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A Frightful Halloween Nightmare!

Last night was Halloween night here in the USA, and I experienced what you might consider a bad dream. It began nicely enough though. . .

So, I’m in this incredibly well-stocked, small hobby shop with one aisle completely devoted to both metal AND plastic wargaming and military miniatures – plus all of the painting accessories you could want. I spy an oversized box of mid-19th century French soldiers, very like the Emhar set above, at about eye level on a shelf. But it was by a French manufacturer whose name I didn’t recognize.

I take the box off the shelf and open it to inspect the contents. Pay dirt! About 50 hard plastic infantry (Franco-Prussian War more or less), each about 30mm height, tall and slim, with realistically sized calves, hands, and heads. The price was reasonable though I don't recall what it was exactly. I place the box back on the shelf, thinking that I’ll look around a bit more and then buy this wonderful find.

For a few more minutes I look around at some of the metal figures in stock. I step up onto a step stool, and what do I find on a top shelf? Lots and lots of single metal 30mm figures in three-cornered hats, just piled into empty shoe boxes without lids all along one side of the aisle. I vaguely recognize them as Willie, Stadden, or possibly Holger Eriksson figures. And they are priced at only a few cents apiece!

Completely agog -- and jabbering incoherently to the Grand Duchess, who stood next to me in the dream -- I fill my pockets and hands with as many as I can before climbing down from the step stool to claim the wonderful box of plastic French figures . . . which has been snapped up by someone else!

The dream ended with me wildly looking through several hundred boxes of 1/72 plastic figures, hoping that I had somehow misplaced the one box I wanted to purchase. And all the while, Sonja is off to my right saying, “Come on, we have to go now,” while I’m insisting, “No, no -- they’ve just got to be here somewhere. I’m sure of it!”

I woke up very disturbed at about 7AM, terribly glad to be awake and freed from this most upsetting and terrible dream. I think maybe I should check into a rehab clinic or something. . . ;-)

Comments

Fitz-Badger said…
That's funny, I have had dreams about wandering around in some fantastic little out of the way hobby shops with lots of cool stuff (just dream places, bearing no relationship to any real shops I know).
Maybe you'll find your way back and find those plastics :-)
Frank said…
Stokes what a nightmare. Were you sweating when you woke up? I think most of us have had that dream at some time or another and it'd fantastic while you're in it and a real let down when you wake.

Never mind, finish off that latest unit and make us all jealous of your painting production line. I wish I could paint and produce figures at the rate you seem to, I really do. Keep it going :-)

Frank
MiniWargamer said…
My father used to do a lot of interviews of officer candidates for the military during the Vietnam era (he was a psychologist). One of his favorite questions was to ask if the candidate dreamt in black and white or color. He said the answer didn't matter, it just showed how creative they were. I guess you would have passed!
Thank you for your continuing encouragement, men! Ah, dreams. . . Well, the painting momentum is too strong to stop now. Let's see what I can get painted this weekend.

Best Regards,

Stokes
old-tidders said…
I occasionally dream about a shop which sells fabulous metal figures at good (cheap) prices - but the shop does not exist in the real world - well perhaps not in this universe - - how can we get to the universe next door and back ??

-- Allan
MurdocK said…
You are reminding yourself to 'strike while the iron is hot'
guy said…
A couple of years ago I found a tiny model soldier shop in Bath, England called Bonapartes. It was recommended by Mike Siggins on his web site. Subconciously you must have been there in your dream as it is a complete treasure trove including cardboard boxes full of wargame figure odds and ends. You just rumage away. It specialises in splendid 54mm scale figures, beautifully painted, in glass case after glass case with piles of second hand books stacked everywhere. I was fortunate to find there one of the volumes of Funkens Lace Wars for very little. Snapped that up. Yet another reason to visit Bath. I believe a world heritage site.

Regards,
Guy
Der Alte Fritz said…
The moral of the story is, when you see an item that you like, pick it up and hold onto it until you are ready to make the purchase, for as sure as you set the box down, someone else will nip in and take it from you. you have been warned in your dream.
Miniwargamer-- Creativity? Possibly. Tortured and deranged? Definitely!

Allan -- Hmmm. . . By hitting oneself on the forehead repeatedly with a book like Charge! or The War Game? Works for me every time!

Guy -- Yes, that sounds very much like the shop I saw in my dream. Must get back to Bath soon and check it out!

Alte Fritz -- Too right! Mom always said that if you see something you want, get it. It won't be there when you go back later.
That was one of the first rules I learned from my mother when doing yard/garage/moving/various other names sales. If you think you *might* want it, hold onto it till you decide, or someone else will grab it. Once you let go, it's fair game.

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