Jenkins snowshoe sets,had a few of my figure kits painted but thats about it.2010 looks to be better.Going to pick up some selected snowshoes and other Jenkins sets for a diorama,have more figure kits painted,would like to pick up the Gordan/Khartoum diorama from Jenkins.Check out Britains War on the Nile series and god only knows what will come out next year which might throw out all the other plans.2009 was a lousy year in many ways,jobwise,friends/family sicknesses,loss of beloved pets.Be glad to see it go but in much better frame of mind for upcoming year.
Mark

 

[Currahee Chris]

.........2009 was a lousy year in many ways,jobwise,friends/family sicknesses,loss of beloved pets.Be glad to see it go but in much better frame of mind for upcoming year.
Mark

Hey Bud- Unfortunately I believe it has been that way for a lot of folks- my best friend died in April unexpectedly- 47 years old, just fell asleep one day after work and never woke up. Just became a grandfather 10 months before that. Then on June 6th two young adults I knew were killed in a tragic car accident- the boy was an eagle scout in my son's Boy Scout troop and the girl was his little league coach's daughter. Went to the viewings- suffice it to say, events I will never forget.

Anyway, that's why I was kind of just staying focused on Toy soldiers.

 

[Louis Badolato]

Chris and Marco,

Sounds like you faced some real tragedies this year. I hope things get better for you both.

I lost my dad (a Korean War Navy vet) and my Uncle Jack (the last surviving WWII veteran in my family), but they both lived full lives (my dad was 79, my uncle 89), and didn't suffer too much.

I received a ton of support from family and friends (including a lot of my friends here on the forum, which is much appreciated).

Despite the passing of my loved ones, I consider this a good year, because I got to spend it with my wife, son, daughter, and good friends.

 

[marco55]

Louis,You are a very positive person.May god bless you and your wonderful family.
Mark

 

[Louis Badolato]

Louis,You are a very positive person.May god bless you and your wonderful family.
Mark

You and your family as well, my friend.

 

[mk26gmls]

As far as my collection goes, I was able to add a few retired JJD sets to my collection this year. Sold several K&C sets this year and I did add a couple. I really needed the cash earlier this year. The industry I work in has been devastated the past 18 months.

Outside of collecting, my grandfather who was a spry age of 96 years old died this past September. He served with the 1142nd Combat Engineers Headquarters Company during WWII and he received the purple heart before the Battle of the Bulge and was a participant in that particular battle. Severe frost bite was his souvenir from that one. He lived a wonderful life and was a blessing to our family. He was a great man.

This week has been the hardest week of my life to date and I have been through some pretty tough times. My wife is 20 weeks pregnant. On Tuesday we went to her regular doctor to see an ultrasound of the baby and to find out what we were having. We already have a 20 month old daughter who is just a wonderful little princess. While we were there, we couldn’t see the gender of the child because the fluid in the sac was low. Also, the doctor told us the kidneys looked a little large, so he recommended we go downtown to the hospital the next day to be checked by the high resolution equipment. We saw the specialists Wednesday. We were not prepared for their diagnosis. They told us that the baby's kidneys have cysts all over them and they are not working. The entire time we were there at the place the bladder never filled. With the kidneys not working, that will keep the lungs from developing properly since the baby has no urine to drink. There isn't much fluid in the fluid sac like there should be. Also, there is some fluid around the heart. In their opinion, the baby is going to die in the next few weeks or sooner. There is a very slim chance that my wife can take this baby to full term, but after it is born, it will only have a few minutes to live.

The specialists gave us two options. The first was terminating the pregnancy. My wife told her that abortion was not an option for us. The second option is just letting nature take its course. That is what we are going to do. This is obviously the worst news we could have imagined. So, unless there is a miracle from the hand of God himself, we will lose this baby. Man, I haven't cried like that since I was 12 years old. The due date is March 30th, 2010. We are praying against the odds that 2010 will see a miracle in March.

Darrell

 

[VIRIATO]

Boy, this is really sad. I am at a loss for words with situations like this. My sister-in-law has lost a baby this year, I am not sure if she can have another one because she is 44. She has no children although she would love to have one... Sometimes I feel we are just like feathers in the wind. But I also know that people can be very strong, surprisibly strong in the face of adversity. That's my wish for you. Strength will also surely come up from your beloved 20 month child.
Although we don't know each other I felt I had to say something, clumsy as it is, out of solidarity. Maybe this is the good part of being together in this forum.

All the best,
Paulo

 

[VIRIATO]

This year, collecting wise, the highlight till now has to be me getting some Imperial Nap sets. These are more and more my favorite Toy Soldiers, and I just wish I had started collecting Imperial a lot earlier.
Some forays into K&C's WWI and the project of building a small WWI diorama with those figures also have my interest and I've started it this year.
On personal life, my wife's and my mother's health is not that good, hope they both get better soon, but my son is doing well at school and it is a joy to see him grow (he is 7, will soon be 8). Me I am living a lawyer's life, trying to make the days stretch to 48 hours, but I guess I can't complain too much. There are people getting unemployed, killed and maimed all around the world and I am fortunate to have a family, a home and a hobby. So I would say it has been a normal year till now, except that I feel the society I live in is growing poorer and more violent, maybe it's just the economy, maybe it's something else, let's get the new year under way and may it be a happy one.

Paulo

 

[Louis Badolato]

Oh Darrell, I am so sorry. I cannot imagine anything as painfull as this.