The Civil War Dealers & Collectors Association Defends The Hobby
By Stephen W. Sylvia

I read an article by Kay Jorgensen in the last issue of CWN that addressed the forthcoming amendment to the Hobby Protection Act. The amendment is designed to compel makers of Civil War replica and reproduction Civil War memorabilia to indelibly mark their products.

Kay stated that the amendment wasn’t gaining much support despite the endorsement of established dealers and collectors throughout the land. I was disheartened by her assessment of the progress and asked her if I could tell CWN’s readers a little more about the issue. She readily agreed to allow me to present the matter to you.

A couple of years ago I met experienced Civil War collector and Virginia state legislator Al Eisenberg. We discussed several of the topics most important to today’s collector and Civil War hobbyist — rampant fakery; laws impeding reenacting, relic hunting, shows, the impact of the Internet; and the future of the hobby in general.

Al had been an eBay customer for years but was dismayed by both the ignorance of many sellers and buyers and the abundance of reproduction and outright fakes being offered as authentic. We both lamented the negative impact of such nefarious dealings and their effect on the Civil War field.

Over a period of months we continued to discuss the issues we’d spoken of during our first meeting. Al was also a partner in a Washington, D.C., lobby firm and expressed an interest and a willingness to try to do something to address the issues we’d discussed. (Al is one politician who is more interested in doing things than talking about them.)

He spoke of the organizations extant in most established collecting venues such as stamps, coins, furniture, art and many other antiques specialties. He outlined how these organizations provide legitimacy, credibility, information, consumer comfort and a code of ethics for dealer members to abide by.

In time we hammered out the guidelines for an organization that could address all these issues within the Civil War hobby. Under Al’s leadership, we went forward with the Civil War Dealers and Collectors Association (CWDCA.)

During the ensuing year, we recruited volunteers from the upper echelons of the collecting community to serve on our various boards, created a Web site, and began trumpeting the organization. We have several hundred active members now, but that is a small number of the many thousands of collectors, dealers, reenactors and relic hunters out there.

This has been a disappointing surprise to us, considering that the organization stands to offer so much to the collective groups that compose the Civil War hobby.

Whether you are a reenactor, collector, relic hunter or dealer there are people and organizations that dislike, and a few who denounce, our hobby in all its myriad forms. The flags, the firearms, our heritage, and even the immense pleasure most of us derive from indulging in our hobby, is resented by some and regarded with suspicion by others.

I recently read that a New York lawmaker, Michael Gianaris (D), has written a bill to require owners of antique guns, black powder weapons and muzzleloading firearms to be subject to a background check. It would also require the purchase of an annual license for the acquisition or ownership of an antique or reproduction black powder rifle.
If this passes it will be a short step for other states to adopt the same policy. Chances are it will not pass on this go ‘round, but we can be assured that more of the same will follow.

A couple of years ago, Georgia passed a bill requiring relic hunters to notify the state archaeology department of where and when they are planning to relic hunt five days prior to the event. A relic hunter must also supply the landowner’s permission in writing. No one thought this would be approved — but it was.

Stafford County, Virginia, is witnessing the efforts by a dedicated and organized group of conservationists to pass a county ordinance banning metal detecting anywhere in the county, even on one’s own property. Again, it will likely fail, but these people are organized and dedicated. They are in for the long haul. They won’t go gentle into that good night.

I have read recently that more and more towns and state parks are pulling back from allowing reenactments, living history and reenactor participation in parades and other civic and public events as a result of political correctness with regard to firearms and Confederate flags. Does anyone think this trend is going to stop?

The only way to combat activity that poses such a threat to us is to organize and oppose such attempts to legislate our hobby.

Noted Civil War dealer Dave Taylor was quoted in Kay Jorgensen’s article as saying that the amendment to the existing Hobby Protection Act won’t prevent the makers of some reproductions and those who convert them to fakes from continuing their activities.

I think some will continue, just as he believes. Others will cease because their task will become more difficult and will carry more of a legal penalty.

No one says that stopping this activity will be easy. The alternative is to do nothing — except to complain. As history-lovers, we all know how dangerous complacency is.

Some repro makers claim that they don’t mark their products because reenactors demand 100 percent authenticity right down to accurate backmarks on buttons and the reverse sides of belt plates.

I always argued with them on that point. Find me a reenactor who files the stamped logos “Parker Hale” or “Made in Italy / Euroarms” from the barrel of his repro rifle. Find me a reenactor who wears period-style longjohns without the comfort of cotton briefs underneath.

Find me a reenactor who refuses to use the comforts of modern rest room facilities. Find me a reenactor who drinks from the creek or who eats salt pork, chitterlings and cornpone for his weekend battlefield diet.

Only a few zealots, whose authenticity is both admirable and dangerous, are willing to suffer diarrhea, rashes and dysentery for such attention to detail.

I think the authenticity of button and accoutrement plate backmarks can certainly be sacrificed for the greater good.

Blaming reenactors is just an excuse, and a poor one at that. To hear some of the repro makers, you’d think a real reenactor insists on live rounds to get that 100 percent accurate sound of minies whizzing through the air. I point this out as a reenactor myself since 1973. While authenticity is an important criterion of reenacting, it is always balanced by practicality and reason.

I urge everyone reading this article to look into CWDCA and see for yourself that it is an organization eminently worthy of your support. See for yourself that the amendment is deserving of your strong endorsement.

It is the goal of CWDCA to defend our right to engage in our Civil War-related hobbies. It is CWDCA’s avowed goal to establish a code of ethics for dealers to adhere to. It is CWDCA’s goal to make sure that we don’t go gentle into that good night. These goals are worth fighting for.

Visit CWDCA on the Web at www.CWDCA.com.

Editor’s Note: Stephen W. Sylvia is publisher of North South Trader’s Civil War.