Why do I collect? Why do we collect? Everybody might have a different reason.. There are sometimes I come to this question, I keep buying and buying new (and old stuff), companies keep releasing new cool stuff in 1:18 scale (which is what I like), and I just want to get that new vehicle or that new cool figure. But when it's home, displayed in shelves... what else?

When I started collecting, I found interesting things to do, like customs and diostories (I've made some customs, but still haven't got the b@!!s to do the diostories). Until I found Joedios, and I found a new "use" for my collection, which was a kind of middle point between taking pics of single custom figures and making full stories... just posting pics of scenes you would like.

So that gave a new sense to my hobby... try to get specific figures/vehicles/accesories for ideas I have in my mind, or make something with the ones I already got... then I started playing with Photoshop, and found it was a relaxing thing as well.

My main problem is that I don't have access to outdoors (no, I'm not in jail ), it's that I don't have a backyard with a garden, and I still haven't had enough courage to take my joes and vehicles to public park and start taking pics.

I still have my inner goal of making some dio-stories, but I need more time, and with two growing kids (boy,2 and girl,5 yrs old), living the 4 of us in another country, without any relatives or close friends at the moment, we need each other more than ever, so I dedicate most of my free time to them.

Fortunately my kids are getting into the hobby too , my daughter likes to play with the "girls" so I have separated all the female characters in a special ziploc for her (minus the 25th... I see them too fragile), and the animals (another ziploc), so she likes making campsites and adventures with them with some accesories and vehicles. My son is more inclined to cars, so he goes for the tanks and humvees (all under my close supervision ), and soldiers as well (I only give him PTE guys for now, two joes went KIA in his hands sometime ago).

My joe hobby has become also my escape from reality... I tend to stress too much at work... but when I enter joedios, and other joe sites, but specially joedios... and start watching the new photos, or discover a new one, or read what you guys post, or see the new pics of the upcoming movie (damn, I hope they make a good one!), or read the reviews of some cool toys I need to get (like the Indy truck and motorcycles)... I just feel a release of my tension, or when I post a new pic, and see what you guys think of it... it's a great feeling...

I don't post too much... in fact, it's been a year I guess since I joined joedios, and I just became veteran like 2 weeks ago... but anyway, I feel like I know you guys, even though I've only met in person with Nando... (thanks for the Humvee man!)

So I just wanted to finish this by thanking all of you for being part of this community, for posting in this site and for sharing with us your pics and creativity... and well, for reading this post as well...


Bartus.

Bartus,
I feel your pain! I have two girls with limitless energy and the "Daddy's Girl" syndrome. There is nothing and nowhere safe from wee hands. My oldest is 5 also and at about three I started letting her have PTE and Corps figures as well as the occasional Scarlett and Bombstrike figures. She's about due for another, maybe Baroness. This has kept her happy and out of Daddy's toys. My younger daughter just gets into sissy's and also leaves mine alone.

Until just recently, I haven't had access to a good area to shoot pics or even set things up without aggrevating my wife (who is patient enough considering there has been a Bradley sitting next to her art glass for the last two years). We moved into an older house with (insert angels singing here) a clean, dry basement! I have a work area and that added to nearly an acre of yard...and well I have big plans!

These little guys are also very therapeutic. They seem to give me an outlet for all that negative energy that the morons in management and their idiotic ideas at work make me generate. I come home, handle the chores and steal down stairs to work on a custom, or clean a long dust vintage or just "play" with the idea of how fun it would be to drive a Warthog to work and merely imply that that brand new Porshe in the parking lot that took up two spots just happened to be out in the aisle a little too far...it wasn't my fault it got clipped (crushed flat) by my tank tracks.

Seriously though, there are ways to get good pics in public places. All this without gathering an audience. Early Sunday mornings are one good way. I know with kids, especially small ones, that it isn't always easy to get up and away but if the wife is willing to get up with them one Sunday out of the month and you can plan for what shots and have sites scouted out, you can get a great deal done in the space of just a couple hours. Afternoons, early (2:30ish) are also pretty good. You may not be comfortable shooting a Cobra column marching in review, but you should be able to get a small scale ambush or firefight.

The only thing I can say is to keep this form of Joe alive, we have to make the time and effort to stay of Hasbro's collective @$$ to provide product that isn't just geared for the "MOC" collector but also for we "Get 'em Dirty" collectors.

Keep swinging!
Bayer

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Bartus,
Trust me, getting outside isn't all that. If you have enough room in your house, set up one of those 6 to 7 foot tables like they have at walmart or target with a piece of playwood over it and make your own outdoor scene. The issue I have with getting outdoors is; Wind, Kids asking you what you're doing, Adults asking you what you're doing, rain, dogs, ants. It's just better for me to do my dios indoors. You can make just about any scene indoors as long as you put your heart and some time into it. Just look what I did for a construction site;

http://www.joedios.com/dioramas/sho...r&imageuser=216

I get a laugh about how you and Bayer talk about your kids. My Son is SOOOO into World Of WarCraft he isn't interested in GI Joe, but my daughter still has all the figures I bought her (minus a few I took back to send to members on here for their collections!) and I can't bring a new Toy into the house without finding her Scarlets and Baroness's in them! I found my Hulk Humvee I bought last night sitting in the middle fo the floor this morning before work with her Lady Jaye hanging out of the drivers side door!

