Skepticism, Science & Pseudoscience

to one of my customers, who went into the business. There is a mineral dealer named Mineralman. That is not me, and never was. My business had a completely different name.

These days, it's a much more difficult business than it was. I was one of the first three internet mineral dealers. Since then, there have been dozens of new ones, plus people who sell on eBay. It's become very, very difficult to make a profit from it.

The problem is that there are simply not enough good quality specimens, and the number of serious collectors is dwindling. It's not a great idea any longer, like it was 15 years ago.

But, the main source of stock for mineral dealers comes from wholesale mineral shows. There are two major ones. One is in Tucson in late January. The other is in Denver in the fall. Smaller shows occur around the country, but prices are higher. At the two main shows, wholesalers and actual mine representatives come from all over the world to sell their specimens. Plus, there are dozens and dozens of wholesale dealers. There used to be some great bargains to be found. That's no longer true, I'm afraid.

I don't recommend getting into that business at this time.