Co-owned and operated by amateur historian Chase Pipes, the Smoky Mountain Relic Room sells and buys numerous prehistoric artifacts. The company offers one of North America's most comprehensive ranges of historical pieces, keeping with its goal of spreading pieces of history before losing them to development. Located in Sevierville in East Tennessee, the store occupies the second floor of the Smoky Mountain Knife Works building.
Archeological finds comprise much of the Relic Room’s inventory, such as fossils, ancient tools, shipwreck remains, and coins. For example, customers can examine the fossilized teeth of megalodons, prehistoric sharks much larger than today’s. They can also purchase hand axes used by human precursors in Europe and Africa. Recent vintage items include tintypes, a photographic platemaking process popular among Civil War soldiers.
The store’s educational outreach includes Chasing History, a podcast and YouTube channel that covers many topics, from the D-Day invasion and coal mines to the Titanic and geology.
The Relic Room also buys private collections. The staff goes to great lengths to ensure the lawful collection of all items on private property; many offerings have certificates of authenticity from experts in the field. For more information and store hours, visit therelicroom.com.