I have been frequenting The Sentry Box since it first opened, 30 years ago.
I'm sure Gord, the owner, has no memory of me from that time, but I remember my regular visits to The Sentry Box as moments of sheer bliss.
At the time, The Sentry Box was located at the Corner of Crowchild Trail and Kensington Road, in a little hole in the wall on the north side of the building now occupied by Canada Mortgage Direct.
That tiny space was crammed full of role-playing, wargaming, and miniatures goodness. I can recall spending far too much time there (and i'm sure at the time, in Gord's eyes, far too little money) looking at all of the gaming stuff. As it was at the bottom of the hill from where I lived, in Capitol Hill, and the buses sometimes only ran on the hour, I did a lot of walking to and from his store.
The Sentry Box has moved twice since he first opened his shop. The first time, to a larger location just off Crowchild Trail and 33 Avenue SW, in Marda Loop. I think his old space in Marda Loop is now filled with an "Original Joes" Restaurant and Bar. The second move was to the current location, under the Crowchild Bridge near the Bow River. Interesting that his locations have always been close to Crowchild Trail!
Now, as then, it's one of my favorite places to visit, as I still tend to find something that piques my interest, and I leave with my wallet just a little lighter.
I'm sure Gord, the owner, has no memory of me from that time, but I remember my regular visits to The Sentry Box as moments of sheer bliss.
At the time, The Sentry Box was located at the Corner of Crowchild Trail and Kensington Road, in a little hole in the wall on the north side of the building now occupied by Canada Mortgage Direct.
That tiny space was crammed full of role-playing, wargaming, and miniatures goodness. I can recall spending far too much time there (and i'm sure at the time, in Gord's eyes, far too little money) looking at all of the gaming stuff. As it was at the bottom of the hill from where I lived, in Capitol Hill, and the buses sometimes only ran on the hour, I did a lot of walking to and from his store.
The Sentry Box has moved twice since he first opened his shop. The first time, to a larger location just off Crowchild Trail and 33 Avenue SW, in Marda Loop. I think his old space in Marda Loop is now filled with an "Original Joes" Restaurant and Bar. The second move was to the current location, under the Crowchild Bridge near the Bow River. Interesting that his locations have always been close to Crowchild Trail!
Now, as then, it's one of my favorite places to visit, as I still tend to find something that piques my interest, and I leave with my wallet just a little lighter.
4 comments:
I visited their website and it looks like such a great store!
I have visited gaming stores from Halifax to Victoria. Before moving to Calgary, I lived in Montreal and, not surprisingly, I used to frequent the famed Valet d'Coeur (still do, in fact, since I visit Montreal every year). But, without a doubt, The Sentry Box is biggest and the best gaming store I have ever seen.
I didn't discover The Sentry Box until its Marda Loop location. In fact the first time I went there they had a big sign up saying they had just moved to the current location.
It's still the most impressive gaming store I've ever seen and I've checked out quite a few in my travels. Since I moved a couple years ago its no longer very close to where I live but I'll still go there from time to time to lose myself in all of the geeky goodness.
Sometimes I just go there to give myself a pick-me-up when work sucks. I love the products, the familiar staff and the fellow dorks that are there for whatever reason.
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