[Rockhounds] Re: Running out of space

[Axel Emmermann]

> I agree.  Bill and I gave ourselves a Christmas present of two new
> display cabinets and promptly filled them with specimens that had been
> in trays in the bedroom. 

[Axel] In the 80's I met an FMS member who was referred to as "Radioactiv
Peter".
The guy was from Sweden and an avid collector of primary uranium-minerals.
He kept them in his bedroom, actually he slept on top of a pile of crates
that were filled with pitchblende, thorianite, unraninite... you name it.
The poor fellow didn't need a bedroom light since he glowed in the dark
(that one we said when he wasn't listening). I wonder what became of him. 


 Our living room now has seven display
> cabinets, one of which is devoted to fluorescent minerals, divided into
> LW, SW, and midrange, with the ability to move certain pieces from one
> wavelength to another to see the different colors produced. 

[Axel] Ah, you guys warm my heart... ;-)))

 This gives
> the impression when a visitor comes in the front door of entering a
> museum!  But when the cabinets are lighted---most of them have mirror
> backs---the room seems to glow.  And seeing the look of wonder and the
> smile of delight on a visitor's face is very worthwhile. 

[Axel] If all goes well I'm going to build the "WALL of AWE" in my hobby
room this year... Wall to wall and floor to ceiling, nothing but glowrocks.
I like a smile but I like it better when people go "Urgh" and faint when I
flip the switch to UV.

 
> We are not quite finished with our cataloging, and there are still a few
> mystery rocks we haven't identified yet, but we have devised a plan
> whereby whoever inherits our collection will be able to easily find the
> information for any specimen, including when and where it was found or
> purchased, and what it cost or an estimated value at that time.

[Axel] A bit gloomy but VERY good idea. The Grim Reaper makes no exceptions
and a properly documented collection may be one way to live on in people's
minds. 

 Cheers
[Axel] Axel