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A DYING HOBBY?


Dakimbrell

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And so far; what has been the results of placing magazines around with a business card attached? I have quiet a few I could do the same with; I'd love to know the results of that practice. Thanks guys.

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Noel,

I would suggest that political correctness....at least to a small degree...belongs in this thread.  Keep in mind that it is political correctness that prevents magazines from publishing articles on Civil War dioramas because the diorama in question "glorifies slavery" or displays the Confederate Battle Flag.  Granted, you can go too far with the political correctness argument, so we have to be careful how we approach it.  But it exists and we can't ignore it.

Also, I agree with Dak that when you attend a museum or IPMS Convention Contest Room that contains art, models or noseart that offends you, no one forces you to look at it.  You always have the choice of staying or leaving.  Just because it's there doesn't mean you HAVE to look at it, never mind enjoy it.  Still, when you have a venue where it is known young children of either gender and their parents are going to be attending, then you have a responsibility to consider how certain depictions might effect those children.  Under those conditions, it's a fine line you have to walk because no matter what you do, you are going to offend someone.

Mark,

As for the magazine/business card in doctor's offices, that's been done by a number of people over the years.  Has it gotten any results?  I don't know.  Frankly, there's no way to track results, it there have been any.  Most occupants of medical waiting rooms scan magazines simply to kill time.  Also, the great majority are women.  While we might pick up a member or two over the years, generally speaking it's a method that I would suggest simply doesn't work.  Of course, if you don't need or want the magazine anymore, it sure beats throwing it in the trash!

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We had a couple people come by the club. No string takers, but I have pursued it like I planned....life, you know. 

But the big thing about advertising is persistent. However, the idea is relatively free and easy. 

Dak

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The dictionary defines “Redskin” as currently used as a “contemptuous” term for all Native Americans and First Nations in Canada. That this entire race of people has somehow been reduced to “one small tribe” on this forum is frankly as revealing as it is embarrassing.

It has been said that the definition of a gentleman is ‘someone who never unintentionally offends anyone.’

Nick Filippone

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Nick,

When I described the offended parties as "one small tribe", it is because of two factors.  First, it was publicly reported that one specific small tribe...I don't recall which one, though they could be identified with a brief search...objected to the team's name and secondly, there were also public statements from other tribes that they did not find "Redskins" when used as a football team name to be offensive.  As has been said previously, every person is offended by something.  What matters is how you handle it.

Just for the record, I'm a first generation half Italian, born in Tennessee to a full-blood Italian father who was born in Italy.  I couldn't care less if you call me a Wop because I am first and foremost an American.  That said, let's get back to talking about the IPMS and modelbuilding.

Edited by ipmsusa2
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For those who don't know, the IPMS/USA has changed a lot since its inception.  It got its start when Jim Sage, yours truly, Jay Frank Dial and others who I don't remember were members of the Texas Aviation Historical Society.  All of us were aircraft nuts, as you would expect.  When Jim started the IPMS/USA, the interests of everyone involved was strictly aircraft.  If you stop to think about it, it couldn't have been anything else.  I was writing a kit review column, Jay was working on...or had already published...his United States Camouflage United States book, etc.  Once the IPMS/USA got started, other members began showing an interest in other categories and the IPMS/USA gradually expanded to include Armor, Cars and more.  Even ships.  But it took a while and for many years the focus was somewhere around 90% aircraft.  Today, as recent National Convention Contests and any Journal prove, it's literally anything goes as it's plastic based.  3D printed models excepted at the present time, but that'll probably change as the rules and definitions are sorted out.

Now, watch my next post for some more suggestions for promoting the IPMS/USA and modelbuilding in general.

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Since y'all are brainstorming ways to publicize modelbuilding in general, the IPMS/USA in particular and encourage people to visit and hopefully join local model clubs, consider the following possibilities:

1.  Add the URL of your model club's website as a line under your signature on all emails you send.

2  Do the same for the IPMS/USA

3.  Anytime you post something on your Facebook page...if it makes sense...include a hotlink to your club's website or IIPMS/USA website.

4. Ditto for any other social sites you happen to be on.

5. Do you have a blog about anything?  See if you can work modelbuilding into a post in some way, shape or form.

6. Here's a biggie.  All of us...at least many of us...write articles of some kind or produce youtube videos.  Those who do can work URLs of modelbuilding club websites and/or the IPMS/USA website into.

7.  And finally, those of you who write print and/or E-books need to do what I am now doing.  In the About The Author section, mention your IPMS number at the very least.  When it comes to E-books...especially those that you self-publish...you have all the room in the world to promote the IPMS/USA, include links to your modelbuilding club and on an on.

