[meteorite-list] Tucson 2003 Show Report

From: walter branch <branchw_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:18:26 2004
Message-ID: <001701c2d150$381feb40$6601a8c0_at_l1s2m3>

Hi Mark,

Thanks very much for the rather colorful report. I am jealous,
particularly since I have not had the plesaure of ever meeting
so many list members whom I have conversed with for so many years.

Maybe next year (only if I get a new job)...

-Walter

------------------------------------------------
Walter Branch, Ph.D.
322 Stephenson Ave., Suite B
Savannah, GA 31405
www.branchmeteorites.com


----- Original Message -----
From: "MARK BOSTICK" <thebigcollector_at_msn.com>
To: "Meteorite List" <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Monday, February 10, 2003 3:49 PM
Subject: [meteorite-list] Tucson 2003 Show Report


> Tuscon 2003 Show Report
>
> By Mark Bostick
>
> I am always worried about flying with meteorites. My solution on going to
> Tucson this year was to pack very little meteorites. Buying is much more
> enjoyable then selling anyway. Leaving through Wichita, Kansas I had
little
> worries. The last year or so has taught me it is the larger airports that
> seem to be more of hassle. After being stopped for 25 minutes and setting
> the alarm off 3 times I now have to rethink this theory. Since I did set
off
> three alarms, I was informed that the airline now had the option of not
> letting me fly and that they would search my other baggage as well. I had
> just purchased some overpriced but cute little Masterlocks, so I gave one
of
> the airport security people a key and asked that they do not break the
lock.
> Minutes later he came back and told me that it was too late, they had
> already broken the lock, slightly frustrated and annoyed I was then
cleared
> and made my way towards my departing gate.
>
> I would fly out Wednesday and arrive early Thursday. After making a few
> appointments I would have time to make it to Jim Kriegh and Twink Monrad
> party. Or at least that is how the plans went in my head. Their party was
> kind of early and sadly I did not make it. I really enjoyed the year
before.
> That year, they had great food, and company. After Tucson last year I went
> south of the border for a short visit to Mexico and therefore they gave me
> my last real meal for a couple weeks. One of the highlights I remember
well
> at the Kriegh-Monrad party was eating at a table with the Labenne's and
> having Robert Hag come up and talk about their then recent lunar finds. I
> invited Hag to set down and listened while they talked moon rocks. This
was
> a conversation I felt way outclassed in and had nothing to add. (Hey, I've
> purchased a few....does that count?). Next year I will try to come in
> earlier and not miss this friendly event.
>
> The day ended quickly but I did manage to pick up a few items. A 464g full
> slice of Two-Dot, a complete slice of the Lunar DAG461 (0.728g), a large
and
> heavy box of coral fossils and few other small items. Shared a couple
beers
> with Marvin Kilgore, met with a few of the non-meteorite sellers I got to
> know the year before while selling, but the day ended quickly and I would
> soon have to make it back to my room for my last real night of sleep in
> Tucson.
>
> Rosie Hackney, would arrive in the middle of the night and we would soon
be
> joined by Jason Phillips. Even the flea bag hotels are close to $100 a
night
> during the show time and many people share rooms and rides to limit our
> cost. So me and Rosie started the day by trying to find a Denny's or the
> like for breakfast. After much search we retreated to the interstate and
an
> IHOP (Thats "International House of Pancakes" for those of you not here in
> the states.)
>
> Friday I spent a lot time at the Inn Suites. Meeting Anne Black, Fred
Hall,
> Fred Olson, Richard and Dorothy Norton (who along with Twink Monrad were
> kind enough to ask and notice that I missed the dinner the night before),
> Mike Jensen (who was helping out with the Pitt auction), David Weir,
Nelson
> Oaks, Geoff Notkin, Steve Arnold....both of them and a few others.
>
> I even witnessed the first meeting of the two Steve Arnolds. Amazingly,
not
> only did the world not end, I do not think it even effected the earth's
> gravity. Of course I will be watching global news reports to verify this
> uneventful clash of names.
> Paul Harris and Jim Tobin could also be found here at the Inn Suites and
> carried with them a couple of the best looking button australites I have
> ever seen, perhaps they will be future Tektites of the Month and you, my
> fellow list members can see the great shape these tektites have.
>
> Marvin Kilgore had some of the best displays I have seen and some of the
> best meteorite examples to go in them. The highlight to his room this year
