Treasures Unearthed

I was able to swing by American Eagles again today for what is probably my last run there before the doors close on April 9th. My goal was to pick up some items for fellow collectors over at acaeum.com and see if there was anything for me. I am SO glad I went! And the fact everything was 40-70% off didn't hurt either.

Now that I have recently completed my collection of AD&D Birthright adventures and accessories, I can now focus on the miniatures, novels, and PC game. Sitting on the top shelf of the paperback rack were the four BR novels - Greatheart, The Hag's Contract, The Iron Throne, and The Spider's Test. Sweet!

Had to grab a copy of Raid on Rajallapor. Why? Well, I don't play Mercenaries, Spies & Private Eyes, so I guess it's because the module was produced by Grenadier Models Inc. That little bit of shrinkwrapped goodness set me back $1.98!

I was trying to take my time, poke around, see what I could find. Sure enough, in a bin with some small stuff like Gamescience Federation Tugs were a couple of packages very familiar to me - little plastic baggies with red paper inserts bearing the Superior Models Inc. logo! I scored a four-pack of WL-130 Ninjas, and something I have never seen before: WL-151 Sorceress with Crystal Ball in 40mm scale. She comes with a small crystal ball that appears to sit on her bosom, and a small crystal star that I think sits on top of her crown. This one needs a picture, so I'll get going on that and post one ASAP.

Two small white boxes also caught my eye, and sure enough they also contained minis by Superior Models: two copies of WL-152 Dragon on Rock/4, a dragon perched on a rock with 4 gems that fit in the base. Sadly, both dragons are missing a wing, but I'll take what I can get.

Perhaps the most bittersweet purchase was my very last plastic model from Eagles. I was hoping to go big, say a 1/48 Mosquito or something along those lines. They were pretty well picked over at this point, so I went with a time-tested standard for me: the 1/76 scale Stug III Ausf. G by Fujimi. It will eventually take a place next to my Tiger.

I wish I had gone in much earlier since my last visit. I wonder if I would have had a shot at one of the three TSR bookcases they had sitting out? The ones with the SOLD tags on them. Oh well, coulda, woulda, shoulda. I still came away with some nice things. As an added sentimental bonus, the BR novels have American Eagles price stickers on the back, so I'll always know where they came from.

Thanks again, American Eagles.

American Eagles - Thanks For The Memories

For 40+ years, American Eagles has supplied Seattle-area gamers/modelers/train enthusiasts with a place to go and get their fix. Alas, their time has come and they will close their doors on April 9, 2011. Between now and then, they are selling off pretty much everything for 20% to 30% off, and I wonder if the discounts will grow bigger as time winds down.

I paid them a visit today with my youngest son in tow. He picked out a couple of 20-siders (one for him, one for his older brother) and I bought a Reaper mini (3333 Boneflail) and some Woodland Scenics Field Grass. And as a belated birthday present for my father-in-law who collects patches, uniforms and other Vietnam-era artifacts, a small illustration entitled "The American Soldier, 1965 - Army Aviation, Cavalry, and Special Forces Officers - Troops boarding helicopters" that used to grace their walls.

I chatted with the gentleman behind the counter briefly, mostly to say thanks for the memories. I used to stop by their store back in the day, when it was in the Greenwood neighborhood, a true gamer's paradise. Books, modules, accessories, and for me - tons of lead. He showed me a scrapbook one of the customers put together for the store. Pictures, articles, ads, you name it. An old-fashioned hold-it-in-your-hands album that is a nice tribute to the store.

Over the years, I tried to make it there a couple of times a year. Browse the gaming section, scour the lead section, buy a model or two, a can of paint, something, anything. It was just one of those places I could go and wander around in.

Eagles will soon join USS Enterprise (Kirkland) and Triple Alliance (Bellevue) in the sad ranks of gaming shops that have closed their doors. At least Eagles stayed around a lot longer than the other two. Still, it's a bit sad to lose a connection to my gaming past.

I'll have to go there at least one more time before they close their doors for the last time.

All good things must come to an end, I suppose. Damn.

Supporting My FLGS

Saturday was my oldest son's 8th birthday, so he and I paid a visit to our FLGS, otherwise known as Ernie's Games. My boy was flush with some gift certificates and cash, and it was more or less burning a hole in his pocket.

Mr. Frodo (his nickname, natch) decided he was lacking undead, so in the spirit of the season, he picked up some skeletons AND some zombies, as well as the Angel of Death. He was also looking for a dragon, but Reaper's Lavarath was $50, so he's holding out for something a bit less pricey.

I can only imagine what it's like to be 8 and making a trip a shrine like Ernie's. Walls of miniatures, display cases with painted armies, tables with terrain, minis being painted, and of course all the books and games, too. I should mention at this point that Mr. Frodo also picked up a can of Silly String, and ran around with his older sister decorating our backyard.

It took me back to when I was a lad of 12 or so, and a magical place called USS Enterprise, my first FLGS that used to inhabit the upper mall of Totem Lake Mall. The monochrome modules, AD&D hardbacks, and good old-fashioned LEAD miniatures. There was even a room in back where diehard gamers could huddle around a table and play! Turns out some of my future friends gamed in the back of Enterprise. Now they just keep me around because I'm the only sucker who paints minis for the group ;) Later, I would discover other haunts such as American Eagles (back when they were on Greenwood) and Triple Alliance in downtown Bellevue.

But back to Ernie's and the present. It's gotta be hard to own a brick-and-mortar store these days. Case in point: the Reaper Lavarath dragon miniature. Ernie's price is $50 + tax. Direct from Reaper, the price is $44.49 and you get free shipping. And over on eBay, the lowest price today was $28.92 + 3.49 for shipping. Since I am a frugal bastard by nature, I would opt for the $33 mini off of eBay. So on big-ticket items, it's hard to compete. Now when I need a mini or a couple of paints in a hurry, it's huge to be able to drive a couple of minutes into town, grab what I need, and head back to the workbench. Same goes for my kids, when they want to spend birthday money - it's more fun to go somewhere and browse the shelves and walk away with a purchase in your bag than point and click and wait for the postal carrier to show up next week.

I hope that my little bit of business helps keep Ernie's around, you know? Because I want my kids to have fond memories of toy & game nirvana, just like their old man.