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Collecting Civil War Artifacts: A Hobby of Passion

Collecting Civil War artifacts can be very exciting in so many ways. I should know. My father fell in love with history when he was in college. On the first day of class, a professor tossed my dad a mini ball and said "this is history." As he sat there holding the Civil War bullet, aka history in his hand, he was hooked!

From that day on he couldn't get enough of learning about the past. What made it so exciting for him was that artifacts from the Civil War period abound, not only in museums, but in the ground where they fell during a battle.
Today my father teaches history. I'm so glad he shared his passion with me. A few of his particular interests have been Civil War paper memorabilia and uniforms. He even appeared on an A&E television special as an authority on Civil War letters. Yes, these are usually worth a pretty penny. But that is what makes this hobby so great. It is accessible to anyone. You can acquire things that are inexpensive in the beginning and then trade up to things that are valued for many thousands of dollars as you learn.
As a kid, I was also able to participate in this educational past time. While growing up, every year my family would take a summer vacation to Gettysburg Pennsylvania. With living history encampments, soldier re-enactments, and the Civil War Collectors' Show, I learned history by touching it. I wore Civil War vintage dresses, hair combs, and even ladies boots. So you can see collecting Civil War artifacts is not gender specific.
I still have a cherished collection of Civil War medical instruments. Some of the medicine bottles still have tablets in them. Could these have been used on the battlefield? Someday I plan to get that leech jar I've had my eyes on for so long.
Here are my tips for getting started in collecting Civil War memorabilia:
1. Even though artifacts can be very valuable, collect or trade them because you love history.
2. Be very careful when hunting for artifacts with a metal detector. Laws are very strict today. Many of them carry steep fines and even jail sentences if you hunt on National or State park land.
3. You must vacation in Gettysburg Pennsylvania during the big Civil War Collectors' Show held every summer. Soak up your new hobby as you site see and you may just find yourself standing at the desk where Abraham Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address.
Collecting Civil War artifacts is more rewarding than just for their monetary value. The true joy comes from taking part in preserving the tangible pieces of Americana.
By the way, my daughter's favorite subject is history. And yes, her name is Scarlett, named after the main character in Gone With the Wind! History always lives on.

Learn more about this author, Jennifer Bickerton.
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