May 25th is my Blogaversary, the 6th anniversary of my first Man of TIN blog post.
Crossposted by Mark Man of TIN
Image source: Marcia Chatelain, South Side Girls.
Tag: Blogaversary
May 25th Geek Pride Days and my fifth Man of TIN blogaversary 2021
Happy Geek Pride Day May 25th 2021!
Not just a day for Star Wars but also Pound Store Wars?
Five years ago today, I Man of TIN / 26soldiersoftin cautiously launched the Man of TIN blog.
Happy fifth Blogaversary to all my readers!
Geek Pride Day is also appropriately the fifth blogaversary of starting this my Man of TIN blog.
“To begin at the beginning…” (as Richard Burtin would say in his deepest Welsh tones in Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood)
It is always interesting to look back at the first posts of people’s blogs, which for me began on Man of TIN blog in May 2016 with a short post titled ‘Pound Store Wars’:
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2016/05/25/pound-store-wars/
to see how these toy soldier and gaming themes develop.
Early themes in my first post or posts:
- Pound Store plastics and pirated figures
- Cheap Hollowcast figures
- Paint conversions
- Donald Featherstone
- A dose of childhood nostalgia
- Airfix
- H. G. Wells’ Little Wars
- 54mm figures
- Steampunk and ImagiNations
- Garden wargaming
And within the first month, various posts covered:
- DIY Fimo polymer clay soldiers, including the Vintage Wargaming blog
- homecasting,
- ‘cakes of death’ cake decoration soldier figures
- Stuart Asquith and his Comfortable Wargaming article on the Lone Warrior solo gaming site
Painting Pound Store Plastic tat figures as if they were ‘run of the mill’ factory hollowcasts was an early and still ongoing theme.
The list of blogs I was discovering and listing then in my first posts in May 2016 includes many I still read and follow on a daily or weekly basis:
- Bob Cordery – Wargaming Miscellany
- Hugh Walter – Small Scale World (2009 ongoing)
- Tim Gow’s Megablitz and More
- Battling with Britain’s Deetail (2013-18)
- Brian Carrick’s Collecting Toy Soldiers blog
And South American toy soldiers http://soldaditossudamericanos.blogspot.co.uk/
Bob Cordery’s Wargaming Miscellany blog roll soon led me to the Duchy of Tradgardland and Battle Game of the Month blogs, which rapidly became my three daily or weekly portal sites.
It took several weeks, even a month or two before any reader comments appeared. I presume I saw some views and reader stats, otherwise this could be very dispiriting for a fledgeling blogger.
Part of the pleasure of blogging is the many comments, emails and even conversations in person that the Man of TIN blog has led to over the last five years.
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Donald Featherstone’s quote from my favourite Wargames rules book since childhood War Games (1962) has served well to summarise my approach to “Toy soldiers, gaming, Imagi-Nations” as my Blog strapline says:
“There is a great deal of satisfaction in making one’s own armies, either in their entirety or by conversions.” (Page 21)
“Part of the fun of being a war gamer lies in the making of one’s own soldiers as distinct from purchasing figures of different sizes obtainable from makers in various parts of the world.” (Page 18, War Games)
*
Although I had been involved in regular blogging for work projects since 2008 and also buying toy soldiers online on EBay since 2008, it took another eight years to develop my first toy soldier blog.
By the time that I started Man of TIN blog in 2016, some veteran gamers such as Bob Cordery (2008), Alan Gruber Duchy of Tradgardland (2007) and the Emperor vs Elector blog group (2009 or earlier?) had been blogging for almost a decade.
Without Whom – thanks!
Although my blog is essentially a personal scrapbook, journal or Work in Progress diary made public , my blogaversary is also an opportunity to thank my loyal, passing and occasional blog readers and comment writers. Thanks gentlemen and ladies for your kind words and challenges.
My Spin-off and Sister Blogs
As well as establishing separate pages within Man of Tin blog for H.G. Wells’ Little Wars, Bronte ImagiNations, Roman 15mm games and Scouting Wide Games (now itself a spin off blog), there are now several sister or spin off blogs from which to crosspost.
Fairly quickly my Man of TIN blog had spin off blogs for different materials and to spread the megabyte heavy photo content across several WordPress Free 3GBs.