Hope some of this helps.  Not every person will do all of these things I've mentioned...or even most of them.  But pick the one that works best for you and then do it.  Show those who don't know that modelbuilding can be a fantastic and enjoyable hobby at the very least.  Even better, you can even make a living at some aspect of it if you really want it and are persistent enough.

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Noel,

I disagree with you on the Civil War PC stuff. I was just out at Barnes & Noble where I saw numerous magazines related to the CW. At least one had a Confederate flag prominent on the cover. I think your take is a bit tainted with over conservatism. Times change and the attitude of people change. I grew up in the heart of Civil War country. My great-grandfathers fought for the South. One was part of the militia that captured John Brown and stood guard on his body. But I think a large portion of the Confederate monuments SHOULD be taken down because they are used as rally points for the neo-nazis and KKK. The world lost the right to the swastila because of Hitler and company. America gave up the confederate flag when the KKK and others started using it as a symbol of terror and no one spoke out against it.

Things like the changing name of the Redskins is a result of pubic pressure. If the people as a whole didn't care, there would be no change. It is not always mere correctness, but a sea change in public awareness. The pictures from Dachau changed the way many felt about Jews, the war, and racial superiority, in general.

I have no problem with re-enactors, or models of the Confederacy. I don't have a big problem with models of aircraft flown by hardcore Nazis like Rudel. But it does make me angry that stuff related to Rudel can be displayed at a contest, but a scene depicting something like the train at Dachau in 1945 is forbidden. I think IPMS has often acted on the opinions of a tiny handful obsessed with not offending anyone.

BTW, my family goes back before the Revolution, so if you aren't Native American, you're all immigrants. LOL

I think Richard Marmo has some very good ideas. Posting shots from a contest on YouTube would be a way to go. Put up something every year showing the National and the works displayed would be a good way to go. Show the stuff as ART. Show the content of the vendor's rooms. This is the kind of thing which spikes people's interest.

Dak

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For the record, my father was also born in Italy. The difference is that Italians were relatively quickly allowed to assimilate and never experienced the pogroms,wars of extermination, ongoing imprisonments on reservations and persistent discrimination that Native Americans have been and are subjected too. 

I am happy to get back to another vapid conversation about modeling. But I was not the one to bring up the topic of sensitivity in America- you were. Before I am American or an Italian, I am trying to be a Christian gentleman. I am entitled and obligated to dissent. Nick

 

Edited by Nick Filippone
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Personally, I don't care about ethnicity. Like the exact shade of paint, it is a silly thing to get upset about, in the United States. However, it is my experience that minority groups often take umbrage with words not intended as demeaning or insulting.

But on the subject of what we can do to enlarge our "market share", the idea of videos on Youtube sounds better and better. While some tutorial stuff would be good, I think it would be better to show more of the finished work. Watching a model being built is pretty boring stuff, unless you have an immediate interest the particular subject or technique. Footage of contests showing all the highly skill works and the vast variety of stuff would draw a lot of intertest. I no idea what might be currently been done in this direction because I don't do more than occasionally graze YouTube.

Maybe we should plan on making such an effort at the Chattanooga show, if someone isn't already doing such a thing.

Dak 

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10 hours ago, Dakimbrell said:

BTW, my family goes back before the Revolution, so if you aren't Native American, you're all immigrants. LOL

I think Richard Marmo has some very good ideas. Posting shots from a contest on YouTube would be a way to go. Put up something every year showing the National and the works displayed would be a good way to go. Show the stuff as ART. Show the content of the vendor's rooms. This is the kind of thing which spikes people's interest.

Dak

Hello Dak,

Just for general information, my family on my mother's side also goes back to before the Revolution.  On her half of the family tree is German, English, Scot & Irish.  Once they reached these shores in 1745, it didn't take long for the politically correct Native Americans...AKA Cherokee Indians...to join us.  Now on to a more important subject.

As for my YouTube suggestion, that is a direction all...or at least most of us will need to go.  At least to some degree.  I already do that for three of my CD-ROM photo galleries.  So far I've gotten views per video ranging from 364 to 9.9K.  In the YouTube world, even the one closing in on 10,000 isn't considered much at all.  And they've been up for four years.  Still, if I can figure out how to get the traffic I should have, it could wind up being both informative and lucrative.

Keep in mind that every video stands on its own, good, bad or horrible.  All you can do is your best effort, watch the results and then try to improve in the areas you think need improvement.  The best tip I can offer if you decide to try the YouTube route is to do exactly what I've been trying to do.  Learn to think like a television/movie producer.

