whats the cost for spectators? im going to take the kiddos myself if my husband doesnt want to come. but theres no way i can have all of us dressed and ready to go by then (i havent started sewing our wardrobes yet!!).  do spectators still get to buy with teh sutlers?

The sutlers will take anyones money tator or reenactor.

Dulcie,

Neshaminy is a State Park. Spectators get in for free, but will most likely be asked to contribute toward battlefield preservation. As Marc said the Sutlers will take anybody's money!

Dulcie,

Just be careful, many sutlers love taking advantage of those new to the hobby.

Quote :

toptimlrd wrote : Dulcie, Just be careful, many sutlers love taking advantage of those new to the hobby.

Oh Bob, Say it isn't so!  

One of you curmudgeons could write a little bit more and warn this young lady about the perils of skinner's row. It may save her some hard earned cash best put towards other things.

Quote :

Charles Heath wrote : One of you curmudgeons could write a little bit more and warn this young lady about the perils of skinner's row.

Okay,

I'll give it a try. First of all, I don't think most Sutlers are dishonest. They are offering a product but it's up to the customer if he or she wants to buy that product. You also have to remember that for many sutlers, at the big events, the spectators are the major customers, not the participants.

The simple fact of the matter, is there is a market for everything you see for sale. A sutler is not going to buy or make merchandise he can't sell. The quality and authenticity of the products, varies from costumes and toys to almost perfect reproductions of original goods. The majority of what you see for sale falls between these extremes. As an example, you will see Federal canteens for sale that are made from plastic, I hope only kids are buying these things as toys, but I'm afraid I'm wrong! My guess is there are reenactor groups out there, who would accept these things for use on the field.

The secret of succssful purchasing is to do your own research and find someone, you trust, to help you with your decisions. One thing to consider, the oldest, most respected guy in your unit may not be your best choice as a helper. This guy may well have some ideas of what constitutes good equipment that are, to put it nicely, a little out of date!

When I say do your own research, you don't need to become an expert. Go to a few museums and look at some original items. Visit some sutlers, but leave the credit card home. It really doesn't take too long before you can quickly identify the junk that's available out there.

You also have to make some decisions of what you and your husband want from the Hobby. As an example, are you interested in developing an impression that will be acceptable to you, your unit and the events you attend; or are you interested in developing the most perfect and authentic impression that resarch and money can buy? You also ought to consider what are the most obvious things that people will notice. As an example, IMHO, the hat and coat are the most obvious items of a soldier's impression. I would spend more spend more money on these items and economize somewhere else. When I say economize, I'm not suggesting you buy junk. You won't be happy and it will likely fall apart very quickly. As an example, there are leather workers, out there, who are making extremely accurate equipment these days, but they are costly. There other folks who are making a very acceptable product, that would be welcome at almost any event, for less money.

I guess the most important thing is to take your time. Loaner gear is almost always available, even for ladies. My wife dresses new ladies on a regular basis and I'm sure you can find women to help you out, in your unit, too.

So, what did I miss guys? Lets hear your ideas.  

     













 

one thing (okay two) things i love about this hobby 1) we dont have ato pay a ton of cash for our family... so many things you have to pay $10 here for one person, and all that...so even though the equipment can cost, at least doing it doesnt cost a fortune. 2) there are people out there willing to help, so many things people will say... figure it out for yourself. not so here.

