Not really sure about posting this, but maybe it will help to type it out.
I started playing Warhammer a little before the pandemic. Me and my partner decided to try it out after he got me into playing Dawn of War (the first one) and I decided I loved the Eldar (in Dawn of War) because 'they funny and look like they make triangles with their legs'. So I got a start collecting for the Eldar and to my shame only the Wraithguard from there I think are painted? Now it isn't because I haven't painted my models, yes I do own a fair bit of grey plastic but I believe the majority are painted. I guess I just never got around to those specifically.
Didn't play much before the pandemic. During the pandemic, I didn't really do much. I lived in a house share with almost the most gross people you can imagine and so when I wasn't out the house at work, I spent all my time in my room (besides using bathroom and cooking). I think I did a little bit of painting but I didn't have a table. Mid pandemic, me and my partner moved to Nottingham. I had friends there and turns out my best friend had also started playing Warhammer through their partner (who had been playing since a kid) and so I got to be part of a small group there. Still didn't play as much as I'd like but that is because there was still a pandemic. I also got into Age of Sigmar at this time and well, considering I passed Warhammer World every day on the way to and back from work every day you can see how I started to build a collection. When Celestian Sacresants for Sisters of Battle came out, I fell in love with them and started collecting those too. I probably spent too much money on Warhammer that year, but I was painting it and playing with it at least.
I moved again after that to do a PhD. Eventually made friends at a local board game store and started playing games there. Not usually super regularly because I couldn't drive so I'd have to carry my stuff around. Some of the people were difficult and I didn't want to play them, but I guess you can say that about everywhere. They only really played 40k here, which is fine and appropriate considering this subreddit (it was kinda funny to me though because I enjoyed painting my AoS more at the time so I actually do have a fully painted army, its just AoS). People didn't like playing my Eldar because they said they were too strong at the start of 10th (I wasn't playing any meta) and then people would bring meta against me or forgeworld tanks that can do like 12 mortals a turn without me being able to do anything in response (without asking me). The store then got sold and went down hill. None of my friends really played their anymore and organising games felt difficult. I don't think I really tried hard enough tbh. ADHD means that sometimes getting organised for a game felt like effort and I hate list building lol. I also started collecting Kroot during this time. Not a large force, I've got like 40 carnviores, farstalkers and some krootox.
I'm moving again soon for work. Not far away, I can still see my friends. I've been selling some of my warhammer (unpainted) to cover the costs of while I've been unemployed. Part of me feel like selling more of it. But I'm also not sure about selling things I've actually spent time painting.
I feel like I've been less and less interested in my Warhammer. I've barely painted. Most of my friends think I'm a good painter. I'm no golden demon winner for sure, but lack of painting wasn't because I felt bad about my stuff. I do feel I paint too slowly and that is frustrating for me though. I also just don't like painting my Eldar that much. I feel like I don't like my Eldar very much anymore in general. I think I've painted the least of them, but I'm also sentimental about them. I went nuts when the new Warp Spiders came out. I love Warp Spiders! They were my favourites in Dawn of War. But Eldar lore and how the armies play on tabletop with needing Guardians and such just puts me off. The lore especially. I read the Path of the Eldar trilogy and while the world building was a lot of fun the characters and plot outcome felt embarrassing Psychic Awakening was embarrassing. My friends would joke how bad Eldar are (lore wise) and I'd hate it. I made my own lore for my Craftworld, but everything ended up revolving around a few characters and it felt like the actual Craftworld lore was flimsy. I decided to have my Craftworld get destroyed and make my Eldar nomads. I like what I've done, but I guess I don't need a full army to have the lore. I've sold a bunch of my Eldar, and I don't have like an amazing army composition with what I have left but what I have left at this point but its aspect warriors, wraiths and a couple of tanks. My favourite units essentially, alongside my damaged war walker I couldn't really sell. I like these models, but it feels wrong to have stuff I'm not using sometimes.
I have more Sororitas painted than Eldar, they're almost finished besides the tanks and a few stray models. A couple of my friends want to play 3rd edition and not anything modern. I can't use most of my Sisters army for that. So they just sit on the shelf. I can use Kroot, kind of? But I guess it mostly leaves me with Eldar, my problem child. Don't get me wrong, I don't like 40k lore is amazing sans Eldar. I feel like the lore isn't moving at all in a very good way at all in general and while there is some fun lore in 40k they kinda just stopped adding new stuff in codexes (at least for Sisters) My 10th ed codex for Sisters felt like a waste of money. That's the thing too - prices keep going up and GW is making plenty enough profit that they don't need to keep putting prices up. Mind you, since the new warp spiders I've bought no new Warhammer in a while besides the Celestian Insidiants because I really liked how the models looked with their funky shoulders. But I've had them since Feb (bought the box and sold the marines for most of the cost of the box by putting them on ebay auction) and I haven't used them at all. I've painted one fully though!
I don't know if its just my circumstances but I just feel bothered about owning all these models that I'm not playing with or engaging with and I keep on and off thinking about selling them for over a year now. But I've also had a real shit year and a half with family deaths and PhD kicking my mental health. But I also recognise that the universe is less interesting than it was to me years ago and certain lore and even some fanbase behaviour has potentially also just put me off. I know you don't need to play Warhammer to enjoy it, I just... don't know how I feel about it anymore. Do I need 3 different 40k armies? I don't think I do. But then also I've put my time into the ones I have painted, but they also feel like they're taking up space? It's complicated. My dad was a hoarder and its definitely in my genes (and I saw how much of his stuff ended up in landfill after he passed away and I hate that) but my mum hates owning anything that she feels is clutter and unnecessary and she instilled some of that in me. It is a very weird mix of me often getting rid of stuff when I'm not big on it anymore. But selling MTG cards is very different than selling a model I painted myself.
TLDR: I'm not sure how I feel about owning a lot of models when I barely engage with the hobby at the moment.