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2003 Tucson Show Report John Cornish provides us with a first hand look into the 2003 Tucson Show.
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Hi Everyone,
Greetings and welcome to this year's 2003 Tucson Show Report. As I write, I'm thrilled to once again be home. Since I've been back, I've had time to catch up and tie down most of the unfinished business which always seems to accumulate when a person's away for any length of time and I've also successfully unpacked my two bulging 70 pound suit cases without incident! And now, with the soft patter of our ever-falling NW rain, I can settle in and while relaxing, share this year's terrific adventure. So, there's the intro, ya know what's coming. Hit the ol' delete button if you've a mind, otherwise, here we go... My trip started during the last week of January and ended during the third week of February. It was a power-packed, relentless time of mineral depravity and excess and I loved every minute of it! I arrived in Tucson during the wee hours of the morning and was met by my good friend Jim Stoutmeyer. Jim was gracious enough to invite me to his house for the night and it's there that I enjoyed my first night's rest. In the morning after visiting, I took off for the Inn Suites where this year's mineral adventures would truly begin. This would be my first year running a room in the Inn Suites, and I must say, this place is a welcome step up from my old haunts at the Executive Inn. My room, actually the room of Stuart Wilensky Fine Minerals and Irv Brown, faced into a beautiful grassed and orange tree lined court yard. The soft cooing of the doves and the accompanied songs of the other birds gave a peaceful, relaxing tone to the whole surroundings which I found immediately enjoyable and comforting. Our room was in the midst of these park-like surroundings, # 167, in Building F. This is my first year working with Stuart and Irv and what an inspirational time it was. They were great as individuals and professional in every sense. They were sincere and I was at once made to feel welcome and a part of their adventure. Stuart and I met up first, while Irv arrived several days later. Our first matter of business would be to move the room about to accommodate the three rented 6 foot glass display cases which would soon be arriving. We did this right on time, as moments after finishing, the movers arrived with the first of the cases to bring in. We jostled things about and eventually had everything set in it's place. We followed this with the addition of three light boxes, one of these was placed atop of each display case and to these we mounted several additional lamps illuminating downwards into the cases themselves. Next I dove into the endless pleasure of glass cleaning, followed by the positioning and the mounting of the shelves themselves. Our specimens arrived about an hour after this initial set-up had been completed. We moved the minerals carefully from their transport vehicle in several cart loads until finally all of the stock was safely in the room. The next several hours saw us unwrapping specimens and placing them with their corresponding labels onto the shelves for display. This was a slow procedure. Many of the specimens were extremely delicate and their values ranged from hundreds of dollars to tens of thousands of dollars and each required our utmost concentration when handling. Every move was calculated and carefully plotted, the last thing we'd want was to slam a specimen into a partially closed case door. Like I said, we moved carefully and cautiously. After several hours we'd placed the majority of the specimens, and their packing boxes and materials were cleared away for the start of business tomorrow afternoon. This left the morning for fine tuning and breakfast! It'd been a long day, but with everything more or less in place, we finally called it quits for the evening. Dinner time! Over the course of the next several days, I ran this room for the guys. This left them free to shop for specimens and to visit with other dealers. Me, I was in my element, I'm surrounded by great rocks in the heart of the World's greatest gem and mineral shows and it's my little slice of heaven. We had fantastic specimens in the room and this was acknowledged by the constant compliments shared by folks while they visited and shopped. Examples of some of the superlative specimens in our room could include the exquisite soft-pink colored morganite penetrated by two impressive pyramidally terminated gemmy green tourmalines, the only known example of this association from the world renowned Pederneira Mine in a flawless, undamaged, cabinet sized specimen. Or perhaps the bright reds of rhodochrosite, or vanadinite, or beryl appeals, or perhaps the fiery orange of an Idaho pyromorphite with perfect nearly 3 inch crystals beckons? Maybe the bright yellow of elemental sulfur overlain by soft, sky-blue celestite calls, or maybe it's the tones of a yellow Illinois fluorite with its flower-like adornment of blue fluorites that is more to your liking? I loved the blues of the aquamarines from their varied localities and their sparkling brethren, the gemmy, alluring emerald from Colombia, the single golden artistically patterned helidor from the Ukraine, or the previously mentioned red beryl of Utah or pink morganite from Brazil. We had dinner plate sized stibnite perfection in matrix groups and specimens of stibnite associated with barite, and with golden calcite. There were fluorites from China, pretty things in greens, blues and purples. There were big purple fluorites in impressive blocky crystals from England and there were killer gemmy-clear fluorites from Dalnegorsk. Everywhere a person looked, grace lay upon each shelf, each and