I first got started about two years ago. I was up at Grapevine Mills trying to locate my brother, who had gotten himself lost. (And he's older than me by two years
) And, while looking for him, I happened to see the Games Workshop sign. Thinking it was a video game store, I walked up...and saw the miniatures on display in the window. I was disappointed it wasn't a video game store, but went in anyway as soon as I saw the painted miniatures. (I was hooked on LOTR even back then.)
Right off, a short, round GW employee walked up, smiled and asked me if he could help me with anything. I had a terrible stutter back then when talking to strangers, so his first impression of me was probably as a teenager who spoke fluent Caveman (Ugh, uh, nah, etc.) So he kind of gave me another smile and walked off.
My missing brother totally forgotten, I strolled up to the LOTR section, saw the Aragorn the King mini and grabbed it off the shelf. Now I had just sold some legos on Ebay, and had fifty-five dollars burning a hole in my pocket. But I ended up buying the Warriors of Minas Tirith and a few paints instead. Then the same employee walked up and asked if I'd like a free beginner's paint lesson. This time I managed to reply more or less understandibly, and we walked over to the bench and started.
My first warrior of minas tirith turned out looking like Prince Charming meets Clayface. But I was sure proud of it then, so I bought three more paints and then got invited to play a game of SBG with several other gamers. They spent ten minutes waiting on me as I assembled all of the other WOMT and then we started. We each had one plastic boxed set (Not exactly fair, I know.) I was actually the second-to-last one to be defeated. (By the Fighting Uruk-Hai.)
Just then my brother happened in, and wrecked my fun. He got invited to play, but his response was less than enthusiastic. And then we had to leave.
I pretty much stopped playing SBG after about two months, but have been painting ever since, and plan to keep doing it until GW dies.
My brother, sadly, is not inerested, and every time I ask, he says "only geeks would want to paint minimen".
Before you fall asleep, I'll go ahead and close.