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-19^th 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. . . ;-)