every one. Crystals sweet like the yummiest candy. The splashes of their color, their rhythm of line, each specimen crystal perfection, each like a bright shining dream come true. And there were so many too, but did I have a favorite you ask? Ah yes, I do I reply with a cock-eyed grin, it's this little beastie here in the corner... And that's when they gasp. That's when most folks actually stop dead in their tracks and just glaze over in awe as they partake of my favorite rock in the room. The baby! All approximate 35 plus pounds of it. It's an exquisite single crystal of gem spodumene from Resplendor, Minas Gerais, Brazil which is doubly terminated and grades in color from a Kunzite lilac-pink to a soft green over its nearly two foot long length. What a great rock, but don't take my word for it, you make the call. Check the following link and scroll down the page! http://www.imageevent.com/number9/rocknetgroup Some of these, and other great specimens, are available for viewing and purchase online at the website of Stuart and Donna Wilensky Fine Minerals. For your convenience, consider visiting www.wilenskyminerals.com Approximately half way through our Inn Suites Show, we shifted gears and stepped it up a notch. We began this process by breaking down part of the room's displays. We repacked these specimens and added them to other as yet unshown specimens for a new Show we'd be opening in at the Westward Look Resort. The Westward Look Resort is a classy place on the outskirts of town hosting this second year Show created by my friend Dave Waisman. Dave has brought some of the finest dealers together in this beautiful desert setting for a wonderfully unique experience which is prospering in both dealer and collector popularity. We shared a building with 3 other dealers and enjoyed an experience resulting in our signing contracts for continuing patronage. Additionally to the outstanding dealers, there were several special functions, of these I was only able to attend one, the special Saturday event of Gene Meieran Day. Gene is an enthusiastic and accomplished collector and for just this one day, he brought and displayed in the Resort Lobby several outstanding examples of specimens from his personal collection. The specimens were splendid things, monstrous blue gem euclase and multi-colored tourmaline, topaz, beryl, and on and on. What a sensational gathering of phenomenal specimens. I wish everyone could have seen this wonderful display, it was really something special! This Show spanned a five day period, but like all good things, even this had to eventually come to an end. And again, the cycle repeats. Being infinitely careful, we packed the specimens yet again and brought them back to the Inn Suites. I bet you can guess what I did for the next several hours! Yup that's right, I unpacked everything and set it all back into the cases creating new displays for our morning's guests. Now, least I pass on the impression that this is a type of drudgery, let me confess, this is a grand time, an intimate time between the minerals and myself. During this time with the room closed, I get to examine intimately each specimen, judging its perfection, grading its value, reveling in its singular beauty. This is inspiring education! I worked late into the night until finally, I called it quits and turned out the lights and closed my eyes to sleep. The Inn Suites room had been open the entire time in addition to the Westward Look Show and we'd been busy moving back and forth between the two venues. When the Westward Look closed and we re-opened again in full force at the Inn Suites, we were on our final stretch. These last days went by quickly until finally, the closing day of the Show arrived and it was time to pack those treasures as yet remaining unsold for the long ride back to New York. We packed everything ultra carefully this last time in hopes our efforts would counter the effects of every bump and rattle encountered while traveling across the country. The hours stretched by slowly before somehow mysteriously, and all to soon, everything was done and it was time to say goodbye. It'd been a great run and I felt thankful and fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Stuart and Irv. Additionally, it's a pleasure to be able to announce that they've invited me back for 2004. The days won't go by fast enough... And then that was it. The dust swirled around their tires as they drove away heading back to the world that exists away from Tucson. But for me, my work wasn't quite done yet. I had a few hours to kill and did so while rambling around the Inn Suites looking at rooms. Afterwards, I took the shuttle to the airport to take possession of my rental car. I'd use it to cruise a bit today and to move back and forth from my hotel to my new gig at the Tucson Convention Center working for Les and Paula Presmyk and their business, De Natura. This would be my third year working with Les and Paula, and I've really been looking forward to this year's show. But before starting up again, I wanted to use the day to be a tourist and just check out the sights at the TCC. The displays were incredible in the show as were the glittering stocks displayed by the dealers. One of the greatest joys of visiting Tucson and its shows is the simple fact that a person is essentially moving from one world class mineral museum to another as they visit each display, booth or room. It's really an incredible thing that one must truly experience to comprehend. In awe, I walked the brightly lit aisles of the show until forced with all the other mineral junkies to leave at the end of the day. In the morning I packed my stuff completely and vacated the room at the Inn Suites. The prices were just too high to justify my staying and now with the rental car, I was mobile. I