Pound Store Plastic Warriors September 2016 (which has its origins in these early Man of TIN blog posts on Pound Store plastics)
Sidetracked 2017 (where gaming meets model railways)
Scouting Wide Games for the Tabletop (April 2019)
Look Duck and Varnish – Gaming the Home Guard (2019/ May 2020)
And Man of TIN Blog Two, established in 2020 for when Man of TIN blog 1 is (very nearly) full of its Free 3GB WordPress limit, which will be within the next few months / this year? Man of TIN blog will then continue its weekly blog life there.
I don’t check blog stats often or have a page / view counter thing, likewise across on my sister blogs. So far by w.c. May 24th 2021, a surprising 157,000 views by 78,000 people have stumbled across my Man of TIN blog and hopefully been distracted from something useful if only for a few moments.
A small number of readers return on a regular basis. If you are one of them, thank you!
Why Wednesday evening is a popular reading time, I have no idea – Hump Day at work? Halfway through the week, dreaming of the weekend hobby? I’ve no idea why 29 May 2018 was a two thousand+ views day either.
The next five years 2021-2026?
I wonder where the next five years of blogging will take me and the other bloggers I regularly read?
Forward towards 3D printing and computer assisted gaming (touted since the Wargames Manual 1982/3)? Maybe.
Backwards or retro to Old School, 60s Airfix nostalgia, back of a postcard rules, flats and hollowcasts? Much more likely.
Forward Men! Going forward and back, back, back … for the future!
5th Blogaversary post by Mark Man of TIN, 25 May 2021
A Romantic Walk in The Forest Interrupted
May 25th – it is Memorial Day Weekend in America (thanks VSF for the reminder),
it’s also Geek Pride Day (anniversary of Star Wars, various Sci-fi Discworld and Hitchhiker’s Guide links etc), which we have celebrated here over the last few years:
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2018/05/25/happy-2nd-blogaversary-from-the-man-of-tin/
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2017/05/25/may-25th-2017-my-1st-blogaversary/
… which means it’s my Fourth Blogaversary of Man of TIN blog.
Happy Blogaversary to Me! Thanks for reading and all your comments, ideas, interest and support.
What next?
“A Romantic Forest Walk, Interrupted” is the follow up duelling skirmish suggested by Tony Adams after reading my recent Forest Indians vs Redcoats skirmish posted yesterday:
The Waggon repaired, and no further need for that pistol, Miss MacGuffin?
North Gondal Forests, 1870s somewhere near Fort MacGuffin
Fed up with the security lockdown at the Fort MacGuffin, our feisty frontier heroine Miss Kate MacGuffin persuades the Fort’s founder and commanding officer, her father Major MacGuffin to reluctantly let her out of its confines for an afternoon’s plant and herb collecting in the Forest to restock the Fort’s medicine chest.
Unaccompanied botanising would be too risky with aggrieved Forest Indians Hunting in the forest, and “The Major’s Daughter” would be a fine hostage and bargaining chip. So young Captain Snortt, hero of the hour and commander of the Besieged Wagon Skirmish, is entrusted with accompanying Kate and keeping watch over her as her guide, guard and chaperone. A very different Wheel Meet Again scenario indeed!
Well met again, Miss MacGuffin and Captain Snortt set off hiking through forest glades with their collecting basket, stout walking poles and her faithful dog Patch. They intend to stay near the Fort but enjoying each other’s company a little too much, they lose track of time and the blazed forest trails.
Lost? Not to worry, says the Captain.
Suddenly from out of the forest behind them burst a small deer, pursued by a Forest Indian Hunting Party.
Both parties stared at each other for a split second.
The deer fled but a fine hunting prize this hostage would make.
All that Miss MacGuffin and Captain Snortt have to defend themselves is his sword, their two hiking staffs, her revolver and whatever else they can find around them.
All set for a duelling skirmish where a valuable live hostage is at stake!
The Brontes maybe, but the redcoat Militia and heroines in Jane Austen all dressed up for balls were never like this, except maybe with zombies, and the books are all the poorer for it in my opinion.
Previously on duelling skirmishes, some fine blogposts, borrowed rules and entertaining Bartitsu Youtube videos – Suffrajitzu anyone?
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2017/04/28/more-duelling-inspiration-bartitsu/
https://poundstoreplasticwarriors.wordpress.com/2017/05/09/more-duelling-inspiration-mexicans/
And Happy Geek Pride Day
“I didn’t choose the Geek Life … the Geek Life chose me.”
