I recently posted pictures of my high school era models. I noticed that several of them had ribbons/trophies next to them and it reminded me how much I loved the contests. They really had an impact on me. I wasn’t trophy hunting for the sake of collecting, I was working hard to learn and grow and create something that would be recognized. It wasn’t about the ribbon or the plaque, it was about the validation that what I was proud of was something that other people, talented modelers recognized as something “good”. This meant a lot to me.

I still remember the period of time where I didn’t want to win in the Junior category, I wanted to compete (and almost certainly lose) in the main categories. With all the kerfuffle happening with the IPMS and judging and so many grumpy old men saying “it’s just a plastic toy why are you getting so worked up”, I feel like it’s important to reframe the discussion.

Contests for me aren’t about hunting for the trophies. I don’t want to win 1st place when I’m in a split category with only 3 models. I want to win against fierce competition. Or at least lose against against work that challenges me to try again. This isn’t to say that I want to turn my hobby into bloodsport. I’ll still build what I want to build how I want to build it. But when I do good, I’d like to hear from my peers. Whether that’s a challenge coin next to my model, a respected modeler telling me they want to take my model home, or a trophy.

This is why I try to spend as much time as possible with the kids at model shows who enter models. Not to pander to them and smother them with false praise. But to ask them how they built their model, what they love the most about the project, what they’ll do better for next time, what inspiration they’re getting from entries similar to theirs in the adult category.

This is what the guys in the Southern California clubs did for me and it set me on a path to be a life long modeler.