John
Tarbox Toy Soldiers: The Osprey Store of the Month!
May 17, 2010 12:00 AM
A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of spending some time at Tarbox Toy Soldiers on Steinwehr Avenue in Gettysburg, PA. The little shop stands only a minute’s walk from the main battlefield tour bus company in the center of the downtown shopping area. After taking the two-hour bus tour, which was expertly narrated by a licensed tour guide, I popped over to see Charles Tarbox, the owner of the eponymous store. A self described “historical stand-up comedian,” Mr. Tarbox regaled me with tales from his breathtaking knowledge of military history. Tarbox Toy Soldiers is filled from floor to ceiling with museum-quality miniatures all entertainingly posed in cleverly designed dioramas. Tarbox has a broad range of figures from King & Country and W. Britain, many of which have been retired and are no longer being manufactured. To top it off, the shop has three Osprey spinner racks, packed with books from all historical eras, not just the Civil War. I particularly enjoyed the shop’s arrangement of the books which are sorted by time period rather than by series or by author. To me, that’s the most rational way to organize the Osprey line, but it takes someone like Charles Tarbox and his deep love for history to pull it off. If you will be one of the two and a half million visitors to Gettysburg this summer, please stop by Tarbox Toy Soldiers and say hello to Mr. Tarbox for us.
45 Steinwehr Avenue
Gettysburg, PA 17325-2810
Phone: (717) 338-1865
For more information, visit the Tarbox Website
COMMENTS
John,
That looks like a great store! I think it's high time I went to Gettysburg again. Incidentally, if you're ever in Red Bank, NJ, you should check out Hobbymasters. Cool store all around, and a pretty good selection of Ospreys.
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The store is truly worth a visit! I love gettysburg and have been going there for many years. I have to admit that the weekend I met Charles made that trip the best ever! His vast knowledge of all things military is amazing and his interests and wealth of information encompasses so many many subjects.
I loved learning about the miniatures! I had no idea!Very cool.
Check out his website, visit his store, stay for the conversation and information, be entertained by his wonderful sense of humor.
A great store, a great guy.
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I think this is the first time I have ever seen Charlie in civilian clothes. I use to re-enact with Charlie and helped around the B&B back in the 90's. I am sure that if Charlie is running the store it is a great place.
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