I completely understand what you are trying to say and you've got the point. but, at the moment my procedure is such that i simply paint the mins and store it aside (until i have the whole showcase), and i don't use them for playing until they are all painted. i have a really special place for empire in my shelf since they deserve much more care than other armies and i can't wait to finish it so that it finds it's place in that shelf.
Thanks for the comments and your concern, but you can rest assured that, although they are in boxes now, i really take good care of it, because i really LOVE my empire. For transport purposes (when i take them to the games), i also have an official GW case.