FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Louis Friend]

Dear FMF viewers:

I did not think my “tongue-in-cheek” assessment of modern mineral collecting would have attracted such attention. The issue of prices and the future of the hobby could fill a textbook of some 500+ pages but I will let you all know a few of my thoughts.

I do not wish to offend or put anyone offside. The comments are mine, and mine alone. They are based on my own personal research and observations to date. Again, please do not be offended. I am excluding from this discussion field collectors. Field collecting is a great aspect of the hobby and a few folks do strike it rich finding pockets of fine specimens. The rest of us do our “field collecting” online or at shows.

When you list all the qualities that define a display worthy mineral – aesthetics, pedigree, rarity, type locality, quality, “wow” factor and more, the fact remains that a well educated and well informed wealthy collector will always assemble a “better” collection than a well educated and well informed “financially challenged” collector. Does this mean we should just give up and start collecting bottles? Well no! I cannot speak for others but I will tell you about some of the things I have done.

Firstly, I shop around. Unless you are after something very specific just look at what others vendors have for sale. I have seen enormous price differences for “equivalent quality” pieces just by looking through the inventories of the dealers that advertise on the Vug. With no wish to offend, I tend to avoid dealers who have substantial overheads – staff, shops, frequent trips around the globe etc, etc. Someone must cover the overheads and it is often in the price of the specimen.

When starting in the hobby go for the “bread and butter” minerals – pyrite, galena, chalcopyrite, vanadinite, calcite and fluorite, etc, etc. Common minerals but you can buy some great display worthy pieces at very reasonable prices. Look for alternatives. A great Chinese or Moroccan calcite may not have the pedigree of a Cumbrian calcite, but they are often cheaper and just as good to look at – “eye candy” at discount prices.

Make friends with people who can help. I have nurtured friendships with miners, mine managers, mining companies and wholesalers, and I have had great success with one company in Peru. Contact fellow collectors in your region and see if any are downsizing their collections. It worked for me!

I do not like talking about prices. It is an issue that everyone seems to avoid in the mineral collecting hobby, but I am a teacher and it is my job to help and guide others in the pursuit of knowledge. To date I have not posted any mineral that cost more than $1500USD and the vast majority cost less than $500USD. If I can do it on a teacher’s salary, anyone can.

[Pierre Joubert]

Living in South Africa and paying in Rand has big exporting advantages, but to purchase better quality specimens in $ or Euros is just not worth it. For most of us here, Tuscon is only a dream.

[Jean Sendero]

Lots of worthwhile comments above, and to simply echo what Peter M mentioned above,

“ I often enjoy a sleeper I find in a corner somewhere...one that fits perfectly into some sub-theme of the collection but doesn't cost a bundle... more than a trophy that plays to my main theme that was front and center in someone's booth. I think this is one of the benefits of specialty collecting...it gives one reason to look beyond the eye candy placed to snag the unwary.”

I believe this has being really true. Having the advantage of living in Tucson and not being as time constraint as visitors are, I basically take the time to visit all known and potential venues where I can find potential new additions for the collection. I have tried in a very modest way (nothing like what Gail is doing so well) to add to the forum small reports on places or “what’s new” with a Mexican focus. I go to these venues in order to find what Peter simply called the sleeper(s) or what could fit perfectly into some sub-theme and does not cost a lot. Although, some of the “new” material can be more expensive, which should be expected.

I search the Tucson City Center Hotel, the Mineral Market on Oracle, the TEP, etc.... and other less official places such as gas stations and parking lots. When the Main Show arrives, I am usually broke but have managed in the past to buy a few cuties (low and mid-range prices, less than $1,000). Every collector should know that when going to the Westward Look show, it is the eye candies venue with dangerously high prices. If you cannot afford anything, who cares, go and have a look. If you are a real enthusiast, you will enjoy it. Sure you will leave the place thinking, wow, this one or that one, were super expensive but, I sure would like to have them. Also, you will also be thinking, why was this one or that one so expensive? I saw similar ones at a much lesser value. (Beware, be quick, you see something you like, buy it. This year, I saw a nice specimen, at a very good price at the Inn Suites, to see it again 3 days later at the Westward Look with a good mark-up. I should have bought it at the Inn Suites.........)

Below are a few pics of “ the sleeper I found in a corner somewhere...ones that fits perfectly into my sub-theme of my Taxco collection but doesn't cost a bundle.” Several need some cleaning, trimming, etc to achieve full potential but these came to a total of less then $300……………

So, at the end, go where you have the time to go too and where you think you will find something you will like and can afford. But sleepers can be found anywhere.

[Jordi Fabre]

[Louis Friend]

Dear FMF viewers:

Great posts everyone, but the underlying theme still comes through – shop around. I source my specimens from all over the world and online shopping has been good to me. I have spoken to local collectors to get an idea where they acquired their pieces, and I have also asked Museum staff (curators and museum scientists) where and from whom they acquired their pieces. I have spoken to domestic mining companies – mine managers, geologists and miners and I have had some success. I have even taken this aspect of sourcing minerals from the source further and as indicated in my last post I have had great success with one mining company in Peru. I will be doing the same with mining companies elsewhere, especially Mexico, Bolivia and Bulgaria.

Most domestic mining companies do not have a high regard for collectors in general, and any display worthy material is sent immediately to the local museum. However being both a teacher and a scientist (physics) does leave “doors open” that would otherwise be slammed in your face.

I will visit Tucson one day but not for a few years. My wife and children have other ideas about what to see in America, and a mineral show is not one of them. They appreciate my interest in mineralogy but Disney Land and the Grand Canyon are higher up on the list of things to do.

Kind Regards

Louis

[keldjarn]

[Riccardo Modanesi]

Hi to everybody!
Let me have an opinion too: good specimens are available on every price, even affordable! I always attend to the Munich mineral show and I saw every kind of specimen on every kind of price! Then, of course every stone has its quality and therefore its price, but I found for example small diamonds (you read well, DIAMONDS!!!) sold for some 10 or 20 €!
Greetings from Italy by Riccardo.

[Louis Friend]