I can add to this thread as of today…
TLDR: I went into the middle of the woods to loot some vintage bones
So this started as a random phone number given to me by a friend. My friend had a conversation with some random guy that ran adjacent enough to miniatures to reveal that not only did this guy have a collection, he was willing to part with it.
My buddy gives me the number, tells me to text it and see if a deal can be made. A couple days pass. I fully expected no response. I knew the person was older and had played with his son. I figured that could bode well for some older models but my hopes were low in general.
A couple days pass, I’ve written it off and didn’t really see the point in pestering further.
But then, contact is made! Pictures are requested, potato pictures are received but even they show the makings of a gold mine. It’s fantasy, it’s oldhammer, it’s undead, it’s metal minis galore. @Oxymandias , @chitzkoi , and I do some sleuthing through the mashed potato pixels to figure out what might be hidden in the sandy egg crates and foam.
A meetup is planned, I ask what kind of compensation he wants to take them off his hands even though initially he was considering just giving them away as they were sitting unused. I would’ve felt bad taking such great items for free…
He says… If you show up with a bottle of Monkey Shoulder Scotch, all of the stuff is yours.
Hilarious, I admire the priorities here. It’s a glorious deal, he gives me directions to his place including the phrase “House is in the woods off the road”. Address is in East whoknowswhere Erehwon blumbleflarp. I drive to the liquor store, grab the biggest bottle of the goods for trade and proceed to venture into the dark unknown.
I think I’ve managed to find the place, creeping slowly up the long twisty driveway. No civilization in sight or earshot. There’s a man in the window waiting. I get out of the car, wishing I had brought my entire polearm collection. He opens the door and calls over to me, “come on in, we’ve only killed the last three people that stopped by”
…
…
…
Well I didn’t drive all this way for nothin, I grab the scotch and steel myself for aggressive negotiations.
And so ends the horror story…
The rest is disgustingly wholesome. So stop reading now if that isn’t how you wanted this to end.
… TURN BACK NOW
Okay I warned you!
Anyway, the 70 somethin year old man was a world class human being, offering to share the scotch I brought. I’ll add pictures of the unboxing I did on discord but the minis were in immaculate condition. The trade happened seamlessly but he invited me to sit and chat for a while. Happy to oblige, given the deal I was getting I wanted him to understand that the minis would be in a good home.
He is a retired oceanographer (very well traveled and humorously sick of boats as a result) with an electrical engineering degree. He got into Warhammer Fantasy when his son was school aged. They would set up plywood tables across their above-ground pool, when not filled with water, and play games of WHFB with their collections. (unfortunately the son’s orc and goblin force had since been disbanded, I had to ask). His family has history in many wars, and several historical miniature collectors among them, a few even traveling the world for historical gaming and painting events.
The vaulted ceiling of the living room was lined with several plane models, some up to perhaps even 1/4 scale. Apparently when his son moved out to pursue Magic the Gathering tournaments the use of the Warhammer minis waned, but damn were they well looked after and stored. His son proved him wrong, making some money on Magic and eventually becoming a video game designer. The two of them still play games online, even some Warhammer titles which based on the description I am inferring as Vermintide.
He spoke a lot about travels in Europe and I unearthed the story of the specific Scotch brand he selected. Turns out he played me a bit, he just thought it was a funny thing to request given he didn’t even know if I was old enough to buy it. The brand choice came from a cruise he begrudgingly went on (see oceanographer comment, sick and tired of boats) in France. Apparently the British chef wasn’t cooking anything good so he weathered the storm via the scotch someone gave him on the boat.
We exchanged some good stories about Flat Stanley and his tribulations trying to get a picture of a paper cut-out in front of The Louvre. I shared my hilarious inability to take a safe-for-school-kids photo in NYC. Truly vintage NYC, thanks for that…
Other than those bits it was just good conversation. I told him about how excited people would be to see some of these old vintage minis given life again, thanked him for the ridiculous care they had been given for so long. Seriously, plastic skeletons without a broken spear in sight! Feast your eyes below, I promise I’m getting close to sharing the pictures! I told him about our emissary projects and how we’re sending wonderful painted minis around the globe.
He also offered up this wisdom:
Never go on a bike tour in a country that prides themselves on wind power (looking at you Denmark)
IMPERISHABLE IMAGE DUMP
Baha! Still just words.
Even after all the years that passed, he was very happy to show me his Dieter Helsnicht on Manticore miniature that I think he was still proud of as the gem of his collection.
Necromancy Spell Cards, Beyond my comprehension!
Two catapults with full crew! Inconceivable!
All of this plus ~30 plastic skellies and 6 plastic skellyhorsies
Give him all our regards.