SCMMS Toy Soldier Show set for Nov. 14
November 3, 2026
Earlier this year, The South Carolina Military Miniature Society won first place in dioramas for their miniature version of the Battle of Cowpens at the annual Toy Soldier Show in Atlanta.
Soon, you can see the original prizewinner right here in Columbia – for free. And you can see a LOT more than that – other creative dioramas, models, weaponry, live re-enactors of military history and all sorts of toy soldiers and other tiny figures. And a lot of them will be for sale.
The occasion is the SCMMS’ 35th Annual Toy Soldier Show, at the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum downtown. If you’ve been to one of these before, you know how much fun this will be. And if you’ve never been, you need to hurry down to the museum on Saturday, Nov. 14. The U.S. Naval Sea Cadets Color Guard will open the show by posting the colors at 10 a.m., and the event will continue until 3 p.m.
Admission to the show is free.
The Society’s Michael Gearon says the spacious Congaree Room above the Relic Room will be packed with at least 50 vendors and their varied wares – and others are still contacting the SCMMS to see if they can come, too. They’ll be selling all sorts of figures – not just soldiers, but all sorts of characters from history, even civilians. Going by past years, you’ll see figures and dioramas featuring farms, zoos, villages, cowboys, native Americans, parks, and fantasy and sci-fi.
And models. And other toys that you either had or wanted when you were a kid. It’s like several toy chests the size of dump trucks backed up and unloaded into the Congaree Room.
And it’s not just about buying and selling. There’s plenty to enjoy looking at – and talking to. The living history reenactors are happy to tell you all about the uniforms they’re wearing, the gear they’re carrying, and the history behind all of it.
Not to mention raffles and valuable prizes. This is the fifth time the show has been held on the museum’s premises, and the SCMMS is grateful enough to raffle off various figures that collectors would be glad to obtain.
The South Carolina Military Miniature Society’s purpose is to promote, showcase and expand the toy soldier and miniature figure hobby through mentorship, shows, exhibitions, dioramas and fellowship.
The SCMMS has branches in Columbia and Charleston and meets monthly in restaurants and members’ homes. Anyone interested in joining SCMMS can obtain details and contact information at the show. Members will be happy to talk with you about the society’s hobby and club activities.
About the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum
Founded in 1896, the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum is an accredited museum focusing on South Carolina’s distinguished martial tradition through the Revolutionary War, Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, Vietnam, the War on Terror, and other American conflicts. It serves as the state’s military history museum by collecting, preserving, and exhibiting South Carolina’s military heritage from the colonial era to the present, and by providing superior educational experiences and programming. It recently opened a major new exhibit, “A War With No Front Lines: South Carolina and the Vietnam War, 1965-1973.” The museum is located at 301 Gervais St. in Columbia, sharing the Columbia Mills building with the State Museum. For more information, go to https://crr.sc.gov/.
