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Jean Sendero
Joined: 20 Dec 2009
Posts: 270
Location: Hudson Heights, Quebec
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Posted: Feb 29, 2016 19:20 Post subject: Re: Tucson, questionable prices? |
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Gail, Jesse and all others,
I fully agree with all your points of discussions. The market is what it is for what ever reason. This year at the show and through other contacts, despite being somewhat "stunt" by some of the rising prices, again, and having seen "return" specimens at the same inflated prices than previous years, I still managed to find 19 new specimens for the collection at reasonable prices (managed to bust the budget but, aren't we all inflicted by the same passion) with excellent to good quality specimens (i.e. in my display case vs drawer) as some were more unusual Mexican localities or unusual ugly rarities from Mexico.
Keep the hobby alive and accessible for everyone.
Cheers
Jean
ps. apologies for the long sentence. |
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Joseph DOliveira
Joined: 29 Jan 2012
Posts: 303
Location: Hanmer, Ontario
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Posted: Mar 15, 2016 21:34 Post subject: Re: Tucson, questionable prices? |
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Not to flog a dead horse but I thought I would add my two cents on the topic of prices at the annual Tucson show. Every year I attend as a dealer to purchase my inventory for the coming show season and as a collector to find that special piece. This year in particular, I was also handicapped by the low Canadian Peso, which dropped like a stone only a few weeks before the show.
With a lot of trepidation I set out on the days prior to the official opening to hunt down some deals and hopefully start filling my inventory needs. I was genuinely surprised at how many dealers were open in late January and was able to purchase quite a good portion of my needs before the official opening. Surprisingly, the strong US dollar had also affected other currencies and for the most part prices with the foreign dealers were comparable to last year.
I spent every day of my three weeks going from venue to venue and looking in every nook and cranny for that surprise deal that everyone missed. In the end, my perseverance paid off, I returned home with a few new additions to my collection and and filled most of my inventory requirements. While I am in agreement that some prices have certainly ratcheted up this year, I was still able to find a few really good buys. As an aesthetic collector, I just changed my focus to the specimens that were more available and more reasonably priced.
In the end, as with any commodity, demand will always drive mineral prices. The Tucson show is more than a buying trip, it's an opportunity to make new friends, enjoy great Mexican food and the pleasure of sunny skies and warm dry weather. _________________ Joseph D'Oliveira
Hanmer, Ontario
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VRigatti
Joined: 19 Dec 2009
Posts: 81
Location: Denver, CO
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Posted: Mar 16, 2016 07:15 Post subject: Re: Tucson, questionable prices? |
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I apologize if someone has already mentioned this, but another factor in rising prices is access to internet sites as well as forums that discuss mineral shows and high end specimens. I'm not saying that is a bad thing because I love FMF and other sites. A specimen miner in S. America, Africa or Asia is now able to see what pieces retail for at mineral shows, as well as those prices that are posted on websites. That miner then becomes a lot more intelligent about his treasure's true value to a collector. That has a strong affect in raising the price of a specimen right when it comes out of the pocket, which in turn raises the prices at shows and across the spectrum, because the final seller has to maintain some kind of profit margin.
As a collector my best weapon is to be educated on what I am buying/collecting, and I buy pieces that I enjoy and view as investments over the long term. When Sweet Home Rhodos first hit the market in the late 90s I was shocked at the "high prices" being asked, and didn't buy any. Now almost 20 years later I really regret that decision.... |
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