Jim Patrick
A Fixture
Atlanta 2006
Here is my review of the 2006 Atlanta show. Yes, it’s a little late. A week late to be exact but duty called and I wasn’t able to get to this as soon as I would have liked. After I returned, this was further delayed by the fact that I took over a hundred pictures (76 of which were usable) and reducing/editing them took a little longer than I expected. Speaking of the pictures first let me apologize for the quality of some. Yes, I do have a Macro setting on my camera and yes, I didn’t bother to turn this on hence, the blurry photos on some exhibits. I’ll get better just give me time. On with the show…
The drive down south was uneventful and a rather nice, easy drive of between 5 and 6 hours. The family and I stopped at one of my all time favorite stores, Cracker Barrel, and managed to use about an hour sitting by the fire, eating, browsing through the shop, eating, playing checkers with my kids, eating and…oh yeah, did I forget to mention eating? LOL! Man, I LOVE eating at Cracker Barrel. We arrived at The Crowne Plaza in Atlanta, checked in and immediately began running into friends, old and new alike. I really enjoy these shows as it’s sort of like a family reunion each time we go. Granted, a dysfunctional family but a family nonetheless. Bob Waltman and his wife Missy, Greg Stewart and his wife Anna, Andy Meyers, Alan and Marion Ball (Thank you again!) and several others. I spent the first hours of my “show day” trying to find some paint, as Napoleonic figures and traveling don’t go together that well. At least not for me! Marion came to the rescue (yes Joe, I used your paint). All was fixed and my figures were taken downstairs to the contest room to be greeted by a dozen or so friends there as well. I set my display up and tried to have a talk with Joe Hudson but that was a waste of time. Joe was really a popular guy at the show! If you want to talk to Joe about figures, do it before or after a show. Take a look at his painting and you’ll see why. In the room I ran into David Hood, David Lakin and even a fellow “Goldbricker”, Patrick Kirk and newfound friends Larry Raville and Kreston Peckham. It was a treat seeing Kreston’s work in the flesh for the first time in the flesh. Anders, Bill Chilstrom (enjoy the Sunday?) and John Long were also there. Now, this was only the first night and the quality of the exhibits was something to be admired! You really should have seen them. After only a few hours, the Atlanta Show was already a success.
Then there was the beloved hospitality suite. Actually, this opened much earlier but was saved until now. This is my personal favorite part of a show. Besides the obvious, it’s a time for fun, laughs, catching up on what has happened since the last reunion, jokes (even the bad ones), finding out what our families have been up to, the conversations in the hospitality run the spectrum but rarely is there ever a dull moment. Good times, good stories and even better friends. What else could you ask for? One thing that was new (for me anyway, this being my first Atlanta show) was a delicious cake in one room there for the taking. I know I took my share and then some. Others, took a piece for their wives and spent so much time laughing and telling stories that they just ate the cake and let the wife do with out! What could beat this? Well, it went on Saturday night as well. For those who weren’t there, you missed a good time. Pete, my ones were put to use…at Waffle House! Man they have some good coffee that late.
Saturday rolled around (much earlier then some wanted) and the family and I parted company. For those who do take your families, Atlanta offers a lot of things to keep them occupied while you sneak and get stuff from Chuck at The Red Lancers and Mike at Michael Roberts Ltd. There were also some very nice bases to be bought. Ken Thomas was present as well as Greg Stewart of Epic Designs. Thankfully, Greg didn’t do any seminars this time! If you haven’t seen any of Greg’s bases lately, you should! His workmanship has improved drastically. Just since Chicago in October! Darla of The Lost Battalion was also there. The vendor room was WELL populated with both vendors and buyers. Trust me. I heard it from my wife when we returned and she got the bank statement!
Sunday morning came but looking back on it and the good times, it seemed like the show lasted for a week. The awards were announced around 1:00PM and went rather uneventful without any major hiccups allowing all those in attendance to return to the road and get back to our “normal” lives. This was my first and CERTIANLY not my last Atlanta show. This weekend was one of the better times I’ve had at a show. Yes, I’m still pretty new to the figure shows but not new to model shows. This was certainly one of the better run shows top to bottom. A special note of thanks goes out to the entire Atlanta Show committee. To a person, they bent over backwards to entertain even the most mundane of questions (mostly from me). A huge Thank you to Dave Oswalt for allowing me to take the pictures you see here and in the provided link.
