Bricks and Mortar Shops (1 Viewer)

[Toy Soldier Brigade]

I think you bring up many good points Brad. I visited the TS shop in Chillicothe, Ohio a few yrs ago during Ken Olsen's WB presentation. Really wanted to buy something to support the store but already had all the latest releases thru the internet. WOund up getting a couple of items anyway. Used to buy latest releases from an EBay seller who discounted everything 30+% until he was shut down for underselling the retail price. I really would rather have the discount as there are no TS bricks & mortar stores in my area.
Chris

Wow, 30% off then add the eBay sellers fees, PayPal fees, and free shipping. This genius must have been making a fortune. This kind of discounting is what's killing the hobby business. It destroyed the 1/6 action figure market. This is one of my pet peeves on this issue. All manufacturers should have to stop selling on auction sites. If you don't have your own website you shouldn't be allowed to sell they're product period. I go through the eBay listings weekly and am amazed at some of the pricing I see. Some under wholesale for new unopened items? Not enforcing the suggested retail cheapens their brands in my opinion.

 

[LTC PaulN]

Toronto, Sydney, Hong Kong, Singapore, Paris, Gresy-sur-Aix, Stuttgart, Gettysburg, Richmond, Williamsburg, Fredericksburg, Jacksonville, Los Gatos, San Antonio... All of the places I've been to with brick and mortar shops...a guaranteed sale.

San Antonio, Chicago, London, Paris... Show locations; the same, a guaranteed sale for someone.

Online works in between.

 

[Louis Badolato]

There used to be several wonderful Toy Soldier Shops in New York City, my favorite being Classic Toys, which used to be on Sullivan Street in Greenwich Village. It was owned by John and Gideon Rettich (Gid is a member of this forum). It was a great place to hang out. John Rettich was incredibly knowledgable about military history and the hobby. They were the official Heco Tinplate Models dealer for the East Coast, carried King & Country, Britains, Imperial, Trophy, Tommy Atkins, and many other small manufacturers I have not seen anywhere else, not to mention the true classic antique composite toy soldiers and tinplate vehicles made in Germany and France in the early to mid-20th Century. I met Lawrence Lo at Classic Toys. The first two New York Toy Soldier Symposia had events there. But, alas, the landlord wanted to double the rent, and they closed. The other Toy Soldier Shops, Burlington Antique Toys and a tiny shop in the West Village, are also long gone. There was also a terrific little shop called the Toy Soldier Gallery, outside the gates of West Point in Highland Falls, NY. It is also long gone. Mike Rosso's shop, Stockade Miniatures, in Pennsylvania, is also long gone. The closest Toy Soldier Museum/Sometime Shop left in the tri-state area is Jim Hillestad's Toy Soldier Museum in the Pocanos, a 2-1/2 hour drive from my home.

If I were independently wealthy and didn't have to work at my real job, I would buy a carriage house in NYC, and open a Toy Soldier Museum and Shop. I would install my entire collection, and hold events every couple of months to get collectors, manufacturers and dealers from around the country and the world together to network and just enjoy each other's company. I would also contact the local schools, and try to get kids in on field trips (and give each kid an inexpensive Del Prado type figure) to try to introduce young people to the hobby. I would do advertising on the local TV networks to try to draw in 30 and 40-somethings with money to collect, but who may not be exposed to the hobby.

Unfortunately, I am a regular guy, and can't afford $2-4 million dollars to purchase a carriage house, plus another $2 million dollars in advertising and stock, and I certainly can't give up my day job. So I guess I, and the rest of the New York City area collectors who like brick and mortar stores are SOL.{sm4}

 

[Panzer ace]

I am lucky to be able to go the shops in Los Gatos and San Antonio just about every Saturday (depending on where I am). Both shops are incredible. While I do buy from dealers on the internet from time to time, brick and mortar shops are my go to platform. Shows are great too. Myself, Andy, and Tom discussed this at length a couple of years ago at the Westcoaster.

In all honesty I would probably collect much less if it weren't for actual stores.

 

[Jack]

Apart from a couple of purchases each year I only buy from my local shop. I cannot get everything I want that he has so there is not much point adding to the pool of things I cannot have. The social part of collecting is a vital compenent of my hobby.

 

[Jagdpanther]

I'm in New Jersey and Regularly Visited Mike Rosso's shop, Stockade Miniatures in Strasbourg Pa. I only live15 Mins away, hows that being close to a Toy Soldier Shop. Its to bad he closed. And now the only toy soldier store in NJ is Dutkins Collectables a 2 hour drive away.

 

[braddinpa]

I try to buy from Johns shop at Gettysburg. Super nice guy and that is how I found out about King and Country and fl. Nothing beats being able to see it first hand.

 

[Louis Badolato]

I'm in New Jersey and Regularly Visited Mike Rosso's shop, Stockade Miniatures in Strasbourg Pa. I only live15 Mins away, hows that being close to a Toy Soldier Shop. Its to bad he closed. And now the only toy soldier store in NJ is Dutkins Collectables a 2 hour drive away.

I forgot about Dutkins Collectibles, a very nice little shop. Rich Dutkins has a treasure trove hidden down the basement and in his storage facility. The last thing I did with Lawrence Lo before his diagnosis with terminal cancer was go through Rich's basement (a real honor), we found so many great old K&C and Trophy figures (I once found a wood and metal K&C Vietnam M113 APC down there), and had a ton of laughs with Larry.:smile2: That's the kind of special memory you can get in a brick and mortar store.

