Having only started collecting a bit over a year ago, this was my first time to go to Mansfield. The weather was great. I had the pleasure of finally meeting Carl for the first time, as well as forum members joevann (with cowboy hat and fiddle), 6lbgun, Jack Melton, Pete George, Jack Bell, Col. John Biemeck and then oldammo from the bullet side. All of whom are great guys to chat with and compare interests. Of course Mike was there and he showed me around some so I didn’t miss seeing the artillery building. I know I met other forum members, so please excuse my poor memory of names. Besides buying some small stuff like bullets and fuses, I picked up a 7 pound James Shell I had purchased a couple months ago and was too cheap to pay for shipping knowing I could pick it up at the show. I also bought a nice 3” Read from Carl. Twenty minutes before the show closed, when I thought the fun time was coming to an end and it was time to pack up and leave, my cell phone rang. It was the “Sons of Confederate Veterans” calling to inform me I had won the raffle for a copy of “A Short History of the Confederate States of America” by Jefferson Davis. My weekend was now complete. I am already looking forward to doing it again next year.