The Saratoga Soldier Shop offers the complete line of over a 1000 Imrie/Risley Kits, and also stock a good supply of Osprey Military Books, Vallejo acrylic colors, Humbrol oil paints, brushes, glue, tools, and plastic figure kits.
The Saratoga Soldier Shop is located in the front of the manufacturing facility of Imrie/Risley Miniatures, in Building #5 of the Curtis Industrial Park, just east of Curtis Lumber in Ballston Spa, NY. We are about half way between Albany and Saratoga Springs, NY, and about 50 minutes west of the Saratoga Battlefield.
We are generally open to the public on Tuesday and Thursday, from 9:00 to 4:00. Yes, we close for holidays and snowstorms, but we welcome collectors, and try to be of service to them. We can also schedule appointments on other days, call: 518-885-1497.
We hope you will drop by and see our painted samples and books, and enjoy your visit to the world of miniatures.
Imrie/Risley pewter metal kits of military figures and artillery, in both 54 and 72 mm scales, have been made in America for over fifty years. Imrie/Risley Miniatures grew out of the early custom work that Bill Imrie did for collectors in the late fifties of the last century. His original company was known as Helenic Miniatures when he and his wife Helen lived in Greenwich Village. Bill's partner, Clyde A. Risley, a former prize winning art director in New York City, joined him in 1963, and the company name was changed to Imrie/Risley Miniatures. Together they created a very large line of kits and and were known to pay particular attention to all those details that mean so much to collectors.
They were both avid readers of history, and made it show in their work. Among their other achievements, they created the first pewter figures for the Franklin Mint, a set of thirteen colonist soldiers for the celebration of the bicentennial.
They were both fellows of the Company of Military Collectors and Historians, and they were among the co-founders of the Military Historical Society, con-tributing articles and art work to the publications of both societies. They wrote the Model Soldier Manual which was published by Doubleday, which remains a really good how-to book for the modeler.
Clyde passed away in 1997, and Bill in 2008, and now the business is carried on by Helen Imrie, with great assistance from manager Carole Anne.