Time’s a wastin’! Or rather, time’s a-flyin’! Once, the best little modeling event is upon us, now the 19th HRSM “Model Auction” Swap Meet will held at the customary place at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Virginia Beach. VA (click for Google Maps) on Saturday, 24 October 2026 from 10am to 4pm. Held in air-conditioned comfort with on-site ‘cheap eats’ concession and good company, it is hoped to the most entertaining diversion for an Autumn day. Plan to dig into that attic, closet or garage stash and find those unneeded, excess or unwanted (is there really such a thing?) kits, books and other modeling-related paraphernalia to put out for conversion to either cash or new “raw materials”.
The fast-paced auction-style action will quickly dispose of any presented “lots”, and where luck and timing hold sway. The result is more fun and exciting than your usual ‘swap meet’ or ‘flea market’ – and is sure to show some ‘true colors’!
Participation in selling is easy. All items are organized into attractive groupings (recommended) or individual items, as lots. Competitive bidding is controlled by the experienced gavel of our perennial auction-master Ed Rose. As explained by the FAQS (HERE), the event kicks off at 10am with registered sellers registering their lots until just before the bidding starts promptly at noon. Bringing in you items pre-organized is highly recommended to give everyone a chance to browse the ‘gooodies’ and allowing for the bidding strategies to foment. The necessary paperwork (lot description sheets – download editable form HERE) can be downloaded or completed at the auction. While the preparations and review are ongoing, you can get some ‘fuel’ from the lunch concession. Once the auction gets going, however, it moves quickly as bidders angle for the best deals. Once all lots are done, a final accounting , settlement and disbursement will be completed efficiently and accurately – all neat and tidy by way of our customized computing tool. NOTE: All transactions are in whole dollars, so bring cash – small bills are preferred! No checks or credit cards can be accepted, this is for fun and not for ‘business’!
Some “winning tips” are:
- Bring lots pre-prepped in bags or boxes with description sheets completed so you have more time to examine other lots on offer and not waste time unnecessarily on paperwork.
- Arrive on time to look over the lots & to give your own lots time to be seen. Much on offer will be ‘pre-loved’ and so might have some ‘warts’ you should be aware of before the ‘chase’ begins.
- Don’t over-price your lots; desirable kits, etc. will generate appropriate bids especially if a low starting bid helps to initiate the ‘bidding frenzy’.
- Organize your lots with a ‘target audience‘ in mind. For example, a lot comprised of a car, a ship & airplane kits may not appeal to modelers who generally stick to only one of those genres. However, several items of a common scale may be attractive as a collection.
- Over all, be flexible and open to opportunity!
So, come on by & have some fun, convert your less active ‘plastic’ into ‘paper’ and perhaps find that treasure for which you’ve been hunting.