Guns, Dogs and Blades QnA

I have always had a pedestrian like interest in civil/revolutionary war equipment and have flirted a time or two with starting down the reenactment path. In the end knowing my personality, I decided it would become a black hole for money worse than a bass boat. And I would end up loosing huge blocks of time in the summer. So now I just go watch the reenactment events and hit the museums! Safer for me, my marriage, and my wallet.
Not sure what would be more expensive, chasing down reproductions for re-encting or originals for collecting. For the Colonial period through the American Revolution, it might be collecting originals....:eek: