May 2024 Company Update
March kicked off a busy period for us that continued into April as we delivered show awards and launched our new Simple|BASE series. Keep reading for a review of various events as well as what is coming up for Bases by Bill.
Awards
The show season started for us with our local IPMS club hosting the 28th Annual Mad City Modelers Contest on March 2. Held at the venue selected for the 2024 IPMS Nats, we got to take the facility through a dry run. In a word, the Monona Terrace is spectacular and will really be something special for the Nats.
We supplied the awards for the Mad City show, including Best of Show and other Best off as well as Category 1, 2 & 3 awards.
The awards table at the Mad City Modelers contest filled with Bases by Bill awards.
We also delivered or started production on show awards for Duneland, IPMS Plastic Surgeons, Baltimore's MarauderCon, NordicCon and more.
"Nordie" makes an appearance on the all-new NordicCon GSB awards.
Awards for a New Show
A sample Gold award (left) is shown with the results of our new full-color process. We can now bring color to ALL awards, even 1-2-3 and GSB at a price clubs can afford.
Our awards business continues at full speed and we have some exciting and affordable options we're introducing as the year goes on.
Carrier Bases
Tim Holland of the Model Geeks Podcast was an early tester of the USN Carrier Flight Decks and finished this 1/72 example to showcase his Wildcat. Courtesy: Tim Holland.
April saw the launch of our first product in the Simple|Base line, the US Navy Wooden Carrier Deck Display Base. Initial response was great and we are working on expanding marketing in the coming months for these bases. In the pipeline is a set of IJN Carrier Bases in Baltic Birch and will cover 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32 scale. We will also offer 1/35 scale bases for those who are building the various Border Models offerings.
A variety of people provided early feedback that helped improve the product: Mike Baskette of Plastic Model Mojo Podcast, Scott Gentry of the Plastic Posse Podcast, Tim Holland of the Model Geeks Podcast, Matt McDougal of Doogs Models, Jeff Herne owner of Scale Colors and 2024 IPMS Nats chairman, Josh Buck, members of the Mad City Modelers and many more. Products of this sort are not possible without feedback from our modeling community and Bill, Wes and Christian are grateful to all of you for taking the time to tell us your opinions.
Bases by Bill is also providing a special set of US Carrier bases representing the deck of the USS Hornet during the Doolittle Raid. This is for a special 1/48 scale group build at the IPMS Nats in July, 2024. We have designed and are producing finished bases that will enable the group to display all 16 raiders on one table. The whole build should be impressive based on finished B-25 models shown thus far.
Insignia and Unit Emblem Bases
In May, we will re-launch the custom Insignia and Unit Emblem display bases. We will list some of the common styles that were popular in the past and setup complete custom product ordering for any insignia, emblem or unit badge. The production techniques will allow for stunning color and recreation of emblems in a cost-affordable product.
The End for Display Cases
After a long run spanning 7 years, Bill, who is the expert woodworker of the three partners, has decided to retire from making display cases to focus on his life-long passion for scale models. As a result, we are officially ending production of all display cases effective immediately. If you have an order in with us, that will, of course be completed. We will be changing our website and Facebook page to reflect the end of this product line. We've put Bill to work building a Border Models 1/35 Kate Torpedo Bomber to be our studio model for the upcoming IJN Wooden Carrier Bases.
Bases by Bill now comes full circle to its roots in scale model display bases and club awards. All three partners are excited for the future and hope you will be as well.