FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Jordi Fabre]

[Gail]

...

[Bob Morgan]

The main show would not 'go off' without so many behind the scenes volunteers and ,of course, two key staff persons. They are friends in action! There are many more whose pictures I failed to take - from club President to all the move-in move-out coordinators. event announcer, information booth helpers, case set-up, et cetera.
They made the show world class along with the great minerals.

[Bob Harman]

Having recently returned from 8 days in Tucson, I wish to discuss my impressions of all aspects of this year's show.

There is much discussion of today's mineral specimen prices so, first I will discuss the economics of my personal Tucson trip and how my expenses, and dealer expenses, in general, might relate to the mineral specimen prices I saw out there.

I live in Indiana and have been to the show 6 times in the past 17 years. My buddy from Ohio and I drove out there over a 3 day period. We stayed in Arkansas, North Texas, and SW New Mexico. Three nights on the road, arriving in Tucson about noon on the 4th day, and going directly to the Westward Look Show for 4 hours, before checking in at our Tucson motel. The trip out cost me about $350 USD for food and the 3 nights lodging. The trip out was uneventful.
The stay in Tucson was 8 days, costing over $1500 USD for a mid-range motel lodging and food.
The trip home was similar to the trip out, except we took a more southern route, stopping in West Texas and then in Houston Texas for 2 days to see the brother of my buddy. The trip home (without the extra night) also cost about $350 USD.
Flying would not be an option as it is more expensive with our purchases to lug back home.
These $$$$ figures are important as, without any mineral or related type purchases, I, as an out of state visitor, spent well over $2000 USD just to go to the 2020 Tucson Show. My buddy and I did not spend this type money getting to Tucson, just to buy a few $25 specimens. I believe most other folks traveling to Tucson, come to spend "significant" money.

Mineral dealers, most of whom come from well outside the local Tucson and Arizona areas, wish to do well at the show, making a profit, also have food, fuel, and lodging expenses. Simply put they have to sell enough to make it worthwhile to come to the show. Most mineral dealers have specimens in the upper middle to very high price ranges. Those dealers with low end specimens have to make up by selling lots of "stuff".
As a point of emphasis, I am not discussing fossils, lapidary stuff, jewelry etc, etc..... just minerals.

Enough of the economics of my Tucson experience. On to the show. I saw and talked with lots of familiar folks including Jordi......we talked briefly......and other forum users. I must remark tho, that altho there were younger folks there, many many familiar older folks were there as well. Many of these folks now have canes, motorized devices needing assisting to get around. These next few years will see many of us older folks no longer being seen at the Tucson shows..... The Tucson weather was good by my Midwest standards; a bit cool at night, but mostly dry, however there was some rain which always affects those with outside things, both mineral and non-mineral.
I got to see the main show exhibits, including those pictured above. The exhibit cases were largely of the usual high quality about as in previous years. Unfortunately the Indiana State Museum case was, comparatively, not of good quality with none of my donated specimens displayed this year. I walked around the Main Show several times, making a few purchases, and I went to the various venues around the city and evaluated them as to their mineral specimen "worthiness".
So here are my feelings. I would return to the Main Show, the Westward Look Show, the group of dealers around Lester Street and the dealers on Granada St in and near to the HTCC. I would not return to the Kino dealers or those on 22nd St., as to me, they were more of a flea market with few worthwhile minerals. Some of the dealer locality venues were not well marked with prominent street signs. Other customers also noted this. Parking was both easy and not so easy; about as expected. Show customer traffic competed with the usual Tucson business traffic also about as expected. I am sure there were other small shows, not primarily dealing with minerals. If a quality mineral dealer or two was present, I missed them. The quality mineral dealers that I know of largely associated themselves with other mineral dealers.
As usual, there were many tents. Brazilian dealers, Moroccan dealers, Mexican dealers, Madagascan dealers and more. These used to be the places to look for unusual and/or overlooked mineral examples. Also, these used to be the places where bargains could be found. Buy a good specimen at a low price and either flip it or keep it as a "good find"; not so these past few years. Either all the tent dealer stuff has been high graded or they are now selling much of their better quality specimens nearly at the same price levels as the regular "in show" dealers. I understand that several hi end dealers now have contracts with the miners in these various countries to first take the highest quality finds, leaving the tent specimens to be the lesser grade specimens.....
This year, as already noted, there were some important new international mineral finds. Being interested in US minerals, this did not directly affect me, but It is noteworthy in that, for US collectors, not much truly new seems to be found on a yearly basis any more. This was confirmed during a brief discussion with the owner/miner of a high end Colorado dealership.
I noted a ton of repetitive material. Many dealers have similar material. The usual Brazilian amethyst, tourmalines, Moroccan vanadinite, azurites and even some of the new pink fluorite finds were common. All size specimens with higher end price ranges were common. Not noted were a few new finds from just a few years ago. These included higher end Argentina red quartz (only a few low end examples were seen). Also, not noted, was much from my focused collection of Indiana. Virtually no Indiana calcites, barytes or Fort Wayne fluorites. Those very few seen were over priced for their size and quality. This lack of Indiana specimens to consider was to my wife's great pleasure!

