FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Darren]

Absolutely wonderful Gail, thank you so much for the report! ( https://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?t=657 ).

You had mentioned some of the less costly pieces that you and Jim took to the show - how about some photos of them? Also, maybe in your own gallery, you could post some photos of some of the thumbnails?

As an intro, just got on here, and hope to post some photos of local minerals myself. I am intrigued, Gail, by the lower-priced pieces you have. As a dad of 4 (gonna be 5!) I don't have a lot to spend and it would be neat to see "other" stuff. By the way, I'm "Baryte" from the Mindat mineral chat who always had to go get the baby to sleep!!!

Again, amazing what you guys have done in a few short years - you and Jim are truly an inspiration! Attached is one of the local pieces - I know you like hematite! This one is from the Iron Hill district here, and is about 12 cm across..

[Gail]

I haven't taken close ups of the many, many under $20.00 minerals we own. And the many under $12.00 ones too.
We are slowly restocking out shelves and will make a point to photo the great minerals that were not expensive at all. I have won some on auctions that have been praised by many as great minerals, yet I paid $18.00 for so many of them.
When dealers buy collections they often get a lot of stock they can't take the time to show so they bite the bullet and put them on auctions hoping for the best.
I have found exquisite bargains there and some wonderful pieces that simply needed a good trim, which many dealers don't have the time to do. So keep an eye out for treasures!

[Jordi Fabre]

I consider the Darren's post very interesting, so I split it from the Gail's thread ( https://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?t=657 ) in order to keep it more coherent, and I created this new thread that I called: "Less costly pieces".

Recently Tom Moore in the Mineralogical Record and some other voices are promoting this topic. I would love to be discussed here too.

Jordi

[Darren]

Thanks for moving this here, Jordi. I'll try to get some photos of some other stuff in the collection that I did not pay much for, was a gift, or was self-collected (costing only gas $$$ and sweat!) I'll try this one (another hematite) self-collected. Posted on Mindat, but it's one of my favorites, and the first mineral I tried to photo.

https://www.mindat.org/photo-204388.html

[Gail]

Darren, I am just thrilled you are posting on the FMF! I have enjoyed some banter with you on Mindat and it is nice to see you jumping in here too. I will compile some great photos of under $20.00 minerals we have in our collection first.
It might be a couple of days, we are very busy putting things back into cabinets at the moment.
Welcome to FMF!
Gail

[Darren]

Gail-

I cannot even begin to imagine what you and Jim have before you, being home again with all of those pieces to return to their homes. I have been trying to get some good photos of some of my under $20 stuff (almost all is!) I sold my collection a few years ago and have been slowly putting it back together, with 4 kids though, it's a slow process!

Luckily we have some nice locations to collect close by, and I am a micro-nut, so it ain't too bad! Also, a lot of nice stuff from Mexico comes through here, so that helps.

Cheers!

Darren

[Darren]

Here is another "cheap" specimen, purchased from Benny Fenn here in Las Cruces about 15 years ago. Gypsum from Naica, with individual crystals to about 2 cm, I think I paid about five dollars for it.

Sorry the photo is not too good!

[Carles Millan]

Hi!

This Braubach, Germany pyromorphite cost only 39 euro cents. Back in 1963...

But the price adjusted for inflation to today's value would be about 12 euros or $17, which is not a great amount of money, I think. Don't ask me where the shop is because it was closed more than 40 years ago. Sorry!

For more details about this specimen (size and so on) please go to https://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?p=6544#6544

[Ed Huskinson]

I love to play this game Carles. It is one of the few areas where old-timers have the edge. One year at Tucson, (2002, Minerals of Africa) I put in a case of Tsumeb minerals and used the original labels with prices. People were stunned and amazed. I'd walk up to the case, and someone would be standing there shaking their head. "You paid twelve bucks for that piece?!!?". "Yeah, well, that was then. This is now.".

Assessment time for the BLM is almost over, and I should have some time after noon on September 1st, and will be able to post a few of my less costly pieces. It'll be fun.

As an observation, based on the assumption that YOU were the one who purchased the Braubach pyromorphite, it shows that even then, more than 40 years ago, you had a good eye. Keep 'em coming.

Thanks,

Ed

[Carles Millan]

To Ed Huskinson

Hi Ed!

Yes, it will be fun. Please, post your cheap old specimens as soon as you can. I'll also try to do it with some of the mine.

>As an observation, based on the assumption that YOU were the one who purchased the Braubach pyromorphite, it shows that even then, more than 40 years ago, you had a good eye.

Then I was just 15 y/o and when purchasing the pyro had the chance of getting the advice of the shop owner, Jordi Figueras, who, as far as I know, fortunately is still alive and collecting minerals.

[John S. White]

This one, although it cost me more than $20, might qualify for this discussion on two counts. I would have to say that it is probably my "most" favorite piece and it was also not very expensive. I bought it for $55 at the Munich Show in 1999 from a Chinese dealer who obviously did not appreciate its excellence. It is 9.8 cm across, and a photo of it appeared in the German magazine Lapis. The locality is the Shangbao mine, Leiyang, Hunan, China.

[alfredo]

My favorite pieces have unusual origins: This is from a small miniature (or large thumbnail) of fumarolic hematite crystals, with several steep pyramidal wulfenite crystals (up to 2mm long) sprinkled between the hematites. I picked it up in Tucson for $35.

Considering that wulfenite is normally a secondary mineral in the oxide zone of ore deposits, at first I didn't want to believe that this was wulfenite, but it is. Deposited from traces of heavy metals present in volcanic gases. (Who says only human beings cause pollution? Nature itself pollutes too!) This specimen is from Argentina, but wulfenite has been found in fumaroles at volcanos in Japan and Russia too.

[Joan Kureczka]

Some very nice pieces. This points out the value of not only looking for sleepers, but of buying things when they are new and plentiful. Even many of those pieces that weren't exactly inexpensive when they first showed up on the market -- the Sweet Home Rhodos, being case in point -- are today significantly more costly than they were then.

[Darren]

Great stuff, thanks all. Gotta say, John, that quartz is just stunning! And Alfredo, the wulfenite is remarkable. I will photograph some more of my stuff this afternoon and put them up. This should be a fun thread, I think.

[Jordi Fabre]

Unbelievable Alfredo!

Someone told me about these Wulfenites but is the first time I see them.
Is from volcano Payún Matru, Mendoza?

Jordi