Well, it has finally wrapped up and I am completely exhausted. I was helping the judges until 3:30 AM the night of the judging, got up early and helped with a ton of other stuff until finally relaxing at the banquet and then packing up to go home.
I also personally won six Out-Of-Box awards which totally stunned me. I went in believing that I was NOT going to win anything, or even place, since I felt like a Jr. High School football player trotting onto the field to play with Pro-Football players in the Super Bowl. I am ecstatic. I thought that the only thing I was going to be leaving with besides my models was the bragging rights for having set a record for Most Models Entered by One Person at a Nationals.
One sad note however, someone decided that he just HAD to have three of my aircraft and stole them right out of my box as I was packing the rest of my entries.
These are those models that were stolen:
The Beechcraft Bonanza was one I’d built for my brother who was a pilot and dreamed of buying a real one someday. He died before he could realize that dream and so I have —or rather HAD—that model as a reminder of him.
I cannot replace those planes because they are not made anymore and there is no chance of them being re-issued in 1/72 scale.
So to the person who took them, if you are reading this, enjoy them as much as you can, knowing that you did NOT build them or finish them. Just know that you took away a collection of planes that were the product of another builder’s efforts and that these planes meant more to the builder than to you. Every time you look at them or show them off, you’ll know that deep down that you took some part of another modeler’s life when you took those planes.
I may get this Thread locked and/or deleted, but it does have to be said. I could ask for them back no questions ask, but if this person was so unthinking of others, then they won’t ever give them back.
All in all however, I had a fantastic time at the Nationals this year and I hope to make it to the Columbus Nats in 2009.
Congratulations on the six awards, buddy! And my condolences on the three stolen aircraft. I can’t fathom why someone would want to steal another modelers finished kits. I am a firm believer in Karma, and hope that the negativity they have created will stay and visit with them for a long time.
Thanks Bill! I am still pretty ripped about it too. There’s just no excuse.
Still, in the plus side, I did the ssix OOB awards, something that was completely unexpected! That really made my Nationals one of the top experiences I ever had!
Duke, congrats on your awards!! That’s awesome!![#toast] Sorry to hear about your loss though, it sucks that someone would do that! Lets hope that someone realizes their mistake and trys to return them to you.
I was at the Nationals for three days and I never saw you, but I’ll be honest; I was so overwhelmed by the whole thing that I kept getting distracted and I’m not even sure what you look like or where you were the whole time! Sorry we didn’t meet.
Again congratulations on your well deserved 6 awards and keep it up for the next show!!
Sorry to hear about the three planes getting taken, Mark…I can’t imagine what motivates people to steal models.
It was a pleasure to meet you there, as well as the other FSM’ers who came by the HobbyLink Japan booth! We had a very successful show.
I also had the opportunity to meet Paul Boyer and Aaron Skinner from FSM, which was a pleasure. I don’t think Matt Usher came by, so I didn’t get to meet him…maybe next time!
I was very impressed with the high-caliber modeling on display in the contest room! I didn’t have nearly the time I needed to see everything up close and personal, but I saw enough to know that modeling is alive and well in the good ol’ US of A!
congratulations on the awards, I understand my fig was closely looked over but didnt make the final cut,I’m happy with all the folks who took time to photograph her. I am thoroughly disgusted by someone who steals anohter’s model. I have unfortunately seen this happen before in Central California at the Strawberry Festival contest and there is no excuse.
What I wonder about is, I was told to hold my registration sheet since that was the only way I could get my model out, and in fact the chairman checked me as I left. Somewhere this process broke down and someone got through.
From the photos, these looked like fine models and a wonderful testement to your brother’s memory.
Thank you all for your sentiments about my lost models. It still hurts, but I am looking for ways to possibly replace them so they can be rebuilt.
Ernest, I’m sorry I missed you too. I was trying to catch up witrh everyone that I wanted to meet. I was usuallu wearing either an IPMS novelty T-shirt (Why, yes, I have done some modeling) or my LEM (League of Extraordinary Modeler) T-shirt. I was also wearing my LEM hat the whole time too.
Brian, it was an honor and a privilege to have met you too. I thoroughly enjoyed the time we sepnt chatting and I do hope to see you again. Thanks for making this Nats something special for me. And yes, modeling is alive and well here. My club alone boasts 73 members, of whom 56+ are actively involved.
Matt, it was also a pleasure to meet you as well. I’m the one with the Nationals record. I doin’t recall whether I was able to show you all of them. I pointed them all out to so many people that I can’t remember who I showed. Thank you for choosing four of my models to shoot for FSM, I can only hope one or two get published.
David, thank you for the congrats. Yes, your figure was intensely scrutinized, but I don’t know what brought about the decision that resulted. You can be proud that your model stood up to the best and can you yourself can be counted among them. Maybe next Nationals you’ll win; you certainly dseserve to.
Yes, I am pretty upset about the loss of my models. Thank you for the compliment on the lost models too, that is very appreciated. The system we established about checking out the models did work. I believe what happened was that someone came back into the room, saw my models in a box in the model registration area and proceeded to take them out of my box (breaking three other models in the process) and pack them into another box so they wouldn’t be seen.
I will bring this issue up at the next meeting. Taking another person’s works is absolutely uncalled for. I was happy to get to meet a good number of modelers from all over the country and from other countries.
Thank you gamer. I also posted about this on the nationals Forums as “Something that needs to be Addressed”. I don’t know of they’ll deal with it, but at least I have spoken my piece. Thanks for the moral support.
Duke - Sux to hear that. Sorry I missed you also. I was looking, but never seemed to catch you. Terry was a great help to me in dealing with the snafu’s you had. He’s a great guy and we had a good time. He can tell you all about me [:-^]
Brian, good to have met you, even if it was for only a minute. You were working way too hard [zzz]
Had a great chat with the new staff member- Mr. Skinner - Thanks for the healthy debate on the hobby and hope you keep that out look as you learn about the politics in the hobby. [;)]
Scott - We have to get together again, this time brews are mandatory! [#toast]
Duke,
It felt like a kick in the gut reading what some (insert favorite expletive here) did to you. I hope that you get them back, or by some chance you are able to find the kits in nice shiny boxes. Karma has got their number on speed dial. By the way they are very nicely done kits
Drew, I was sorry that I didn’t catch up with you either. I’m glad to hear Terry was able to help. Maybe we’ll hook up at another Nationals!
Dave, thanks buddy. So far, I’ve been told of one kit that is on it’s way to me. Another friend on the LEM has a friend who gave him an Eidai Beechcraft Bonanza that he knew he wasn’t going to build. My LEM friend has already sent it out. Now if I could only get the others, I’d be a happy camper!
I saw those beautiful planes at the convention and am so sorry to hear they were stolen. The theft was even discussed at the most recent meeting of IPMS Craig Hewitt earlier this week.
Honest to Pete, any more these days, people will take anything that isn’t nailed down–and sometimes even stuff that is nailed down!
I just have to say, that story brought a tear to my eye. I cant beleive someone would steal your work. I hate theives, I always wanted to catch one and after punching him in the face quite a few times, try to talk some sense into them, try to explain that to them what they are stealing may be worth doller signs but you can never know what its worth to the real owner. I am truly sorry for your loss, I hope some day you catch up with that SOB, hopefully while he or she is in a crosswalk.
