One reads with some frequency about the graying of our hobby and there is not much doubt that an increasing number of our brethren will be reaching serious maturity soon enough. After all, our hobby has enjoyed an explosive period of growth for the past thirty or forty years. In fact, and unfortunately, we are seeing well-known and not so well known wargamers passing on with ever-increasing frequency. Of course, this is not the most pleasant situation to contemplate but it is reality at its most basic. We buy figures, we paint, we roll the dice and sometimes we win, but someday we will lose the last roll. Now here is one big question: What becomes of our figures? For some people there will be easy solutions. Perhaps there are children or close relations or friends who would very much like to receive the armies. Maybe prior arrangements, albeit informal ones have been made. But I suspect there are a goodly number of collectors/wargamers with substantial collections who really have no idea what will happen to their treasures and who don't have any idea how to make sensible arrangements. This has to be particularly true for the considerable number of solo wargamers out there who have no heirs with special interest in their collections. Even gamers involved somewhat regularly with others through clubs probably have not made formal arrangements for the disposition of their collections upon their demise. Certainly it would be a pity for an elderly, or for that matter any age wargamer, to pass away and have his extensive collection of thousands of figures discarded or boxed and "put away" essentially to be lost indefinitely. Wouldn't this gamer want someone else, perhaps a young gamer with limited resources to at least share in his toys? Heart, liver, kidney donor? How about regiment, troop, battery? Division? So what is to be done and by whom? If you are getting on in years (subject to very broad interpretation) it would be a good idea to line up some possible recipients. Maybe, fellow club members, the club itself, as an entity or could a neutral repository be established which would be known as an organization which would receive legacy collections and then distribute portions in some equitable manner. Perhaps an organization such as the regional Historical Miniature Gaming Society. This issue requires some thought and deserves the attention of our hobby's thinkers and writers. Ideas and suggestions should be of interest to potential donors as well as recipients. Back to MWAN # 127 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2004 Hal Thinglum This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com