Civil War relics: Better than stocks and bonds?

Malcolm — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 01:24:49 +0000

I recall that years ago when I was digging several artillery shells every day or every week, that when I dug a simple round ball, say an 8″ shell, or a 12 pounder Borman fused shell, I would be disappointed to the point I would want to throw the thing back in the hole from whence it came. Hotchkiss shell noses were the same. Only when I dug a nice James, or a Schenkl, or a Dahlgren, etc., would I consider the trip worthwhile. For purposes of trading or selling, a James I or II was worth $40, but a 12 or 24 pounder Borman-fused ball was practically valueless. Those days are gone, of course. The value of James shells, and even those “worthless” round balls, is about twenty times what it was then. Buckles and plates and certain other CW relics have experienced an even greater increase in value. What interests me now, though, is… what does the future hold for these artifacts? And how does the Civil War collectible market compare to others, for example, rare coins? I’ve seen no figures for the rate of return for CW relics, but for coins there are sources that indicate yearly returns of between 2% and 8% for each year since 1950. I’ve also read that since 1871 the stock market has returned an average of 6.3% each year. So, how does that compare with CW relics? Perhaps the best way to determine that rate of return is to compare values listed in the first North-South Trader Price Guide dated late 1974 with the latest guide dated late 2006 - a period of 32 years. This yields the following comparisons (utilizing the lowest number for excavated artifacts): Common US buckle 18/275; Eagle shoulder plate 10/150; Rect CS 2-pc plate 675/13000; CS oval belt plate 235/2000; James 3.8″ shell 35/650; Parrott 10 pdr shell 10/175; Sawyer 3.67″ shell 80/1500; 8″ grape complete 45/3500. Obviously these comparisons are not a scientific sampling. But it can be seen from the context shown that the value of CW relics has risen 1000% to 2000% in the space of 32 years, a rate of return that compares very favorably with the aforementioned rare coins and stocks. If I were transported back to 1974 and had the choice, I know which investment vehicle I would choose. Now, what does the future hold? Comments invited.

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Malcolm — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 00:42:02 +0000

There are probably few people who haven’t dreamed of buying a rare painting for $2.00 at a yard sale or an auction, or of using a metal detector to dig or dive for relics, or of digging a cache of gold coins from a cistern on an old house site. Certainly I did, some thirty-five-plus years ago, when I first bought a metal detector and got started digging Civil War relics here in Vicksburg. It was a hobby at first, but it progressed through stages to finally become an obsession, a quite enjoyable and profitable obsession. I’ll briefly describe the transition.

After digging artillery shells for awhile, I found that campsites are the depository of many of the personal effects of the soldiers of several different American wars – the buckles, buttons, etc. – that are highly prized by collectors. So I hunted campsites. Soon after that I began hunting old playgrounds and house sites that are the inevitable resting places for old coins. Many that I found were very old, several very rare. I would never have tried scuba-diving, but when I learned the rivers were loaded with relics, I learned to use an underwater metal detector. And when the weather was uncooperative, or the digging fields or streams uncooperative, and my obsession with treasure hunting undeniable, I learned that treasure, indeed, can be found anywhere, and in an infinite number of forms.

“Treasure” can mean different things to different people. There’s hardly a limit to the diversity of what people collect, and I gradually learned to appreciate them all. A small list of collectibles might include: Currency, especially collectible notes. Bullion. Stamps. Jewelry. Antiques. Guns. Gems. Rare documents. Clocks and watches. Knives. Autographs. Rare bottles. Railroad artifacts and documents. Audio records. Diaries. Tools. Stained glass. Old appliances. Clothing. Radios. Military artifacts. Photographs. Art glass and china. Carnival glass. Cookie jars. Dolls. Indian artifacts. Marbles. Baseballs and baseball cards. Decoys. Postcards. Books. Silverware. Paintings. Art work. Antique automobiles. Rugs. Tokens. Posters. Musical instruments. Insulators. Flags. Comic books. And on and on and on…

My first yard sales and auctions were disastrous. I had learned quite a bit about Civil War relics and coins, but auctions and yard/estate sales presented a dazzling variety of furniture, glassware, framed prints, books and magazines, toys, and a thousand other things the collector value of which I was totally ignorant. I recognized my limitations and began building a reference library. Even so, the task of learning to be semi-expert in all fields of collecting is impossible. With experience, however, and with study of the various reference guides, I developed a kind of “sixth sense” about the value of various items. It fails me at times, but generally I can now separate the “treasure” from the hundreds of “junk” items offered at sales.

In the past few years I have learned to use eBay and/or Google not only for selling and buying “treasure,” but just as importantly, as a research tool. There is a huge number of collectibles being bought and sold online everyday, many at prices a far cry from “book value.” Most amazing is the variety and scope of offerings on eBay; on any given day you will find listings for items that you never knew existed.

I’ve had so much fun hunting “treasure” over the past thirty-five-plus years that I wrote a book in which I share my adventures and some of my treasure-finds. But I have a lot to learn, too, so I’m interested in hearing about (and being entertained by) the experiences and adventures of other treasure hunters. If you have a story to share, please post.

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Civil War relics: Better than stocks and bonds?

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