SPA Modeler

Congratulations. Well deserved.

Yeah that's really something to place on a National level. Great stuff Mark!!!

Congrats Mark, well deserved, well done !
Super!

- Kari

Thank you guys! I appreciate all the commendations from you. These were certainly an unexpected Bonus from that week; something I would never have expected.

As I always say: "I'm locked for Fifth in all my categories!" This time, I moved even higher.

(NOTE: for those unfamiliar with IPMS awards; there is no Fifth place; hence the joke!)

Wow! I just stumbled across this thread and I want to extend me heartfelt congratulations to all you talented prize winning modelers. Man, you guys have some incredible talents and skills!

I have only entered one model contest. Back in 2003, after I had built the only two tanks I have, I took them down to Kings Hobby in Austin just to get some opinions from the staff there. I hadn't had any feedback since none of my friends or family were modelers and I wanted an honest, outsiders's views. They were very nice and told me I should enter them in an upcoming model contest.

Well, on October 24 my wife and I drove down to Austin and delivered them to the contest site at Austin's Camp Mabry. It was held at their military museum and it is a dilly! If you ever get the chance, I urge you to drop by for a visit. I remember at least two huge dioramas, along with lot's of materiel and vehicles. Their armor collection can be seen outside. Jackie and I got a hotel room and a bite to eat and made it back to the museum for the award announcements. Man, there were some amazing model tanks there! Just incredible builds that I could've looked over for hours. The contest was called the AMPS South Central Regional Show. Although it was primarily an armor contest, the Austin Armor Builder's Society also sponsored a "Tank Buster Challenge" open to any anti-tank aircraft. So, I also took along my Hs-129 (Ertl) although I knew it wasn't much of a build. Sure enough, when we returned, my model plane was placed right next to another Hs-129. Unfortunately, that one was built by the estimable Milton Bell of Austin, a really accomplished modeler and it was the Hasegawa version I believe. No, my model plane did not win anything.

But, as the winner's names were being called for each category, I almost fell over when I heard my name. I had won 3rd place in a category! No sooner had I returned to Jackie's side, when I was called again for another 3rd place medal. I was shocked! Talk about beginner's luck! I felt very honored and more than a bit lucky to have placed at all. And now, all these years later, I still haven't built another tank model! But, I do have three or four in the stash and one o' these days I'll tackle another one. After all, there are NO canopies to mask!

1/35 Italeri M-24 Chaffee





1/35 Tamiya. PZKPFW V. Panther Ausf A





I don't know what happened to the red, white and blue ribbons that were attached to the medals. Maybe I gave them to the grandsons?

Congratulations Gary, even though it is so many years late. I'm glad that you placed; those models look amazing. Way to go!

They do look good indeed Gary. Doing well in a contest with that old Tamiya Panther is certainly no small feat. The Italeri Chaffee on the other hand is a beauty of a kit! One of their best!

I completly forgot about this thread.
My Mayflower won third in Sailing


The Akagi got third in ship dioramas

Congratulations! I can't figure how your Akagi placed third, but I assume as usual there's a lot of great stuff to compete with. The Mayflower is cool - is that a wooden kit? They have sparked my interest from time to time.
As far as the IPMS nationals - I don't think folks truly understand how difficult it is to place at that level of expert competition considering the IPMS rules/judging. Best of the best.