The Alamo (St. Louis) was established on Veteran’s Day, November ll, l989. Our name was the brainchild of partner “Honest” Pete Polizzi – this name was chosen as both a way to honor those last at the Alamo year before and for the placement it offered in the local Yellow Pages. After all, with three other similiar shops in our metro area, one needs every advantage one can get! Since its conception, Tom has travelled to the site of the Alamo and realized just what those walls have come to represent.

On opening day, stock was pretty sparse. Tom had cleaned out his entire house, sacrificing every military collectable he had accumlated over thrity years. Pete, although not a collector in the true sense of the word, always relished in the buying and selling of military collectables. Tom and Pete had a long history of ‘joint operations’ – Tom usually supplying the financial and Pete the marketing-at-gun-show expertise. The stock accumulated over years of their association was also used as store stock.

As with any new business, things were very slow at first. It took some time for the collecting fraternity to find out about the Alamo, but soon the word was out and the fun began. Tom’s original concept was to make the Alamo THE gathering place for the St. Louis collecting fraternity…a haven where all are safe from the hustle of every day life. A place where just being ones self is “politically correct”. A place where everyone is just a collector, regardless of race, sex or profession. At any given time, one may encounter a tatoo artist, police officers, sales reps and doctors all sitting around the back room just talking collecting. The only part of the vision that hasen’t come to pass is the pot bellied stove!