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I have been a fan of Casey at eBay Miniature Rescues for a couple of years now because he, like me, shares a passion for wargaming shopping and selling on eBay. And it’s also because he’s a phenomenal painter, but we’ll get to that.

Casey has a very easygoing style that makes him easy to like, and the premise of his videos is straightforward: he finds miniatures on eBay that are in dire need of help (very often these models are quite old sculpts) and he breathes new life into them with transformative paint jobs and storytelling. It is really a testament to his skill the way he opens a box containing some pretty horrifically terrible-looking minis and by the end of the video has something you’d proudly display in any trophy case.

Casey graciously accepted my invitation to be interviewed, and here’s our conversation:

Robison: How did you get into the hobby and what games do you play most now?

Casey: I got into the hobby in the mid to late 90’s because of my best friend’s older brother. He was into all sorts of games back then but one of the big ones was Warhammer 40K. He convinced my friend and I that we should start buying and painting models and that way we could be included in what he and his friends were doing. So I started collecting and painting Eldar and Eldar army. I played 40k for a couple of years and then stopped. When Age of Sigmar came out that was really when I jumped in with both feet. I still play AOS today, with a little 40k sprinkled in every so often. I also enjoy games of Warcry and Killteam from time to time.

R: What spurred you to start your YouTube channel as something so niche as eBay Miniature Rescues? 

C: I suppose the funny thing here is that it wasn’t really a conscious decision to be so niche. I was already using eBay and second hand marketplaces as a way to get into the hobby without spending so much money. Remember, I jumped in after a huge break, so the amount of models and armies available were quite vast and honestly I wanted a little bit of everything. The YouTube channel specifically came out of the pure need to keep paint schemes consistent over long periods of time. I had an old iPhone so I figured I would record myself, edit it down on the phone in iMovie, throw some subtitles over it to explain what I was doing and that would be way nicer than just writing everything down in a notebook. The name was just a title for what I was doing in the hobby. There was a little bit of thought that went into it, but in the end I decided to just call it what it was. Little did I know people would find that so entertaining!

R: What would you say is the best find you’ve ever gotten on eBay? What was the purchase that was totally not worth it?

C: Hands down the best purchase I’ve made was a set of Skaven Warplock Jezzails. I believe it was a set of 10 pewter models for $25, and if you’ve ever tried to buy a Jezzail team on ebay you know that they don’t go for cheap like that. Normally they range from $15-$25 for 1. I’ve felt really good about that purchase for a long time now, and I don’t think I’ve ever found anything else that was really that much of a deal. That being said I’ve gotten Forgeworld models for less than half of msrp, and those technically are better purchases, but getting 10 Jezzails for $25 was just such a feel good moment that I can’t forget. The worst deal I’ve gotten is actually a story from a long time ago. When eBay was in its infancy, no pictures to look at, 100% live bidding only, no auto bid or buy it now. I spent something like $150 on a handful of eldar models. This was back in 3rd edition 40k and I really wanted to expand my army. It should also be noted that I was not very old when this happened and I really let the thrill of a bidding war get the best of me. Needless to say my parents were a little unhappy. I still have all the models today though and don’t think I’ll ever get rid of them on the pure principle of how much I paid.

R: You have recently switched to an every-other-week format. How have you seen that affect your work process and the quality of your videos? Are you as happy with the decision now that you’ve been doing it for a while?

C: So I did weekly uploads for nearly 3 years, it was a crazy experience and one that really got me to be disciplined in a lot of different ways. In April of 2021 my Daughter was born, I switched to a vlog style format for the first few months that she was around and she was actually in a series of 10 videos that I made called “The Baby Diaries” It was some of the most fun I’ve had on YouTube, just filming progress and painting models when she was sleeping. It was very fun and I got a ton of really positive feedback. After those 10 videos though it started to get harder and harder to keep up, it was doable, but if there was any kind of hiccup, like being sick, or having to go to the DMV, or something normal that happens all the time, then I had to be up at crazy hours trying to paint or finish a video. On top of that, taking care of a newborn baby is no small task! So things had to change. I gave it a lot of thought and really wrestled with the implications of going part time. Luckily, the community was extremely supportive of my decision and it’s been really great being able to live life and still make fun content. You asked about the effect on my work process and quality and the real Ironic thing of it all is that now that I’ve switched I don’t really have more time to make content. I mean I have more time to plan and think about what I’ll be doing, but the actual days I have are very limited. I film/paint 2 days one week and write/edit 2 days the next week. So 4 days total to make a video. Like I said, more time to think and plan on the off days so those 4 days are maximized, but the rest of the time I watch my son and daughter. I still try to make the videos better and better each time, and I feel like a few things have led to quality breakthroughs, but as far as process, it’s a whole new level of discipline. I am happy though, and that counts for a lot if you make YouTube videos!

R: Always doing eBay miniature rescues, do you ever get tired of painting other peoples’ old models and wish you could just buy an all-new army for yourself?

C: Haha, I think about this all the time, and the answer is 100% yes! I love getting a deal and fixing up old models, that will always be my bread and butter in the hobby, but I still see and want all the new stuff coming out! More and more recently I have been painting newer models on the channel. I still source my models from eBay, but they aren’t always in terrible condition. I feel pretty strongly that an eBay rescue doesn’t just fall under one definition. A miniature that has been built, shelved, or put into the proverbial pile of shame, can be rescued from that existence and used in a game. The idea that the model has to be painted previously, or poorly, (to be a rescue) is very one dimensional. If you look at how many models are out there that never get played on a table, never painted, or cut up for bits, the list of potential rescues starts to grow. I also try to emphasize the types of savings you can get from using a second hand market. For example, I can go straight to the source and buy a Dominion box set for $200, but maybe I only wanted half of what was inside that box. Well on eBay I can buy half that box for $60. So I save money, and get exactly what I want. I like to point those things out by making a video, and that most definitely gives me an excuse to paint newer models while also being “on brand” so to speak. It also should be said that buying off of ebay more often than not supports a brick and mortar store somewhere and I like the idea that we can all help out hobby shops without ever going to them.

R: What makes you most optimistic about the hobby?

C: The community is getting bigger and better every day. More and more people are joining the hobby and it’s extremely exciting to see! On a larger scale I am also seeing less hate and anger than ever before within the wargaming community. For a long time we had a problem in the hobby, and we are really finally getting beyond that and it keeps me so motivated.

R: What makes you most pessimistic about the hobby?

C: Like I said in the last question, the hobby is growing and the community is getting better and better all the time. My absolute fear is that companies like Games Workshop are only going to see their stock rising and not take into account that people are responsible for it. People are what make this hobby great and people are what drive profit for companies. I want to see game manufacturers really be about their communities, to take that into account when they make decisions, not their stockholders. I don’t mean that they should shoot themselves in the foot, but that they should be more transparent and forthcoming about the things that are going on. People want to support good companies that make good decisions, and I think this will be the biggest hurdle for some of our favorites, now and in the future.

R: If you could make one change to any wargaming IP, what would it be and why?

C: Oh boy. Ok left field here. I would love to see Heroclix with good minis. There I said it…the models are crap and it’s really hard to want to spend money on garbage minis even though the actual skirmish game is great! For fun I’d also love to see Warhammer 40k get the actual AOS treatment and be literally started over….probably not a popular opinion lol, but I think it could open up some fun possibilities.

R: What advice would you give to someone just coming into the hobby?

C: First of all, Welcome to the Hobby! Take your time with it, only buy the models that excite you, and paint bravely. This hobby can last a lifetime so there’s no reason to rush your skill level, never compare your hobby journey to anyone else’s. Most importantly, have fun!