[meteorite-list] Tucson questions and predictions

[MeteorHntr at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/30/2009 1:49:30 P.M. Central Standard Time,  
star_wars_collector at yahoo.com writes:
I have questions anf thoughts about  Tucson...
Is it really worth going? I would think that prices would be hogher  due to 
cost of travel and living (room, food etc) for the show and the dealers  
wanting to recover funds for that.
Also a friend is out there and says its  slower then he has ever seen, does 
anyone else see this?
Could this show be a  dissapointment like Denver was?
Will this be more of a dealers meeting/buying  trip then collectors and the 
average person?
I was wanting to go, but from  what I have seen so far, I may have saved 
myself alot of money by not making the  trip.
I am thinking that we will see prices drop after the show due to  dealers 
needing to recover costs of the trip.

Any opinions and or  comments on this?
 
 
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Greg,

I am not sure I have heard anyone that has ever said they  regretted every 
going to Tucson.

I don't ever hesitate to tell ANYONE  that they need to go to Tucson at least 
once in their lives.  Just walking  around and seeing everything 
(non-meteorite even) that is for sale is amazing,  and unlike anything you will ever 
experience.  

Your logic above is  quite a bit flawed.  You mention the prices might be 
higher at the show due  to the costs, then you mention that afterwards the prices 
might be lower due to  the costs.   Over the years I have found that if the 
prices are going  to be higher or lower, they will both be higher or lower 
during and after the  show.

Every year there seems to be a pattern, buyers come in early during  the show 
to cherry pick the best quality and the most undervalued pieces that  the 
show has to offer.  Then buyers also come in at (or stick around until)  the end 
to pick up great bargains that might be left at the end of the  show.  Then 
others come in for the main weekend only to go to the Birthday  Bash and the 
Auction, and to get their fix for the year then head  home.

Now, if you don't value being able to compare side by side 20  slices of the 
same specimen to be able to examine and determine what is the BEST  one for 
you, then you probably won't want to go to Tucson.  

If you  don't like the idea of getting items at INCREDIBLE prices at the 
auction, then  you won't want to bother showing up this year.  

If you don't like  the idea of pitting one dealer against the other, to get 
the best possible price  on a particular rock, Tucson is definitely is not for 
you.  

If you  don't like the idea of stumbling onto a foreign dealer, that doesn't 
even speak  English, that mostly sells something else, but has a crate of 
meteorites under  the table, that one of his buddies back home asked him to bring 
and sell for  him, and he doesn't even know what he has, or what they are 
really worth, then  you should definitely stay home and leave those treasures for 
others to  find.

If the thought of sitting down with a seller that has had a few too  many 
Margaritas and is almost giving stuff away because he is in a great mood,  then I 
would have to agree that you had better save your airfare and not waste  the 
time making it out. 

And by all means, if getting to know other  collectors on a personal basis, 
who will tip you off as to whom to stay away  from (because they would NEVER 
write in an email such advice that might be used  against them) OR they might 
ask you if you want to go in with them to make a big  wholesale lot to share at 
a great price, then I would have to suggest that you  go with your gut feeling 
and stay home this year.  

Besides, the  weather might not be so good this year anyway.  I hear it is 
only going to  be 80 degrees, and the hot tub at the hotel doesn't really feel 
so good unless  it cooler out.  And if you get a tan in the middle of winter, 
all your  friends at home might be jealous of you.

If you don't like the idea of  getting the best $2 bottle of bootlegged wine 
you will ever find...I didn't just  say that did I?  (Hey, Mike, save me a 
case, ok?)

Yea, I think it  might be best if you just stay home and wait to buy what 
everyone else is  reselling from the great deals they found at Tucson this year.  
After all,  you can always go down to your local bar and buy a cheaper 
Margarita, and go to  a $3 tanning bed, and read the posts here on the list about 
how much fun  everyone else is having and it will be almost EXACTLY the same as 
being in  Tucson yourself.   And look at all the money you will save!

Do  you want me to collect all the dealers names that didn't sell much by the 
end of  the show and send their contact info for you so you can make the 
after show  deals with them?

For everyone else, I can't wait to see you in the Sun in  a couple of days!

Steve Arnold #1
Birthday Kid #2
 
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