A REDO: TUCSON SHOW 2021, TAKE 2—THE APRIL EVENT

The Santa Catalina Mountains, topping out at over 9000 feet, greet visitors to Tucson.  The Catalinas, on their western front, generally expose late Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks intruded by a variety of mid Tertiary igneous rocks, especially the Wilderness Suite Granite seen from Catalina State Park. The Catalinas are one of the southwestern Sky Island ranges, isolated from other ranges, but related to continental stretching during the Tertiary "Basin and Range Orogeny".

Early this last winter a website was launched titled TheRock.Show and was designed as an internet sales event for dealers normally participating in the February Tucson Shows.  This site alerted me to the fact that a “mini-Tucson” was coming in spring 2021.  The Tucson Main Show in the downtown convention center had been cancelled several months ago; however, dealer venues scattered around Tucson were in the planning—an exciting opportunity.  As time went along, I was able to note that the dealers were opening April 10^th with “early openings" (often wholesale) before that date.  Shows were scheduled to continue, at the latest, to April 25^th; in reality, few shows lasted for two weeks and most folded up on the 18^th. 

All participants attending the April event were required to mask; most were in compliance.  

I am uncertain where all show venues were located around the city; however, the large (in most years) and popular Kino Gem and Mineral Show was moved to a nearby parking lot since the former locality was turned into a drive-in Covid-19 vax area.  Several hotels along I-10 had banners strung along the balconies and the Pueblo Show was “going” but reduced in size.  I only had a two- day window to explore the different venues so chose the 22^nd Street Show and the many dealers clustered in a variety of buildings called Mineral City (between Plata and Lester) along the Oracle main drag—north of downtown.

 

 

The Mineral Showcase Show of the Mineral City warehouses had a number of well known dealers with some mighty fine specimens.  As noticed in a photo above some of the dealer spaces looked more like a nice hotel room rather than a warehouse.  I continue to be fascinated by legrandite and ogled at the specimen (and price) provided by Evan Jones. 

Mineral City has several warehouses where individual rooms open to inside hallways—various sizes of rooms with the traditional warehouse/storage space sliding doors (this grouping was termed the Mineral Showcase Show).  I really don’t know the number of vendors that were present (maybe ?30) but I did have a chance to visit with Leonard Himes of Monument, Colorado, who displayed a variety of high end minerals.  However, my planned and initial visit was to one of my favorite dealers, Shannon Family Minerals of Gilbert, Arizona. Shannon’s is one of the few dealers where Perky & micromount boxes, fold up cardboard boxes, and Geo Tac mineral putty are available for same-day purchase.  They also have the largest inventory of minerals of which I am aware (I suppose Excalibur might be larger); however, Shannon’s inventory has grown exponentially since he recently purchased the entire inventory of Mineralogical Research Company (tens of thousands of minerals). A few flats were available at the Show and they supplied me with a few really interesting minerals (of course).

Flats of minerals displayed at Shannons. Chalcanthite, a hydrous copper sulphate, forms in arid climates where copper deposits rapidly oxidize, commonly on mine walls.  This specimen came from the Planet Mine, La Paz County, Arizona. 

Across the street from Shannon’s was another group of vendors clustered together in rooms that opened to the outside.  Among the dealers was Glacier Peak Minerals operated by the Joe Dorris family from Colorado Springs.  Glacier Peak is well known for the amazonite, smoky quartz, and topaz commercially mined from the Pikes Peak granites (and relatives) of late Precambrian age near Lake George (west of Colorado Springs).

Minerals for sale shown by Glacier Peak Mining.  Joe Dorris authored the many books shown.  

Day 2 of my show venture was spent perusing the great variety of goods displayed by vendors at the 22^nd Street Show (free but $5 parking).  This may have been the largest show in 2021 mini-Tucson (70+ vendors); however, I did not visit all major venues.  The 22^nd Street show is also visible to travelers along I-10 near downtown as dealers are housed in a long “giant tent” with smaller satellite tents on either end.  The extremely popular food court is between the main tent and a satellite tent.

I have frequented the Sri Lankan Curry Pot for the last several years on my visits to the 22nd Street Show.  What a feast!

The doors finally opened to the main tent at the 22nd Street Show.
 

Tables were pack with "lots of things."

What would the 22nd Street Show be without carved cephalopods, amethyst cathedrals, and beads?

My observations about the mini-Tucson event: 1) I was only in town long enough for a quick visit to two venues; 2) the buyers at Mineral City seemed serious and were looking for minerals, and perhaps a few supplies; therefore, the crowd seemed small; 3) 22^nd Street dealers sell a variety of items, especially jewelry and loose stones/cabs/beads/slabs, with actual rough mineral specimens making up a minor amount.  During my visit, the tent was  frequented by many visitors (all seemed to be buying); 4) the Mineral City area will continue to grow with some dealers establishing semi-permanent shops (so I hear); 5) I thought the mini-Tucson was a success, especially after early cancellations and then getting permission to reschedule in April.  There was a shortage of international dealers but that was expected.  I certainly spent an enjoyable two days--at my age something that I treasure :)

Palo Verde trees (Parkinsonia sp.) were in full bloom across southern Arizona.
 

 

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