There's a local state fair around here called the Puyallup State Fair, or the Puyallup for short. Amongst the normal state fair fodder of cow, goat, sheep, and other livestock competitions are some handicraft competitions, including models, both static and operating...
So, I headed down there this weekend with my Little Brother to enter some models. The main draw for this entry was that you could win money - nominally $5 for a 1st place finish, but up to $100 for a Grand Master award. There are downsides, though...
As I said, I dropped off my models (four of them, to be exact) this weekend. I won't be able to retrieve them until the end of September when the Fair closes. In the meantime, one of three judges (or possibly three of three, plus a helper or two) will not only be judging the models via criteria unknown to me, they will be handling, moving, and most likely breaking my model. Contrast this with the IPMS Seattle contests, which occur in a single day, and where models are handled only by the modeler, with the rare exception when tables have to be split and the modeler cannot be found. However, in that case, we're all modeler's, and know how to handle, move, and carefully reposition models without damaging them.
Which models did I enter? A vinyl figure of Mr. Spock (tough to break, although the hands are a bit fragile); a customized Sea Vixen (nose gear a bit fragile), a '57 Chevy (break it - I don't care), and my Mi-8 Hip H helicopter (which I expect to come back missing pieces).
I also found out this weekend that I'm not the first IPMS'er to enter - a friend has entered for years, and always wound up with broken models, missing parts, and never a Grand Master prize. We'll see what happens to me this year...
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