A Refit for Gunner HQ.. or the collection was out of control !!

Hi Guys

having come back from my extended brake full of "vim and vigour", I decided a make over for my HQ was in order.

I'm lucky enough to work from home and so for the past 3 and a bit years my collection has shared my home office. Now I have decided to ease my way in to by retirement working part time, I decided that I had to reprioritise !

Some of you may recall I had my guys in a Ikea Billy book case and the rest of my figures and gear was in plastic storage boxes of various cardboard boxes -finding items was becoming a real pain and also a hazard -one or two "collapses"

So I started with a good old decant - Spare bedroom one held all the figures.





Spare bedroom/Grandkids room held all the gear - or jumble as Mrs Gunner "affectionately" calls it





This was bit like one of those 'hoarder" programmes where everything is piled up !

This also prompted a "healthy" chat with Mrs G. "haven't you got enough figures now ? "  . Me "Er No..?"  the rest you can imagine

A redistribution of the room to 20% work 80 % came next. A small corner of the room and the original AM Billy book case given over to "work".





Next came a trip to Ikea at Warrington. I love and hate Ikea at the same time ..I need a SatNav to get out !

The inevitable build of 6 Billy book cases took a toll on my knees . By the time I did my last one I had gotten the hang of it






Once completed came the fun part... returning the figures and working out the flow of the display.





Then a really good sort of all the boxes and a reduction of Junk/Boxes/Consolidation.Very Cathartic and exciting as I rediscovered some great gear  



So here is the new layout.

Starting with a project section/station where my old desk was.


Some  storage boxes with immediate items - eg hands /spare parts some VAM uniforms/ VAM unis for repair/and Diaorama/photo's box of handy resources.

The cases next to it are primarily "project"/reference.



Top shelf- my best complete Uni collection.



Next VAM figures for restoration/kitting out.



Then MAM figures.. my collection protocol is now they must be fully articulated.



Some MAM locker boxes and Project tools



And finally some reference and reading material !



The next case along

Top shelf- my Marx and VAM horses a Darlek ( sans his "eye"- but Ok for £2.50 in the charity shop I thought) and a random MAM that is tool tall for the shelves at the mo.


Next shelf down-The Geyper Men, Action Joe and my two 30th's .


Next shelf- The 1st & 2nd Battalion officer Cadre, Major Morgan front and centre. To the right Commander Zabaletta and the Munrovain Scouts.



Next shelf- Three members of the 2nd Bn Heavy weapons squad and Sgt Stalkers Tank Destroyers on the right.



Next shelf-A Squad of "The Oaks" on the right and the burgeoning Adventurer Squad.



Final two shelves given over to some storage and the Beano and Dandy !



The next three shelves are long the back wall.



First on right- Top two shelves
Pride of place to the CH 12- These guys have been with me through thick and thin since '66 . - Purchased from 1966 to 1973.



Next shelf- 14 Platoon under the command of Lt 'Tim' Gunn.


Next shelf- 1st Bn and 1 Para. Gotta love a basic VAM Soldier!



Next shelf -My Germans and The Special mission squad.



Next shelf- Some "experimental - What if Germans - Not sure if these guys won't morph into a US themed squad.The Rigby Twins- all the way from Ulverston ( my childhood home from 8 years old) Via E-bay- These guys are a top team assigned to from the Oaks.



Final shelf is given over to more storage. Need to work out what to put in these.

Next case along- The MAM zone ! - Look away now SKJ !!

Top shelf - a bit of a homage to my kids journey into AM in the 1990's . The Stalker on the left has a head on a `GI Joe articulated body and a uni recently donated to me by the magnificent Prof Ganrenge fan - aka Alex. Thanks Alex .Top bloke  



Next shelf- The 50ths and the latest 2018 Issue - Soldiers and Pilots



Next shelf- Mortar Raid section and Island Attack and the MaM Special squads.



Next shelf- Battleforce Squad- just getting these guys together. Ackie88 , Urban Ops & Comms Defence.

(photo to come !)

Next shelf - Lt Ocean and the Mortar/Heavy weapons team and The Sgt Duke 2.0 brothers with their Sweep and Destroy squads.



Next shelf- Scouts, Assault squad and 3 "space" dudes - Not sure what they will end up as in the Munrovian-verse  



Narrow case.The Marx boys
Top shelf- Comanchees



Next shelf - a couple of Western plus a Viking.- all need some serious kitting out.



Next shelf - The Cavalry !!- Moved from the downstairs loo at last  



Next shelf- The Knights


Next shelf - Knights & a viking  in waiting.



The knight in the Life Vest is what happens when your 3 year old Grandson helps

Bottom shelf- Locker box contains some GI Joe from the 90's - another fixing up project to add to the list.



Moving to the last two cases

The Others and the Enemy !!

Half book case is dedicated to some other 1/6th lines/pick ups

Top shelf - Star Wars/Dragon US Para/Gunny Lee Emery and Rick from the Walking Dead.



