I haven´t seen this topic until today.
I am 50 years old and started figure collecting with 14 years: Airfix Romans and Britains. Then my teacher showed me one day his collection of flat tin-figures: I lost my heart - but they were too expensive for me.
Living in the deepest german countryside near the german-german border we only got the stuff which our local dealers could offer: Airfix!! A cousin of me, who lived in Cologne, once staying for holidays by my uncle, showed me his treasure: Atlantic, Esci, Matchbox. With a friend of mine we played with the figures, but we never heard of "wargaming" - so we invented our own way of playing.
When becoming a student it gave a break in the hobby - since we visited the famous Liechtenstein Castle in the Suebian Alps. There was a souvenir store, in which flat tins were offered. So I started collecting tins with 26 Years.
Then - I was 37 in between - I had to make a travel to Frankfurt, and in a big toystore I saw Revells British Sharpshooters and 100 Years War. That was the inflammation of my old love, since this time I am a 1/72 fanatik.
In my hometown, Eschwege, I was engaged in a miniature collecting society, which opens a own Museum. But changes in my professional engagemant forced me to reduce. If you near this nice town: have a look!
http://www.zinnfiguren-klio.de/eschwege.htmlMeanwhile I have interest in 28mm too, because the standard of this figures has risen to a very high degree. From time to time I paint a figure of bigger scale.
I am protestant minister in a little village and I am teaching religion and philsophy at the local gymnasium (high school).
My wife loves my hobby, because she knows his therapeutic impact for me. My son and my daughter are interested, but not infected. I am also interested in literature, music (classic only) and history, especially the later ancient times (Dark Ages, Byzanz) and the prehistoric development of culture. A special military-historic interest I have in the german troops in the AWI, becaus lots of the ancestors of my people stayed there.
The internet has given the hobby a very news aspect, so I am member in different fora, for years especially in the najemo, later modellbau-online.de forum (visit the gallery: fantastic!).
But job related trouble, lack of time and changing of interests have caused me to retrat a little. So I am more a visitor and from-time-to-time exhibitor in the last time.
The painting competitions and the duell are a great pleasure for me, because everybody gives his best and there is the pure olimpic spirit, not the "Who is the best??" cramp. And to see all these wonderfull painted, sculpted and arranged figures is a daily walk in the wonderland. Thanks to all.