After the 150ths, Are You In or Out?

[Eric Tipton]

Greetings!

A simple and direct question for this fine Monday morning. After the completion of the 150th Anniversary Events this spring, are you staying in the Civil War Hobby or are you getting out? Why?

[Milliron]

Re: After the 150ths, Are You In or Out?

I don't think I could ever be fully out. Honestly, I'm looking forward to the end of the cycle. Maybe then things will start to get back to normal.

[KevinBarnes]

Re: After the 150ths, Are You In or Out?

I don't think I could ever be fully out. Honestly, I'm looking forward to the end of the cycle. Maybe then things will start to get back to normal.

This. I've got another 20 years in me, Lord willing.

[drkuluth]

Re: After the 150ths, Are You In or Out?

I've only been in the hobby since last year so I'm definitely sticking around.

[Silas]

Re: After the 150ths, Are You In or Out?

The 150's have been a mixed bag. I've loved the certainty of calendar. Planning for events has been easy because you know with some certainty which anniversary events are going to happen. What's happening in 2016 or 2017? Beats me. The anniversaries allowed for an event like Ball's Bluff on the same gound where it happened when nothing like that had been scheduled before. It also made events like Bermuda Hundred and New Market Heights possible. So, I'm going to miss the certainty and specialness.

However, it has also brought out the farb factor with (1) competing events like the Shiloh's and Gettysburgs and (2) with the carpe eventum adjuncts where folks try to squeeze some meaningful value from mainstream events.

There has also been some calendar suck because its hard to coordinate smaller quality anniversary events which have the bad fortune to be within a week or two of some bigger anniversary event.

The next five years ought to be a period of normalcy. I'm expecting some degree of calendar certainty when the 160's roll around, but not to the degree we've seen during the 150's. Smaller quality events and living histories, not bound by a five year cycle, will hopefully be commonplace.

To answer the question, I'll still be active. I guess that means more forum moderation and more free booklets of drill.

[mike44thva]

Re: After the 150ths, Are You In or Out?

I'm in at least for another 20 years, that way I can bring my son out with me.

As far as the booklets of drill Mr. Tackitt speaks of, I'm still trying to read the current offering. Thanks again for the site.

[Strawfoot]

Re: After the 150ths, Are You In or Out?

At Perryville in 2002, I remarked I'd stick around through the 150th's... Outside of floating cartilage in my knees I'm probably in better shape now than then, so I'm just going out on my shield.

[Michael Comer]

Re: After the 150ths, Are You In or Out?

I think the 150ths have brought the campaign side of the hobby down more to the mainstream level. No drill, no guard duty, laxity in impressions, more farby behavior than before, very little immersion etc. If that trend continues then yes, I am out. If we can go back to having quality EBUFU's, then I will stick around.

[coastaltrash]

Re: After the 150ths, Are You In or Out?

My Dad got me involved in this hobby when I was 5 years old and I met my wife, also a lifetime reenactor. While we've gone from doing 4-8 events a year 5 years ago down to 1 or 2, we'll still be involved. I swore leaving the parking lot at Chickamauga, that I'd never go to another large scale event. After Pickett's Mill I'm also hanging up my "battle" events. I'm going to change what I've been doing, but I'll never hang it up, Like I told people, I'm taking my campaigner attitude and going back to the tree line. The 150th Battle events have been the source of more headache and burnout than they were worth.

[Sackcoat]

Re: After the 150ths, Are You In or Out?

Will be reenacting less but certainly not getting out.

Plan on spending more time towards activities such as preservation, round tables, and education. More so from a shift in interest than the end of the 150th cycle.

Will certainly be more particular on which events to attend. Living history and campaigner only events will be the main focus.

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: After the 150ths, Are You In or Out?

I'm not leaving, but my focus will be shifting. My kids are showing a great deal of interest in the hobby, so my challenge will be how to participate with my kids in a historically accurate way.

When my son gets older, he'll be able to fall-in with me in a military role if he wants to. For my daughter, that is not the case. So, I'm getting civilian impressions together for us all, as well as looking at earlier timer periods where "family" and "farby" do not go hand-in-hand.

So, for the next five years or so, my military participation may be scaled back somewhat... my primary focus will be making memories with my kids and showing them why their dad finds history so interesting.

[Haversack]

Re: After the 150ths, Are You In or Out?

I've gone a year or so without doing events before, but always end up coming back because I inevitably get that itch to wear funny clothes, sleep on the ground, and spend time in the field with my pards again. This hobby is certainly my favorite way of engaging my interest in history, and I plan on sticking around for as long as I am physically able (which I hope to be a good many years to come).

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: After the 150ths, Are You In or Out?

I have a authentically-minded family, an extra room in the house specifically for all of our gear and am committed to this insane asylum for as long as I can wear fashions that are 150+ years out of date. It's part of our American Heritage and identity, so yes, no lack of 150th XYZ party will dissuade me from leaving the hobby.

In for a penny, in for a pound. :)

All the best- JLlo

[Canton Zouave]

Re: After the 150ths, Are You In or Out?

Well, getitng longer in the tooth and wider through the mid section, my soldering days may be over after this cycle, but that will leave me more time to make civilail attire and to refine the authentic sutlery that I have been working on for several years now. So, onward and upward to Civilian Life in the mid 19th centruy we go!

[Mike Ventura]

Re: After the 150ths, Are You In or Out?

I think the 150ths have brought the campaign side of the hobby down more to the mainstream level. No drill, no guard duty, laxity in impressions, more farby behavior than before, very little immersion etc. If that trend continues then yes, I am out. If we can go back to having quality EBUFU's, then I will stick around.

I think what Michael Comer said is spot on. Even the carpe-eventums at the bigger events turned out to be photo ops for Facebook. Who remembers the days when you didn't dare bring a camera to the field? When you see the "authentics" lounging around sutler row on Saturday afternoon instead of attempting an immersive experience, well...

Me, I'm gone,