Dalton Civil War Show Continues to Win Accolades

Originally published March 2019 · pp. 1–15

DALTON, Ga.—While a polar vortex threatened north Georgia early in the week, skies cleared and temperatures rose to almost balmy levels just in time for the 24th Annual Chickamauga Civil War Show and Sale held at the Dalton Convention Center on February 2-3. Enthusiasm was high as the parking lot filled to capacity early Friday morning as dealers jockeyed for positions to ensure a good spot close to the doors for the move in. Many vendors had not seen each other since the Franklin show in early December, and all were excited to quickly set up their tables and begin searching for that perfect item to add to their collection or shop. Show Promoter Mike Kent of MK Shows expected this show to be a success based on the results of the preceding Richmond and Franklin shows and he was not disappointed. With all 500 tables sold out weeks ahead of time, Kent had to contend with a promoter’s worst nightmare; turning away quality dealers due to lack of space. Over 15 dealers were unable to secure tables because the popular show sold out much earlier than usual. The folks who were fortunate enough to acquire tables were treated to a show reminiscent of the old days with a huge crowd, money freely changing hands, and lots of fresh material walking in the door. As always, an enthusiastic group of history buffs from the Atlanta Civil War Round Table journeyed to Dalton to take in the sights and visit with old friends in what has become an annual pilgrimage for the group. Other celebrities spotted at the show were Wayne and Greg Williams, promoters of the well-known Ohio Civil War and Artillery Show, in town to check things out with the promise of returning next year with one of their museum quality displays. Over the course of the weekend, many dealers expressed the feeling that the Dalton show was one of their favorites on the circuit. When questioned about it, Kent agreed and provided an insight into why so many dealers felt that way.

The Venue The Dalton Convention Center is a state of the art building with 50,000 square feet of unobstructed exhibit space in one room with great lighting, an easy move in via multiple ground level doors, a huge carpeted lobby, free internet access, acres of free parking, and good concessions. It is the perfect venue for our type of event.

The Location Dalton is centrally located between Atlanta and Nashville, two major population areas, and only 20 miles south of Chattanooga. These areas saw some of the heaviest fighting in the Civil War and there is tremendous interest in the war even today. In fact, the address of the Dalton Convention Center is Dug Gap Battle Road; it is located less than a mile off I-85 at Exit 333.

The Amenities With more than ten major hotels and corresponding restaurants within one mile of the Convention Center, lodging, meals, and social activities are easy and convenient to access. (Jack Melton)

The Staff

Although the Convention Center staff are rarely encountered by dealers, they are fully supportive of the show and go out of their way to ensure the event goes off flawlessly each year. They have been invaluable in scheduling dates, arranging speakers, and working with the Convention and Visitors Bureau to make the show a success. Even though the Dalton show is not the biggest event of its type in the country, exhibitor Martha Nelson summed it up best: “It’s not too big, it’s not too small; it’s just the right size!” As always, there are several items at each show that are a little unusual and garner a lot of attention. This year was no different; two items had a direct Dalton connection. Will Gorges of Battleground Antiques in New Bern, N.C., brought a Confederate battle flag manufactured in Augusta, Ga., that was delivered to the 1864 Confederate winter camp in Dalton to replace an original flag that was either lost or destroyed. One of only eleven similar flags known to exist; it was being offered for $95,000. The other item was a war log from the Battle of Chickamauga that featured a projectile embedded in the trunk. It was being displayed by Dicky Ferry of MacClenny, Fla., and was originally part of the Steve Mullinax collection. Several new dealers were participating in the Dalton show for the first time and promised to be back next year after an exciting and profitable first time out. In addition, several vendors who had not been seen in several years were back as well. Kent discussed the aging of vendors as well as the aging of attendees and opined about the difficulty of attracting new blood into the Civil War collecting community. While many older enthusiasts “just know” about Civil War shows, promoters are having to work smarter and rethink the way they advertise their events to reach new potential customers as the old traditional ways are becoming less and less effective. In the past, newspaper ads, TV and radio commercials, billboards, post cards, and flyers were the primary modes of advertising. Fast forward to 2019 with fewer and fewer people reading newspapers, more people listening to commercial free Sirius radio, TV cable companies who won’t air commercials featuring weapons of any type, and postage rates that are prohibitive for mailing thousands of post cards for a show. That leaves you with billboards and the new advertising trend known as social media. Kent made a bold move 5 years ago when he switched from mailing 5,000 post cards to previous attendees to sending 5,000 emails with no downturn in attendance. In addition, he runs digital ads on all Civil War and gun related advertising forums, maintains an up to date website, has a corporate Facebook presence, accepts digital $1 off coupons at the door, and partners with all his venues to advertise via Facebook. If we are to survive and grow in this business, Kent thinks it is imperative that we embrace these newer trends and use them to their fullest potential to attract and keep engaged younger and more tech savvy enthusiasts, even though the material we all deal in is over 100 years old! The next Dalton Civil War Show and Sale is scheduled for Feb. 1-2, 2020, but make plans to attend Mike Kent’s Capital of the Confederacy Show in Richmond, Nov. 16-17 and the Franklin Civil War Show on Dec. 7-8.

John & Nikki Walsh, proprietors of FortDonelsonRelics.com, offered a number of antique weapons for sale at the show.

Rare War Log from Chickamauga with a US 10-pounder Parrott shell embedded in the trunk.