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| TENTS AT KINO DISPLAY THEIR WARES. |
The annual rock shows at Tucson are some of my
favorite events and for the last several years I have been able to attend
several different venues--from among the 40 or so set up around town. I suppose there are energetic persons who may
visit 25 or 30 shows looking to purchase specimens for resale; however, I am
happy just spending time at less than five.
This year, 2013, the weather was quite cooperative for the main event in
the Convention Center with nary a cloud in the sky and temps in the 70’s. However, early on in February some of the
outdoor shows experienced cold weather (well at least cold for Arizona) with
frosty mornings and some rain. and even snow in the nearby Santa Catalina
Mountains.
My favorite outdoor venue is the former Tucson
Electric Park (TEP) Mineral and Gem Show now known as the Kino Sports Complex
Rock Show. This show, situated south of downtown along I-10, is set up on
a series of soccer fields with free parking, free shuttles, and even offers the
opportunity for "dry camping" at a nominal cost. I enjoy this show since the vendors are quite
friendly (often selling from stands situated next to their RVs), the specimens
reasonable in price, and the merchandise eclectic in nature.
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| MOST OF THE AMETHYST CATHEDRALS WERE SOLD. |
Every year I make a point to visit the “Amethyst Tent”
where hundreds of the South American cathedrals are display for sale in all
their lavender glory. This year the
prices were really very “cheap” as the dealer may be going out of business. Large cathedrals were priced in the hundreds
of dollars as opposed to thousands as seen in past years (and in other tents).
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| STRAIGHT SHELLED CEPHALOPODS FROM MOROCCO WERE EVERYWHERE. |
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| HOW ABOUT SOME FARM ANIMALS. |
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| SOME REALLY NICE LAPIS AT A GOOD PRICE. |
Some of the more funky items included firearms (this
is the “west’), welded figurines, perhaps 2500 dop sticks (in one locality),
colorful clothing that reminded me of my youth in the 1960’s, chairs made of
petrified wood logs, and 10,000 (probably more) plastic beads. Trilobites were
everywhere including several fakes---cast a black bug in resin and plop it on
some limestone. Or perhaps carve out a
nice looking star fish and give it a paint job.
Know and trust your dealer!
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| TRILOBITES FOR SALE. KNOW YOUR DEALER. |
On the other hand,
dealers had “lots of” really nice specimens.
If you were looking for sliced agate slabs—thousands were available. Runnin
Boar Minerals from Woodland Park (the organizers of the CSMS Show had dozens of
really fine amazonite crystals, and some fibrous malachite that was 75% less
expensive than some I observed at the main show. The group from Mt. Ida, Arkansas (who will be
at our CSMS Show) sold me a nice gemmy piece of scapolite for a few dollars. And, since I am a fan of Utah minerals I
could not turn down specimens of Wonder Stone, Picasso Marble, and Utah Lace
Opal---more on these later.
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| GET YOUR GENUINE PLASTIC TURQUOISE BEADS. |
I also like the Kino
Show for some of the “large”, really large, specimens. At one time I had seen a hand sample size
specimen of orbicular granite—here was one several feet long. Left over from last year were giant-size
hunks of a blue copper smear, quartz crystals, and the largest piece of pyrite that I
have seen in my life.
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| A MIGHTY BIG CRYSTAL. |
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| A NICE HUNK OF POLISHED ORBICULAR GRANITE. |
So, if you are in the
Tucson areas next year check out the Kino Show. No admission charge, the
parking is easy and free with a shuttle—a great way to spend an afternoon or a
day. The displays are often quirky and who would not want to take home a
cast-resin skull or tiger?
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| UTAH LACE OPAL IS A SILICEOUS SINTER. |
