60 Days Until the AMPS 2009 International Convention!

Modeling Subjects Armor
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That’s right, only 60 days until the show as of February 15. This is a reminder to everyone to plan on attending the 2009 AMPS International Show (April 17-18) in Havre De Grace, MD. Head on over to the AMPS website show registration page (AMPS - The Armor Modeling and Preservation Society Registration) and pre-register. Pre-registration (and/or volunteering to be a judge) will allow you enter your models on Thursday night. On Friday and Saturday there will be a special line for pre-registrants to receive their admission badge, after which you can walk right to the pass-through table and hand off your model. No waiting in line is required.

Remember, you only have until March 15 to pre-register.

All current members of AMPS will receive a discount on the price for entry into the show. If your membership is about to expire, please renew your membership. If you haven’t yet joined AMPS, what better time than now to take advantage of the reduced entry price to the show as well discounts from participating vendors as well as receiving Boresight 6 times per year.

This year’s show is lining up with many great speakers and vendors. In addition, Aberdeen proving grounds is nearby to satisfy all you tank viewing/research pleasure.

The speakers already confirmed are:

Tom Jentz, Current WW2 German AFV research

Steve Zaloga, Advanced Modelling Techniques

Jeff Herne, Armor finishing and weathering

Jeff Herne, Airbrush Demo

Jim Mesko, US Armor in Vietnam

Taesung Harmms, figure sculpting

Nick Cortese, Scratch building and super detailing

Mike Mummey, USMC Armor

John Irwin, WW2 US 3rd AD tank gunner, author “Another River Another Town”

This years vendors are:

AirConnection

Alpine Miniatures

Archer Fine Transfers

Armand Bayardi - Model Maker

Armor Plate Press

Armoured Brigade Models

Arsenal

Baseline Models

Chesapeake Model Designs

David Doyle

Easy1 Productions

Fire House Hobbies

Formations

Grex Airbrush

Harder & Steenbeck Airbrush

Horner’s Hobbies

Jim’s Hobbies

M&Models

MAFVA - Miniature AFV Association

The Marx-Man

Military History Shop

MMD/Squadron

New World Miniatures

Olde Depot Hobbies

Panzer Tracts

PanzerWrecks

PSP

S&J Hobbies

Tank Workshop

Tankvideo.com

Thachweave Products

Tiger Model Designs

Tiger Productions Diorama Products

Warpigs

If you have any questions contact Sean Lynch (lynch.sean35@gmail.com) or John Charvat (j_charvat@cox.net)

I look forward to seeing everyone there,

Sean

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Sean - Already registered and the lineup looks great

Is anyone else from FSM forum planning on going???

Rounds Complete!!

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Some additions to Sean’s List

I tell you guys: it’s a lot of fun coordinating the speakers’ list for the AMPS Convention because you really get to tap the cream of the crop as far as speakers go. Here’s our latest additions – not too shabby!

  1. Tom Jentz, Current WW2 German AFV research
  2. Steve Zaloga, Advanced Modelling Techniques
  3. Jeff Herne, Armor finishing and weathering
  4. Jeff Herne, Airbrush demo
  5. Jim Mesko, US Armor in Vietnam
  6. Taesung Harmms, figure sculpting
  7. Nick Cortese, Scratchbuilding and super detailing
  8. Mike Mummey, USMC Armor
  9. John Irwin, WW2 US 3AD tank vet, author “Another River Another Town”
  10. John Steinman, model photography
  11. Gerry Chester, WW2 British Churchill Vet, North Irish Horse
  12. Ron Volstad, “Getting It Right” Correct color uniforms, gear and stowage
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I am going to AMPS Atlanta this weekend…but, can’t find the cost of the AMPS entry fee or any downloadable registration or entry forms (only for the figure show are these seemingly available?)…HELP !!!

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Their announcement has this as a contact person

Mike Reaves semperfi03732@msn.com

There won’t be any downloadable forms because the show will be using a three-part judging form.

Have fun down there MR. It looks to be a great show.

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I am planning on going to this one. If I can get it finished, I might just enter my Saving Private Ryan Dio… but more than likely I will chicken out on that one. I’ve never entered a competition before.

So how does it work with meeting people at these events? Do people generally wear name tags?

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They issued name tags to everyone in Atlanta.

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The AMPS conventions are really a gathering place for lots of guys/gals you may have met on the various AFV modelling sites. I’m a frequent contributor on all the major sites and happen to be one of the club officers. (Being a loud & jovial chinese guys helps me stand out too!)

Seeing guys face to face with whom you’ve corresponded, traded kits, rec’d great advice from, read their books (ala Zaloga, Jentz), etc. is part of the fun of the AMPS shows. If you look at the speakers’ list, you’ll get an idea of some of the AFV Modelling “celebs” that show up.

Also, the guys from FSM have always been a great support and we love having them at our shows. They’ll have their photo booth set up, I’m sure. You can get a chance to rap with them as well.

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I would go just to see these two guys…Volstad is an Icon in my eyes…he was doing plates for the Squadron “In Action” series when I was still crappin’ myself…did Osprey plates for a long time and now does Dragon box-art. Harmms is the genius behind the Alpine Miniatures series of awesome figgies…

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I heard Ron back in 2002 AMPS or something. I recall his ability to give a great talk. To me, he’s made a lot of money for DML – the attractiveness of his box art really enhances the kits’ overall marketability to me.

Taesung is a super-nice guy. He was a “normal” modeller like the rest of us. I recall his appearance with the Alpine line and was just blown away. He told me he was asked to do a similar seminar in Japan when he was out there for business. I know nothing about sculpting figs – this one should be very interesting.

But my favorites are the veterans: both John Irwin and Gerry Chester. It’s not as if this type of resource will be with us forever. Irwin wrote the book “Another River Another Town” about his few months as a gunner with the 3AD in the Battle for Germany. He’s in an M4A3 at first. After it gets brewed up, his crew is assigned the famous T26E3 “Super Pershing” (see my avatar!) and he gets some action while handling that gun. In his memoir, Irwin has a great sense of technical detail (the stuff that’s important to model geeks like us). A retired professor, John has spoken to graduating tank crews at Ft Knox.

Gerry is wonderful as well. His memoirs are located here. Gerry fought in N Africa and later in Italy in several marks of the Churchill tank. Tanks in his unit were the first to kill Tiger I tanks in action. Gerry has a great memory for details and facts and has been a great help to UK researchers due to his own dilligence at accumulating tank data. He gave a great talk at our show last year at Auburn.