TUCSON, ARIZONA ROCK & MINERAL SHOWS

[Hawaiian Dreams]

That's an interesting aspect FairyCrystal. I know if I had a crystal shop, I would want the best ones to end up with the people who can do the most good with them.

BigJohn, I also experienced that some spiritual shops sell their crystals for a way higher cost. There's one online that marks it up a lot, but they also carry the most beautiful pieces. One in particular was kind enough to give me a 50% discount, which made me happy, but it still burned a hole in my wallet. I wonder if she felt that I would try and do good with the crystal and was willing to let it go to me with that in mind.

[FairyCrystal]

Originally Posted by Hawaiian Dreams

That's an interesting aspect FairyCrystal. I know if I had a crystal shop, I would want the best ones to end up with the people who can do the most good with them.

BigJohn, I also experienced that some spiritual shops sell their crystals for a way higher cost. There's one online that marks it up a lot, but they also carry the most beautiful pieces. One in particular was kind enough to give me a 50% discount, which made me happy, but it still burned a hole in my wallet. I wonder if she felt that I would try and do good with the crystal and was willing to let it go to me with that in mind.

That's what I like so much about the shop I go to: they deliberately try to keep it affordable for people. And they are cheaper than most. And they are spiritual.
I know another spiritual shop, part of a spiritual centre. Their crystals cost at least 2x as much and are not higher vibrational than from the other shop, sooner the other way round. But this other shop opens and activates all crystal to a very high level (that's what they claim), and then charge a bomb for them.
So I guess some people indeed charge more when spiritual. Now the owner of that particular shop also runs huge premises (chakra & meditation gardens, dormatory, workshop centre, etc) so I suppose her costs are real high too. But still...

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by FairyCrystal

Interesting, John!
But isn't it the case that many sellers want to sell their crystals to good people? I know some do from the proprietors of 'my' crystal shop. They said some sellers hold on to the best crystals for them as they know the crystals then end up in a good place. So at least some sellers care about that. That includes the owner of the Mt Shasta opal mine who -I was told- doesn't sell to many.
It would make sense after all the work and effort they put in to get the crystals to begin with that they want good people to buy them. Up to a point of course, they also simply got to make money.

It's an interesting thing to hear more ins and outs from someone who goes there!

I do not know if dealers want to sell their crystals to only good people. From what I have seen, they want to sell, sell and sell so they can meet all of their expenses. As the shows start to come to an end, the show promoters come around and want to get paid for next year's rental space.

But then, prices can be extremely low. Last year I bought some really nice single pointed quartz crystals for only $15.00 per kilo. And then you can see some vendors selling the same crystals for $150.00 per pound (not kilo).

[FairyCrystal]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

I do not know if dealers want to sell their crystals to only good people. From what I have seen, they want to sell, sell and sell so they can meet all of their expenses. As the shows start to come to an end, the show promoters come around and want to get paid for next year's rental space.

But then, prices can be extremely low. Last year I bought some really nice single pointed quartz crystals for only $15.00 per kilo. And then you can see some vendors selling the same crystals for $150.00 per pound (not kilo).

Yes, price differences can be insane, I suppose that's no different from shops.
I bought a golden phantom selenite, a long flat piece. These are all elongated flat pieces. I paid E7 (approx $7) for quite the larger piece.
I saw a similar piece, practically same size, on Etsy for... $163, I kid you not!
Now maybe they just rip people off, or maybe they bought from a seller who charged more like in your example, leading to high sales prices. I don't know.

[Hawaiian Dreams]

Oh these sellers, lol. Do you think it's the case of some sellers who always think their stuff is better no matter what? I know some people in life like that, like when they want to sell you something used, they expect to get almost the same price they paid, but if you were to sell something used to them, they would expect half off.

Back to the original topic though, I really would like to go to that show some day. I would be zinging all around the halls.

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by Hawaiian Dreams

Oh these sellers, lol. Do you think it's the case of some sellers who always think their stuff is better no matter what? I know some people in life like that, like when they want to sell you something used, they expect to get almost the same price they paid, but if you were to sell something used to them, they would expect half off.

Back to the original topic though, I really would like to go to that show some day. I would be zinging all around the halls.

I guess most dealers look at it that they can always come down in price.

Its a buyers' market. If they think they can get a higher price, they will quote a higher price. Some dealers sell wholesale and retail. Sometimes it is hard for those people to tell if the buyer is buying wholesale or retail.

As for zinging all around the halls, there generally is too much stuff out for sale for a person to go zinging.

[FairyCrystal]

I just read the first blog from 'my' crystal shop about the purchase in Tucson. They're still there and always post regular blogs with photos of what they've bought so far and how it is going on the fair.
What I gather is that it is a bit of a mess??
So far I've not seen anything that makes me go "Yesss!!!"
They do have Mt Shasta opals from the newly found vein. And the newly found Healerite. They bought all of what the couple who own the mine still had for sale.
Kind of funny how that goes. If one buyer buys the whole lot no one else in the world will have it.
They do have some larger Siskiyou Blue Opal that Raymone -the Mt Shasta opal mine owner- took with him for them.
I cannot find much online about Siskiyou Blue Opal, just one photo, and that does look like something I'd want, hihi.
Bummer is, I cannot get to them since my car broke down...

[BigJohn]

Virtually none of the shows are officially open except for a few.

Being there are shows spread thru out the city and if combined: constitutes the largest gem, mineral and crystal shows in the World.

You can find virtually anything you want. Hardest part is trying to find out where to go to buy it.

[FairyCrystal]

Oh yes, that's right, officially it started the 30th? They were there the 21st.
Not sure how hard it is for them to find where to get things. They've been going there for years and have quite the network. They're in touch with a lot of traders and agree to meet them there, like this owner of the Mt Shasta mine.
But I gather they check out other things just the same to spot new interesting things.
But in general this is their main 'inlet' for the shop for the year, even though they also have other sources from Madagascar, and buying directly in France, Germany & UK.
They got quite the nice job, haha. Traveling around, buying beautiful crystals, meeting people, then selling them during weekends to other crystal lovers in their shop. Quite the dreamjob! They say so too.

[BigJohn]

Show officially started a few days ago and I have already spent this year about the same amount that I did last year and there is 20 more days of shows.