And here we have the wild denuded sprue... These useless bits on a plastic skelton are the remnants of models assembled and all that remains of a once glorious sealed box of miniature goodness. So what the heck do you do with them? Some of you throw these away (naughty hobbyist.) I put it to you that these sprues still have life in them, an inspiration of models yet to come, and conversions yet to be made.
Allright, I will concede that the following picture is enough work in potentia to make even the stoutest of conversion dreamers think fondly of the dustbin.
(the aforementioned milieu of miniature mayhem)
And yet.. I can see some of you.. peering into the screen at this mess and dreaming.. You've noticed that all these pieces are from the dwarf range. (or Duardin for those of the politically correct AoS mindset ;) ) This little pile of plastic represents more than a decade of design, style, and integration from the GW range. Maybe you see the gyro bomber bits, the dragonback banner or even the humble dwarf warriors banner, and your mind starts whirring. You might be the type who hunts through bits sites lamenting the cursed out of stock button! (I know I am.)
Or maybe you're not. Maybe you just build an army at a time, and you like having everything orderly and stored. No loose little rubble piles for you. Well then, how bout this next picture? ;)
This is a bitz box. I say "a" because I have many. 10+ at the last count. These bitz boxes are my inspiration. Everything has been sorted. Banners, shields, beastmen, and empire. The bitz are sorted by race, by kit, and sometimes even by left arm, right arm, or ranged weapon vs. hand weapon. Did it take time? Yes. Do I enjoy the knowledge that I can find almost any bit within minutes, no matter which kit it came from or when I acquired it? Yes.
So what is the point of this post? Simple. Your hobby isn't a finished project. Finishing projects is an enjoyable experience, but if all your projects are finished, I submit that you are no longer a hobbyist. A hobbyist always has another project on the go, another army to be planned, another theme to be explored. Bits boxes contain that little bit with character that didn't fit with your theme, that weapon that used to be terrible, and the un-assembled projects of past plans. But they also contain the piece that you never thought you would use but turns out to be perfect. I always have a picture of the bit that will make my conversion work in my head, and find it only to learn, it's not quite right. However, it almost ends up sharing a compartment with the bit that is. So consider sorting your bits, saving them from an ignominious melty death of toxic fumage in some forgotten recycling plant. Sort them out, because sorting bits in something hobbyists do because who knows what they'll need for that next project?