Tucson is in change. As Jordi previously noted there are major changes underway. Since I was last there, there were several less hi-end dealers at the Main Show. Not too far from the convention center site of the Main Show, there have been a number of concrete block warehouse type venues built. Here, high end dealers can lease the room spaces on a yearly basis. They leave their lighted cases there and can open up and close up at will with no show rules. Since so many collector folks come to Arizona for the winter, these dealers can open up their showroom space in early January, closing them up well after the Main Show closes. This seems to be the trend; leaving the motel rooms and Main Show to show off mineral specimens in yearly leased warehouse room spaces. No rules and no rush.
For those still using the motel rooms, there was some complaining about the upcoming changes in venue locations. The nightly/weekly room rates continue to rise, eventually affecting the all mineral specimen prices.
One interesting side note was that some customers avoided Asian/Chinese dealerships in response to the Corona Virus outbreak.

I might edit and add on some more discussion, but for now, enough from me. BOB

[Jordi Fabre]

Barcelona 02/22/2020

A good year in Tucson for new discoveries!

They say that picture is worth a thousand words, so, let's go to the pictures...

[Jordi Fabre]

In addition to the novelties described we also saw more specimens of Beryl variety heliodor from the Odisha area (Orissa), India, many more Wulfenites of exceptional quality from the La Morita Mine (see: Wulfenite and Mimetite - La Morita Mine, Mexico) and large crystals of Bournonite, some on matrix, very bright and perfect, from the Víboras Mine of Machacamarca, Bolivia (see: Bournonite - Víboras Mine, Machacamarca, Bolivia) which is worked with a manual exploitation to obtain just collector's specimens as happened for example with the Rhodochrosites of the Sweet Home Mine, or as is still being done with the Navajún Pyrites.

There were more new discoveries and some of them potentially important but they are currently under analysis. When we have results we will publish them.

More to come...
European correspondent of the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show®

[Jordi Fabre]

Laura Delano from the Arizona Mineral & Fossil Show / LLD Productions, Inc. sent us the message below informing about the current status of the new Show at El Conquistador resort.

[Jordi Fabre]

[Jordi Fabre]

[BlueCapProductions]

Thank you Tobi and Jordi.

And to all of you FMF peeps, feel free to go to my YouTube page or just follow the links below:

What's Hot In Tucson: 2019
https://mineralfilms.com/whit19

What's Hot In Ste. Marie: 2019
https://mineralfilms.com/whis19

What's Hot In Munich: 2019
https://mineralfilms.com/whim19

So PLEASE, everyone, be safe, practice self-isolation, wash your hands, cough into your elbow and stay AT LEAST 2m from others.

I know this is a tough time but perhaps this can help just a little.

Take care of yourself, your family and your community.

All the best,

-Bryan

[Jordi Fabre]

[Gail]

It was great because John was so humble and honored. He deserved it!!!!

[Tony L. Potucek]

This is well deserved for my great friend, John. A life time of achievement in the mineral world.

[Benj]

Thank you Gail and Jordi for your invitation !

[Gail]

You are most welcome. Great fun!!!