If you find a good unit, chances are they will help you out when getting started. I just joined up this year and the head of our unit is lending me a ton of stuff until I can afford to buy my own. It is quite expensive to get into, but once you have your uniform, musket and accouterments, the costs go way down.I am 15 years old and the Civil War is a passion for me. I plan to be at the 150th Gettysburg. If I were old enough I would consider reenacting but it is expensive so that will have to wait. There are few of us but I take pride in our nations history and all the men who fought and died to preserve it.Having been a re-enactor from 1981 thru 2008 and a member of the North-South Skirmish Association for a couple years from the late 70's to the early 80's I was fortunate to be able to ride the wave of re-enacting as it grew, swelled, and receded.Wonder why? I had considered getting into this for ages but the start-up costs are pretty daunting in addition to the appeal of wearing wool in 80-90 degree heat. Plus there is/was only one really big re-enactment in Texas last I knew, and now that's several hours from me.
When I started putting on Union blue in the late 70's for the NSSA and when I joined the re-enactment community in 81 most of the people were similar in age to me or a bit younger. We had been kids in the 50's and 60's. At that time we were immersed in TV shows about cowboys and indians, WWII and Civil War movies, and our fathers were mostly WWII vets who instilled a sense of and an interest in history into us. Also, history classes were important in schools. We got toy guns and toy soldiers for birthdays and Christmas. As we old timers are retiring from the hobby, the younger people today seem to lack the interest in history and the related background to drive and develop that interest. They didn't have that "imagined" life we had as kids and therefore no impetus to develop it into something they could actually move into the world of re-enacting.
As we became older, by becoming a re-enactor, we were able to live a bit of that history we had only observed and played at as kids. When I started re-enacting, most of us got our gear from Jarnagin or similar sutlers. It was reasonably priced and "good enough" quality. As the hobby grew, people got more picky and vocal about quality, which mandated the increased quality/authenticity which in turn drove up the prices of much of the uniforms and equipment. Some people were driven out of the hobby because it was becoming too fanatical about authenticity.
Some of my re-enactor friends hope the 150th anniversary of the Civil War will re-kindle the re-enactor hobby. As much as I'd like to see that happen, I don't believe it will to a large degree. The lack of interest in history in a majority of the people who are in the age range to start re-enacting, the high cost of equipment, the higher transportation costs, and the drifting to a stitch-counter mentality has taken it's toll on the hobby.
I wish the hobby and all the re-enactors well. Some of the best friends I ever made came from my association with the 53rd PVI, Co. C. At this point, I don't think that experience will be repeated by the same number of people who had a chance to be a part of it in the last 20 years. For the 125th Gettysburg re-enactment in 1988 and the 135th Antietam re-enactment in 1997 our group had over 30 participants. For the 150th Manassas re-enactment, they have 8 members registered.
Also, there is a company of the 140th Pennsylvania in my unit's battalion. Here is their website so you can check it out: http://www.140pvi.com/
