Five tips to help you save money at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show

4. Bring cash and haggle. Many dealers are from outside the US and cannot process credit cards, so cash is a must. Also, with your cash in hand, do not be afraid to haggle. Many of these dealers are from out of the US and are probably impressed with how stupid Americans are to pay the sticker price. Americans are unused to haggling, it almost seems like an insult to the goods being offered, but between cash and haggling, you can get many good deals at the show.If you do not like the idea of haggling, merely look at the item offered and ask, "what will you take for it." This opens the door. If the reply tells you to look at the price tag then you will probably pay it, but if the number drops, or there is a counter offer made, then you are off and running.Cash also adds a sense of urgency, checks are dubious and in the US credit cards create paper trails. Always have cash, and never be embarrassed to tell someone what you have left in your pocket if their price hasn't matched your funds.Keep your cash in different pockets. It does no good to tell someone that they're taking your last $100 if you peel it off a fat roll.3. Pay attention to grade. The azurite pictured costs $10,000. Azurite is a beautiful mineral, and sure it can be pricy, and sure if this is the specimen that you absolutely must have and you have 10k lying around buy it and enjoy.However, for those people who would prefer not to spend a quarter of their annual income on a rock, there are options. Azurite, like all other commonly available minerals comes in many grades. You can buy azurite that is faceted, shiny and attractive enough to grab attention on your bookshelf for $60-120. Almost all minerals, if they are common enough come in grades. The dealers know what the experts want and price them accordingly. Luckily, you are not an expert, and you can benefit from this pricing to quickly see what is coveted, and if you too covet it, you can find the stone that appeals to you at a price that you are willing to pay.Now, obviously this does not always ring true, if something is exceptionally rare then you are facing a sellers market. However, if you are seeking something exceptionally rare to fill out your collection, you probably paid the 10k for the azurite pictured above.2. Buy Direct. You may think that everything at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show is direct, but this is very much not the case. Many show dealers are resellers. They buy minerals from other dealers early in the show and add them to their stock. Usually this means a hefty markup. In one case a direct seller was selling grossular granite that he mined in Mexico, a few doors down one of his specimens was selling for 5x what he was selling even his best stuff for. This happens all the time, and you need to be aware of this when looking at materials. If a seller has a bunch of the material he or she is likely the source or has a direct line to the source. If, on the other hand the dealer seems to only have one or two of the specimens and the rest of his stuff is from all over the world, then he is a reseller.Now, just because someone is a reseller isn't all bad, they may be buying the best of the best for high end clients, or they may have a one of a kind piece and this is where you need to buy it.If you see something at a reseller, note where it came from and do your homework, you may save some money by tracking down the source who, for all you know is three doors down in the same hotel.Again, this only works if you have the time. It may not be worth it to save a few bucks on a $60 specimen, but saving a $1000 or more on the grossular granite would certainly make your money go further.View the list »
1. Go early. Sure some people may still be setting up, and this certainly isn't the best option if you have only one day, but if you know you have several days to spend, then go early.Most of the people shopping either on the first official weekday start of the show and the days preceding it are dealers. This day is hit or miss on getting any questions answered, some who are setting up will be more than happy to spend time describing their mine and their goods, or you may get caught up in an old friend's reunion where you are clearly intruding. If the case is the latter, shelve your questions for a better day.However, because all the sales are within the fold so to speak, the assumption is that these are dealers selling to dealers. In many cases this means a 50% discount. Now some may ask for your wholesaler ID, which, of course you haven't got, in which case you will be paying the full price, but on those first few days, honestly, many won't even ask.This is also a great day to loiter and eavesdrop. You can get learn a great deal listening to two dealers contemplate a confusing fossil, or one dealer assessing another's wares. Sure you'll hear a lot of griping about hotel rates and parking, but you have to take the good with the bad.

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The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show is as close to a modern day treasure hunt as you can get. But just like a real life treasure hunt you will have to arm yourself with a map and spend some time if you want to land the absolute best deals.

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Getting great deals at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show isn't that hard, and even if you spend one day there and are a casual buyer, you can take advantage of some of the following hints to save yourself a bit of money on the things you really want.

For those willing to really put in the time, the deals can be fantastic allowing you to acquire more specimens than you could have otherwise.

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  • 1. Go early. Sure some people may still be setting up, and this certainly isn't the best option if you have only one day, but if you know you have several days to spend, then go early.Most of the people shopping either on the first official weekday start of the show and the days preceding it are dealers. This day is hit or miss on getting any questions answered, some who are setting up will be more than happy to spend time describing their mine and their goods, or you may get caught up in an old friend's reunion where you are clearly intruding. If the case is the latter, shelve your questions for a better day.However, because all the sales are within the fold so to speak, the assumption is that these are dealers selling to dealers. In many cases this means a 50% discount. Now some may ask for your wholesaler ID, which, of course you haven't got, in which case you will be paying the full price, but on those first few days, honestly, many won't even ask.This is also a great day to loiter and eavesdrop. You can get learn a great deal listening to two dealers contemplate a confusing fossil, or one dealer assessing another's wares. Sure you'll hear a lot of griping about hotel rates and parking, but you have to take the good with the bad.
  • 2. Buy Direct. You may think that everything at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show is direct, but this is very much not the case. Many show dealers are resellers. They buy minerals from other dealers early in the show and add them to their stock. Usually this means a hefty markup. In one case a direct seller was selling grossular granite that he mined in Mexico, a few doors down one of his specimens was selling for 5x what he was selling even his best stuff for. This happens all the time, and you need to be aware of this when looking at materials. If a seller has a bunch of the material he or she is likely the source or has a direct line to the source. If, on the other hand the dealer seems to only have one or two of the specimens and the rest of his stuff is from all over the world, then he is a reseller.Now, just because someone is a reseller isn't all bad, they may be buying the best of the best for high end clients, or they may have a one of a kind piece and this is where you need to buy it.If you see something at a reseller, note where it came from and do your homework, you may save some money by tracking down the source who, for all you know is three doors down in the same hotel.Again, this only works if you have the time. It may not be worth it to save a few bucks on a $60 specimen, but saving a $1000 or more on the grossular granite would certainly make your money go further.
  • 3. Pay attention to grade. The azurite pictured costs $10,000. Azurite is a beautiful mineral, and sure it can be pricy, and sure if this is the specimen that you absolutely must have and you have 10k lying around buy it and enjoy.However, for those people who would prefer not to spend a quarter of their annual income on a rock, there are options. Azurite, like all other commonly available minerals comes in many grades. You can buy azurite that is faceted, shiny and attractive enough to grab attention on your bookshelf for $60-120. Almost all minerals, if they are common enough come in grades. The dealers know what the experts want and price them accordingly. Luckily, you are not an expert, and you can benefit from this pricing to quickly see what is coveted, and if you too covet it, you can find the stone that appeals to you at a price that you are willing to pay.Now, obviously this does not always ring true, if something is exceptionally rare then you are facing a sellers market. However, if you are seeking something exceptionally rare to fill out your collection, you probably paid the 10k for the azurite pictured above.
  • 4. Bring cash and haggle. Many dealers are from outside the US and cannot process credit cards, so cash is a must. Also, with your cash in hand, do not be afraid to haggle. Many of these dealers are from out of the US and are probably impressed with how stupid Americans are to pay the sticker price. Americans are unused to haggling, it almost seems like an insult to the goods being offered, but between cash and haggling, you can get many good deals at the show.If you do not like the idea of haggling, merely look at the item offered and ask, "what will you take for it." This opens the door. If the reply tells you to look at the price tag then you will probably pay it, but if the number drops, or there is a counter offer made, then you are off and running.Cash also adds a sense of urgency, checks are dubious and in the US credit cards create paper trails. Always have cash, and never be embarrassed to tell someone what you have left in your pocket if their price hasn't matched your funds.Keep your cash in different pockets. It does no good to tell someone that they're taking your last $100 if you peel it off a fat roll.
  • Many of these shows have staggered start and stop dates. You can take advantage of this by going to the satellite shows a few days before they close. According to many dealers the first weekend is the best. That is when the buyers from rock shops or for collectors scour the rooms and snap up what they need. After this first frenzy things take a nose dive.Many dealers may decided to cut their losses and leave early. This gives you an advantage, especially if what you want is bulky or weighs a bit - don't expect people to give you great deals on gemstones. Also many people make a great deal of their annual income at this show, and they want to make it pay.If you show up as people are about to pack up, especially if you have something specific in mind, make an offer, again, you can save as much as 50%.This is only a good plan if you have time on your hands to return several times, if you only go one day then you may miss the very thing you were looking for. This also doesn't work for the main shows, like the one at TCC.
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, Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase Examiner

Liane Ehrich has been interested in rocks forever. She majored in evolutionary biology just so she could have an excuse to play with fossils. She prefers sedimentary rocks to igneous - because that's where the bones are buried, but has also spent her fair share looking through old tailings for...

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