Have you seen a model busted at a show?

[Lownslow]

few bits here and there usually from builders getting their cars out of the back row had a wing knocked off my civic the same way. when my stuff is in the back row ill wait for the front row to clear or lift the car to shoulder height and make surei cleared the table

[Steve Keck]

I heard about this at the 2004 IPMS NATS in Phoenix:

At a previous NATS an armor modeler had intentionally built a tank he knew would not be competitive yet entered it anyway. At the NATS the model room is closed during the awards presentation and is then opened for only a short time so there is a crush of people in the room all at once packing their models.

Said competitor arrived at his model and while picking it up announced to the entire room in his loudest voice "IF THE JUDGES DON'T THINK THIS IS WORTHY THEN I DON'T WANT IT ANYMORE!" And slammed it against a wall!

I attended the same 2004 NATS with a good friend who learned his grandmother had passed away unexpectedly and he had to leave on the next plane. He asked me to take charge of his models (1/24th scale cars) and to pack them in his clear display cases. When he handed me the empty cases stacked on each other the top one fell onto the concrete floor. Could have heard a whisper across the 90,000 square foot room. And I'll never forget the look in his eyes of zero confidence in my ability to safe guard his models!

[Jairus]

One year a long time ago Gregg and I were at GSL taking pictures of the entries. The doors were closed and the judges were at one of the tables mumbling over some of the entries. No one else was present.

I was running models from table to camera and back again while Gregg snapped the shots. Sometimes he would carry the cars to and from just to stretch his legs.

It was quiet and boring until G. pulled out a model car from his camera bag. He said to just sit down and watch....

He walked to one of the tables close to the judges and promptly... dropped it!

The sound was unmistakable and you could have heard a pin drop after that as all the judges and Mark Gustavson turned to look. Gregg muttered a four letter word under his breath and stepped forward to pick up the poor little car and with his other foot managed to kick the darned thing another 6 feet spewing parts left and right.

Of course the judges were completely horrified... until G. and I could no longer contain ourselves and burst out laughing. Eventually we had to tell them that it was all a set up... but man that was funny, the look on their faces when he kicked the car across the floor, priceless. *sigh*

They almost didn't let us in the room the next year...

[Guest Johnny]

My biggest fear at a show is that someone would walk off with a model, or that an unattended kid would be found on the floor with one of my models trying to make the wheels move. LOL! If I take a model to a show, I don't put the responsibility of looking out for the model on anyone else. I sit near it and answer questions about it, but keeping my eye on it as long as I can . . . luckily, nothings ever happened to any of my work.

You have to respect others' property in order to get that respect back.

I have had the first done to me. But they left the trophy for me! There were several other stolen also that day!

I saw the second at a show a WalMart had. Two little boys had about 5 models on the floor playing with them before anyone noticed!!!

As far as breaking a model. I saw a judge pick one up (a highly detailed pro stock) and turn it over dumping the hood off hitting the table them the floor breaking the scoop off. Then when he turned it back over to set it down everything fell out of the body onto another persons model tearing everything up!

I had to wonder why this guy was judging a model contest seeing he hadn't a clue on how to handle one!

[Terry Sumner]

I don't know as I ever been to a show that did NOT have at least one model broken for one reason or another!

[Steven Zimmerman]

I was at a show in eastern Ohio, with a 79 Phantom 2 d00r sedan delivery that I entered in custom class. Didn't pay much attention till I went to put it away, someone had picked it up and set it down hard enough to move the frame .050 into the body so that the hood would not shut. Asking the judges why this model didn't place, after taking first place all summer long, he said....Disqualified because your hood didn't fit! Never saw a model stolen, but at the IPMS regionals in Pittsburgh, some low life scum bag stole the first place trophy in the 'youth' division (sponsor club made it right)....'Z'

[1320wayne]

Besides the incident of mine that I described above, I have seen other models that have suffered some sort of damage at different shows over the years. All accidents and all were explained to the builders with apologies. All except one! A couple of years ago, in a show here in Florida, a fellow modeler and friend had one of his models where a front wheel was broken off from one of his builds, apparently after hours during the judging, as this was another two day show. When we left on Saturday afternoon, before the judging, all was o.k. with his build. When we returned the next morning he eventually noticed that the wheel had been broken off and someone glued it back on with a hot glue gun, making a mess all over the underside of the model. No explanation was given from anyone running the show, even after being presented with the issue. They simply claimed that they knew nothing about what had happened. A discouraging incident to say the least and a prime reason why a number of area modelers no longer attend this show.

