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Post by socalagatehound on Feb 24, 2014 22:46:11 GMT -5
Very cool!!! I wouldn't mind some of that myself.
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Post by socalagatehound on Feb 12, 2014 2:10:26 GMT -5
Definitely looks like West Texas!!!
Those are outstanding. Love the color combinations!!!
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Post by socalagatehound on Feb 7, 2014 14:17:15 GMT -5
Looks like you done good!!!
Craig
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Post by socalagatehound on Feb 5, 2014 1:28:45 GMT -5
Super....Amazing depth....I like it!!!
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Post by socalagatehound on Jan 20, 2014 12:51:46 GMT -5
There's always the moon!!! I hear that's all they have there...
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Post by socalagatehound on Jan 20, 2014 2:10:01 GMT -5
Looks like real nice Maury Mtn to me.
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Post by socalagatehound on Jan 16, 2014 17:12:53 GMT -5
In some countries...haha. I hear Italy is worse...
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Post by socalagatehound on Jan 16, 2014 14:25:01 GMT -5
I think the confiscation part is to bring the costs of a lawyer and/or impound fees on the violator because they probably have little or no legal ground to apply a fine or to send a case to court under the vague laws. It is, after all, public land where collecting is allowed. Petrified wood is another matter, because the rules are pretty uniform. But allowing and individual, such as a BLM district manager, to formulate rules and policies that are enforced as laws on public land is probably unconstitutional, so they just jack up your life with impound fees and lawyer expenses to get your car back. I do think the impound thing is in extreme cases.
Another Barstow District BLM policy that differs from other districts is that all roads are closed unless posted as open. Historic mining roads and washes are always open in other districts, but not the Cadys. Washes because they "renew" themselves with every rain. The BLM manager from out of town I talked to said he would even drive historic mine roads because it would be illegal to close them, barring access to claims, but they (BLM) still do it. I hear it's becoming bad in Oregon and Idaho. Dale, of West Coast Mining, told me they were trying to stop him from repairing the roads into his claims. WTH. I guess if you make it more difficult to mine and collect, people will just work at McDonalds and go the movies..haha.
Hey John, sorry if we're hijacking your thread a little...
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Post by socalagatehound on Jan 15, 2014 13:35:06 GMT -5
This and that, but on this subject (hope some of this helps)... I have also never had a problem with personal collecting as long as its a reasonable amount. Nationally, the BLM views that as a trunk-load, but each district is different. BLM rules do state that selling or bartering material collected off Federal Lands is illegal without a claim. Selling slabs might be a gray area, but you do contribute value by cutting it, and selling rough might be illegal but is seldom if ever enforced. You are allowed to have a "once in a lifetime sale of a personal collection". Therefore, the "acquired in an estate sale" tag. I think that the question of cabbing up self collected material also involves your personal work and talent that's put into the piece. You can sell the cab based on the value of that and not the material.....so sky's the limit for cabbing...
Some local BLM offices are stricter than others. The office governing the Cady Mountains is one of the strictest in the US. Individual BLM office directors have discretion to enforce their own interpretations of rules. I was told this by a visiting director from AZ who was hounding with his family in the Cady's. A trunk-load in New Mexico might be a day-pack full in Southern California. I hear the Cady's rule is due to the proximity to the massive population of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange Counties.
I have read reports by collectors busted for exceeding the petrified wood collecting rules. Stiff fines there, including confiscating your vehicle, so be careful, especially in National Forests, where they have more rangers available for enforcement. Here in the Cuyamaca National Forest (San Diego area), they write lots of parking tickets. (You're not allowed to park without a day pass displayed.) They apparently do quite well with it, since the ticket guys have brand new 4x4 trucks. So I don't think they'd hesitate to enforce other rules as well.
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Post by socalagatehound on Jan 13, 2014 12:31:13 GMT -5
Am I correct that his sets on Flicker are Dardilrocks? Love 'em all. Need to look into those trips. It seems like a bargain for both the rocks and the adventure!!!
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Post by socalagatehound on Jan 12, 2014 1:34:21 GMT -5
Another thought....
How about Blue Moon....or would that indicate a moonstone?
