Hey all! Just wanted to share my collection, I usually share it every new year/spring as it seems to drastically change every year. Anyway... here we go -

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• How long have you been in the hobby?

Like I said in the title... roughly since 2011. We were introduced to Catan by some good friends and man... that was it. Dunno what it was exactly but we (wife and I) were hooked HARD. We bought Catan shortly after, I discovered the numerous online resources for boardgame news and reviews, Table Top started to take off right around then. Just an amazing whirlwind of actions put us right in the hot seat for boardgaming and we haven't regretted a day of it. Though there have been some fights over them...

Anyway over the years the collection grew, and grew, and grew....and grew. There is something about boardgames that you just can't have enough... and more is better. I started off hot, buying every game I could, as fast as I could... eventually my little two shelf bookcase wasn't enough. It grew into a bakers rack then finally got some Kallax so I could fit in with the rest of the cool kids. Then another Kallax til it is what it is today. Space is the biggest enemy for a Boardgame collection and it wasn't til we moved into our house that I had a dedicated room for it... but even when you have the room... space is still there fighting you at every turn.

As my collection grew my friend group did as well, thankfully. I discovered a lot of the guys on my soccer team were into games, and because of that we've become incredibly close friends. I ran a mildly successful Instagram account for a few years and met multiple friends on there. Through those friends I met a local guy we ended up doing a podcast for a year and had a lot of fun with it. Because of that podcast we connected to a group of guys in Omaha Nebraska (I'm from southern Missouri) and made a large group of friends from up there. Now they come down here a couple times a year and my co-host and I go up there once or twice as well! One of the guys up there made my dice trays and Crokinole board you'll see in the pictures. It truly is amazing how this hobby has completely redirected my life and those around me in a good way.

Because of this hobby I've picked up mini painting as a side hustle. I've always been artistic, but painting was never my strong suit. When Imperial Assault came out, a buddy said painted sets were up on eBay... I took a look and saw they were selling for 4-5x the price of the game... I couldn't believe it. I said to myself - "I could do that." So I did. I've painted I dunno how many sets of games but it's getting up there. I've toned down the volume a bit and dialed it in to DnD mins and lots of Heroforge. My Etsy shop has been going since 2013 (I think) and It's been a great and rewarding experience... not to mention the money is good!

I've dabled in Foamcore to the point that I'd say around 60-80% of my games contain it. It's become a fun part of the hobby for me and If you haven't done it... you should give it a shot. It is genuinely a game changer for storing games.

• What would I change about my collection if I could?

Oh man... I have a ton of regrets I wish I could get back. I owned 75% of Heroscape at one point, I had a mountian of DnD stuff, I've had plenty of OOP games that I couldn't resist selling when they were hot. I'd like to have a lot of that back if I could... maybe someday. I wish I was there on the OG Arcadia Quest Kickstarter, along with the OG Shadows of Brimstone. I also wish I didn't back a handful of projects as well... I'm looking at you Rail -Raiders and Skull Tales Full Sail!

That being said tho... Currently I wouldn't change a thing. Like I said before I think I finally got it dialed in. I have adventure, I have push your luck, I have Euros staler than 3 week old Saltines, I have Ameritrash that's pushing the limits of unpainted grey plastic minis one should own, I have gambling, I have area control, I have party games, dexterity... I've got it all. I REALLY don't need anything else, nor do I really want anything. I am Happy. I am content. It's taken me nearly a decade to realize it, but it feels good to finally be here. Currently I have very little on my want list, and I'm cool with that. Anymore I look to see how I can expand the games I like. Expansions have very much become my new vice.

• Favorite Game:

Has to be Shadows of Brimstone. The game is such an adventure every time and me and the boys just have a blast.

• Guilty Pleasure:

I love my party games. Snake Oil, Fun Employed, Camel Up, Monikers... man they're just a lot of fun.

• Fun Trivia:

I'm in the Book for Xia: Embers of a Forsaken Star as a lead tester. How was I a lead? No idea... but cool none-the-less. Buddies are in there too as regular testers. Also - Low key... A handful of the event cards in the expansion where my ideas I don't care what anyone says!

• Kickstarters:

Currently I'm waiting on 2. The final pieces to come in the Forbidden Fortress kickstarter, AND Raccoon Tycoon Fat Cat expansion. I just got an email today saying that the Corona Virus has tanked production facilities over in the Far East... so we're looking at much longer delays on those.

• Most Surprised by:

Crokinole. Hands down. I love a good dexterity game but Crokinole is in a league of its own. It's competitive, fun, "easy to learn hard to master", and can be played 100 times in a row before you realize it's 4am and your Wife is super pissed cause there are still people in her house. Hypothetically.

• Collection totals:
  • According to BGG: I'm sitting on 145 items, total, for my collection. (I'm pretty sure it's up to date)
  • 87 of them are actual games.
  • 58 expansions.

That's it, my Origin story. Thanks for reading!

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The Collection

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Edit: Forgot to mention. I've played all but 2 games, Among Thieves and Shogunate.