Model Contests... One Guy's Opinion

Boba Fett wrote:

Local ones are really fun... The people are usually nice... I heard at U.S. NAts this year, there was a fistfight.

what, my model's better than yours?

camo junkie wrote:

Boba Fett wrote: Local ones are really fun... The people are usually nice... I heard at U.S. NAts this year, there was a fistfight. what, my model's better than yours?

If it was because of that, then some people really need to learn how to better pick their battles.

camo junkie wrote:

that's funny hans. i havent been to a show yet but i plan on going here in the next couple of weeks to my first one. i may bring something...but im not sure. would like to get a feel for it first!

 Well Camo, there's no sense in going all the way out there, and not bringing a few along. I really don't think all that highly of my builds, but they usually seem to come back with a little something. You may end up quite surprised about how well they may do. Hell, I talked Rob(LancairIV) into going last spring(in Warren), his first show. He brought 2 planes and took Gold, Silver and he took "Best Aircraft". Ya never know, til ya go.

 You're going, and you're being your toys!!!

    FERMIS

Boba Fett wrote:

Local ones are really fun... The people are usually nice... I heard at U.S. NAts this year, there was a fistfight.

Four guys from my club went. In his report back to teh group, one mentioned some less gracious behavior, that was noted by others, as the models were being put on the tables, but nothing of a fistfight. There has been nothing said of this on the IPMS forumn, either. I'd place this squarely in the same class as, "Man, this really happened, 'cuz a cousin's friend's son's girlfriend's little sister was there when it happened." Given the graying of the hobby, this seems less likely as well.

ajlafleche wrote:

Given the graying of the hobby, this seems less likely as well.

It's weird--you see young kids, and then an age gap from like, 13-14 to young 30's. 

There is a bit of "smart politocs" in judging as well; I think there's some of the "spread the wealth around" mentality that goes around to reward people and keep 'em coming back for more. 

Weird thing is, in some categories I've judged, there's been models that didn't deserve trophies at all, IMO. But because they were the only ones entered, they got the "gold". Or you'd have to choose between the less-glaring of the mistakes--like, the 2mm gap between parts, or the huge glue blob on the windshield, lol.

fermis wrote:

camo junkie wrote: that's funny hans. i havent been to a show yet but i plan on going here in the next couple of weeks to my first one. i may bring something...but im not sure. would like to get a feel for it first!  Well Camo, there's no sense in going all the way out there, and not bringing a few along. I really don't think all that highly of my builds, but they usually seem to come back with a little something. You may end up quite surprised about how well they may do. Hell, I talked Rob(LancairIV) into going last spring(in Warren), his first show. He brought 2 planes and took Gold, Silver and he took "Best Aircraft". Ya never know, til ya go.  You're going, and you're being your toys!!!       FERMIS

thanks fermis. i may yet. i belong to that group who put that spring show on and met alot of them who ran it. very nice guys...so far! they loved my figures!!

the doog wrote:

ajlafleche wrote: Given the graying of the hobby, this seems less likely as well. This is true; the crowds are generally not a group of testosterone-saturated young teen males there to pick off the best chicks and burnish their "rep", lol! It's weird--you see young kids, and then an age gap from like, 13-14 to young 30's.  There is a bit of "smart politocs" in judging as well; I think there's some of the "spread the wealth around" mentality that goes around to reward people and keep 'em coming back for more.  Weird thing is, in some categories I've judged, there's been models that didn't deserve trophies at all, IMO. But because they were the only ones entered, they got the "gold". Or you'd have to choose between the less-glaring of the mistakes--like, the 2mm gap between parts, or the huge glue blob on the windshield, lol.

camo junkie wrote:

Boba Fett wrote: Local ones are really fun... The people are usually nice... I heard at U.S. NAts this year, there was a fistfight. what, my model's better than yours?

It wasn't in the main area. It was somewhere in a hallway. Some dude got really ticked about something. I wasn't there, but I was definately told that it happened. Maybe he was wrong... Whatever. Anyway, contests can be really fun! I picked up a $150 kit at a local show/auction for $5. Not bad, eh?

Slightly on the same subject.....where is a good list of upcoming meets/competitions....local and national?

In the Houston area myself.

You can check out the events at http://www.ipmsusa.org/  for one.  This is for IPMS events only.

DD

the doog wrote:

ajlafleche wrote: Given the graying of the hobby, this seems less likely as well. This is true; the crowds are generally not a group of testosterone-saturated young teen males there to pick off the best chicks and burnish their "rep", lol!

I think the testosterone crowd is less likely to put up a fuss than the gray beards. To the younger set, it's just a hobby and they build what they like. It's to the older gents that the hobby has become an obsession.

They're the ones who get upset because their intensely researched build that took months to complete was beaten by some guy who just built the kit in the box without correcting any of the kit errors (although the new guy's construction was flawless).

This old guy is known as the expert online and at his club on the XYZ tank and can't stand to have been beaten by some guy who doesn't know the difference between an Ausf A or D.

the doog wrote:

There is a bit of "smart politocs" in judging as well; I think there's some of the "spread the wealth around" mentality that goes around to reward people and keep 'em coming back for more.  Weird thing is, in some categories I've judged, there's been models that didn't deserve trophies at all, IMO. But because they were the only ones entered, they got the "gold". Or you'd have to choose between the less-glaring of the mistakes--like, the 2mm gap between parts, or the huge glue blob on the windshield, lol.

That's one of the failings of standard 1-2-3 judging I've been railing about for a long time. If you promise three awards in every class/category, you have to give them out, no matter how bad the models are. I've judged car categories where the top three had, in no particular order, a driveshaft that didn't connect the tranny to the rear end (and the modeller raised it above a mirror to make seeinghte underside easier), paint so thick on one side, the passenger door panel was lost (but not on the driver's side) and a two mm gap between the body and the taillighthousing (which the builder defended by saying it represented a primer car.) I've judged other categories where there was one really good model and we spent a great deal of time trying to decide what was least bad to give 2nd and 3rd.

Now, in AMPS/Figure style G-S-B style judging, if a model/modeler isn't up to snuff, it/he/she doesn't get rewarded. Another advantage of figure style judging, if an entrant has several equal models in a class, he/she can be awarded the appropriate award for the display. This differs from a collection in that there does not have to be a specific relation among the models presented.

cj95 wrote:

Slightly on the same subject.....where is a good list of upcoming meets/competitions....local and national?   In the Houston area myself.

You can also look here: http://www.finescale.com/fsm/community/events/

Cheers, Aaron