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Post by Michael John on Jun 13, 2008 20:35:36 GMT -5
Today, my girlfriend met a lady who wants to liquidate her collection of massive amethyst geodes, gemstone sculptures, and various large crystal specimens. She wants/needs help selling them, and I'll be going over there tomorrow to meet her, see exactly what she wants to sell, and see if I may be able to help. I'll definately take a camera with me. These are obviously big ticket items, far beyond my experience and knowledge.
I'm wondering if anyone here knows how these types of high-end items are commonly bought and sold.
I'll post pics here once I have them.
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Post by johnjsgems on Jun 13, 2008 21:00:01 GMT -5
The Amethyst "cathedrals" sell by the pound but I don't know how much. The darker the more valuable and if there is banded agate around the edge even more . They generally paint the outside green to try to hide the concrete they pour on the bottom to make them stand up (and add weight).
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Post by deb193redux on Jun 13, 2008 21:09:48 GMT -5
I would help her find a mineral dealer that will come in and bid on the whole lot. THe net will be lower, but it happens quickly and painlessly.
Most dealers buy collections. ALso local mineral clubs may have members who buy collections.
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chinook203
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since February 2006
Posts: 849
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Post by chinook203 on Jun 13, 2008 21:23:24 GMT -5
Any rock dealer would be interested or could point you in the right direction. If you have any local rock shops, drop by and talk with them. I'm currently at a show so if you need me to mention it to them, I'd be happy to take them any information.
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Post by Michael John on Jun 14, 2008 23:10:45 GMT -5
Okay, just got back from her house. OMG
Her collection is incredible! She has six huge amethyst geodes, and all kinds of various Citrines, quartz clusters, etc.
The main piece she wants to sell is an incredible Citrine. It's about 16"h x 10"w x 6"d. It's cut, and has several water chambers in it. She had me carry it outside into the sunlight. While I was marveling at it, she told me the general value of it ... more than my friggin house! I cariied it back in and put it down immediately. LOL
I didn't bring my camera because she said she had pics on her puter, but then she couldn't get her puter to start up when I was there. I'll be going back tomorrow to take pics, and she said she'd decide which pieces she wants to let-go-of in the meantime. So, pics tomorrow.
She was a dealer long ago, and she bought all of the geodes from a mine in Brazil. She is quite knowledgeable, and not naive to value, but she's been out of touch with the industry for a long time, and she's not quite sure of how to go-about finding buyers now. And what a SWEET lady!
The "cathedrals" are deep, dark amethyst, with banded agate around the edge, and do appear to have been painted green around the outside. Each piece is very unique, as you'll see in the pics.
I doubt that she'd sell all that she wants to sell to one entity unless the price was right. She's not just looking to "dump" them.
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huffstuff
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since August 2007
Posts: 1,222
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Post by huffstuff on Jun 16, 2008 11:09:59 GMT -5
We'd love to see pics, even if we're not in the market for specimens that cost as much as a house! Wow, I would have put it down immediately, too! LOL
Hope she finds buyers who will appreciate her treasures.
Amy
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Post by LCARS on Jun 16, 2008 11:58:55 GMT -5
Cool, looking forward to seeing those pics... The last time I was on vacation with the fam in Honalulu ('92) I saw an amazing amethyst cathedral pair in a specialty decor store near Alamoana! They were cut from the same geode & had to be between 3-4 feet high, 14-16" wide, tapering in at the top & 10-12" deep. I could almost walk into them. They were priced at $30000/ea or $50000 for the pair!
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Post by Michael John on Jun 16, 2008 15:32:22 GMT -5
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Post by Michael John on Jun 22, 2008 19:03:55 GMT -5
Okay, I finally took some pics! Unfortunately, my old digital camera doesn't take the greatest photos, but these will give you a pretty good idea of what's going on. First up is the massive Citrine specimen which I've agreed to help her sell. The first pic is positioned as it would be displayed, the other two pics are my attempts to show the rainbow fire that occurs throughout the piece. Unfortunately, I was not able to capture the water chambers. It has been professionally tested and appraised. Asking price: $250,000. Next are a pair of candleholders she's also selling, though I don't have the information and pricing for them yet. And here are a couple of pics I snapped in her house. These pieces are not for sale ... It's been suggested that I'd be most likely to find buyers for these big ticket items in Japan. Any leads, advice, or other help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for looking.
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earthdog
Cave Dweller
Don't eat yellow snow
Member since June 2006
Posts: 2,731
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Post by earthdog on Jun 22, 2008 20:16:03 GMT -5
Wow! I could buy 13 brand new Harley's for that or a hellofa house for that. Good luck...
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Post by deb193redux on Jun 23, 2008 1:09:50 GMT -5
There are auction houses here in the states that handle big ticket mineral items. Try to find one of those. They have contacts in other countries and regular bidders. They also know how to do all the sales tax and export customs paperwork. Not to mention that would need to be professionally packed and insured before shipping.
Seriously, I would not try this yourself. In that price range, her old contacts are likely better than any fresh ones you would generate. Also, there is too much liability. If your name gets on any paperwork, you could have people trying to collect tax from you. Or, a buyer who receives a damaged shipment ends up suing you.
Unless you can contact some museums, like the Houston Natural History, or Rice Gem & Mineral in Portland, and they make an offer, just find an agent or auction house and play it safe.
