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Iconoclast -Cartridge Collecting Information

heavyiron
Iconoclast,

I know you are active with the IAA forum and also on the evil auction website auctioning cartridge specimens and I greatly respect your knowledge in this area. Personally, I don't know any other cartridge collectors so joining the IAA is a good idea. Collecting cartridges is a rather arcane hobby. I have never encountered a single person that had the same hobby.

I would like to attend one of the upcoming Cartridge Shows. Do you have any advice for those who are about to attend their first show? What actually goes on at one?

Thanks for your advice.

Heavyiron


bullitt_county_4199_small.jpg
"If I don't see you nomore on this world, I'll meet you on the next one, and don't be late!" - Jimi Hendrix
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  • Iconoclast
    Iron, there are plenty of collectors out there. The internet has been incredibly effective in connecting many such as yourself who thought they were alone in this hobby. The IAA is itself fairly small - something over 1000 members and given its roots, it is tilted toward American membership and American material. Still it *is* an international association with members across the globe, including not only collectors, but forensic scientists and diverse police agencies such as our own FBI or the Thai police. There are also smaller, but very active associations in other parts of the world - the European association is the second largest. All of these organizations attract an eclectic group of members, but regional interests tend to predominate.

    If you go to the IAA site: http://www.cartridgecollectors.org/ - you will find several links on the left side of the home page. Details of upcoming shows is one of those, as well as membership information, lists of references, etc.

    Advice:

    (1) Bring a list of what you already have and a list of what you *really* want. Depending on the latter, you may or may not find it. Usually there will be a diverse group of interests represented - domestic and foreign, commercial and military, shotshell, .22 boxes, metallics, big bore, early & transitional, etc. Typically you will not see the truly exotic rounds for sale except at the annual St. Louis show, but even an advanced collector can be reasonably sure of adding something. After all, there is easily as many different rounds of ammo out there are postage stamps, and our stuff pre-dates the little pieces of paper by a few centuries.

    (2) Bring as much money as you want to spend, but no more. Well, maybe an "x" fund if you have a mind to. [;)]

    Added: (3)Be aware that for some arcane reason I do not pretend to know, cartridge shows traditionally open on a weekday and close Saturday at noon or a little after.

    The shows vary considerably. At the smaller regional shows, there are typically 20 - 50 tables of people selling specimens or boxes. There are often "goody boxes" and sometimes doing some "dumpster diving" in these can be enormously rewarding *if* you have a sharp eye. A buddy of mine pulled a $100 round from a bin of "$0.50 each" in St. Louis this spring and found three or four other lesser gems as well. He also spent several hours pawing through thousands of rounds of ammo.

    In St. Louis, there perhaps 20 - 30% of the 200+ tables are given over to exhibits. There have been some incredible ones there over the years. One fellow this year had four tables of Confederate rounds - if there was something the Confederates used which he didn't have, I don't know what it could have been. And he had sealed packets for most of it. At a guess, it would cost an absolute minimum of $500K to replicate that collection. There were also displays of subcaliber artillery / mortar training rounds - along with the mortars, artillery emulators, etc. and one of "special purpose rounds" which included two of the only four known remaining DU (depleted uranium) .30-06 / 7.62x51 specimens.

    There may be some live auctions or silent auctions as well - these are going on most of the time in St. Louis. There is quite a bit of private selling going on in the guest rooms over the days leading up to the official show and some seminars on various topics. The most interesting one this year was presented by the Indiana SP forensic scientists. Amazing what they can do with a fired case or bullet, and not just the obvious stuff.

    Well, I don't have two days to reply, but I think you get the idea. [:D]

    PS: Looking at your profile, I would guess the closest show to you might be Baltimore, although that is a general gun show rather than a pure cartridge show.


    "There is nothing lower than the human race - except the french." (Mark Twain)
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  • shooter93
    I collect them, sometimes with quite a fervor. I like mostly English and American old west catridges but a lot of shotshells are just pretty too. I need a 700 nitro now. Most states have an annual or bi-annual show I know Pa. does but I'm not sure when. I did belong to the International catridge collectors and should join again. I think it's a fascinating hobby. A lot of guns left over from yesteryear but the shells were made to shoot so sometimes you do a lot of looking.
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  • Iconoclast
    shooter93, there are actually *two* annual shows in PA - Williamsport and Denver - both good, albeit on the smallish side (40 - 50 tables).

    "There is nothing lower than the human race - except the french." (Mark Twain)
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  • heavyiron
    Great advice!

    Now I have a plan for obtaining more specimens.

    It sure is good to find people with the same interests.

    Thanks.

    Heavyiron

    bullitt_county_4199_small.jpg
    "If I don't see you nomore on this world, I'll meet you on the next one, and don't be late!" - Jimi Hendrix
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