 

[Phantom Warrior]

Toronto, Sydney, Hong Kong, Singapore, Paris, Gresy-sur-Aix, Stuttgart, Gettysburg, Richmond, Williamsburg, Fredericksburg, Jacksonville, Los Gatos, San Antonio... All of the places I've been to with brick and mortar shops...a guaranteed sale.

San Antonio, Chicago, London, Paris... Show locations; the same, a guaranteed sale for someone.

Online works in between.

What toy soldier store did you go to in Toronto?

Terry

 

[HAWKEYE]

That does not apply to American purchasers. Often online purchases are a bargain. I have yet to pay any
kind of tax no matter where I buy. You pay 21% VAT on everything. You should be used to it by now.

vote the money grubbers out of office

 

[LTC PaulN]

What toy soldier store did you go to in Toronto?

Terry

The Bay used to be registered as an authorized dealer for K&C... Their stock was next to nothing.

 

[Phantom Warrior]

The Bay used to be registered as an authorized dealer for K&C... Their stock was next to nothing.

I bought my first two K&C models there. The dealer leased his display counter from The Bay department store but hasn't been there for years. Unfortunately,Toronto doesn't have a K&C dealer and there is only one large brick and mortar store in Canada so purchasing is pretty much via the internet.

Terry

 

[Guy]

That does not apply to American purchasers. Often online purchases are a bargain. I have yet to pay any
kind of tax no matter where I buy. You pay 21% VAT on everything. You should be used to it by now.

When I buy via the internet in the European Union: no VAt, no custom tax and no import tax, only postage . that's what i mean by buying regionally
guy

 

[Andanna]

I am not sure where the closest toy soldier store is from me, but has anyone heard of BT Toy Soldiers in Laurys Station, PA?

 

[PanzerAce1944]

I am lucky to be able to go the shops in Los Gatos and San Antonio just about every Saturday (depending on where I am). Both shops are incredible. While I do buy from dealers on the internet from time to time, brick and mortar shops are my go to platform. Shows are great too. Myself, Andy, and Tom discussed this at length a couple of years ago at the Westcoaster.

In all honesty I would probably collect much less if it weren't for actual stores.

Jason, I think It would be safe to say that you are a jet setter Toy Soldier collector !

Wayne

 

[kogu]

I am lucky to be able to go the shops in Los Gatos and San Antonio just about every Saturday (depending on where I am). Both shops are incredible. While I do buy from dealers on the internet from time to time, brick and mortar shops are my go to platform. Shows are great too. Myself, Andy, and Tom discussed this at length a couple of years ago at the Westcoaster.

In all honesty I would probably collect much less if it weren't for actual stores.

Hi Jason,

You are in a very unique situation, I would say.
Your life has you living in two different, far apart, locations, and both locations offer a quality "brick and mortar" store close by.
That has to be a Toy Soldier Collector's dream, doesn't it?
The majority of collectors don't know and don't have any Toy Soldier store for 100's of miles around them.
But then again, like you pointed out, there's plenty of "teasing" coming along with this.
There are probably a bunch of figures in your collection that got bought because you saw them "eye to eye".
I know, if I would have the opportunity to easily visit a Toy Soldier store at any given day, it most likely would do a lot of damage to my finances :wink2:
But I have a feeling that you are in good control of your hobby.
Enjoy the opportunity :smile2:

Cheers!

Konrad

 

[LTC PaulN]

I bought my first two K&C models there. The dealer leased his display counter from The Bay department store but hasn't been there for years. Unfortunately,Toronto doesn't have a K&C dealer and there is only one large brick and mortar store in Canada so purchasing is pretty much via the internet.

Terry

When I was really young, Toronto used to be my parents' weekend getaway. I seem to remember a place near Casa Loma that was a higher end toy shop with lots of Corgi, Dinky, Matchbox and maybe some Britains...

Richmond and Williamsburg used to be home to The Toymaker of Williamsburg's two shops, both gone now. They're where my conversion from a Britain's based collection to a K&C based collection began... Lee's Headquarters in Fredericksburg is gone...

 

[Partner]

I was just in Lee's Headquarters in Fredericksburg on Feb 27.and they had WB, K&C and some Frontline. I picked up a nice K&C WW 2 Canadian Scottish bagpiper.




QUOTE=LTC PaulN;772045]When I was really young, Toronto used to be my parents' weekend getaway. I seem to remember a place near Casa Loma that was a higher end toy shop with lots of Corgi, Dinky, Matchbox and maybe some Britains...

Richmond and Williamsburg used to be home to The Toymaker of Williamsburg's two shops, both gone now. They're where my conversion from a Britain's based collection to a K&C based collection began... Lee's Headquarters in Fredericksburg is gone...[/QUOTE]

 

[LTC PaulN]

I was just in Lee's Headquarters in Fredericksburg on Feb 27.and they had WB, K&C and some Frontline. I picked up a nice K&C WW 2 Canadian Scottish bagpiper.

I left Richmond in 2010 and haven't been back that way and didn't see him listed as an "authorized dealer" on the K&C website and assumed he was among the fallen. Glad to hear that he's still there! It was always a nice shop.

 

[Partner]

[He told me he is no longer a K&C Dealer.
If any K&C collectors are in the vicinity I recommend they stop by.

In regards to bricks and mortar shops , I had a great converation with him about the industry and TS in general. Also seeing the array of figures is exciting
Kirk


QUOTE=LTC PaulN;772092]I left Richmond in 2010 and haven't been back that way and didn't see him listed as an "authorized dealer" on the K&C website and assumed he was among the fallen. Glad to hear that he's still there! It was always a nice shop.[/QUOTE]