A well dressed dictator....

There are very few "good things" about third world tin pot dictators...
However, I WILL admit that they always seem to have cool and snazzy looking uniforms filled with awesome medals, badges, jump wings, awards, medallions, other wonderful trinkets of bling.
Soooo with Origins coming up, I've decided..."Why NOT have a Dictator uniform for my Bongolesia game?"
And my lady, (Gawd bless her); has agreed to make it.
While she makes the jacket, (from a combine "Prince Charming", and US Civil War Officers Frock/Jacket Pattern), I decided to go with getting "The Bling".
I wanted it to be tacky...and bemedalled like any dictator worth his dictatorness would have.
The only problem was that I did not want to use "Real" medals that were currently in service or being awarded.
(RANT MODE ON)
Call me odd, but as a military veteran, I have issues with people wearing "Real World" awards that they were never awarded and even as "costume jewelry". I would feel that someone wearing something such as the CMH, or the VC, shouldn't do it because using it as costume jewelry to me, demeans the meaning of what that medal represents. I don't mind anyone wearing medals from countries that no longer exist, (such as South Vietnam, or The British Honduras, or Manchuko), or even horribly obsolete ones, (such as the 1900 series of Belgian medals for Civil Service), but ones that folks on todays battlefield are often receiving is another story...
Now honestly, if you want to go and wear your old high school JROTC Medals and Ribbons that you got 30 years ago...feel free to do so...I don't think anyone is going to care or remember.
But if you wear a CMH as part of your "outfit", you better be damn well ready to prove that you DID in fact earn it....
(RANT MODE OFF)
Now with that little rant being done, I was then faced with "How do I find such wonderful cheap tacky medals?"
The honest answer? You don't really.
Sadly enough to say, there really isn't a large market for medals for non-existant countries, and although there is a site on Ebay that sells "3 military medals", (nice generic ones, just like the kind your would find on Michael Jackson's uniforms); unfortunately I found the prices for them to be a bit too expensive.
Soooooooo....it was time to be creative....
First off...another large night of cruising ebay; and in doing so, I made a couple of purchases of large lots of "miscellaneous medals and parts". Some of these were present day current medals, and some were older medals, and some were medals from now, non-existant countries, (such as the Civil Technician Award from South Vietnam). I don't think that the South Vietnamese Govt. is going to be upset at me using one of their medals for parts etc...
So that's what I did.
I took the draperies and medallions from each of the medals and re-arranged them. The old European one with the red ribbon suddenly had an extra ring and went to a different colored ribbon, etc. Thus "new" medals were created for Bongolesia and no one can accuse me of wearing "Real" medals. In fact one of the crosses is a cheap reproduction, and three of the medallions are actually "vogue jewelry pendants" that can be found at an arts and crafts/hobbies store in the beads and jewelry section. I also think that one of them has doubled in the past as a handle hanger for a chest of drawers....
So a little change here...a swoop there...and voila!

A CHEST FULL OF BLING!

Worthy of any dictator, this chest of medals is sure to impress the ladies, (and make them swoon), make you the idol of the kids on your block, and may even get you a free drink or dinner at your local pub/tavern/bar/hookah lounge/etc...

A close up of the medals and you can see the different variations that can be created by just using your imagination, and some stuff from ebay, and local arts and crafts stores. You'll look like a hero and no one will be insulted. And if they get in your face about "The Order Of The Golden Lion First Class", then you can wait until they finish blustering then laugh in their face....

I also need ribbons and besides my JROTC ribbons that I have around here somewhere, I have some other local growgrain ribbon to make some...So it'll help me look even more "dictatory"...(is that a word?)...

And finally....

Quite dashing, don't you think?

The jacket isn't finished but I had to try it on with my hat and give an "inspirational pose"....

You'll be able to see me in all of my bemedalled dictatored glory at Origins....