Luke Judge

A trip to the 35th annual Western Carolina Home Show, running through Sunday at the Civic Center, is like a journey to a homeowner’s wonderland. There’s so much stuff over there I never knew I wanted and needed. Some of it basically sells itself, other products require some thought.

Like that big beautiful hot tub, sitting almost in the front door of the arena. Carolyn Kooles of Western Carolina Softub is happy to let me have it, for $3,895, marked down from the usual $4,695

Everyone wants to jump in, she said.

Our big seasons are spring and summer, she continued, as water in the tub bubbled away like some tropical lagoon. But it’s a good thing to use year-round. Inviting and mesmerizing, indeed, but it’s not something to casually tote home in the back seat of my Ford.

Down on the Civic Center floor, Tiffany Franklin is also thinking about water. Her family business, Mountain Rainwater Collection Systems, offers tanks to collect all that wasted precipitation running off the roof, so you can use it for watering the yard, flushing the toilet or maybe showering. Perish the thought that there might be a drought.

If it rains a half an inch, it will more than fill this 550 gallon tank, she said. Systems range from $1,500-$4,000.

At the next table over, Bill Boone of All Pro Billiards is selling pool tables. He doesn’t have a trick shot to share.

I am a mechanic, not a player, he said. I play, but you need patience to play pool and I don’t have a lot of patience. But he has a deal: a nice table for $1,495 balls, cues, etc., included. The last 18 months (sales) have been sluggish, but I have been in this a long time (35 years) and it will improve.

What’s some pool without a snack? For the hungry with a few dollars to spare, T.J. Campbell was selling Heavenly Dips little packages of dried herbs easily stirred into some mayo and sour cream. A bite of the horseradish bacon and I bought three packs for $12.

After wandering around the Civic Center awhile, a comfy chair feels nice. John Tieffel is eager to help with the Ergo Pro Back Rest, a gizmo that fits over most any seat (car, office or recliner) to provide more support.

Everybody slouches, he declared. You’ve been slouching since second grade. This keeps your back off the seat. And they’re affordable at $20 a pop, two for $30. I’ve been sitting in this chair since January, he said.

Magic is fun, isn’t it? So Purple Magic must have some sort of Harry Potter-like powers. This stuff will clean computer and TV screens, jewelry, stove tops, keeps eyeglasses from smudging and more, and a small bottle is $12.

Jordy Kern (dressed in a purple shirt) has been pitching this cleaner for 15 years. Does he feel magical, helping clean the world one spray at a time? I do, he said.

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