Hi,
Just wondering...is anyone else was planning on going to the IPMS show in Columbus Ohio this weekend?
For anuone interested, here's a link to their website...
Columbus
Hope to see you there.
Craig

Some guys from my local club (Louisville) are attending, but I will not be there.

Craig, you bet I'm going!

For anyone who lives near Columbus, it's a great show. I went last year, and there were a bunch of REALLY good entries. And I hear this year they will have even more vendors than they did last year!

Steve



Off-topic plug:

(plus while in Columbus you can buy Ohio State gear, since they are gonna win the Nat'l Championship at the Rose next year!)

I will be there. It will my first show that I ever attended and the first time I have shown a model. I plan on bringing my USMC OIF diorama. It will include both of the M1's here, an M1046 Humvee and some figs. Any suggestions on what to expect or what I may need would be great.





Thanks in advance

PS Go Bucks. 2002 Undisputed National Champions.

Hello Ryan,
Sorry that I didn't see your post until today or I would have responded sooner.
Now that the show is over, I'm betting that you may have a few more questions about model shows.
I'll start by saying that Saturdays show is not representative of most shows. Ypu may have noticed that the big talk of the day was about just how dark the venue was. I've been to a lot of shows and none was ever that dark. I'd be curious to hear from anyone affiliated with the club that could explain why they selected that site.
Otherwise, if you have other questions about the show, feel free to either post them here or PM me anytime. I'd be happy to answer them if I can.
Craig

While I have no information on this show, I know my former club in Massachusetts ran afoul of the new person running the hall and they do not want the club hosting a show there.

So the venue has to change after years at the same place, prices go up, good places hard to find. Sometimes you have to take what you can get.

Hi Rob,
My club has gone through the same problems with having to change venues over the years. Cost is usually the culprit but we also offended the hall owners at least once. Seems we covered up their bingo sign with our sign. Big no-no to that!
I'm not trying to pick on the club but a 3 hour ride to a show where you can't really see the models is pretty disappointing.
Craig

Hello Craig,

It was fun. I won first place for my Humvee USMC M1046 TOW in the adult wheeled militray cat, and a second place for my USMC M1A1 in post 1945 armored vehicle, the sand one above.

It was VERY dark, in the vendor area I sometimes had to hold up a product in the light just to read the box. It made it hard to see all the awesome work on display.

But on a positive note, I am saving my hobby money for shows! SO MUCH STUFF! It was awesome.

Are these shows always so busy? It seemed a much larger venue would be better, it was hard to take the time to look at something, always getting shuffled along by the crowd. I mean, a larger venue could be afforded if they charged the listed prices for entry and admitance to the contest. My wife wasnt charged, nor was the mother-in-law. This was nice, but, nicer facilities would be worth it.

Overall, it was a neat experience, I almost didn't bring the 2 models that won! I am disapointed in the fact that the one that I spent the most time on, the most accurate didnt win. :-) Oh well. I only wish there was some way to get feedback. My only guess is that I didnt display the camo tank from above with the crew. That allowed the judges to see inside and the lack of any interior. You could actually see the penny rolls I use to weight it down.

Lots of airplanes there.

The masters catagory has some real talent, gives me something to shoot for with my next project.

Did you enter anything in the contest?

Ryan

I can't coment on the Columbus show except to congragulate Ryan on his winnings and add to the "Go Bucks" thing!
However, the poorly lighted IPMS show seems to be fairly common. I attended the Silicon Valley Modelers IPMS "Kick Off Classic" Show in Milpitas CA. several weeks back and the lighting made the hall look like a Italian resturant at about 7:00pm (ambiance perfect for a romantic dinner...not a model show!) Anyway, it is pretty funny cause all the folks who were club members or had been there before showed up with small, powerful flashlights. Fortunately only those of us who entered had to pay anything...the general public's entry was free. Aside from that the show was very well attended and run. From what I saw of the models (no little flash light and ageing eyeballs) the entries were superb!
Rant off,
C.

