Response To Pauls Question Does The Hobby Ever Feel Like Work 

Great response to this question! I was thinking it would be like work when you paint your figures and then selling them. That's a bunch of work to get those done. Take care marra!

Great stuff marra. I find I sometimes put pressure on myself trying to meet self-perceived deadlines, which turns me off. Head playing games me? So yes sometimes it's like work. When it gets like that, I tend to step away from the hobby. I always find myself drawn back to it, when my head allows. Thanks for sharing the question. Cheers Bob 👍

Hi Gavin, great video. I don't think I would ever do commission work. I would put so much pressure on myself to finish it. It would no longer be fun. Have a great day Marra. Jeff

Interesting to hear you perspective on this. I don't feel like it is work sometime, but more of an inconvenient chore. It has a lot to do what's going on in the periphery and the level in the Mojo tank. Commissions are really hit and miss for me. Sometimes they are great and other times I never want to see the figures ever again (or deal with that particular person). Keep on keeping on, Gav. All the best.

Great answers Gav retirement plays a big part in my part building models keeps me ticking over yes sometimes it feels like work lol old spice that's going back a bit lol 👍👍

A funny (???) story... In the 1980s, I used to take my painted Wargames units to sell at 'Gamers In Exile' in London. GREAT SHOP, proprietor Peter O'Toole, (not that one) became a great friend. (I liked painting wargames minis though I was NEVER a gamer...) I painted stuff I LIKED TO PAINT... People will know how that works... You do the historical research, buy the bloody 'Ospreys' (or Funkens and Blandfords) EVEN READ NOVELS and PRODUCE GREAT LOOKING MINIS!!! (Because I was totally invested in them...) Pete said to me one day, "The thing is, the stuff you paint doesn't really sell..." (WHICH IT FUCKING DID!!! And for A LOT MORE than I got paid, but business is business...) Pete said, "Look, Napoleonics sell, ANCIENTS sell, Fantasy/Sci-Fi SELLS!!!" (Well, I wasn't really into fantasy...) PETER SAID, "Take these Macedonian Phalanx guys by Essex Miniatures, there's 36 of 'em... THOSE I can pay you properly for because I can sell 'em, you'll make money that way..." (*MY FIRST COMMISSION!!!!*) Except I THEN had no interest in 'Ancients' or Alexander or any of that period. I bought the Osprey, did a bit of research... (But I had no real interest and the minis were GORGEOUS for back in the day...) Sat down to paint 'em... Now, I was a Pretty Good painter back then... (I'd won a Gold Medal at Salute for an ACW unit of Dixon's Louisana Tiger Zoaves... WHICH SOLD!!!) Think I could paint 36 Essex 28mm Mini Macedonian 'Pikemen'? (BUGGER IF I COULD!!!) They weren't BAD, as such, but I just wasn't 'invested' in the minis or the period... (PLUS this was in the days before 'shield decals' so you had to paint those by hand!!!) I REALLY gave it my best shot, even replacing the cast 'lead' pikes with 'brass rod'... (EACH PIKE hand 'tapped' and then filed to a spear-point... It took AGES and I spent a FORTUNE!!! IT WAS WORK!!! (And not my best work...) They DID SELL and of course I got (handsomely) paid BUT I DIDN'T ENOY DOING THEM!!! (My commision painting days were over!!!) Since THEN, I've done a couple of commissions, (mostly for mini companies) but ONLY for/with minis I'd have painted for pleasure anyway... (I think there are still shots of my stuff on the 'Artisan' and 'Empress' sites...) Buy YEAH, it can be WORK!!! SOME PEOPLE, high-end, full-time painters who paint for RICH COLLECTORS!!! can do it... (Paint just about anything 'To Order' and make a pretty good living out of it!!!) But I never could... xx SF

That artillery crew is looking good, marra. To answer the question, the only time the hobby feels like work is when I am putting together 1/35 scale individual-link tank tracks. I suffer when it comes to repetitive tasks, which is why I could never do office work or book-keeping. 😆🤣

Great video Gav. Very interesting.

good vid gav I know you put some much into modelling figures all that work and when you’re head is giving you problems it means so much to to get appreciated don’t sell your figures too cheap you put your heart in them 😀

It's a hobby. Once it seems like work...it's no longer fun. Nice answer , marra.

Gav, you sell on Ebay and I don't so you may already know this. You /can/ set a minimum price for an auction so the item doesn't go for less than you know it's worth. There is of course a risk it won't sell at all, but the I suppose you could just then list it again at a lower minimum.. whatever the market will bear. Regarding whether the hobby feels like work, agreed everything you said. Basically i don't think any customer would complain if a model was finished /early/ so maybe tell them 50% or twice as long as you think it should. Then you have some wriggle room so you can relax and enjoy the painting more, or if life and/or the great British weather gets in the way you're not stressing about deadlines. WRT the other video about your head problems, I think it was incredibly brave and honest; as you know I have some head issues - not as severe as yours I don't think - but with recent campaigns about mental health and getting people to talk about theirs it's /great/ to see someone as open about their issues as you are. I don't know about others but I relax listening to you natter away - yes I burst out laughing at your 'with this face?' comment in this video. Take good care of yourself, Mrs Gav, and Archie :)

Thanks for sharing.

Marra nice response brother ❤😊

Great answer marra

Nice video chap!