2024 AMPS Nationals: Quality Experience

I road-tripped to the 2024 Armor Modeling and Preservation Society international show in South Bend, Indiana on 11-13 April with Tim Holland, ‘El Presidente’ of the Southern Maryland Model Club and co-host of The Model Geeks Podcast, who graciously drove each way.

I met Tim outside of Washington DC really early in the morning and we drove like the wind across five states to arrive at dinner time on Thursday. We talked enjoyably about models and related world problems for the nine or so hour drive.

Tim and I saw a lot of great models, bought a lot of modeling stuff that we probably didn’t need, and best of all, met a lot of other great modelers. John Charvat, show chair and senior AMPS dude, made a point of greeting me and welcoming me to the show—and it turns out we had real-life armor history in common. I had the good fortune of meeting and getting to know Rob Booth and Stan Spooner over dinner both nights we were there. As it happens, Rob and Stan each won awards for their excellent models (although I don’t know for which ones precisely, as Tim and I departed before the Saturday awards). Got to meet and chat with many other modelers; would that I could remember all who I met.

I also met up with a few of the modeling podcasters: Rob Riviezzo and Justin Ryan of the Modeling Insanity Podcast; John Bonanni and TJ Haller of the Plastic Posse Podcast; and Mike Baskette and Dave Knights of Plastic Model Mojo. Mike and Kentucky Dave hosted a late night celebration of modeling fluid that did not result in law enforcement intervention.

The vendor area was somewhat smaller than I had expected, but densely packed with high-quality vendors.

AMPS competitions, for those not in the know, use a Gold-Silver-Bronze system, with the addition of Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Master skill or experience tiers. The judging was particularly noteworthy for its deliberation and care, with extensive feedback provided to modelers contestants. The process is intended to advance modelers’ skills for progression through the skill levels—a learning and growth experience rather than bare-knuckled competition.

And AMPS style competition brings out excellent modeling! Predictably, the entries skewed overwhelmingly to 1/35 WW2 subjects, with only a smattering of other scales and non-WW2 subjects. Nonetheless, the quality was uniformily high.

Tim and I weren’t able to stay through to the end of the show for the competition results, so we couldn’t see the builders’ names for attribution. Some highlights of the noteworthy entries:

An outstanding 1/35 diorama depicting the Israeli advance across the Suez Canal during the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

One of a few modern 1/35 Chinese PLA subjects, an SP howitzer with well-rendered digital camouflage

An excellent 1/72 diorama depicting newsreel filming of French light tanks early in WW2

Jeff Nelson’s stunning 1/72 diorama of an early M1 Abrams on the Canadian Army Trophy range in 1985. Remarkable color and textures on the base, and an outstanding re-work of Hasegawa’s 80s-vintage M1.

Another view of Jeff Nelson’s 1/72 Canadian Trophy Abrams, with the Garfield cartoon cat graphic visible on the front right turret. Could practically smell the cordite and turbine exhaust!

A rare WW1 diorama in 1/35 with some next-level relief and texture on the base terrain.

1/35 Weasel complemented by excellent vegetation and terrain work

1/35 WW2 German armor that grabbed me (doesn’t happen often) because of SdKfz 234/1 subject, plus great painting, weathering, and basing.

A 1/48 Humber, another favorite WW2 subject.

A woulda-coulda-shoulda tank I can get behind, a 1/35 REFORGER MERDC-schemed M247 Sgt. York, which I happen to know is the work of John Bonanni. What a Sgt. York would likely have looked like if it had been put into service in West Germany in the mid 80s.

I didn’t compete, but I did display…

This post was edited on 18 April to attribute the work of Jeff Nelson, and to correct facts about his M1 Abrams Canadian Trophy vignette.