Hi Ryan,
Congratulations on doing so well. Especially for your first show. Looking at the pictures you attached of your models, I'm not too surprised.
For a local, one day event like this one is, it's always been a very busy show. I heard over 500 entries and I believe that's down from past years. Most of the shows I've been to like this one are much smaller.
This venue is a good bit bigger that their usual location was. The vendor room at the old place was lucky if it was half as big. That was always a very tight squeeze to get aroune in.
Feedback from the judges is usually a difficult thing to get at a show. Sometimes you can track down one of the people responsible for your catagory but the chances of them remembering specifics about your model can be pretty slim. A better way to learn is to volunteer to help judge at a show. Make sure to let them know that you're a novice to judging though. When you hear the judges discussing the different points they look at on models you'll begin to realize what you need to spend more time concentrating on with your own models.
Posting pictures of your work in progress on sites like this is also a great way to improve.
One thing I always did was to try at least one new technique on each model. Pretty soon the new trick you first tried five models ago will become one that you can do with ease.
But I'll tell you, looking at the pictures you posted here, it looks like you've got lots of talent.
As for me, I did enter 4 figures in the "master" catagory. I mostly do figures now but when I decided to get serious about my modeling it was armor all the way.

Too bad I didn't see your first post here before I went to the show. We could have arranged to meet up and say hello. Maybe another time.

Take it easy.
Craig

Hello Fellow Buckeyes! And modelers! ; )

I attended the Columbus show as well, and was impressed because this venue was better than last years - ALOT more room. Hopeflluy next year, they will find more lights.

I also took a 1st and 2nd in the Adult small figure category! (photos to post soon) I was really thrilled (eventhough there were only 6 entries in the category)

Mongo...I think I saw you there (that is if your car says "Mongo" on it) If it was, my girlfriend loves the kind of car you have!
What did you enter?? Do you have pics of them?

Thanks!!

- Steve

Calling all Buckeyes, calling all Buckeyes........I am traveling to Marysville to tour the Honda plants for work on Feb 24-26. Will be staying in Dublin. Are there any "don't miss" hobby shops in the area? If I can convince the guys with me, I'd like to do some shopping in Ohio.

Patrick

Patrick,

I happen to have the buisness card of my fav. hobby shop in Columbus!

Hobbyland at Graceland shopping center:

206 Graceland Blvd. (614) 888-7500

(It's off of N. High Street between Henderson and 161)

map - www.hobbylandstores.com

Have a great trip to Central Ohio!

P.S. - if you are not familiar with Ohio, in the past week, we have had rain, sleet, snow and a 65 degree day in the middle of it. So, pack for all of the above!

Hi Steve,
Sorry but not my car. Although I wouldn't mind having a "Mongo" plate for mine :-) .
Here are some pics of the figures I took to the show...
These first 3 were all in the same catagory.

This is a Roman cavalry trooper that took a 1st...


This is a Verlinden kamikaze bust that took 2nd...


This is a WWII German SS trooper that didn't place...


And this is a United Empire Miniatures bust of Vlad (Dracula) from the Coppula movie. It took 2nd in its catagory...


The Roman and the German are from a new company based in Ohio called Think One Eighty Studios. The owner/sculptor (Jeff holycow) hangs out on this site.
He contacted me through the site and asked me to paint these for his boxart. The German is now available and the Roman should be soon. Here's a link to his site...
Think 180

I'm looking forward to seeing the pictures of your figs soon Steve.
Take it easy,
Craig

I second Steve-O for going to the Graceland Hobbyland. That place rocks! Lots of good armor aftermarket stuff, knowledgable staff and good supply of kits. Stay away from the Sawmill road location, more of a general model store.

Enjoy your visit to Columbus.

Ryan

Thanks guys, I will try to get by there if possible.

Patrick