[Rockhounds] So ya wanna be a mineral dealer, eh? - Part 3 - "What could possibly go wrong?"

[Tom Corson]

From: Kevin Ward [mailto:kward at themineralgallery.com] 
Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 6:08 PM
To: corson at infodyn.com; Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and
gem collectors
Subject: RE: [Rockhounds] So ya wanna be a mineral dealer, eh? - Part 3 -
"What could possibly go wrong?"
	
	
	How do you guys make a living in the mineral business?? Mineral
dealers must be a crazy bunch or all have second and third jobs.
	
Kevin,

The short answer to the first question is many/most don't.	My response
to the second sentence is "yep!", to all of it, with very few exceptions. We
are a crazy bunch...

Recall what I said in one of my earlier posts about having to become known,
to become a "destination". Without that, a process which takes a lot of
time, and absent some other draw or specialty, you will be "paying dues" for
a good while. You won't have the volume...

What other draw or specialty? Well, specializing in, say, rare species, or
specific localities comes to mind. John Cornish, with his Rat's Nest Claim
zeolites comes to mind. If he's out there, perhaps he could share how long
it took him to turn the corner.

What Earl Verbeek posted a few days ago about the pressure on a dealer to
gravitate to higher priced pieces is also a factor (remember the labor is
the same, pretty much, regardless of price). So, going to higher priced (not
overpriced) specimens is another option. I am trying not to have to go
there. Time will tell....

Also, most people may not realize this, but the mineral buying/selling world
is very stratified (I'm being polite...). I view it a lot like what being an
art dealer must be like. Many high end collectors will only buy from their
favorite established high end dealers. This is part of what, in my opinion,
leads to some of the pricing spirals of which everyone complains - but more
on that in my upcoming post on the subject. Unless and until you manage to
become a destination in that "world", you will dwell in a parallel universe,
one that is viewed as inferior. A lot of the high end dealers (not all, but
a lot), wouldn't as much as talk to a dealer like me, let alone offer
advice, help or suggestions. Same for their customers. Sad, but true.

Some dealers have alternate sources of income - comfortably retired, working
full or part time in another field, etc. Many of them thus view it as an
extension of their hobby. They can't afford to loose money, but they don't
need it to generate their livelihood either.

TC
________________________________

Thomas W. Corson	       OBG Gems & Minerals	 
corson at infodyn.com	 Green Valley, AZ 85614	 

http://www.obgrocks.com	 
World-Class Minerals For World-Class Collectors	
________________________________