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turquoiselover
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2008
Posts: 115
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Post by turquoiselover on Jun 24, 2008 11:05:22 GMT -5
Michaeljohn - When I was in Las Vegas in Feb. I went to "Jewelry and Minerals of Las Vegas". Big store and they sell this kind of stuff. Huge ones like these. I would think they would at least be able to give you some info about them. Their number is: 702.733.7166
Turq
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Post by Michael John on Jun 24, 2008 14:10:46 GMT -5
Thx Turq.
I've been in touch with Richard Huntington in Las Vegas, a Master Gemologist Appraiser, certified by the ASA. He sent me a response to my email, then I replied back, now I'm waiting for his reply. Judging by his first reply, it's doubtful that it's worth anywhere near what she thinks it is. In my last email, I asked him if he could just give me a rough range of it's value, so that I can talk to her about it, and possibly have it re-appraised.
Honestly, when she showed me the appraisal for $105,000 then told me that she wanted to get $250k for it, that just didn't sound right to me, but she insisted that she knows "the gem world", and that there would be no problem fetching that price. Hmmm...
I'll keep ya posted.
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Post by deb193redux on Jun 24, 2008 23:18:48 GMT -5
Yall just met this woman. How do you know she is not trying to scam you?
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Trouble
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since June 2007
Posts: 93
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Post by Trouble on Jun 25, 2008 7:26:43 GMT -5
Yall just met this woman. How do you know she is not trying to scam you? Invite her over to the buy, sell, swap forum for a good going over....lol
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Post by deb193redux on Jun 25, 2008 10:30:17 GMT -5
Yall just met this woman. How do you know she is not trying to scam you? Invite her over to the buy, sell, swap forum for a good going over....lol Might be more productive to find out about the business she used to have, anyone who knew it ... etc. There could be logical reasons for the >$100,000 difference in price. Maybe one is apprasial/insurance value and the other is whole/resale value. Most dealears are only going to pay an amount they can still mark up considerable and resell. Unless she has been retired so long every old friend and business associate is dead, and every company she dealt with has gone out of business, or her cognitive abilities are diminished, then I cannot imagine how she could expect the boyfriend of a new friend, an amature tumbler, to generate better leads/contacts than she could stir up herself. Likely there are more details and circumstances than space permits to be mentioned here, but just reading the story as posted here, there are some questions.
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Trouble
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since June 2007
Posts: 93
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Post by Trouble on Jun 25, 2008 12:54:55 GMT -5
Invite her over to the buy, sell, swap forum for a good going over....lol Might be more productive to find out about the business she used to have, anyone who knew it ... etc. There could be logical reasons for the >$100,000 difference in price. Maybe one is apprasial/insurance value and the other is whole/resale value. Most dealears are only going to pay an amount they can still mark up considerable and resell. Unless she has been retired so long every old friend and business associate is dead, and every company she dealt with has gone out of business, or her cognitive abilities are diminished, then I cannot imagine how she could expect the boyfriend of a new friend, an amature tumbler, to generate better leads/contacts than she could stir up herself. Likely there are more details and circumstances than space permits to be mentioned here, but just reading the story as posted here, there are some questions. Agreed. I recommend full financial disclosure on her part as well as full body cavity searches for everybody. We'll get to the "bottom" of this yet! ;D
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Post by Michael John on Jun 26, 2008 18:23:50 GMT -5
Well, first off, there's no way for her to scam me in this situation, as I have nothing invested (besides a little time), therefore nothing to lose.
Deb, I'm a far cry from an "amateur tumbler", in fact, I don't even tumble. I'm a miner, mainly dealing with wholesalers, having abandoned small retail sales quite some time ago.
The reason that she chose to meet with me was due to my general exposure to the business and my internet knowledge. As I mentioned, she said that her target market was Japan, and she wanted me to search for possibilities there. However, since it has been a long time since she was "in the business", I doubt that she's aware of the global impact which the internet has had on the market and the trade. So, in essence, perhaps she got more than she bargained for by envolving me. Given what I have learned so far, it appears that I will have to be the bearer of bad news.
I received a response to my second email to the appraiser, and the news was not good. Without looking at it in person, and assuming that there is nothing extremely unique or unusual about this particular piece, it's top value is perhaps $25k. So, my next step is to meet with her again and suggest that a new, current appraisal be done, by a LIVING expert. Without it, there is absolutely nothing to substantiate the value placed on it by the previous appraiser, and therefore no basis for demanding such an unusually high selling price. In fact, IMO, it would be best to have at least TWO independent appraisals if the first appraiser finds that the piece is valued at $100k+, in order to have solid basis for value on such a high ticket item. On the other hand, if she balks at even one new appraisal, then there's a problem, and I'll simply bow-out of the situation.
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Post by akansan on Jun 26, 2008 18:32:33 GMT -5
Sounds like a good plan, MichaelJohn. Granted, the single crystal is huge, but that price does seem a bit out of line with what little (very little!) I know of the market.
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Post by deb193redux on Jun 29, 2008 20:08:07 GMT -5
Deb, I'm a far cry from an "amateur tumbler", in fact, I don't even tumble. I'm a miner, mainly dealing with wholesalers, having abandoned small retail sales quite some time ago. Oh, sorry I forgot about your mining. I suppose miners are OK folks too, but tumblers are tops in my book <grin>. Hey, maybe she just mistook a decimal place or two and $25k became $250k. Or, maybe the water inclusions are an issue. They can add considerable value. Whatever the value, an overseas buyer does make sense, given the sad shape of the dollar right now. Still, she does not sound like someone who can organize crating and do customs paperwork. She needs to work with an agent, and maybe an escrow agent too. Even an unpaid friend acting as an agent could incur substancial liability with amounts this large.
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