"Compleat Strategist - Falls Church is Done" Topic

I've picked through the bones of two of these locations now – one in NYC and now one here in Virginia.

I'd only been a few times because it had given over almost exclusively to the RPG and CCG crowd. I was there JUST before the announcement earlier in January and was a bit dismayed there wasn't anything I needed or wanted. I'm always on the lookout for some forgotten thing.

I certainly would have picked up some Citadel stuff but now I was two weeks into Clearance frenzy with tomorrow being the last day.

Not a paint, brush nor mini to be found anywhere this morning.

link

And another brick & mortar store passes into memory.

Honestly surprised it lasted as long as it did. First time I visited there had to have been close to twenty years ago and most recent maybe about 7 years ago. They had a decent stock of Osprey and older wargaming magazines, the rest of the stuff I wasn't particularly interested in.

Never found them to be particularly friendly and the store was very cluttered and unkept. After I discovered Huzzah around 2010, which is a phenomenal wargaming shop, there was never a reason to go to Compleat Strategist.

You know, if they were there 40 years, I'd have been in Woodbridge and Arlington for five and then Woodbridge and Herndon for another ten. I supported Eagle & Empire, Game Parlor and Huzzah instead--stores which took an interest in miniatures, and sometimes even historical miniatures.

Possibly the obit should be on the CCG Page and the RPG Page?

Fond memories indeed. I frequented the Complete Strategist during two tours in the Pentagon during the 90s. I agree a less than friendly greeting. But at least back then a pretty decent selection of boardgames to include usually the latest from GRD/GDW.

Like you Robert also enjoyed the Eagle & Empire (which also has recently struck its tent) and Game Parlor. Both of which were much more welcoming and the folks much more knowledgeable about their inventory and products.

Ah yes, back when we had a choice of a number of stores to feed our addiction. Shame indeed.

Their Philly store as been gone for Thirty years

I actually built of all things a Sand Table for the store in Boston back in the early 80's.