The Show

The show itself was a feast for the eyes and inspiration for the AVF modeler's soul. The U.S. subjects made up a healthy portion of the 547 entries from nearly 200 modelers—an AMPS record.

You may be familiar with the saying, "Judge not, lest ye be judged." However, since I brought three dioramas and a figure for scrutiny, I figured I should learn how to be a judge and do a two-hour shift behind the black curtain. I sat in on the table captains' training on Thursday night, and attended the judges' training session Friday morning. With two hours of formal education and a good amount of time reviewing the rules, I knew I'd be looking at my work more critically long after examining the work of my peers.

Under the AMPS system, you compete against a criteria of quality indicators, rather than against your fellow modelers, as is done at most IPMS contests. This helps make judging more objective and less prone being tossed to the fate of whoever else shows up.

The models are brought from the registration area to one of several tables, each containing four judges. The teams take 8-10 minutes examining and discussing the models and evaluating their construction, finishing, detailing, and difficulty. An extra half point can be gained by demonstrating research on the project. The system rewards hard work and strives to help modelers improve their work, so emphasis is placed on including judges' comments on the review sheets that are returned to the modeler after the awards session. If you don't go home with a medal, at least you should leave with a better idea of what you are doing right and what you can improve upon.

Here is my photo album of many of the fine U.S. WWII AFVs, including a few 1/72 entries, on the display tables. The categories below are mine, not AMPS designations.

Dioramas and Vignettes

Wheeled Vehicles

Artillery

Tracked Vehicles

As great as it was to see all of these models and dioramas, it was equally enjoyable to meet many modelers I've conversed with via the Internet and whose work I've admired from afar. I look forward to many more such gatherings.