The Little World

When you are not advertising for profit?

My question precisely as I added my mite to the scale model table at the WASMEX show a week ago. The basic formula for the scale model club I joined was to set out a series of large tables with green cloth covering and place whatever the members  decided to show on it for two days. There was a separate contest table and that was all the fun of the infantry assault on prepared positions.

I’d also been asked to display some of the scale model photography I do and to leave contact cards nearby. While this didn’t come from the executive of the club, it was been a direct request from one of the most senior members. I’m was delighted for the chance to have my pictures seen, so I made up a triangular picture tower to do it. 6 x A3  images for the body of the tower and two more on the top sign panel. One of them was an explanation of what I do and an invitation to bring models to me for illustration or to visit for classes in how to do more realistic tabletop photography.

I don’t charge money for either service, but I am going to trade my expertise and time for 1:72 scale plastic kits that I can then enjoy. Whether a proposition like this is attractive to other modellers remains to be seen but it has already borne fruit when I conducted an airbrushing workshop. It’ll also remain to be seen whether the scale modelling club liked this sort of idea on their table. If they didn’t, I may have to make my own table in future years.

Profits can be a sore point with some people who feel that they are not socially acceptable – not least when they cannot participate in them. For my part I recognise the need for some people to make a return on their hobby to allow them to continue it – even if it is largely a symbolic thing. Few will make a business of it and fewer still a living from that business. The ones that do are not to be envied – they have taken on another level of responsibility and expose themselves to criticism from all sides. And they sometimes lose all pleasure from what was a hobby.

I was interested at the WASMEX event to observe what politicking and infighting may have occurred – particularly where contest judging was involved. I do not know yet where the rivalries were – what factions existed and who was bossing whom. I was pleasant to all, but kept my ears open and notebook handy.

Note: the secondhand market day on Sunday was an entirely different and spicier kettle of fish. My impression of it last year was an equal mixture of rubes and Arfur Daleys. I had no especial needs that could not be met by the regular sellers inside the hall, but I cruised the tables just the same. My own stash of plastic building kits was getting meagre. I was delighted to be able to score a $10 Airfix kit, which you’ll read about in due course. I think a number of people may have had a good morning there – bags and boxes were being bundled into cars all day.

In the future, I may put up a discrete notice to offload some die-cast models at the Super Model Car Sunday, but here again it is a low priority. I would probably be better off Gumtreeing them or just talking swaps with people. Enthusiasts can be rabid chisellers sometimes.