Casey Rupley (webmaster)

by Dave Tingley

Jim Coatney, Brian Peck and I made the trip over to New Braunfels, TX on January 3rd for the IPMS Alamo Squadron’s “ModelFiesta.” Kits were bought, medals were won, and Margaritas were consumed! Truth be told, it was a bit of a drive, an early departure from Albuquerque, a leisurely lunch at a diner in lovely Sweetwater, TX, and finally an arrival at our AirB&B on Friday evening. After a fairly low key dinner where the first margaritas were consumed, we headed to bed early as Jim and Brian were itching to be first in line at the vendor room. For anyone in the club who has not been to a model show, half of the draw to a show is the showroom where our fellow modelers are entering their work (more on that later,) but the other half of the event is just as exciting!

The Vendor Room. Yes, this is the place where shameless bad actors tempt our poor wallets with beautiful kits and accessories that are sometimes rare, sometimes on a great deal, and always a “need” rather than a “want.” We entered the vendor room clutching fists full of cash, and like too many folks in Vegas, that cash disappeared all too quickly. However, unlike the poor schmucks in Vegas, we walked away with arms full of 1/48th, 1/32, even 1/16th scale golden treasure! OK, not golden, but treasure all the same. Jim went on a car buying spree, Brian added to his pile of aircraft, but also surprised us with a 1/16 US M-10 tank destroyer- I guess he heard that I was sponsoring a contest later this year?? I, as per the usual, stocked up on some Luftwaffe aircraft as well as a Tamiya 1/32nd F4U-1 Corsair.

After our initial buying frenzy, it was time to put our models out on the tables. The entry forms were pretty standard, very similar to what we use here in our monthly contests. The difference in this show started at the tables. There were not separate categories for “1/72nd and 1/48. No categories for “soft skinned armor” and “closed top AFVs.” The categories were simply, “Cars,” “Ships,” “Airplanes,” “Sci Fi,” and “Armor.” Everything was on the same table, regardless of scale, regardless of number or type of engines. This led to the second big change from the shows which we are used to. The way the kits were judged was very foreign. Instead of a “first, second, third” setup, each model was judged against a standard. In theory, out of 100 models on the table, there could be 100 gold medal models, or there could be only 5 that met that standard. There were three criteria that were used, Construction Quality for 50 points, Finish Quality for another 50, and finally, Overall Presentation & Scope of Work for 20 points. 100-120 points was good for a “Gold,” 80-99 points would earn a “Silver,” and 79 or below was going to get you a “Bronze.” Each model received a grade card of what the judges liked and what could be improved on. A big issue at most contests is not knowing where the flaws on your model are, as well as not getting any encouraging feedback on what you did right. In theory, the style of judging at this event would really help with both of those issues. The reality was that, as in almost all judged events, different judges will have different opinions as to what a “perfect” model is. With approximately 500 models on the tables, the judges had to move quickly, perhaps some of the work was not looked at as carefully as other pieces. Our biggest takeaway was that the “make or break score” was in the “Overall Presentation” segment. All of us scored well in the Construction and Finish Quality segments, but we were heavily dinged on those last 20 points. I was the only one who had put a base under a couple of my models rather than simply setting them on the tables. This put two of my models over the top and into the “gold medal” class. That was a lesson learned, next year, I think all of the models that we take will have figures, bases, photos, and a lengthy write up of the work that we did to improve the kits.

After a lovely lunch in Downtown New Braunfels, we returned to the show. Some more time was spent searching for great deals on kits in the vendor room, and plenty of time was spent cruising thru the model room. I spent a fair bit of time talking to some of the folks in there, trying to find out “who built this one?!!” I tracked down a number of people whose work amazed me, it was really nice to trade secrets of “how did you do that?” It was fun to meet “The Ace Of Spades,” a builder who I follow on Facebook who lives in the Dallas area. I also managed to track down a guy who built a 1/48th MPM He 177A-5, a notoriously mediocre kit that I am planning on attacking this year. Jim met up with several folks that he has known for years (he previously lived in the San Antonio area and even owned a model shop there.) This all reinforced one of the beautiful things about our hobby, we are a bunch of like minded individuals who enjoy debating the differences between RLM 74 and 75, why the Sherman was a better tank than the Tiger, or who would win between a F-35 and whatever pile of junk the Commies are trying to put in the air….

Jim, Brian and I stayed for the awards ceremony. We were a little surprised that a guy that used to shop at Jim’s store did not win Best of Show, this guy does 100% scratch built 1/14thish motorcycles and figures that were out of this world good. We re-cooped back at the AirB&B, then went out for a lite dinner, and of course, another margarita! Brian and I stayed up chatting and coming up with a plan to end all the world’s problems til close to midnight, then headed off for a good night’s slumber. An uneventful drive back to Albuquerque capped off a fun little weekend adventure.