hit the TCC in the early AM and then waited for a bit until the doors at the Dealers entrance were opened. This happened an hour prior to the shows opening for the general public. I used every spare minute to visit with friends and to see the displays before returning back to open the booth. We had sheets to pull back and glass to clean and then the announcer's voice chimed in to open the Show. After this, the people came. I was kept busy as usual with the Presmyk's breaking geodes. This is such a fun job and one I really enjoy. We use a monstrous wrench to crack the geodes open and do so while always attracting a big crowd. The wrench squeezes and the geode pops, the dust falls and the people gasp as crystal treasure tumbles out from beneath the protective confines of the towel we use to hold down the dust. Crystals of quartz, calcite, selenite and goethite often grace the geodes interior cavity spectacularly and each is a unique treasure we get to send home with some lucky collector. Everybody smiles and it's so much fun, I have one of the most enjoyable jobs in the show! The hours pass by very quickly and soon morning has passed into evening and the announcer's voice calls out to again close the show until the morrow. Slowly, reluctantly, the people filter out of the hall and the roar and the noise subsides. As it's Saturday evening, rather then taking off, I head upstairs for the benefit auction and awards ceremonies dinner. Sunday dawns and its back to the TCC for the last day of the Show. The day is pretty much a repeat of yesterday, or more succinctly, it was another great day. We broke geodes till the cows came home and shared a million smiles. This continued until the announcer's voice closed for the last time this year's 2003 TGMS Show. And then the rattle and hum escalates and the air resounds with the flurry of packing people. Flats come out and minerals disappear. Lights are turned off and cords are wrapped until both are packed away. Cases are broken down and moving carts are set up. Everything is moving and from the vantage of the upper floor windows, scores of folks just stand and stare, watching the buzz of the hive as everything comes down and is readied for transport. Eventually we begin to load, the back of the Bronco gets filled with the most important minerals and the trailer takes the burden of everything else. The sweat really flies. And then this to is done. A wonderful dinner follows and then once again, the good-byes are said. Les and Paula are great people and I'm very fortunate to work with them each year. As I drive away from dinner, I do so knowing that for me, Tucson has officially ended. Today was my last scheduled day of work and tomorrow I'd be flying out and heading for home. I drove a bit slower back to my room taking a couple of side trips through some of the other Show parking lots looking for open doors. The few I saw were filled with folks packing and I just kept on driving. Back in the room I packed my own things for the last time and readied myself for tomorrow's trip home. My flight(s) was uneventful in every sense other then one, both of my checked in bags were opened and examined behind the scenes by airport security personnel. They announced this by placing a notification flyer within the suitcase announcing their presence. All of my goods were found in perfect order after this incursion and my one bag had even been additionally sealed with tape as a preventative measure exactly as I'd submitted it (they'd cut my original tape and then re-taped it again securely for me). I felt no inconvenience by this and was thankful for their professional handling of my materials. My 50 pound carry-on was also checked as thoroughly and as professionally. And then that was it, I was home. For this year's trip to Tucson, I'd brought several flats of minerals to sell and had been fortunate to place them within the stocks of several well known dealers. My sales were decent, but to be honest, I didn't sell the 400 pieces I'd sold last year in Denver. I'm not sure why they didn't move as well here in Tucson, I guess it's just the way it goes sometimes. The pieces are good and I know they'll find a home with someone who will really enjoy them. Plus on the lighter side (chuckle), it gave me the chance to buff-up lugging them through the airports! I did manage successfully however to sell a batch of old Mineralogical Records I'd brought. I then used the money to buy books. One of my best finds was a copy of Medenbach and Wilk's, The Magic of Minerals. Also, I was able to find Themelis's, Mogok- Valley of Rubies and Sapphires, and Wards, Emeralds. Also, The Robert Haag Collection of Meteorites and several years worth of the Journal of Gemmology. I also picked up the video Maroc - The Minerals of Morocco and Jesse Fisher's CD, The Rogerly and Other Fluorite Mines of Northern England. As a last, final bonus, I also now have the newest, Vol 37, DVD catalog of Wilensky Fine Minerals. Quite a happy haul for me and a guarantee for many enjoyable hours. I even managed to bring home a couple of specimens for the collection this year. One is a pseudomorph of malachite after azurite with azurite on smithsonite from Tsumeb and the other is a nice vivianite in clam from the Kerch Peninsula, Ukrania. Both specimens came to me via a mineral trade. Over the last several weeks, I've treasured every minute of the time I had visiting with old, and meeting new, friends. The people this year were terrific and I only wish that I'd have had more time to have shared in everyone's company. Everywhere were smiles and it was a fantastic 2003 Tucson good time! Thanks for sharing my little part of the experience that is Tucson. Take care everyone and all the very best, John Cornish |
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