Going, going, gone....

I started my love affair with miniatures as early as my fifth year of life. After
my mom gave me a pack full of plastic army men, there was no going back.
Discovering scale models when I was about ten was the next logical step. Role
playing games followed next as my tactically-minded crew got down to hashing
drag-out fights which continue to this day.

In 1998, I got into Warhammer 40k big time. I was single and had some money to
burn so I decided on the most expensive, figure-intensive army then: the
Imperial Guard. At one time, I had about 100 mostly pewter-metal figurines on
the table marching to crush any foolhardy rival general who dared to presume
that humanity’s legions were a walk-over in a stand up fight. I recall lovingly
painting practically all of these figures.

These tinmen made guest appearances in all my various games, gracing the combat
tables of Traveller, Fading Suns, Gurps, D&D and Mutant Future.
Alas, time flies and it’s time to wrap up affairs here. My tanks and combat vehicles
had since been sold off and today, the tinmen’s turn to be bought off has
arrived.

I never thought parting with my collection would be occasioned with a profound sense
of loss. Though I never experienced an amputation of a body part (and never
hope to do so) I feel like a large piece of me was just hacked off.

Ouch.