Next shelf -Alessandro Pirlo , Lenny James (TWD) aka Sgt Mike Cooldude, and a SWAT Peacekeeper.

Next shelf- An as is box of the Argos Army Soldiers- their brothers kitted out most of 14 Platoon so I felt they deserved some recognition.-terrific value IMO

.

Next shelf - Some Lanard Corp figures- In holding before they get absorbed repurposed .


Next shelf- A Special Forces soldier - as is- ( again, another terrific value  source of kit IMO ) and two HM armed forces figures recently picked up in a bundle.



Final two shelves have some World Peacekeepers 1/18th figures and vehicles.



Final case is dedicated to the baddies....I'll tell you more about these guys in a follow on post...

Thanks for looking - any suggestions for improvement always welcome

Take care
Steve

Amazing work Steve!!!

Love the re fit, those book cases are perfect - outstanding mate

What a fantastic reshuffle Steve! Loving all the new units and too see the guys proudly on display! It will certainly make life easier when looking for stuff. Also, it will be a fantastic way to pass the time when taking a break from work to admire the Gunner troops

WOWSER WOWSER WOWSER GM!
You did a great job! Everything looks awesome!

Fantastic collection you have there! Lots of fun to be had in your retirement!

Great to see you back in the game

Wow what a collection..and superbly displayed. Next time SWMBO says I have too much stuff I'm gonna show her these pics

Oh.... I'm pretty sure those Vikings arent Vikings. The helmets look Spanish to me

Now that’s one organised, displayed and actiontastic looking Action Man room Gunner you’ve put together.

That has got to be the most well regimented display in VAM history!!!

The collection looks superb Steve and I can't understand how it didn't win Mrs G over with it's awesomeness!  I can only think maybe she's partly correct about you having too many figures so i'd suggest a cull in the MAM  numbers to appease her!

Hi Guys
Thanks for the responses.

As it was a bit of a mega post I missed a couple of shots - here they are !



The Battleforce Squad, Undesignated unit, Ackie 88 , Special forces.



No Pirlo , No party- Sgt Mike Cooldude & The World Peackeeper SWAT guy.

Here also is where some kit has had to be decanted to- The Garage- but at least now all labelled up



Some more spares/kit/"useful bits for Diorama etc etc




Just waiting for nice rain free day to do a good spring clean of the garage

A good system for the MT pool is now required


Take care all
Gunner

What a fantastic way to spend an afternoon tho steve! as long as you don't get distracted like me and play instead!

Oops, looks like you're going to need another room...and a few more ikea shelves...

Brilliant work Steve!!! the new/reVAMped room looks great -- fantastic display!!!

Very inspirational work and looks like a nice place to sit back and enjoy the collection. Thanks for taking the time and effort to post all the pics and take us through all the work you've done!

Lots of stuff to fill your new HQ's...

Hi Guys
thought I'd share a very simple fix up- Inaugural use of the project desk



So here it is - a  simple clean up and use of the Basic Soldier Uni that came from my recent trip to NZ .



Embarissigly this chap arrived at the HQ via the VAM Loft escape route (E-bay ) mid last year. I gave him a good sub - His elsatics were in decent shape . He has little battle damage on the stomach. If only these guys could speak, what tales they could tell
He then sat for the rest of year in a storage box waiting for me to get my VAM vibe back into top gear. But I'm defiantly feeling it now  



Luckily his grippers were looking in good nick too. - so he was No1 off the new VAM fix up shelf - only 12 more to go !



So it was a simple matter of "popping" on his kit.



He is missing a beret badge and a VAM belt. I've kitted him out  with a Cotswold OG belt in the mean time. I have got say he has the best bulled short VAM boots I have ever come across.

As he is Fuzz head gripper , I felt this Uni was in keeping with his era too. He will join the 1st Bn Munrovian ranks , but his first duty is to stand on Sentry at the Project desk.




Take care
Gunner

A fine fix up Steve, he is now battle ready! be great too see the rest of the dirty dozen as and when you build them up!

Oh yes ...that's what it's all about Gunner He looks great.

Great looking figure  Gunner Munro.  That desk needs some clutter though , it's very unnerving looking at a tidy desk

So as you know the Munrovia has been invaded by the dastardly Dragonians. They have recently formed and alliance with the equally dastardly Volgans.

They now have their own base. All this sorting out has allowed me to see what I have and where they need more work.



Red Claws



The Red Claws are the Dragonian's - Elite shock troops. They are the first wave of any attack . They are lightly armed for fast manoeuvre & assault. They are dressed in blood red as they are quite prepared to die in breaching enemy defences.

This is Commander Vorax and two of his troopers. Each *Dragonian unit is commanded by one of the Dragonian elite officer Corp. Schooled from 5 in the ways of the warrior they style their look on the *Dragonian ruler Prince Wrathian.

Vorax's number two, Captain *Hort . The Mace a symbol of the CQB the Claws are infamous for.

