FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[David]

Hello all,
What do you need in order to become a great mineral collector (that would be to own a collection generally recognized as high quality by fellow collectors, museums etc.)? Is it more about money, time, or personal features (like experience, dedication, fine taste etc.) or maybe simple luck? Or is it about something else? Is it a certain combination between those things? I’m looking forward to hear your comments.

[FBEC]

What makes a great mineral collector?

His muscles ! Rocks are hard !

Frederic

[David]

Well that's a funny answer, but in my case, I don’t intend to collect Stonehenge size pieces, so muscles don't matter much.

[Gail]

Why don't you mention people you think are great collectors and give us examples?
I would be curious to hear what YOU think makes a great collector. Personally, everyone has a different collection, not sure it really matters if someone is great or not. I really never consider greatness, frankly.

[Jesse Fisher]

Collecting is a very personal thing, and many people have different likes, desires, and methods for collecting. The first thing you need to know is what you truly like and want. There are people who find satisfaction from the challenge of collecting their own specimens, and while they might never dream of spending money to buy one from a dealer they are prepared to spend considerable time and effort at researching localities, visiting them, and exerting a lot of physical effort in their quest. Most self-collected specimens will never match the quality of what one can acquire by purchase, but the satisfaction is in that one has personally dug them from the earth. In a sense, I think this type of collector collects the experience as much as the specimen itself.

If you intend to build a collection through purchase you will need to spend much time learning about minerals, collections, and the mineral marketplace. Unless you are fabulously wealthy, you will likely need to focus your collection on a region or certain types of minerals that really interest you. The best mineral specimens from anywhere can be very expensive, and a collector needs to learn how to spend his or her available funds wisely.

This is not to say that just because a mineral may be expensive that it will always be better or more worth having than one that is inexpensive. This is where having an education is important. Go to as many mineral shows as you can. Study the exhibits and dealer's offerings. Get to know other collectors, and join mineral collecting groups. Subscribe to journals such as Rocks and Minerals, The Mineralogical Record (in English), Lapis and Mineralien Welt (in German) and Le Regne Mineral (in French). Learn as much as you can.

To answer your question, I think that building a high quality collection takes all those things you mention - time, money, and perhaps a bit of luck on top of it all. Firstly, however, I think it is vitally important to know what you personally like and want, and not just what someone else might think you should have in your collection.

[Turbo]

To me, a great mineral collector is someone who is passionate about collecting. It's simple, but I think it's true. People are going to have different tastes and different criteria for what is worthy of collection and display, but it's too subjective to say something like "good taste" is what makes a great collector. If pressed to say what other things might make a great collector, I think basic things like organization, knowledge, and respect for and care of specimens are key.

[David]

Well Gail, you’ve asked for an example. Well, I would tell about a Romanian mining engineer. His entire life he collected mineral samples from all over Romania. Due to his work he was one of the first at the scene of new mineral finds. Therefore he was able to establish in time a comprehensive and valuable collection of Romanian fine minerals and not only. Moreover, he donated specimens to museums . Eventually, he established a private mineral museum in his home. I think that qualifies him as a great mineral collector. I’m sure Romanian members know who I’m talking about.
I collect minerals because I’m fascinated by them ever since I was about seven. I don’t care much about what other people think of my collection. To answer my own questions, definitely you need money to establish a great collection (even if all of your specimens are self collected). Indeed you need time to get familiar with minerals, mineral properties, locations, value and so on. But most of all I think dedication and good taste matter most (please don’t ask me to define good taste).

[Gail]

Thankyou, as I wanted to hear what your definition of great was.

[nurbo]

in my opinion a great collector is someone who has self collected box after box of material that I know and have collected at the localities of but I still want to buy.

[Jim Robison]

To me the question depends in part on whether we are talking about a great collector or a great collection. In my opinion the two don't always match.

I think it is also important to define what we mean by "great." If we mean famous or widely known and admired then the universe of great collectors and collections is pretty small. There are some widely known great museums, and as critical as curators are to the collection building process it is the rocks that matter. There are many smaller not so well known museums with great collections because of the people who gathered them up, though the institution is not well knwon.

