So ive been fortunate enough or my modeling “career” to win a few awards. Ive noticed that they are basically all the same. Medals or plaques. Some are in a fancy case, but all are similar. I would love to see a show that does something different. Engraved shot glass, coffee mug, pins, etc. Im sure cost is a factor, however. Is there a show out there that does something different
“Bases by Bill” which is based in Wisconsin, does some really interesting designs for awards. Check them out here:
They’ve done numerous awards for contests all over Wisconsin, Illinois, and other places.
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It’s definitely a cost factor. The two IPMS chapters that I’ve been part of have changed their awards over the years due to increasing costs of coins/medallions and plaques. Getting different types of awards such as mugs or shot glasses would likely be far more expensive than wooden plaques or medallions/coins.
Receiving awards is always nice but the friendships I’ve made through modeling and if someone comes up and says that they like a build or asks me questions about it means just as much if not more. One thing that I’ve heard about on the various modeling podcasts is the use of “challenge coins” or tokens given out by members of a podcast or a modeling club to say that they liked your build. At the IPMS Nationals this past Summer my Revell Peterbilt never got noticed by the judges but it did have a token by it from the “Michigan Truck Modelers” and that meant a lot to me. Just like when Tim & Aaron from FSM left a slip saying that they wanted to photograph my “Humor in Modeling” build for FSM. It didn’t win any award but I felt good about my modeling.
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Various clubs will set recognition poker chips with their club chapter name next to models. I’ve seen clubs make crafty hand made trophies awarded to models as the club choice award.
The Long Island Historical Miniature Collectors Society, who stage their annual show every November in Freeport, Long Island, New York, give out pen-and-ink illustrations made by their president, Greg DiFranco. Besides being a Grand Master figure painter and the best painter of flats in the world today, he’s a talented illustrator. Those awards are unique.
So no one hands out engraved silver cups like the ones Manfred von Richthofen commissioned for himself when he made a kill?
Maybe find some cheap plastic chalices, spray paint them silver, and slap on a sticker that reads “Fur shooting ze enemy down und all zat stoff.” Oh wait, that was Yosemite Sam from a WW I inspired episode of Bugs Bunny…
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The great and awesome and sorely missed TamiyaCon first place trophy was a greenish granite like pyramid with an engrave placard. I’ll post up a pic later. I also got a special award - The American Soldier Award - at IPMS Phoenix ages ago from Series77 for my 120mm Texas Cavalry figure. It was a wooden container - old pic taken at the contest.
But other than those two, the rest were plaques or ribbons.
Here’s the TamiaCon award
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Plaques, trophies, and medals I have no problem with if a contest wants to hand those types of awards out.
Only thing I don’t like are “paper award certificates”. That to me is just too damn cheap, know what I mean? And if medals are given out, I would prefer it if the neck ribbon was attached to them. I have a few medals at home that don’t even have the neck ribbon.