> was however his collection book. Which I can honestly say is the best
> collection book I have ever seen. Hardbound, with nice color photos, at
> $55.00 it is a great bargain. In fact they were so good he had sold out of
> his first shipment before I got there.....:-( After looking through his
book
> on hand it only took me a few minutes to decide I wanted one. But fear
not,
> a new shipment is due the 15th so do yourself a favor and order one.
Kilgore
> was mostly by himself which makes me wonder.....how did you ever get those
> very large display cases there and set up?
> Friday night was the Birthday Bash, Me and Rosie, now with our other
> Roommate Jason Phillips made it a little late. There was one table with
> three chairs left so we sat down with Steve Arnold (of Chicago) and I made
> my way to the bar for a drink. Here I was met with a challenge. Getting a
> drink and making it back to the table, while socializingand not coming
back
> to the table with an empty drink. After a few attempts at this I managed
to
> get a waiter to bring me two drinks.
>
> The Birthday Bash is always fun and this year was no exception. One of the
> highlights of this event is the Harvey Awards. This year I even managed to
> win. Granted they auctioned one off in an effort to buy drinks for the
award
> winners and that was the one I won. I always attempt to help or promote
the
> different events in Denver and Tucson if I can, as it is these events that
> pull us together. Winning the Harvey award, a plastic cube with a baby
> Toluca on top, also got myself a drink and with the Harvey Award, a great
> souvenir of Tucson. Perhaps in the future I will really win one and one
of
> you will buy me a drink in return. Although, feel free to by me a drink
> even if I never get awarded one.
>
> One of the soon to be "classic" moments of the Birthday Bash was the many
> announcements made by Steve Arnold (the broker) not so much from Steve
> Arnold (Chicago). The first was "Steve Arnold from Chicago is look for
> Honolulu meteorites.", the came "Steve Arnold from Chicago has found his
> Honolulu meteorites for $100.00 a gram", the "Steve Arnold from Chicago is
> selling his Honolulu meteorite for $200.00 a gram." followed by "Steve
> Arnold from Chicago is willing to trade his Honolulu meteorite for Nevada
> meteorites.", followed by...okay I think you get the point. It was
> entertaining and pleasant event and enjoyed by all. Thank you Steve Arnold
> (from Chicago) for being a good sport. Also thanks to Steve Arnold
> (Meteorite broker) and Geoff Notkin for putting on the event. It was
enjoyed
> by all.
>
> After the dinner a few of us got together for more drinks in one of the
> Hupe/Lang rooms. After finishing the keg there, the canned beer there, and
> attacking a few bottles of Lang's wine (Thanks Allen), light told us it
was
> now daytime and therefore we better lay down before any sleep was
> impossible. All the rooms are always packed during these events and rather
> then make it back to my room, they were kind enough to let me crash by the
> doorway, hoping it would not get opened in the middle of the night, and
> therefore hit me head. It didn't.
>
> Erich Heider's room was at the Pablo Inn. Formallyy the Four Points, and
> before that one or two other names. (They like changing names in Tucson to
> confuse outer towner's). Erich and Sylvia have always been one of the
> friendliest sellers. Always willing to offer drinks to guest and often
> selling many meteorites at a well below "retail" (if there is such thing
in
> the meteorite world anymore). Here I purchased a full slice of Martian
> DAG975 (0.901g) and a 52g etched Taza. The price on the Taza....a little
> over $2.00 a gram. It was an end cut but very thin and just a little over
a
> the thickness of a regular slice. I was glad to add an etched Taza at a
good
> price (finally) and I could always use another full (even though small)
> martian slice to the collection.
>
> Paul Liu could also be found at the Pablo Inn. The same spot as last year
> and as he mentioned to the list. "Right in front of the main entrance". I
> saw him there last year and somehow could not find him too easy.
Strangely,
> he was RIGHT in front of the main entrance. Paul is a great guy, if you
ever
> see him in Denver or Tucson (always outside) say hello. He is the chinese
> guy in the baseball cap, which should somewhat narrow it down for the
1000's
> of sellers...and if you can pay attention to small details like "right in
> front" you should have no problem finding him. (Hello Paul).
>
> There were many people "suit casing" the show, as rooms are high and keep
> you stuck in one place. One of them was Steve Arnold (the meteorite
broker).
> Steve always carries around a large case of meteorites, this year he was