Blog posted by Mark Man of TIN, fourth Blogaversary, 25 May 2020
Happy Geek Pride Day and it’s my 3rd Blogaversary 25th May 2019
May 25 2019 Geek Pride Day – time to get your Geek On!
We’re almost half the way through an irresolute year and its my 3rd Blogaversary, so time to say thanks to all my readers and commenters.
Celebrating my third happy year of random flibbertigibbet flitting from subject to subject this year ranging from repairing Broken Britain’s and lots of 54mm toy soldiers, the joy of the Job-lot, through cheap plastics, FEMbruary Land Girls, 15mm Mounties and on to my current project reproducing Scout Wide Games:
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2019/01/01/new-gaming-year-irresolutions-2019/
May 25 2018 last year my 2nd Blogaversary!
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2018/05/25/happy-2nd-blogaversary-from-the-man-of-tin/
May 25 2017 was my 1st Blogaversary!
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2017/05/25/may-25th-2017-my-1st-blogaversary/
Geek Pride Day is another excuse for another Star Wars Day, being the first showing date in 1977 in the USA.
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2019/05/04/farewell-chewbacca-may-the-4th-be-with-you/
Alan of the Duchy of Tradgardland blog, the Tradgardmastre, my Scouting Wide Games co-conspirator, has sent me a bag more USA Tim Mee Galaxy Laser Team figures over on a International / intergalactic Scouting exchange – thanks Alan!
He also mentioned what Games Workshop does for Scouting with a sponsored Warhammer craft badge: encouraging the next Geek generation to use fingers and thumbs for more than swiping and clicking. I wonder if any historical miniatures companies will follow suit? https://fundraising.scouts.org.uk/warhammer
However you spend you Geek Pride Day, whatever your Geek is, enjoy the day!
Genuine 1980 Geek Pride? check out great little D and D BBC Archive clip from 1980 with 80s hair at https://poundstoreplasticwarriors.wordpress.com/2019/05/25/geek-pride-day-25th-may/
Blog Posted by Mark Man of TIN 25 May 2019.
Happy 2nd Blogaversary and Geek Pride Day from the Man of TIN!
Today 25th May 2018 is my second happy Blogaversary (blog anniversary) of the Man of TIN blog! Huzzah! Wave flags etc
May 25 is also Geek Pride Day around the world
https://www.thinkgeek.com/geekpride/
Or in my words “I didn’t choose the Geek Life … the Geek Life chose me.”
A big thanks to all my fellow bloggers and readers over the last year (or two) for all your likes, comments and support. Your blogs on my “blogs I follow” blogroll are my regular portals to games blogging, toy soldiers and gaming inspiration.
The last year of Man of TIN and associated blogs has seen a wide range of subjects, being the wargames and toy soldier butterfly that I am.
Some of my highlights from my latest year of Man of TIN blog
1. Pound Store Plastic Warriors – my other blog https://poundstoreplasticwarriors.wordpress.com
Being mostly 42mm paint conversions and 36mm pound store plastic tat figures transformed into loveliness!
2. Sidetracked – my other railway gaming related blog and its Blowing Up Desert Trains games
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2017/08/05/blowing-up-desert-trains/
all thanks to the gift of a Train in a TIN.
3. Expanding my Heroscape hex portable game board
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2017/08/01/192-hexes-of-joy-a-larger-hex-game-board/
4. The Remount Department and Broken Britain’s, all part of my ongoing interest in 54mm gaming and figure repair and restoration.
5. My ongoing search for vintage Peter Laing 15mm figures, now they are no longer produced and the Peter Laing collectors Google G+ Community Page established by Ian Dury
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/06/peter-laing-15mm-google-community-page/
6. Along with American painter and toy soldier collector Andrew Wyeth exhibitions, I have also enjoyed Forgotten Georgia, still an enjoyable slice of old American life and buildings on this website
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2017/06/27/forgotten-georgia-blog/
7. Vintage Airfix OO/HO figure gaming
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/16/another-vintage-airfix-hoard/
One of my favourite games last year was a vintage ACW Airfix game using the Train in a TIN!
8. Using Donald Featherstone rules of course in the year of his Centenary (1918-2013).
Reading and transcribing BBC scripts from Don’s 1960s long-forgotten radio talks was another highlight, the contents now passed onto John Curry at the History o& Wargaming Project.