I really like something like Blue Sky or Blue Skystone...since it's not agate.
Bermuda Blue is catchy....
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Post by socalagatehound on Jan 11, 2014 20:17:19 GMT -5
Outstanding work. You've really captured the depth of the stones.
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Post by socalagatehound on Jan 10, 2014 21:51:57 GMT -5
He shipped it over here so everyone would say "Wowsers!!!" It probably made a nice door stop in the container. Only $40,000. Come on Susan, you can swing that...
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Post by socalagatehound on Jan 5, 2014 17:01:17 GMT -5
Hey Susan
Great trip report!!! I think what you said in the other thread about the quality dropping even in the first four days was so true. I think it also helped me keep a little money for the Pow Wow, so not a total loss...haha.
We did cross paths yesterday, as you got me in one of the pictures...Go Chargers!!! Hope you got some great stuff. I did okay, but I won't know how well until I start cabbing it up. Did get some Amethyst Sage rough with intense purple from Tony that I think will be special.
Are you going to the Pow Wow?
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Post by socalagatehound on Jan 5, 2014 2:07:21 GMT -5
Spent the day at Quartzsite and now I'm back until the Pow Wow. Some things to know...
Desert Gardens was livelier than in the past few years. The show is a little larger, but mostly because they took out the first row and have a vendor selling sheds there, so it got pushed back. One reason Desert Gardens is livelier is because Tyson Wells is almost rock-less. They are all over at Desert Gardens and Prospectors Panorama.
I'm pretty picky with my purchases, or maybe I'm just jaded, but I managed to spend a few hundred bucks and brought home some killer slabs and rough. Despite that, I thought lots of what I saw wasn't up to snuff and passed on some stuff that was the low end of otherwise great material. Maybe Susan beat me to the good slabs from those vendors...LOL.
Got to talk with Christopher, Tony and a few others I knew/met, but my one day was so limiting.
Can hardly wait for the POW WOW!!!
And if you mean the 78 east from Brawley to Blythe...I love that damn roller coaster....peddle to the metal, baby...big air!!! haha.
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Post by socalagatehound on Jan 2, 2014 14:52:22 GMT -5
And....haha...
for the uninitiated, the Pow Wow is the biggest show when it happens, but Desert Gardens covers just as much area and maybe has as many vendors. It's just that the vendors never all seem to be there at once. It lasts the whole month. I think technically the trailer park is next door to the swap meet area, but owned by the same folks. Tyson Wells has a rock and Gem show the first couple weeks of January, but it's gotten very commercial and you don't find as much in the way of slabs and rough. Mostly finished consumer goods. My wife like it more than I do. There are usually a couple dealers with cool rough on the first couple rows towards the 95, but shop carefully. Can be pricey for low quality.
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Post by socalagatehound on Jan 2, 2014 14:45:04 GMT -5
Hi all Jumping in here...maybe this will prove usefull. Talk to Tony when you get there and he might know who's buying. The vendors often buy from each other and trade so they have more variety to sell or for their own collections. Sometimes it pays to walk around first, especially at Desert Gardens, and see who the source is for various materials. It will be cheaper from them, or maybe just more to choose from. Strong Rock, across the freeway on the west end with all the barrels of rock, are often the folks who ship stuff in for smaller vendors. I only go over there with a vendor to buy from barrels in the back if someone's willing. Also, vendors who are selling at the Pow Wow will buy up nice material early at Desert Gardens at resell it at a far higher price at the Pow Wow. Nothing wrong in that, it's just Swap Meet Marketing 101. I'm heading over tomorrow for some shopping and then back for the Pow Wow on the 22nd. I can't afford the motel rooms to stay for longer periods, but it will be time enough to touch base with the vendors I like. I'd rather spend the money on rocks...lol
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Post by socalagatehound on Dec 26, 2013 23:44:39 GMT -5
Nice depth, too. Took a great polish. Looks like glass!!!
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A Bot
Dec 23, 2013 20:41:09 GMT -5
Post by socalagatehound on Dec 23, 2013 20:41:09 GMT -5
Nice work Susan! Very creative.
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Post by socalagatehound on Dec 1, 2013 16:11:10 GMT -5
outstanding!!!
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