A year and a half ago, before the pandemic had gotten it’s teeth into us in North America, my wife and I got interested in painting minis. I think it started off with a Valentine’s Day special event at one of the game stores that we frequent. A little down payment and you got a couple minis to paint (a succubus and an incubus because it was Valentine’s Day) and you got to use the hosts paint brushes and paints.

I kinda sucked at it, but then I’ve never just started off good at something by default. Still, that was the first taste that got us into signing up for a beginners painting class where the fine folk at The Brushlicker’s Society taught us the basics of painting minis. For a more modest price you got all the stuff you’d need to start painting store bought minis. They assured us that we’d only really need ten different colors or so… and for someone who knows color theory better than I do and how to mix paints that might be true. My experience… turned out differently.

The class was fun…but I had other stuff to do that kept me busy. Going out, writing, doing things with friends. You know, just living life! Then COVID-19 came along and screwed all that up. It took me a couple weeks of twiddling my thumbs in my basement, playing video games while unable to write (see my last post) before I remembered I had a new thing that I could be doing.

Turns out, painting minis is a great way to pass a night when you’ve got no where to go, nothing to do, and you’ve already watched Letterkenny through 3 times. Here’s where my first world problem really comes into play though. You see, it turns out I don’t paint minis very fast. If I’m really focusing I can finish maybe one a night. However, it’s really easy to buy six or eight at a time.

First world nerd problems: too many minis and not enough time to paint them. Unfortunately, retail therapy was one of the ways that I managed stress during the lockdown. It made for a fun night, buy some minis, paint one, rinse and repeat. Never mind that every time I did this my collection of unpainted minis was growing week by week. Of course, no problem is so bad that it couldn’t get worse.

About November, I’m doing some googling, running some math, and cruising Amazon. I found out that with an entry level 3D printer I could print minis for literally pennies instead of $5 a pack. It just made sense! I’d save so much money!

Hahahahahaha. No. No I wouldn’t.

Well… You can print a mini for pennies. Once you have the machine, that is. And the resin. And isopropyl alcohol. And nitrile gloves. And more resin. And figure out what in the hell you’re doing. So…six months in I can print minis for pennies… also a lot more stuff! But if you think you’re going to get a 3D printer and save a lot of money … Just … Just no. No you’re not.

What you will get, is the ability to create some pretty frickin’ sweet things that you’re not going to find in a Wizkids box or on offer at your local game store. (Still, support your local game store. They’re the best place for nerds and they need you to buy your nerd shit there and not on Amazon. I will fight you!)

Yet… this all leads back to my original problem except worse. When you can print your own minis, the only limit to how many unpainted minis you have is … well you don’t have a limit.

Someone, please send help.

Oh well… at least I always have something to paint now.

Like I said. First world nerd problems. So, what do you guys say? Anyone want some minis? I have a few extras.