You will have seen the Red Claws attack the right flank of the Munrovians defensive line in the Garden Battle of 2018.



The Black Crows  and the Vaders



The Black crows are the elite guard of the Dragonian General in charge of the invasion and subduing *of Monrovia.

This is the Crow Unit Commander Xerax. Known as the "slayer" - He eschews any weapons such as pistols or SMG in favour of his sword , forged from Dragonite steel.

The unit are handpicked from the Clone Warriors . They have enhanced vision glasses - these enable them to see at low light and enable them to retain 20/20 vision in all circumstances.

General Wotang- The most feared and respected of the Dragonian high command. He and Prince Wrathian were schooled together in the military Academy .
Hax. He is the Generals personal body guard. He has been cyberneticaly enhanced and wears his 360 command hood. This enables him to tap into any satellite data and always be aware of where his General is.

The Vaders are the Black Crows heavy armoured assault squad ( Lanard conversions with a Star Wars drinking straw head !!)

The Hunter Scouts.



Some of you may remember Black and N01's dramatic Summer holiday mission of 2016 and their deadly foe Drax.

Drax was thwarted in his mission but remains a key figure in the hunter scouts. Here he is with his two clone brothers Drago & Dagg & his unit handlers.

Team members Drago and Forax, Drax and Dagg, Commander Frost & For

It was the Hunter Scouts who led the Attack from the roof shed in the epic garden Battle off Summer 2018.


They share their shelf with the Black Berets - Assault and Infiltration troops.


Next up are a relatively new unit- Volgans ! The Grey Wolves



On the left Heavy Infantry ( again Lanard figs with drinking straw heads !!) and the light infantry on the right.



The Next shelf has the Volgan Special Destruction Unit.



Here they are in their Vehicles leading the attack.



The final shelf has the yet to be created Volagn Imperial guard .



I felt these Chad Valley guys had the right "slavic" look - but I'll also do some headship/surgery.

BOO the Munrovia, the Dragonians and the Volgans but what I DO LIKE is they now have their own base.

Fantastic shots GM!

Great work on the inaugural VAM at the new repairs desk..and I love the back board!. . although I think AMMO needs a mention on it too!

...As for the bad guys!

When did the Dragonian/Volgan alliance of evil achieve super power status?? there's 1000's of 'em!! Cliff's advice is now to put Custer back in charge because the Munrovian's next battle against the enemy 'Horde' might well be a heroic last stand!  Gulp!




Re your missing cap badges. What about designing a 'Munrovian volunteers' cap badge. A round, paper one like on the UN beret would be easy to do. Maybe a stylized 'M' or an oak leaf. It could double as a shoulder patch too. It's something I've thought about for my guys but have never gotten around to trying!

Hi Steve

Yeah I think the Draconian/Volgan Alliance is looking pretty powerful at the moment - Custer ? Are you sure ??  

Really like the idea about the cab badges/shoulder patch. I've used Tony Barton to supply replacement VAM Tank Reg and Para  ones and also his Cheshire Regiment for the Oaks.
so re patches /I'm wondering if this that might be something Rob over on UAMHQ might be able to help with? I think I've also see Toypoloi fix up transfer repairs ? - I'm guessing its one of those fiddly things to set up but once done, Voila !

You are right about the notice board- AMMO needs to be up there !!

Another project to add to the list      

Gunner Munro wrote:

Hi Steve

Yeah I think the Draconian/Volgan Alliance is looking pretty powerful at the moment - Custer ? Are you sure ??  

Really like the idea about the cab badges/shoulder patch. I've used Tony Barton to supply replacement VAM Tank Reg and Para  ones and also his Cheshire Regiment for the Oaks.
so re patches /I'm wondering if this that might be something Rob over on UAMHQ might be able to help with? I think I've also see Toypoloi fix up transfer repairs ? - I'm guessing its one of those fiddly things to set up but once done, Voila !

You are right about the notice board- AMMO needs to be up there !!

Another project to add to the list      

Try Sgt_Elias first Steve on the cloth badges, he is a dab hand ay that sort of thing

Whew !!! What an ace job of sorting out Steve. You may have a second-life as an Ikea installer !!
Yours has to be easily one of the most diverse and unique collections of any VAM collector around. I really like the ways in which you take it.
It looks bloody great in that display setting young man.

P.S. Messrs. Clerkin and Drago send their regards to their old base and comrades.
Updated photos of the two will be added here shortly.

First, I really like your proposed concept of "20% work, 80% fun." I need to try to integrate that concept into my life.

That is quite a colossal reorganization task. Even photographing the new set-ups must have taken ages. I fully understand, though, how "collections" devolve into "chaos" over time. Your re-org is impressive and inspiring.

Looks like a nice collection of interesting vehicles... and who knows what else... out there in the garage. Forgotten treasures await rediscovery, I have no doubt! Best of luck on Phase II of the project!