Edited by ipmsusa2
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7 hours ago, Nick Filippone said:

For the record, my father was also born in Italy. The difference is that Italians were relatively quickly allowed to assimilate and never experienced the pogroms,wars of extermination, ongoing imprisonments on reservations and persistent discrimination that Native Americans have been and are subjected too. 

I am happy to get back to another vapid conversation about modeling. But I was not the one to bring up the topic of sensitivity in America- you were. Before I am American or an Italian, I am trying to be a Christian gentleman. I am entitled and obligated to dissent. Nick

 

Nick,

I absolutely agree that you are entitled to both your opinion and the right to dissent.  I'd be crazy to disagree about the discrimination and mistreatment of Native Americans since I am to some degree part Cherokee Indian.  The only thing I will say about your second paragraph is that I simply reported on it.  it's our current "I'm Offended" culture that has focused on it.  And just so you know, I am...in order...a Christian, a gentleman, an American, half Italian, Tennessean, Southerner and Texan...and I got to Texas as quick as I could.

We could probably have some very interesting discussions about the subjects that have been mentioned briefly here, but this isn't the place for it.  If you care to pursue it, feel free to private message me.

Now let's get back to modelbuilding and the original subject of this thread, which I would suggest is not vapid.

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My comment on ancestry was ment as a joke. I don’t really care about it one way or the other, except in historical context. In this day and time in America, it is a trivial thing to get hung up over. For me, I am an American, everything else is second, period. 

My following remarks were about worthless censorship imposed on IPMS adults because someone MIGHT get offended. Censorship is one of the world’s greatest evil.

The idea of videos on YouTube is merely an idea. I have no idea what is already up, but it falls in the parameters of cheap, easy, and can reach a lot of people.

Dak

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4 hours ago, Dakimbrell said:

My comment on ancestry was ment as a joke. I don’t really care about it one way or the other, except in historical context. In this day and time in America, it is a trivial thing to get hung up over. For me, I am an American, everything else is second, period. 

My following remarks were about worthless censorship imposed on IPMS adults because someone MIGHT get offended. Censorship is one of the world’s greatest evil.

The idea of videos on YouTube is merely an idea. I have no idea what is already up, but it falls in the parameters of cheap, easy, and can reach a lot of people.

Dak

Dak,

I agree with you 100%.  Ancestry is valuable, in fact essential, if you have any interest in genealogy.  After all, everyone can find value in knowing their family history.  As far as censorship goes, I ABSOLUTELY agree with you.  Censorship is the bane of creativity and freedom of expression.

When I talked about YouTube, I never intended for it to be a primary focus.  Instead, it should simply be a part of an entire range of possibilities that, in toto, help promote modelbuilding as both a hobby and potential business.  So here's a question for each person reading this thread: What are you doing personally to achieve that stated goal? 

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What I do mostly is talk to people. Show them pictures on my phone. Write articles on almost every model I build and submit them to the Journal.

i am currently working up some stuff.....photos and background to submit to local art museums. 

We recently ran an ad in the local college newspaper. 

Dak

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Friends, just a reminder that the guidelines for posting on the forums can be found here: https://forum.ipmsusa3.org/guidelines/

Please be reminded of this particular part of our forum guidelines:

  • Use of objectionable language or images. This means no pornographic, political, racial, or religious postings on the forum. Do not use profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or swearing -- including thinly-disguised attempts to defeat the word filters by using asterisks or other characters to replace letters. Language used on NETWORK, prime time television should be your guide when posting on the forum. 

Any post that explicitly mentions, or displays an explicit sexual act is prohibited by the guidelines and will be deleted.

 

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56 minutes ago, Circuitrider said:

Friends, just a reminder that the guidelines for posting on the forums can be found here: https://forum.ipmsusa3.org/guidelines/

Please be reminded of this particular part of our forum guidelines:

  • Use of objectionable language or images. This means no pornographic, political, racial, or religious postings on the forum. Do not use profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or swearing -- including thinly-disguised attempts to defeat the word filters by using asterisks or other characters to replace letters. Language used on NETWORK, prime time television should be your guide when posting on the forum. 

Any post that explicitly mentions, or displays an explicit sexual act is prohibited by the guidelines and will be deleted.

 

This is just the silly nonsense which drives many from IPMS. None here are calling names, we are all adults and the only “porongrahic” reference was in context of the discussion. It’s time IPMS grew up and accepted the bulk of its members are adults.

I would agree profanity is ill-manner and posting insults are uncalled for. Non-IPMS politics are mostly off topic, but some things are pertinent to the conversation.

Under the rules, posting about some of the policy’s of WWII would be a violation of policy. And you should update what you hear on prime time, there is plenty of stuff said suggestively there that can’t be said here. 

Dak

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