Chattanooga Antique Militaria & Americana Show & Sale
Originally published September 2022 · pp. 16
Chattanooga Antique Militaria & Americana Show & Sale Annual event better than ever!
For the 6th straight year, the Camp Jordan Arena in Eastridge, Tenn., hosted what is becoming one of the “have to be there” Civil War and Antique Military shows in the southeast. Dealers and collectors from across the country attended this year’s show, one of two such events each year put on by American Digger magazine. The other event is their Charleston show held each January. One of the tasks of a promoter is to get out word about the show, including to the public. The later was accomplished by widespread advertising and news coverage, including a five minute guest appearance by show promoters Butch Holcombe and Mark Schuessler on Chattanooga TV Chanel 12’s live morning news the day before. Other news media reported from the arena once the doors officially opened. According to Holcombe, “There is nothing better to draw the public than media coverage. Not only does it make the public aware of what is going on, it also introduces many to a hobby they may never have known existed, collecting history.” There were over 230 eight foot display tables set up in the spacious air-conditioned hall; all were filled with items from ancient to WWII. Previous to the event, a huge collection of Civil War relics from Atlanta was sold by a deceased collector’s family, resulting in a huge array of relics at Chattanooga that were never offered to the public before. As at all American Digger shows, awards were given. Winners this year were: Best Non Dug, Jeremiah Simmons (a wallet belonging to CSA Major General Howell Cobb); Best Dug, Tommy
Crook (a SS Nazi Officer’s hat insignia); Most Educational, Del Thomasson (a flagstaff topper display); and Robert Bushnell (a Republic of Texas display). An informal survey among dealers revealed that most did well at the show, with one major dealer saying it was his best show ever. The 2023 show date has already been announced for July 22 & 23 at the same Eastridge, Tennessee venue. For more information, email anita@americandigger. com or call 770-362-8671.
