Stocktaking...and tidying up.

Some days just don't go to plan but still end up being very productive. I had planned on doing some painting today, finishing a few loose ends before the preparation starts for the Analogue Painting Challenge in December. I started off well but one thing led to another and in the end I spent pretty much the whole day cleaning and tidying my hobby gear instead. And I made a few interesting discoveries along the way. 

Discovery 1 - I own a lot of MDF bases....but I still need more!  

As I worked my way through one box after another I realised I had packs of bases stashed all over the house. Last year during the Challenge I ran out of bases at a critical moment. Thankfully I was able to buy some more and they were delivered in time to save the day but I don't want that to happen again. So despite having a 10 ltr box FULL of bases I need more (duh!). Guess what I'll be buying when I go to SELWG in a weeks time? 

Discovery 2 - I own more non 6mm models than I thought but nowhere near as much as I ought to have. This is pretty much the entirety of my lead mountain, a pitiful shadow of its former self.

Back in the day (the mid 80's) I had boxes and boxes of unpainted metal figures. The situation got worse after a got married and moved into my own house, now my storage options were unlimited! I went a little mad and before I knew it there was a shocking amount of lead in the house (the wife was shocked, certainly). Much of this remained unpainted for years so about a decade ago I made a conscious effort to either paint them, sell them or give them away. I did such a good job that my current stash is an embarrassment and must be remedied forthwith. Guess what else will be on my SELWG shopping list!  

Discovery 3 - Tidying the painting desk is a cathartic experience! I must have inherited the tidy bug from my mother because the satisfaction I got from cleaning my desk was slightly scary! 

The really scary thing is this doesn't look all that different to the scene before I started cleaning up. I've found a lot of stuff that I forgot I had. My SELWG shopping list had included modelling putty and superglue but I found plenty I already owned. So I guess this exercise has saved some money...at least that's how I'm going to sell it when I tell the wife I spent that day tidying my desk instead of cleaning the house!