I've been slacking for a long time too. I have my latest dio about 95% done, just need a few last shots to "wrap it up" but I'm procrastinating. I need to shoot a few "FlashBack" shots to tie the story together and then add the effects and dialog, but I just don't have much energy lately and I'm sooo busy at work. Today is the first slow day I've had in weeks! Just keep an eye out, I'll have my dio out soon!

I have two girls as well who love to play with my Joes, and have even come with me on my 'outings' to take pictures. Being girls of course they basically end up playing house with the figures, and GI Joe HQ becomes the family house, and the VAMP's and my RHINO (once) are the family cars. I had to reign them in a little recently as a few parts have gone missing, a couple of guns, and the foot I most recently got for my HAL (sorry Franks ) Otherwise I just enjoy them, and my wife even accepts that I'm just a 35 year old kid at heart.

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Hey Bee,
Hope things are well, they sound it?

Having read what you put down here in this thread, I don't have kids, I don't have many gijoes left now. I do have a backyard to take pictures in.

I think for what your saying it sounds like you need to bring the outdoors indoors. Especially since you want to stay close to your family. Ender's idea is a fantastic one, I can't recall the member name, but he done a woodland dio how to recently, which was very well done. Most of his materials were picked from hobby n craft stores. You might even be able to get your kids in with helping on painting the green hillside or something?

It's good to read these posts on this forum from time to time, as it seperates from the usual debating on whats good in the world of gi joe.. or in some cases bad.

Keep us updated on this, i'm sure you'll figure out a good solution as you seem like a smart guy. Just remember it's a hobby, the fact you dedicate time to your family is a good thing.

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bartus:
You put into words what I think many have been thinking a little while. (I know I have).

(crap when writing this I knocked down a cobra blueshirt with a maurader ak and lost the magazine in the mess on my floor.... alright back to my post...)

Its funny that most of the people posting here have girls (or more girls then boys) - reminds me of something said in a series called The Unit - its a special forces thing

I don't have any kids, but I have 2 nieces, and the oldest (5) is getting quite curious at uncle Tommy's dolls. Heck uncle Tommy has kidnapped her dolls house for a few days now because its perfect 1:18 scale

I really enjoy posts like these, were people just vent a little on their day to day problems, but still puts it in the perspective of the hobby we have all come to enjoy. Personally I have bouts of Insomnia, so I usually do my best work at 3 or 4 in the morning (right before actual work...). So I find setting up my joes at that time to relax me and finally put me to bed when I've worked out all the kinks of taking a new picture or two.

One thing I feel has to be mentioned (it can't be mentioned enough) is the atmosphere we get here at joedios. Its fantastic, unlike any I have known on any online forum. Sure there are those that constantly gripe about the 25th (Yeah I'm getting pretty tired over it... But I'll hold my tounge least I explode in some rant that will take 5 pages ) and probably some in house "feuds", but at least people are mostly respectful and don't resort to really bad language and manners (and flame wars).
Kudos to all of you who read this and contribute in your own way, and to the maker of joedios - thank you for making a place for me to go and get away from it all AND let my creative juices flow freely!

I guess that's all I wanted to say.
Oh one other thing - you don't really have to find a public park to go to for pictures. Some tree line off the road is perfect for it as well, if you find the right spot you probably won't be bothered as much.

Keep on truckin' guys (or posting in this case )

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What can I say? I've a 4 year old and he NEVER, NEVER touched my Joes without permission. He ask and take them in hands and even help me carry Joes and vehicles around. I try to let him join me in the hobby.
And when I got outdoors I always look for places where isn't a lot of people. Most of the ones around look and don't say nothing. And I really don't care, I the one who pay my bills.
I need to look for outdoors shot since I have not the same ability as Frank or others to build cool sets.
I can say do what please you more, take your wife and kids with you and look for a place where the four of you can stay alone, like a picnic and take some moments for your dio shots .

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I am blessed with two boys, 7 and 4. The older one is very careful with Joes, but is really into Legos. The 4 year old is starting to spend more time with Joes. I have a plastic container about the size of a shoebox in which they keep Joes I let them always use (Some customs from the parts box, and a lot of VvV and SpyTroops era.)

We have taken Joes in the back yard for pictures on occasion, but the 4 year old has started posing them out. I came home yesterday, and he had set them up for "church." There were a bunch of guys in rows, and he took my wife's miniature music box piano (close to scale) and put it up front. Pretty funny. I found him another time lining up Joes on a trim ledge. His patience is growing, but he still has struggles when stuff doesn't stand up right (Don't we all...).

Anyway, I'm old and tired and I forgot where I was going with this thread. Oh yeah. The boys and me have a good time with Joes.

-Joe

I think Haradel hit I lot of what I think on the head. The atmosphere and forum here is unlike anything I have ever experienced anywhere else and is honestly what got me so back into Joes last summer, it also is what makes jdios.com my first stop everyday. I love the small atmopshere and the small group. I mean I do want it to keep growing but the pace of expansion is perfect. Its not like some places, where you are just responding to a screen name. I feel I know a lot of you and you personalities and have a real good relationship with some. I love this place, getting done with college and "growing up" and leaving all my roomates of the past. This place is a good connection for me considering my limited schedule. And Just like Haradel, I to have a hard time sleeping and when I get the chance I also do my best work at 3am. Jd's is always my best way to blow off steam before I do finally get to sleep. Cheers! Cory

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