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Author Topic: Franklin Show report  (Read 7181 times)

emike123

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Franklin Show report
« on: December 14, 2014, 10:33:06 AM »
Pete called last night and asked me to post a show update on last weekend’s Franklin Show.  I have been traveling and not able to post much of late, but I am home for the holidays now.  Yay!

The Franklin Show was good as usual, maybe better than what has become “the new normal” since it moved to smaller, albeit still spacious, quarters in Franklin.  As with the last couple shows since August, I was in an unusual circumstance for me with my primary objective being to sell vs. buy.  It is impossible to do both well, but I did manage to stumble across more than the usual amount of acquisitions which was nice.
Sales were excellent, but that is probably largely a function of us having quite a bit of nice, well priced material right now.  The for sale items from the four collections we have purchased are finally rolling out the finished goods end of Jim and Carl’s most excellent inerting and electrolysis factory, but there is plenty more quality stuff to come for Charleston, Dalton, hopefully Baltimore, Wheaton and Mansfield over the next 6 months.



I actually bought quite a lot at Franklin from a nice group of 22 Dimick bullets to 11 artillery projectiles and a few other things like a Mac Mason item for a Mac Mason display I am building (after seeing Dave Slemmer’s and one other) and some artillery tools that walked in right before I left.  For projectiles I am keeping in my collection vs. flipping, it was a Hotchkiss kind of show.

  • Non dug 20pdr Hotchkiss.  This is the exact shell shown in D&G on page 176.  I added the fuse when I got home – it screwed in easily to this rarity 10 dropped shell.   

    2 nice, larger caliber Hotchkiss shells from Vicksburg.  Super condition as one expects from there. 
    Canister D rebuilt a 3” Hotchkiss canister for me and delivered it along with some rounds for others.  This one has an original top plate, but some of his reconstructed canister have very nice reproduction tops.  Right before I left I saw a 6pdr he had rebuilt one guy was reselling as all original despite Canister D having told him very clearly that he had made the top plate from some rusting farm equipment.  Going forward Canister D is going to mark his repros as a result.


The prices in the Western theatre are way better than they are out East.  I don’t know how the folks out East sell many relics, but they do seem to like to make the trek to Tennessee to buy them.

Of course, the camaraderie is always the highlight of these shows.  It was great to spend time with Jack Bell, Dan K., Brant Arnold, Jack Melton, TraderSean, the inspirational TraderEd, Carl, Harvey Warrner, Howard Aligood, Jerry Foster, Nick Periut, Jon P., Steve Sylvia, Rafael, Ran H. (thanks for hauling my stuff back to Richmond), John Walsh, Steve Phillips and others too numerous to name.
« Last Edit: December 16, 2014, 06:50:15 PM by emike123 »

emike123

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Re: Franklin Show report
« Reply #1 on: December 16, 2014, 10:45:02 AM »
I forgot I also acquired this Archer bolt on the right.  It is the one with 3 waste grooves vs. the more common 2 grooved one on the right.  It is from Columbus, KY which was an early fight and I believe Grant's first where he almost got left by the transport ship and had to ride his horse right onto it under fire. 

This is my 16th different kind of Archer.  Here is a picture of the bolt before it goes in the electrolysis tank.

CarlS

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Re: Franklin Show report
« Reply #2 on: December 16, 2014, 11:38:27 AM »
Hello,

I wasn't able to vacuum up much in the way of relics for my collection but did find a few good deals to add to our sales inventory.  I did see a couple items that really temped me but were a bit more than I could handle at the moment such as a 32-lber grape stand from the USS Cairo.  Here is another view of our two tables as view from the other direction:

Best,
Carl

CarlS

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Re: Franklin Show report
« Reply #3 on: December 16, 2014, 01:24:47 PM »
This is a really big show and pretty hard to get most of it in one image.  The show is in an arena with probably (my very rough guess) 250 to 300 tables upstairs around the concourse and the remaining 700 or so on the floor.   See below 3 images from behind our upstairs table of just the floor going left to right:

West end of the floor:


Center:


East End:
Best,
Carl

Garret

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Re: Franklin Show report
« Reply #4 on: December 16, 2014, 11:45:50 PM »
Thanks for the report Mike and Carl.  Was there anything at the show that you would consider to be a showstopper, holy grail or a jaw-dropping relic? 
"Suppose you were an idiot.  And suppose you were a member of Congress.  But I repeat myself."  Mark Twain

CarlS

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Re: Franklin Show report
« Reply #5 on: December 17, 2014, 01:15:54 AM »
Hard to say as there was an immense amount of relics to be seen.  My favorite which I already mentioned was the grape stand from the USS Cairo.  But I guess it really depended on what things you like.  One guy had an old pocket knife collection with some from the 1700's that were quite neat.  I didn't even know they went back that far.  Of course bullets, buttons and buckles galore.  I didn't get a ton of time to wander around so perhaps Mike, Dan, Jon or someone could share some of what they saw.
Best,
Carl

emike123

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Re: Franklin Show report
« Reply #6 on: December 17, 2014, 08:40:14 AM »
For artillery, Dr. Foster had some very nice relics for sale.  He had one of those Chickamauga warlogs with about 30 iron canister balls and frags in it and a mint friction primer box.

Forum member CanisterD and the Wms Bros won "Best of Show" for their canister display.  That is really impressive and will be set up at Baltimore again in March.  CanisterD borrowed a 3.4" Sawyer canister from me so naturally I think that is what put them over the top.  I'll see if CanisterD has a picture of it to share here.  Carl kept me chained to the table, too busy to take pictures.

jonpatterson

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Re: Franklin Show report
« Reply #7 on: December 17, 2014, 10:02:39 AM »
The canister display that Mike mentioned was in my mind the highlight of the show. I picked up two nice and scarce shells, a 3.3" Read shell from Ft. Blakely fired from a Leeds Rifle and a Vicksburg area watercap 8" spherical shell from Mike & Carl. The only other item I picked up was a nice dug eagle breast plate. I did see two 3.8" tie ring James shells, but not as nice as their prices reflected. It seemed to be that attendance was a bit light, but was only my second time there, so not a good judge.
It is history that teaches us to hope.

Robert E. Lee

Roy A

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Re: Franklin Show report
« Reply #8 on: December 17, 2014, 05:32:03 PM »
How often is this show held? I really want to try getting out that way one day.

emike123

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Re: Franklin Show report
« Reply #9 on: December 17, 2014, 05:35:06 PM »
Its always the first weekend in December.

emike123

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Canister display at Franklin
« Reply #10 on: December 18, 2014, 08:32:16 AM »

CarlS

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Re: Franklin Show report
« Reply #11 on: December 18, 2014, 02:22:28 PM »
It is an amazing display every time I see it!
Best,
Carl