“I shall return…”
Jim Patrick
Here is my review of the 2006 Atlanta show. Yes, it’s a little late. A week late to be exact but duty called and I wasn’t able to get to this as soon as I would have liked. After I returned, this was further delayed by the fact that I took over a hundred pictures (76 of which were usable) and reducing/editing them took a little longer than I expected. Speaking of the pictures first let me apologize for the quality of some. Yes, I do have a Macro setting on my camera and yes, I didn’t bother to turn this on hence, the blurry photos on some exhibits. I’ll get better just give me time. On with the show…
The drive down south was uneventful and a rather nice, easy drive of between 5 and 6 hours. The family and I stopped at one of my all time favorite stores, Cracker Barrel, and managed to use about an hour sitting by the fire, eating, browsing through the shop, eating, playing checkers with my kids, eating and…oh yeah, did I forget to mention eating? LOL! Man, I LOVE eating at Cracker Barrel. We arrived at The Crowne Plaza in Atlanta, checked in and immediately began running into friends, old and new alike. I really enjoy these shows as it’s sort of like a family reunion each time we go. Granted, a dysfunctional family but a family nonetheless. Bob Waltman and his wife Missy, Greg Stewart and his wife Anna, Andy Meyers, Alan and Marion Ball (Thank you again!) and several others. I spent the first hours of my “show day” trying to find some paint, as Napoleonic figures and traveling don’t go together that well. At least not for me! Marion came to the rescue (yes Joe, I used your paint). All was fixed and my figures were taken downstairs to the contest room to be greeted by a dozen or so friends there as well. I set my display up and tried to have a talk with Joe Hudson but that was a waste of time. Joe was really a popular guy at the show! If you want to talk to Joe about figures, do it before or after a show. Take a look at his painting and you’ll see why. In the room I ran into David Hood, David Lakin and even a fellow “Goldbricker”, Patrick Kirk and newfound friends Larry Raville and Kreston Peckham. It was a treat seeing Kreston’s work in the flesh for the first time in the flesh. Anders, Bill Chilstrom (enjoy the Sunday?) and John Long were also there. Now, this was only the first night and the quality of the exhibits was something to be admired! You really should have seen them. After only a few hours, the Atlanta Show was already a success.
Then there was the beloved hospitality suite. Actually, this opened much earlier but was saved until now. This is my personal favorite part of a show. Besides the obvious, it’s a time for fun, laughs, catching up on what has happened since the last reunion, jokes (even the bad ones), finding out what our families have been up to, the conversations in the hospitality run the spectrum but rarely is there ever a dull moment. Good times, good stories and even better friends. What else could you ask for? One thing that was new (for me anyway, this being my first Atlanta show) was a delicious cake in one room there for the taking. I know I took my share and then some. Others, took a piece for their wives and spent so much time laughing and telling stories that they just ate the cake and let the wife do with out! What could beat this? Well, it went on Saturday night as well. For those who weren’t there, you missed a good time. Pete, my ones were put to use…at Waffle House! Man they have some good coffee that late.
Saturday rolled around (much earlier then some wanted) and the family and I parted company. For those who do take your families, Atlanta offers a lot of things to keep them occupied while you sneak and get stuff from Chuck at The Red Lancers and Mike at Michael Roberts Ltd. There were also some very nice bases to be bought. Ken Thomas was present as well as Greg Stewart of Epic Designs. Thankfully, Greg didn’t do any seminars this time! If you haven’t seen any of Greg’s bases lately, you should! His workmanship has improved drastically. Just since Chicago in October! Darla of The Lost Battalion was also there. The vendor room was WELL populated with both vendors and buyers. Trust me. I heard it from my wife when we returned and she got the bank statement!
Sunday morning came but looking back on it and the good times, it seemed like the show lasted for a week. The awards were announced around 1:00PM and went rather uneventful without any major hiccups allowing all those in attendance to return to the road and get back to our “normal” lives. This was my first and CERTIANLY not my last Atlanta show. This weekend was one of the better times I’ve had at a show. Yes, I’m still pretty new to the figure shows but not new to model shows. This was certainly one of the better run shows top to bottom. A special note of thanks goes out to the entire Atlanta Show committee. To a person, they bent over backwards to entertain even the most mundane of questions (mostly from me). A huge Thank you to Dave Oswalt for allowing me to take the pictures you see here and in the provided link.
“I shall return…”
Jim Patrick
Hey, you need to carry your behind over here for some more "yank" hospitality! That or I'll just catch you in 2008 because you know we swore never to miss another WE! 
