[MR] Gem Show at the Raleigh Fairgrounds Labor Day weekend

[rmhowe]

A Few of you are friends of Jane and some don't know me.
Some do and we've taken jewelry/metalsmithing/lapidary classes 
together. I know at least some of you are jewellers and metalsmiths.
I usually announce Gem Shows coming to our area.
It's a feeble service attempt of mine to get people spiffed up and
supplied. This one corresponds with a south of Raleigh SCA event.

The rest of you are SCA members.
If you are not and are curious go to
http://www.sca.org/ Parent organization.        
http://www.atlantia.sca.org/ Our roughly 4 state Kingdom.
Be sure and look at the arts and sciences links pages.
I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. We do this all year.

http://www.windmastershill.org/ which is the Local Central NC Barony.

If you are coming to Raleigh for War College this Labor Day weekend
there is also going to be a Gem, Mineral and Jewelry Show at
the Kerr Scott Building Aug 31-Sept 3, 2001. This is the Treasures
of the Earth show and not the local gem club. That was last time
I think. We're getting about 4 shows a year here now.

Friday 12 noon to 7pm
Saturday 10am to 7pm
Sunday 11am to 6pm
Monday 10am to 5pm
Admission is $3, less $1 with coupons. Students under 16 free.

http://www.ncstatefair.org/ for lists of events.
Sometimes four or more are happening at once.
There is also an equestrian center.

All this would be right next to the huge flea market (no cost)
at the NCState Fairgrounds each weekend. There may even
be fireworks this weekend. They have them a number of times
per year, and during the huge State Fair. There is a nice shaded
lake with ducks and geese in the northwest part of the Grounds 
as well behind the Village of Yesteryear, which is where the 
annual Renaissance Festival is held. But not now. You could picnic.
(The one in Charlotte usually happens the next couple months.)

The fairgrounds are located at Hillsborough St. and Blue Ridge
Road, which is about 3/4 mile west of the western side of I-440
which is our beltline. On the west side of Raleigh. 25 minutes
from the War College site. (Blue Ridge Road runs from Western
Blvd north across Hillsborough St. to Crabtree Valley past the
Fairgrounds.) Gorman Street runs from Tryon Road and I-40 to
Hillsborough St.

Take Lake Wheeler Road coming north from the War College. 
Tryon Road you would turn west on. Then turn north on Gorman St. 
Then turn West on Hillsborough St. to reach our fairgrounds.

There is a $1.50 theatre about 3/4 mile south of the Fairgrounds
on Blue Ridge Road (east side) which is still playing the 
Knight's Tale (at least this week) and other recent hits. 
If you haven't seen it you really should on the screen at least
once. Some of the scenes are hilarious. Especially the opening
jousting scene to the tune of We Will Rock You. Most of the sets
are great.

I-40 comprises the southern side of our beltline.
Be careful to take the appropriate exits if you're coming from
the Optimists' Farm site this way from south of Raleigh. There 
is a complex interchange from I-40 to I-440 near eastern Cary.

You can also get there by taking the Gorman Street Exit north
off of I-40 and going north to Hillsborough St. and turning west 
on it. While there are many buildings on the Fairgrounds the 
Kerr Scott building is on the south east side, north of the two 
flea market buildings with the restored old gate. The main entrance
is off of Blue Ridge Road. Turn left into the fairgrounds and
the Kerr Scott building is on the right.

As a side note the movie The Musketeer is coming to
local theatres Sept. 7th. It's a mixture of The Three Musketeers
and Hong Kong martial arts moves. Looked a bit like the Charlie
Sheen rendition.

Among other things I hear there is a LEATHER booth in Flea Market
Building Two. I'm a bit too crippled to do the big
flea market anymore, so I haven't seen it. This would be the
most eastern leather supplier in NC. I hear he's got some
deal going with Zack White Leather from Ramseur, which is 
west of Asheboro an hour and a half west on Hwy. 64.
The only other dealer in NC is the Leather Factory in Charlotte.

So you -have time- before or after War College to make a side
trip and enjoy yourselves, spiff yourself up, or get some
material for those crafts/dress accessories/armor projects if you
have ANY money left after the Pennsic War. (We don't.)
http://www.PennsicWar.org/ for the curious.

There are tons of reasonably priced tools at the flea market.
Often some blacksmithing tools. I've haunted the place since 1971
when it started. Two miles north of my home.
 
If you are interested in modern jewelry sized or larger tools 
there is a huge 40 x 80 set of four silver tents with a dealer I 
can definitely recommend. Lots of small tools and rotary tools 
accessories. Even small diamond carvers and wheels. On the main 
drag near the parking west of the Scott building and north of 
the outdoor restrooms. I frequently buy from him when he is 
setting up Friday afternoons.

BTW. Those Chinese Terracotta Army arrowheads you may see for sale 
at the Gem Show are -fakes-. So are the majority of Chinese Cash 
(Tai Chi) coins for sale out there. If I'm there, and you're curious
as to whether or not some are real ask me. I've collected them for
thirty years. I usually go out on Friday evening for a while. In 
past shows there have been some really good, really cheap and often
medieval looking Indian silver jewelry for sale that resembles 
some of the European and Near Eastern styles. Also bunches of amber.
The last time I bought a bunch of synthetic Garnet for slicing
for migration era inlay pieces. I couldn't find large enough garnet
to try the fire-splitting technique they used. There are frequently
fossil ivory pieces, warthog and hippo tusks, sometimes boar teeth.

Note: It is illegal to buy or sell animal bits of animals native
to NC, this includes deer, bear, and elk, which are now naturally
stocked in NC's mountains since Febuary. Curiously you can buy them
from out of state. Cabella's or Antler, Hide and Claw. You just
can't resell here. I have known people who have been arrested out 
there for this. Snakes are a definite no-no on the grounds and most 
dogs are discouraged.  

The gem shows usually have 50-60 dealers. This one is a travelling
commercial show, and it gets a mixed lot of dealers, a few with
equipment at times. Usually some good book and gem supplies dealers.

Last year I got to photograph hundreds of pieces of medieval 
jewelry, belt ends, fibulae, and beads a dealer had that
had not met reserve in a Christies' auction. (Of course I had some
resources to trade with them for the privilege.) It was a major 
collection from Georgia/Ukraine ex-USSR and included Scythian,
Merovingian, and ancient to medieval examples. Some had textile / 
leather remains still attached. I later bought three Christies 
catalogs for the descriptions. There were even original solid 
gold sewing needles. And some bone Scythian archer's bracers.

So you never know what you might find. Might be worth a look.
Have a good time. Take a camera. Some jewelers often have stands/
equipment you might like to replicate.

Master Magnus