Capital of the Confederacy Civil War Show has Increased Attendance

Originally published January 2020 · pp. 18–19

RICHMOND, Va.—The Capital of the Confederacy Civil War Show held in Richmond, Va., is one of the oldest collector shows in the country, having just celebrated its 39th consecutive year. Mike Kent of MK Shows has managed the show for the Central Virginia Civil War Collectors Association for the past 11 years and is proud to state that the show is going strong, filling the hall with vendors and enthusiasts, and keeping the hobby and business of Civil War collecting alive and well. This year’s event, held on November 16 & 17 at the Richmond Raceway Complex, was a success with the same number of dealer tables sold as last year and a 5% increase in attendance. Buying was strong according to many dealers and that activity seemed evenly divided among weapons, artifacts, books, documents, and memorabilia. Although the Capital of the Confederacy Show is the smallest of three Civil War events sponsored by MK Shows, it often acts as an indicator as to how the larger shows at Franklin, Tenn., and Dalton, Ga., will fare later in the year. Kent predicted that a good, positive vibe, the room buzzing with activity and numerous reports of strong sales and purchases at the end of the weekend all bode well for the Franklin

Show on December 7 & 8 and the Dalton Show on February 1 & 2. “We are fortunate to be able to continue to fill all tables at our shows and continue to have a robust gate that keeps the dealers coming back year after year” said Kent. He continued “that as our dealer base ages and we lose one or two dealers every year due to age and illness issues, some younger dealers are stepping up to the plate and reserving an extra table or two. In many cases this is driven by purchases of collections by younger dealers from their elders who are getting out of the hobby. This process benefits the seller, who gets a fair price from a knowledgeable dealer; the buyer who gets a fresh collection that hasn’t been on the market before and the industry as a whole as enthusiasts are exposed to new, fresh material. Taken together, this process keeps the hobby alive and vibrant.” Like most shows, this one had several displays put together by dedicated individuals who often funnel their time, effort, and money into specialized collecting niches to gather the best of the best and then bring it out for the public to see. Unless you are a collector and displayer, it is difficult to understand the effort required to store, transport, set up, take down, insure, label, and research such a project, for no monetary gain. Such actions are truly a labor of love and we are fortunate the following individuals brought their spectacular award winning displays. CDR Gerald Roxbury, USN Retired, was the winner of the Best in Show award for his display entitled “A Cut Above – Presentation Pattern 1852 Naval Officer’s Swords” that included 16 swords with scabbards and a wealth of information on each sword and its original owner. Bill Thompson won the Award for Historical Significance for his stunning display entitled “Colt Revolvers Identified to Civil War Soldiers,” a collection that obviously took many years to acquire and research. Last but not least was Chris Trimble who brought out his extremely rare identified 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters Service captain’s uniform and full sized tintype which was a crowd favorite. As always the show had to contend with traffic jams and road closures due to the Richmond Marathon, cold weather, and other events being held simultaneously at the Richmond Raceway. The Capital of the Confederacy Civil War Show prevailed again however and is already making plans for its historic 40th annual show on November 14 & 15, 2020. Don’t miss it! Long time vendors and obviously good friends, Will Gorges and Homer “Mac” Cole.