[meteorite-list] Attn : Tucson Attendees! Share your observations!

From: Michael Gilmer <michael_w_gilmer_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 5 Feb 2009 17:34:58 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <308229.91518.qm_at_web58405.mail.re3.yahoo.com>

Hi listees and lucky Tucson attendees! :)

(*** WARNING - THIS IS LONG AND LOADED WITH QUESTIONS! ***)

As I sit stuck in swampy Louisiana, pining for the Fjords, I find
myself wondering about the current state of the market in Tucson.

UNWA :

What do the UNWA offerings look like this year? Are the wholesale
prices going up? Are the prettier stones decreasing in quantity
in comparison to the hordes of weathered-up stuff? Will it be
impossible to get dark-crusted or nice dark wind-polished stones
for under .30 cents a gram? I see retail prices of pretty OC's
creeping closer and closer to .50 cents a gram for average stuff,
and $1 a gram for whole stones, stones with orientation features,
or any stone whose aesthetics make it stand out. Is there any
hope that UNWA prices might recede, like gasoline prices did?

...

IRONS :

Are Argentine secret agents combing hotel rooms and convention
floors? Has anyone been hauled out in chains for selling
baby Campos? What is the latest gossip concerning this issue?
Does it look like Campos might start drying up once the existing
dealer stockpiles are depleted? Are there any more specimens
or news coming out regarding Las Palmas? What is the going
average rate in Tucson for a kilogram of small-medium Canyon
Diablos of good quality? (maybe 20-100 grams each)

...

STONY-IRONS :

Is there anywhere in Tucson to get a showy small slice of Imilac
or Esquel without paying $100 a gram (or more)? How much are
cutting scraps of common pallasites like Brenham coming for? If
I wanted to buy a kilo of small part-slices of Brenham (maybe
5-10 grams each), how much would I expect to pay?

...

NEW/RECENT FALLS AND FORBIDDEN FALLS :

Any Cali at the show? If so, how much per gram?

Any large pieces of Tamdaught (sp?) available for inspection? Any
opinions of it in person?

Any Berduc being offered? If so, how much?

Any outlaw Buzzard Coulee being offered under tables?

Anything close to a complete individual of Carancas present? Even
if it's only a gram? Or is everything in irregularly-shaped
fragments and tiny part slices? If so, how much was it going for?

...

SUPPLIES and EQUIPMENT :

Was there a good selection of used lapidary saws available? What
is a good price on a used 8" rock saw and a used 6" trim saw?
Any bargain prices on good-quality new saws?

Did anyone see any of those hard-to-find TINY Riker boxes that
are smaller than the common 3x4" size? Were they being sold in
quantity? If so, who has them?

Is there a repeat vendor who is good for metal detectors? (used
and new), if so, who is it? (web address?) What's the current
best deal on a good used detector?

Is there anyone who is a one-stop shop for met hunting gear? GPS,
magnets and canes, field microscopes, detectors, topo maps, etc?

...

RV FACILITIES :

How good are the RV facilities within a short drive of the show?
Do any of the local truckstops or hotels have water or shore power
hookups, free or fee? Any good BLM boondocking areas within a
short drive of the action? Do locals frown on dry campers?

...

TRADING ETIQUETTE :

Is dickering common? If prices are marked, are they considered
firm? Will speaking in Esperanto get me a discount? When you
walk into a seller's room and you don't know anyone yet, how
do you tell who the seller is amongst the people standing around?
Do people wear name-tags? Is it bad etiquette to bring a briefcase
full of trading specimens and offer some to the seller? Are
there any sellers who smoke cigars? If so, is a Cohiba a
sufficient bribe to open trading negotiations? Are there sellers
who are more cutthroat than others?....what I mean is, will a
seller steer you to the best deal, even if it's a specimen for
sale by another dealer in another room? Or will they always
steer you towards something in their own inventory? With one
Hupe not present this year, was there a noticeable disturbance
in the force?

...

If you have made it this far into this email, then I congratulate
and thank you for withstanding my withering fusillade of inane
inquiries. I ask all of these questions because I am dying to get
a sneak-preview of the future market conditions after Tucson and
I want to be a well-prepared show virgin when I attend for the first
time next year. :)

Best regards, good luck and happy hunting!

MikeG

.........................................................
Michael Gilmer (Louisiana, USA)
Member of the Meteoritical Society.
Member of the Bayou Region Stargazers Network.
Websites - http://www.galactic-stone.com and http://www.glassthrower.com
..........................................................




      
Received on Thu 05 Feb 2009 08:34:58 PM PST