[Junkman]

I only ever exhibited at one show and that was in 1987 in the factory canteen of BMW in Munich. I had a 1:24 Heller Citroen 15/6 with me. It was black, a notoriously tough colour to get right, at least for me. It was painted with a special PU paint for motorcycle helmets, then clear-coated with PU clear. It gleamed like a grand piano. I had also replaced the kit 'glass' with acetate (which is not too difficult because the windows of a 15/6 are completely plane) but the effect was so good that it got noticed by quite a few people at the show. I had also glued tiny yellow beads into the headlamp pods to simulate the typical French yellow headlight bulbs. The entire interior was covered in grey velvet. I was very, very proud of it.

It was knocked off the table accidently and landed on the floor. It completely disintegrated. On these, the front wings are glued to the body before painting the entire assembly as a unit. Needless to say that the wings broke off and left severe paint and glue marks where they were attached. Same with the spare wheel cover on the boot-lid.

I wasn't too upset, since those kits were still plentiful and cheap back then. I was actually less upset than the chap knocking it off the table by accident, who was downright devastated. He wanted to pay for the damage somehow, so we both had a schnapps and a cigar at the bar (smoking was still allowed and alcoholic beverages were still available in the BMW canteen back then) based on my suggestion how to compensate for it.

I built quite a few of those 15/6es since then, I think six or seven. But I still have this wreck and maybe, yes, maybe, there will be the day when I strip the paint off and start it all over.

Edited September 13, 2011 by Junkman

[Scale-Master]

Having judged model contests for a few decades I have seen more than a few “incidents”.

During one IPMS Nats, a judge was inspecting a 1/43 white metal F1 model set on a wooden base. The tires had become stuck to the base, but it was not mounted to the base. After holding it sideways for long enough the tires let loose, and the car fell a couple feet with a magnificent THUD onto the table. Instantly the room was silent, so much that we all could here the tinkling of the smaller parts landing who knows where.

It was totaled. The builder was given a higher place award to compensate his loss. I’m not sure that was fair to the model that was bumped due to the judge’s error. The builder took the destruction with class.

I had an entry at a GSL get its side rear view mirror knocked off during judging time and it tore a chunk of the clear coat with it. I was told a magazine photographer did it, yet the magazine guys said they did not photograph it. I still think it was a judging gaffe.

At a local car show an ignorant woman looking at the models picked one up like a five year old would, and waved it at the guys behind the table asking “how much is this die-cast?” I told her to please carefully put it down as they were not die-casts but models built by people and it was a contest. She tossed it back on the table and said “it’s not worth it” whatever that meant. Thankfully it was a SnapFast Plus and did not hit anything or get damaged even though it bounced. Ironically it was mine too. We now have railings set up to keep the less informed away from harms reach of the models…

[jbwelda]

>The builder was given a higher place award to compensate his loss.

now THAT was totally bogus! Completely throws any meaning to an award right out the window. I can hardly believe IPMS would put up with this as rigid as they seem about rules and stuff.

just sayin...

[Scale-Master]

>The builder was given a higher place award to compensate his loss.

now THAT was totally bogus! Completely throws any meaning to an award right out the window. I can hardly believe IPMS would put up with this as rigid as they seem about rules and stuff.

just sayin...

I've seen much worse than that...

[my80malibu]

I have not seen a model busted at a show yet. But I did see someone try to walkoff with a model at a show, and He Almost got his Jaw busted!

[charlie8575]

On another show I've seen the rotor of a magnificent 1:32 helicopter being ripped off by a 3-4 year old kid, while his mom didn't seem to give a snap... A great way to raise your kid - destroy what isn't yours and don't even worry 'bout it... The owner of the 'copter wasn't there so I stepped up to her (I was watching from about a meter away and my "Don't...!!!" was a second too late) and asked her what was she about to do now... She looked me in the most careless way and said:"Nothing. It's a toy anyway...". Before she finished I added:"Mam, that "toy" costs over a 100 bucks (euros), the modeller worked on it for over a year for a few hours a day and he spent A LOT of nerves building it. I think you owe him atleast an appology...". She was shocked by the numbers and she turned white... Her respone was:"F*** that, I'm not doing it...". I picked up my DSLR, took a shot of her and said:"Ok, my friend wil be able to find you by this picture..." and smiled. Gues what... Yeees, she was apologizing to the dude in about 37 seconds...

Come to MassCar next year, we could use a guy like you!

At MassCar, there's usually one or two little flubs, but we, as a club, try to make good on it in some way. Last year, there was no damage, which was good.

The bigger problem we have is pilferage from the vendor area and the occasional model "going home" with someone other than its owner. Those actions are something I find inexcusable, and believe me, if we catch you, it won't be pretty. It usually involves a lecturing from the officers, judging team, and a personal tour of the Taunton Police Department.

Charlie Larkin