Corkscrews in Virginia (1997)

We spent the past three weeks at Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia venturing away seldom to hunt for corkscrews. However, we attended one very, very big event. John Stanley had told me to try the Hillsville, Virginia show. This show is in its 30th year and the selling started Friday, August 29 at 7AM and continued through Monday. 350,000 visitors were expected at the show! Bonnie and I arrived about 10AM Thursday to scout out the area. After 4 hours of wandering about the areas being set up we quit for the day. The next morning we were there at 7AM. We spent 5 hours wandering about 1000 or so stands. Worn out, we skipped the other 1000 plus and went home.

Remember my recent story about my Korn's Patent find? After all those years of hunting, I found one. In Hillsville I found another! This one has advertising on both scales: "Compliments National Tobacco Works, Louisvlle, Ky." and "Piper Heidsieck Plub Tobacco, Champagne Flavor." It was hard work and the Korn's was the only reward worth reporting. I saw many common corkscrews at unusually high prices and passed them up. We will try Hillsville again!

Fortunately, we do get mail at the lake so all was not a loss! My corkscrew addiction was fed by the U. S. Postal Service. The early 19th century barrel roundlet with folding worm (missing a turn) was won in an ebay bidding war. The other two corkscrews came from the August 1997 Christie's Auction in London. The steel folding perfume with glove hook is a mere 2" long. The tiger head perfume is from Birmingham, England 1896.

©1997 Donald A. Bull