Thank you Louis Bartoloto for the Symposium (1 Viewer)

If I remember correctly, Hillestad holds his open house on the Thursday before our show. And for the East Coast show in Hackensack, he holds it on the Saturday before the show.

Prost!
Brad
 
If I remember correctly, Hillestad holds his open house on the Thursday before our show. And for the East Coast show in Hackensack, he holds it on the Saturday before the show.

Prost!
Brad

When Larry Lo, Hans Hedrich, Mark Hoffman and I organized the first New York Symposium, 14 years ago, it was to get collectors together, and encourage the hobby by bringing manufacturers, dealers, and collectors together to eat, drink and talk about the hobby. The first 3 Symposia had events at Classic Toys, a wonderful brick and mortar toy soldier shop in New York City, alas, long gone. Additionally, my fellow sponsors and I held events at my old club, Larry's wonderful restaurant, Tse Yang, my house and Mark Hoffman's offices.

Manufacturers, including Andy and Gordon Neilson from K&C, John Jenkins, Rick Wang and his father of Figarti, Richard Walker, and Ken and Erika Osen of Britains acted as guests of honor, and the events lasted from Friday to Sunday evening, with what was then a good sized Toy Soldier Show on Sunday morning, regularly drawing attendees from as far away as mainland China, Hong Kong, Australia and Great Britain. As hosts, we chauffeured people to and from the airports, provided all of the food and drink at no cost to attendees, arranged for hotels, and made ourselves available both before and after the Symposia to take attendees who wished to stay on tours of NYC and the surrounding points of interest. The tragic passing of Larry, and the busy schedules of Mark and Hans have left me trying to keep the Symposium going on my own.

I am trying to rekindle interest in the Symposium by moving the event to the same weekend as the MFCA, the biggest show on the East Coast. Jim Hillestad no longer holds an open house that weekend, leaving an opening for this kind of event. I wonder where the closest brick and mortar toy soldier shop is located? If there is one between my house and the show in Philly, maybe I can arrange to hold an event there. If my back permits it, I will be attending the OTSN Chicago Show in September. If any manufacturers, dealers or collectors are interested in helping resurrect what was once a wonderful event for collectors, maybe we can brainstorm in Chicago.
 
I did not know that. That may explain why his webpage was silent when I looked. That is quite a loss.
 
As far as toy soldier shops in the area are concerned, I only know of Ron Ruddell's London Bridge Collector's Toys in Emmaus. The Russos have Stockade Miniatures up in Stroudsburg, which is off I-80 and Route 611, about 30 miles north of the Lehigh Valley.

Prost!
Brad
 
As far as toy soldier shops in the area are concerned, I only know of Ron Ruddell's London Bridge Collector's Toys in Emmaus. The Russos have Stockade Miniatures up in Stroudsburg, which is off I-80 and Route 611, about 30 miles north of the Lehigh Valley.

Prost!
Brad

As far as I know, London Bridge is closed, Mike Rosso closed his store too......................
 
Ron stopped doing shows, but as far as I know, his store is still open. I haven't been in to see him for a couple of years, but I drove past around Christmastime, and the sign was still up. His website is still up and active, too. I'll take a ride over there and see.

As for the Russos, I had heard that they closed their shop, too. But their Facebook page indicates that it's still open. They may not have updated the page, though.

Rich Dutkin has closed his store, however. He's going to sell online from now on. He suffered a pretty serious back injury last year, which put an end to the work of loading in and out to a show, and running a bricks-and-mortar store, too.

Prost!
Brad
 
Ron stopped doing shows, but as far as I know, his store is still open. I haven't been in to see him for a couple of years, but I drove past around Christmastime, and the sign was still up. His website is still up and active, too. I'll take a ride over there and see.

As for the Russos, I had heard that they closed their shop, too. But their Facebook page indicates that it's still open. They may not have updated the page, though.

Rich Dutkin has closed his store, however. He's going to sell online from now on. He suffered a pretty serious back injury last year, which put an end to the work of loading in and out to a show, and running a bricks-and-mortar store, too.

Prost!
Brad

Mike Russos shop is defiantly closed and he even moved out of the area. I live 15mins away from Stroudsburg and use to visit is shop regularly. I also would visit Ron's store in Emmaus when I was Buying Britiains miniatures but stopped so I don't know what he is doing these days. Never visited Rich Dutkins shop has it was a 2 hour ride away...
 
There is a store in Laurys, Pennsylvania called BT Soldiers. However, I don't believe they carry a lot. I exchanged a few emails with them and I didn't find them particularly friendly. They are also by appointment only, which strikes me as short sighted.
 
Laurys Station, actually. It's above Allentown on the Lehigh. Andreas (Andanna) had mentioned them and expressed an interest in visiting. I think the guy just sells out of his house, and doesn't have a proper store, because when I searched the business address, I got Google images of a house on a residential street or cul-de-sac.

Prost!
Brad
 
Brad is right. I visited after making an appointment. Toy soldiers are sold out of an unheated addition of a residential home. I did not post a report of my visit as the store could be considered a competitor to TF.

I cannot confirm that the son of the owner who runs the store pending changes in the professional life of his father was impolite. Au contraire.

Having said that, the selection is limited. But not unattractive.
 
I assume the Baron.

I didn't say he was impolite. I said he wasn't particularly friendly. There is a difference, as you know.

I find it odd that FL would grant a dealership to someone who sells out of their home, in an unheated portion of their abode no less.

Perhaps I should ask Matt for a dealership. I can guarantee you that it will be heated and if you don't pay, I will unleash our killer cat.

 
I think there was a store at the time dealership was granted. They moved.
 
Nice cat. Well sculpted and painted. Mouse is wrong scale though.
 
Nice cat. Well sculpted and painted. Mouse is wrong scale though.

Chairman Mow is rather dangerous; he has the other two cats, who are twice his size, cowed. So forearmed is forewarned.
 
Chairman Mow is rather dangerous; he has the other two cats, who are twice his size, cowed. So forearmed is forewarned.

Shouldn't that be Chairman Meow, and was that was Mousey-Tung in his mouth?
 
I assume the Baron.

I didn't say he was impolite. I said he wasn't particularly friendly. There is a difference, as you know.

I find it odd that FL would grant a dealership to someone who sells out of their home, in an unheated portion of their abode no less.

Perhaps I should ask Matt for a dealership. I can guarantee you that it will be heated and if you don't pay, I will unleash our killer cat.


Isn't it lovely when they bring you presents?:D

I'm reminded of the time when we had a cat (we called him Buzz) - and he brought home a Slow-Worm - still wriggling - in his mouth!!

You should have seen my two daughters scatter!!!:salute::
 
That's only his second kill. We have a tuxedo cat who is a dead stone killer. I can't begin to feel you how many poor little field mice he's killed.
 

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