Capital Of The Confederacy Civil War Show Report

Originally published January 2017 · p. 12

Capital Of The Confederacy Civil War Show Report RICHMOND, VA.—The 36th Annual Capital of the Confederacy Civil War Show was held November 12th and 13th at the Richmond Raceway Complex in Richmond, Virginia and was a huge success according to show chairman Mike Kent. Dealers from around the country and even across the pond gathered together to buy, sell, trade and fraternize with fellow Civil War dealers and enthusiasts, all in the hopes of finding that overlooked relic or artifact for their collection, shop or website. As usual, dealers were lined up several hours prior to the official opening time of 10 a.m.

Friday morning; some to get a prime location for unloading and some to get set up quickly so they could begin shopping, trading or catching up with old friends. As the day wore on, all tables in the Old Dominion building were filled with hundreds of muskets, pistols, swords, buttons, prints, relics and other artifacts from the Civil War era. Saturday broke cold and clear with a line awaiting entry prior to the 9 a.m. opening bell. It didn’t take long for the building to fill up with patrons anxiously going from table to table to visit with vendors who were eagerly showing their wares. According to Kent, a combination of advertising tactics including TV commercials, billboards, newspaper ads and an extensive e-mail campaign worked well. “It is imperative that a promoter advertises an event to the public through every available media outlet he can afford, and we are always looking for ways to leverage our advertising dollars to get the most bang for the buck” stated Kent. “That is why we rely upon the services of a professional advertising executive, Peggy Melton, to obtain the best placement for our TV commercials and newspaper ads and the best physical locations for our billboards, as evidenced by the huge billboard at the main entrance to the Raceway,” he continued. As always there are displays to be enjoyed, and this year was no different. From dug relics to identified images, naval swords to lifetime collections, displayers are always appreciated for their love of the hobby and desire to share their collecting passion with others. This year, exhibitors included Gerald Roxbury of South Mike Kent (Show Promoter) with Jason Kaplan.