9. Unusual anniversaries and special months – MARCH and FEMbruary featuring female figure painting challenges and history, along with “believable female miniatures” including buying some 28mm land girls from Annie at Bad Squiddo.
10. The Bronte bicentenaries – 200 years since several of the Bronte family were born, inspiration for some of my Imagi-Nations games, based in their mythical juvenile worlds of Angria, Gondal and GlassTown.
May – Only about half the way through my New Gaming Year’s Irresolutions … and way off target already!
Many thanks for sharing my latest blogging year and I hope you enjoy the next! Next posts will be more “Broken Britain’s” 54mm lead figure conversions.
And Happy Geek Pride Day
“I didn’t choose the Geek Life … the Geek Life chose me.”
Blogposted by Mark Man of TIN, 2nd Blogaversary, 25 May 2018.
May 25th 2017 my 1st Blogaversary!
Happy Blogavesary to Me! Happy Blogaversary to You!
May 25th 2016 was my the date of my first Man of TIN blogpost, all about Pound Store Warriors.
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2016/05/25/pound-store-wars/
A few months later Pound Store Plastic Warriors was created in 6th September 2016 as a separate sister blogsite https://poundstoreplasticwarriors.wordpress.com
It seems much more than a year.
It has been a brilliant first year. Having the blog, especially for a solo gamer, encourages you to finish stuff off, get it photographed and written up to share with others.
It’s an online diary, bullet journal, declaration of intent or New Gaming Year’s resolutions in public. It’s my reading journal, book and figure review column.
For example, having posted and photographed about my Bronte inspired skirmish in Angria this weekend, I noticed that these faded old plastic fir trees worked well enough centred on a hex (albeit attached with white tack). I have had these bashed old trees since childhood. So this week I “F and B’d” them – Flocked and Based – them.
They should continue to work well for my Close Little Wars forest skirmish rules based on Donald Featherstone’s two page appendix to his 1962 book War Games.
What have I enjoyed about Blogging?
Blogging is like an online wargaming club or convention and a free gaming magazine, available more than monthly. I check some ‘portal’ and my blogroll sites quite often daily. In fact, my irregular consumption of gaming magazines has dropped even further. I find now when I flick through the magazines in W.H. Smith’s, that I can find much of this inspiration and advice online.
I wonder if blogging this year has taken up valuable time for gaming?
Possibly not, as I think becoming part of the blogging community as a reader or a blogger encourages you to try new things, learn new tips or rediscover old figures. It also encourages you to go completely off at a bizarre tangent like a war games butterfly in search of the new, colourful or shiny. Whoops!
Thanks to all who have stopped by and read my blog in its first year, taken time to “like” a post or have written a positive comment. I’ve really enjoyed replying, whether it has been chatting to fellow Peter Laing figure collectors, Donald Featherstone rules enthusiasts, getting tips on repairing old bashed Britain’s 54mm toy soldiers or being in contact with people who wrote inspiring articles in the games magazines of my childhood. An enduring hobby indeed!
Thanks to all those who have signed up as followers or posted a link to my blog on their sites. It is really appreciated – I can see this works in the “referrer” blog stats. Cheers!
I don’t put much store by checking blog stats regularly but for my 125 blog posts in 365 days (blimey! that’s almost one post every three days on average), over four thousand readers have stopped by once or more, leading to almost eleven thousand views from 75 different countries. Most of my blog readers are from the UK and the USA but there are also regular readers from Ireland, Canada, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, (Flanders) France and Spain. (“Over the hills and far away …”)
My occasional “little sister” blog to this one, Pound Store Plastic Warriors since September 2016 has itself attracted over 400 readers, and 1000 views.
So to James, John, Ian, Bob, Alan, Ross, Tony, Jon and many other readers … thanks!
Here’s another year of homecast or homemade figures, solo gaming, toy soldier repair, pound store plastics, portable game boards, flocking and basing, bizarre tangents, Donald Featherstone, vintage Airfix, Peter Laing figures and making the most of the stock in hand.
Here’s to some fine weather for back garden games and skirmishes in the sandpit.
Here’s to another year puzzling out the fictional Imagi-Nations of the Brontes!
Maybe I should have had a First Blogaversary cake made? Topped of course with homemade Fimo Polymer Clay “cakes of death” cake decoration mould soldiers. Huzzah!
Blogposted by Mark, Man of TIN, 25 May 2017 my first Blogaversary! Huzzah!
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