> carrying two. (But his arms hurt about right now). From Steve Arnold I
> managed three thin sections, A DAG734 (EL4), Pena Blanca Spring (Aubrite),
> and a Camel Dongo (Eucrite). All three for the price of $150.00. A bargain
> considering the DAG734 looks like it took 1g of meteorite to make (which
has
> retail at $140 a gram).
>
> The Michael Blood auction was (in my opinion) the best place to find
> bargains. Since I was helping Michael I did not have the chance to record
> prices, but perhaps Michael or someone else would be kind enough to post
> prices. I did pick up a few things. One of Anne Black's Libyan Glass/Gold
> pendants for $30.00, a 3.18g DAG734 EL4 for a low ~$85.00 (to go with my
> thin section I purchased from Steve Arnold the day before), the 80g lot of
> Taza for $100.00, a case of 150 2003 meteorite calendars for $110.00 with
> shipping (can you say calendar sale), and my more favorite from the lot,
> well that I purchased, a 36.8g Homestead slice for $135?...if I remember
> right. Bill Jensen and Rex Kelsey played the role of Beermeister and their
> help was greatly appreciated. I did not get one beer with a head....that's
a
> topping of beer foam for you non-drinkers. Greg and Adam Hupe entered some
> of the best specimens and took the low market very nicely. (Thanks for
> sharing your meteorites at almost give away prices). Michael Blood's quiet
> friend, Cecil Caufield helped me and Rosemary Hackney assist Michael
during
> the event. I have always tried to be supportive in anyway I can to the
show
> events as I really feel it pulls us all together.
>
> A noticed a appreciated salute goes to Daryl Pitt. Who not only attended
> Michael's auction, but purchased a piece and came up to Michael with kind
> words and a hand shake. A great show of character from a nice guy. While
it
> may seem at times that we like to fight and argue on the list, when we are
> at the shows the drinks are plentiful and friendship is obvious. WAY TO GO
> DARYL!!! (and please keep us updated on Steve Schooner).
>
> I flew out pretty early on sunday and did not have the chance to hang
around
> the Pitt auction much, but I did manage to pick up one item, the 44.8g
Oued
> El Hadjar end cut for I forgot price....very fair. That's the alter
> sacrificed stone. Sadly my plane would be leaving early in the day and I
> feared a long wait at the airport, while they questioned each meteorite
for
> its possible weapon usage. So I had to leave the auction early. While the
> item I was most interested in went above my pre-bid, and my on-sight bid
> (wasn't sure if I would be there for it), I did manage a nice meteorite at
a
> good price.
>
> Other people I enjoyed meeting not mentioned above, and please grant me
some
> slack if I leave out your name would be, Steve Drummond, Howard Wu,
Eduardo
> and Oscar (meteorites.com), The Saharan Overlord people, various mineral
> dealers met previously, Eric Cane (a wire-wrapper who worked on some
jewelry
> for me), the blond I met at the Pueblo Inn poolside, who is most likely
not
> a list member, but if you are e-mail me....:-), Eric Olsen (although he
was
> pretty much too busy to talk), various Denver Meteorite club members, Jim
> Kriegh, Twink Monrad, John Gwilliam, Matt Morgan, Michael Farmer, Jim
> Strope, Michael Cottingham, David Freeman, and also thanks to whoever made
> my omlette at the Best Western.....mmmm.
>
> Clearing security in Tucson was quite easy. I guess the mass of mineral
> collectors and sellers makes them use to people like me carrying 200
pounds
> of rocks, some of them iron. One of my bags they kept putting in and
> rescanning it from different angles but al in all....no problems.
>
> Leaving Tucson, I plugged some headphones into my seat to listen to the
> flight cabin. I was now leaving nice warm Tucson for cold and boring
Kansas.
> The plane was completely full with passengers and I was worried all my
items
> would not make it on board. The pilot reported that all but 5 of golf
clubs
> bags made it under the plane. It was snowing across the northern US so I
> didn't see them get much use the next week anyway.
>
> After I landed in Wichita, the pilot reported the flight was "terminated"
> and we were now taxing to the "departure" wings. Makes you wonder who gave
> those airplane nicknames.
> So without typing out a book, and telling you all my deals and such (Hey I
> cant give everything away) I hope that gives those that did not attend a
> good ideal on how the show went and activities. I think it can be said we
> all had a great time. I know I did.
>
> See you all next year....and remember Denver in September. Denver is
> September...hey, that almost rymes.
>
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Received on Mon 10 Feb 2003 05:03:17 PM PST