I know some great collectors who don't have what people would call great collections. A critical eye, a sense of asethetic beauty, and a vision, can elevate a limited number of specimens by the skill and dedication of the collection builder. Are they well known. Probably, to a fairly small universe of collectors. Willl they be widely known? Probably not, but they are great collectors regardless.

Then there are widely known people with the resources to buy great rocks, but will never in my opinion be truly great collectors. And there are those with resourses who are great collectors with great rocks. Just having the resources is not enough. It takes passion, knowledge gained over time, vision, and dedication to make a great collector.

Your description of the Romanian collector sounds like a a good measure of greatness. Patience, time, a focus, and persistence sound like they have resulted in a great collection even though it is not famous. I had never heard of it before you wrote.

Knowledge, lots of time studying, and the ability to adapt collecing goals as your interests and knowledge change may result in the genesis of a great collection. But the key for me is that it is great in the viewpoint of its originator. My collection will never be measured as great, but it works just fine for me. and several of my friends who have seen it say they like it. The key however, is that I like it, and that's all that really matters, whether it is "great" or not.

[Gail]

I actually admire and think Jim is a great collector. Nice to see you posting Jim, I have you photo'd on the last page of my show report.

[Tobi]

[Jordi Fabre]

[Jim Robison]

Thanks for your kind comments Gail.

Jordi, you are spot on. It does take time.

We have not talked much about one of Jesse's comments, and that is the role of other people in the 'making' of a great collector. People who collect only by themselves, without learning from others, miss out on a great opportunity. I met my first mentor when I was 10 years old. Over the years since I have come to respect a number of collectors, and pay attention to their suggestions, and appreciate their occasional compliments. I sat down last evening and started to make a list, and realized that there are dozens, if not hundreds of people who have helped my out along the way. Ask questions, seek out opinions, and listen to the responses, and then read all you can get your hands on.

[Louis Friend]

Time, knowledge, education, persistence, being open minded and looking at the specimens Gail and Carles post on FMF.:) That is how I did it!!!

[Dean Allum]

David,
Let's try out some of the responses to real world "Great Collectors".
Here is a short list of legendary collectors which most people would classify as "great".

James Smithson
George Kunz
A.E. Foote
Arthur Montgomery

Wealth is not a common theme among these men. Neither is the relative time they spent on collecting. They did tend to have a mineralogical education.

Passion, museum donations and propensity to travel/explore are a common theme.

I would say that there is no correct formula to becoming a great mineral collector. They all take different paths.

-Dean Allum

[Susan Robinson]

Add to that list: Roebling, Canfield, Bement, and a modern-day collector, William Pinch.

[Louis Friend]

What about adding Gail and Jim Spann to that list?

In less than half a decade, they have gone from relative obscurity to one of the most famous couples in the mineral collecting hobby. I do not know all the details but their “meteoric” rise must be a first in the history of mineral collecting.

[Greg Toomey]

Not much to add - all of the responses have been great.

I believe the one characteristic that all great collectors share is having "the eye" to spot great minerals in whatever price range or field collecting range is available to that person. Also, the ability and willingness to give their time to the hobby, whether it be local or worldwide.

As for examples of "great collectors," I would add that great collectors must be judged in the era that they were active collectors. Dave Wilber once pointed out that his early collection during the 1960's was great at that time, but compared to many of today's collections would pale in comparison. Today, we have many great collectors and personal collections, but I must add that years ago people put less emphasis on individual collectors and their collections, and more emphasis on museum collections and great mining and mineralogical discoveries. Personally, I'm grateful that more collectors and personal collections are accessible via shows, books and the internet.

Greg

[Riccardo Modanesi]

Hi to everybody!
Let me have an opinion of what makes a great mineral collector. In my opinion, the first rule is: never ever make a piece unworthy, no matter how small it is. It has always a "love" value and worth for you, expecially if you found it by yourself during a trip to a mine! And moreover: don't be afraid of making exchanges with other collectors or attend to international expositions and bourses! I hope I was useful for you!
Greetings from Italy by Riccardo.