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Mineral Shows2014 Tucson Show

11th Feb 2014 21:45 UTCDanny Jones Expert

I just got home from 10 days in Tucson. Did anyone else think that the number of attendees was down significantly from other years or was it just my mind playing tricks on me???

12th Feb 2014 14:37 UTCReiner Mielke Expert

Is it the sellers or buyers you are talking about?

12th Feb 2014 16:00 UTCBob Harman

This is the first year out of the last several that I elected not to go so I am not there. But as I understand it, the main show at the convention center, is February 13 - 16 and you, DANNY, are posting this on Feb 12. Am I understanding it correctly that you left 1 or 2 days prior to the main show and are now asking about the attendance???? Seems a bit premature……

Having said all that, the last few years that I attended, the total numbers of attendees was generally a bit less each year than about 10 - 15 years ago. Probably attributable to a combination of the worldwide economic conditions (especially several years ago), rising costs of gasoline and airfares, other rising costs, rising costs of the minerals in general, unusually cold weather 1 and 2 years ago and maybe just differing tastes in collecting (hobbies) and investing. < As an aside the hobby of rare stamp collecting was all the rage about 1980 -1985; by 2000 it was a shadow of itself 20 years earlier. > Anyway let's see what other attendance figures come out in the next few weeks before jumping to conclusions. CHEERS…….BOB

12th Feb 2014 16:18 UTCMario Pauwels

You are right Danny, in recent years the number of visitors is slow but steady downward. In fact I don't mind this evolution.

What bothers me the most (together with the sometimes ridiculous high prices for specimens) the recent years in Tucson, is that the show organisers rents out major parts of their parking lots to all kind of vendors. The Riverpark Show (a show that still needs everything to prove), rents out around half of its already small available parking lot to eateries and food stands.

Best regards,

Mario Pauwels

12th Feb 2014 22:15 UTCDave Owen

The Tucson show is unique in that it's' not just a mineral show for mineral collectors. True that is how it started and for mindat users that is the main focus but it is so much more. Mario seems upset that RiverPark lets vendors in its parking lot. River Park just recently added the mineral section it is and has always been at least for the 20 years I've been buying a lapidary and wholesale jewelry show.If it's high end minerals your interested in fine but what makes the Tucon show great is the diversity. I can see and buy great minerals but I can also get the most diverse selection of stones for my jewelry on the planet. Not to mention great stuff for my gallery. River Park has nothing to prove it fills it's niche very nicely.

13th Feb 2014 01:47 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager

Part of the apparent "lower attendance" is just an illusion created by the increasing length of the show, with some dealers staying here for a whole month! That means buyers spread themselves out over a longer time period, and if you get here a couple days before the TGMS show starts, there are already hundreds or maybe thousands of folk who were in Tucson but have already gone home again. The hotels naturally love this development, but I'm not sure it's very good for anybody else. There is also the ever increasing number of venues, so visitors are increasingly spread out over both space and time. Of course some elderly collectors and dealers drop out, but new ones start up, and I very much doubt that attendance is actually decreasing - it just seems that way because of the above-mentioned issues.

13th Feb 2014 01:50 UTCDavid K. Joyce Expert

I've really been enjoying myself and have been meeting many people that I've only corresponded with before now. Went collecting at the Planet and BBC mines, yesterday. The great weather has been a bonus!

David K Joyce

13th Feb 2014 11:51 UTCMichael Hopkins

Parking at the Inn Suites Tucson City Center was a nightmare. We were there the first week and never had such problems parking. I think the consolidation of two shows into one drove up attendance.

13th Feb 2014 15:24 UTCTom Klinepeter

First of all parking was a challenge this year. Not just at Tucson City center but almost all venues, only the 22nd street show had plenty of parking all you needed to do is catch the shuttle.. However there were plenty of people everywhere so I do not think attendance is down. We even had to wait in some rooms at Westward Look just to see the cases. As Alfredo said there are just so many shows spread out over a month. Yes a lot of shows are jewelry, beads and blah but you most go to all of them. Why you say, because amongst all the stuff there are some very nice minerals. I saw the best emerald specimens in a jewelry show. The only way to find out is walk, walk and walk some more. All and all it was a very good trip with new and executing minerals.

15th Feb 2014 20:30 UTCSteve Sorrell Expert

I've just finished my fourth Tucson Show and for me it was the best one so far. And for an Aussie coming from a hot Australian summer the weather has been superb! And I agree with Tom, look everywhere. My best mineral find was in a jeweler at the Pueblo.

Regards

Steve

25th Feb 2014 04:22 UTCGail Spann Manager

The weather was a huge factor, many people couldn't get their flights, lots of storms going on in the East.

25th Feb 2014 22:09 UTCMichael Sommers

I've been going over the second week for the past 3 years, to catch the main TGMS show. I definitely feel that the attendance at the other shows (HTCC, 22nd, "hotel row" etc) was lighter this year than last for this second week, but at the TGMS show it felt like there was a really strong attendance. But the dealers I asked at these shows said they were doing fine and didn't notice any big drop.

26th Feb 2014 03:00 UTCHershel Friedman

Gail, you are definitely correct about the storms. I live in the East Coast, and was worried about my flight being cancelled because of the snow... and my wife's flight out west DID get cancelled because of the snow. It's been quite a winter!

2nd Mar 2014 17:37 UTCRay Hill Expert

I know for a fact that the AGTA is smaller than it used to be, but the GJX show on the opposite side of the street seems to have grown bigger.

There just isn't enough time in the day to see it all, and as Alfredo commented, this show, like Denver Show, is spreading out over a larger and larger area every year. This does dilute the crowds a bit, but it also makes for a much bigger challenge, if you want to "see it all". You really need a gang of people working the show so that they can see more and share information at the end of the day to let others know about unique finds and vendors, that they may have missed going where each person went. THis way you can get more chances to get what you may be interested in.and possibly get better deals too. The more competition, I think, the better the chances for price bargains for the buyers. Having talked with a lot of vendors at the big main show, I got various responses, but most felt that the sales and the attendance at that particular show were down. The exceptions may be the mega dealers, but they never really reveal their successes or failures anyway. I am beginning to believe that the last week of January is becoming the good week for shoppers, and will probably entertain opening the Mindat Mansion for that period in 2015, whereas I have avoided it for 3 years now, not seeing any interest from fellow Mansionites for coming then.

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