note to self: dont buy anything

Dulcie,

Not buying anything is a good idea.  What you may want to do is shop through the vendors there and if you see something that looks like a good deal or have questions about get their card and web address, they will be quite happy to sell it to you later via mail as well (you ay have to pay some shipping but that is cheaper than buying the wrong thing). Once you have that information go back to your unit and ask them what they think about it. Also as has been mentioned you need to know what level of event you plan on doing (think long term here also), if all you want to do are the large events where authenticity standards are not too stringent then there are a number of folks out there selling equipment that wil work but if you would like to do more history heavy immersion events at some point then you really should think about starting with the more authentic gear to start with. It's much more expensive (although you can often save a ton if you buy used) but in the long run is cheaper than buying middle of the road stuff and having to rebuiy it later. You mentioned you are making most of your clothing and if you are using correct patterns and sewing techniques you will have the authentic look I am talking about. I actually sell gear that is on the upper end of the autheticity scale but I always tell new people not to buy because I say it's authentic I tell them to compare it to an original item and see how it stacks up. Hand sewing, proper material, proper pattern = higher cost to make and sell but presents a more correct appearance. There are a ton of differences between those $50 fatigue bluses and the $180 fatigue blouses. There are some vendors that you simply need to run away from........very quickly, some which have decent stuff for the mainstream, and some that sell wares that are acceptable at any event and then there are THOSE that sell the made in Pakistan wool blend junk that is more costume grade than living historian grade. I guess what most would need to know to help you the most outside of your unit is what level of accuracy do YOU want to achieve? I know you said your husband isn't all that into it but he may actually enjoy it once he tries it (hence our suggestion to use loaner gear first). After that the sky is the limit as to what you want to do.

BTW Charles, we have been advising her in another thread so let not your heart be troubled as we are being the gentlemen we should be in keeping her out of harms way to the best of our ability.    

--Last edited by toptimlrd on 2007-04-07 17:22:00 --

yes they have all been gentleman...well mostly  

the unit we have joined is pretty mainstream BUT i want to keep us as accurate as i can. i have done a ton of research for my sewing... i am altering patterns by looking at  godeys and the such, so i know that even though a pattern says its accurate, im not taking it for granted. (and no my boys will NOT be dressed as little soldiers). i have plans to eventually sew for others...

i keep saying my husband will enjoy it once he gets to one. not sure if he will be going with us to this one or not. my children are excited though... so just look for the red head with 4 kiddos in tow and keep telling her... NO dont buy! lol.

okay... im sewing my fingers off, kiddos asked to go in their civil war costumes. so im going to sew like crazy to get them done.

Dulcie,

While you're visiting Neshaminy, stop by Confederate Headquarters and say hello. I'm not hard to spot. Just look for the old fat guy!

will do bill!

Quote :

Bill wrote : Dulcie, While you're visiting Neshaminy, stop by Confederate Headquarters and say hello. I'm not hard to spot. Just look for the old fat guy!

Heck Bill that only narrows it down to about 80% of us, add crazy as a modifier and you would have it down to 75%.  

--Last edited by toptimlrd on 2007-04-09 11:31:00 --

kind of like me saying... look for a woman wearing a teal dress with hoops and a straw bonnet

Quote :

Bill wrote : Dulcie, While you're visiting Neshaminy, stop by Confederate Headquarters and say hello. I'm not hard to spot. Just look for the old fat guy!

Bill -

Make sure you have your correct specs, as well!  

Quote :

Bill wrote : Dulcie, While you're visiting Neshaminy, stop by Confederate Headquarters and say hello. I'm not hard to spot. Just look for the old fat guy!

Will you have your big butter knife with you so she can find you easier that way..

Quote :

lhsnj wrote :   Will you have your big butter knife with you so she can find you easier that way..

Greg,

Yeah, the butter knife and my two-way radio, the real badge of rank!

Man, you forget your period specs just one time and everybody remembers!  

so if someone in correct period clothes but incorrect period specs...then i will know that its bill, correct

im not sure what time we will arrive, its 3 and a half hrs from here, and im not sure im up for leaving at 5:30am.  it will all depend on if the husband is willing to come or not (he is going to be in pittsburgh the night before...so it depends). hes worried about his cell phone..hes on call all weekend.. its not like he will be in period dress... the rest of us will be, but not sure he can figure out how to wear his trousers and everything else before then perhaps a few lessons and he will be okay!

Quote :

Bill wrote :   Greg, Yeah, the butter knife and my two-way radio, the real badge of rank! Man, you forget your period specs just one time and everybody remembers!

Bill

You forgot your specs somewhere?  

Rusty rifle.. modern specs.. what next??