Gamers or collectors

I'm on a mailing list for a group here in Palmy that I've been along too a couple of times. I've struggled to find a gaming group since leaving Wellington 8 years ago (wow that is a long time), and its more to do with like minds I think. The games up here tend to be either FOW or fantasy of some sort, neither of which I have ever played (yes, I have managed to avoid Flames of war. never seemed to make sense to me). I've also noticed that they tend to spend a lot of money on models (or maybe I'm just tight) for different games. Now given that my purchases tend to be rather catholic in terms of that I only really tend to spend money with Heroics and Ros 9my 28mm Eureka addiction notwithstanding) I wonder why people would spend large sums of money on kickstarter models that they might only use a couple of times. This then got me further pondering on my collection of Modern Spearhead armies and which ones I have got the most use out of and why. This doesn't count Wargaming competitions where I have been known to supply 1/2 the armies....
MSH
-US. The first modern (it was ultramodern when I brought it) army I owned and the first 6mm figures. Went from being an easy beat under WRG to an army that I like to play under MSH. The variety of toys and list variations keep me coming back. Who could not like M60A2's. All in MERDC camouflage apart from te M1's (Team Yankey please take note)
-Russian. Brought as an opponent to the US army and I've been adding bits to it for so long it has turned into a monster, or at least a multi headed monster. I suppose some bits of it (the airborne contingent) have had far less use than others (the BTR70 regiment) but as it provides 1/2 the forces in any 1980's cold war contest its right up there.
-West German. Doesn't get a lot of use. Odd as I have 3 brigades (2 panzer grenadier and 1 territorial) so its not for lack of choice. I just don't like the TOE as the battalions are too small, and there's just not enough variation in the lists to make it interesting.
-British. I think I can remember using this army once or possibly twice, which is odd as I do like the TOE set up and the variety of kit.
-Czechs. Again I think I have used this a couple of times, but it tends to sit on the shelf as the Professor U-S monster gets the table time (when he's visiting).
-Belgians. I recall there was a stack of stuff going free at the club one day, and I got the French. AMX VCI APC's said Belgian to me, as well as the YPR 765 for variation. I've actually never used this army, though I think its had a run twice in our Mega games.

So that's the complete armies section, or at least ones that I can use for the scenario generation system. there are also a few others.
-French. I have some of the models based for this, but that's as far as it has gotten. Like the West Germans I don't like the TOE or the unit variety. might happen one day, but probably not.
-Austrian. Interesting indigenous kit in the APC's and SK 105. Brought to face off Professor U-S' Czechs. I've just had a look last night and I have the bits for a mechanised brigade. Well, did have as I brought a stack of West German HS-30's as they were the closest thing to a Saurer 4K4 from H&R (and I was not going down the C-in-C path). Well at least until H&R released the Saurer 4K4 in all its variations (and a nice model it is too, I must go and order some...). The territorial TOE is also quite interesting, especially with some older kit still in service (recoiless rifles on jeeps, anyone?) I just have the certain knowledge that the Czech monster will treat it as a speed bump.

On top of this I also have a hankering for Dutch (Centurions and YPR-408), Hungarians (PZSH-IV and another opponent for the Austrians) and East Germans (all that lovely older Soviet kit in T55's and BTR 60's). Its tempered by the realisation that unless my gaming situation changes dramatically ie everyone in Palmy starts playing MSH then most of this stuff is not going to get a run in the foreseeable future. which then leads to the question of if I buy it am I just a collector rather than a gamer. And is one really a collector if the models just sit in boxes for years (which I would term hording).