realrockhound
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Chucking leaverite at tweekers
Member since June 2020
Posts: 4,495
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Post by realrockhound on Mar 19, 2024 14:09:22 GMT -5
It’s not the slab, but the material. Material is limited. Most has been dug out of existence. If you think I’d let most of the stuff go I have for under $80 a slab, you best be dreaming 😂
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realrockhound
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Chucking leaverite at tweekers
Member since June 2020
Posts: 4,495
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Post by realrockhound on Mar 19, 2024 14:25:21 GMT -5
Some do to a degree. However if you’ve ever been out and dug a deposit, it’s not like this stuff is never ending. Most deposits are not that big. Then you take into account most of the really good stuff (or what I would deem as good) compared to what’s still being dug, was almost all extensively mined out in the 60’s and 70’s and what is out there now is very limited in collections. A small amount of people are sitting on large quantities or “rare” material. Sure… I have a good stock of rare material. However I’m not going to drop the price of it to appease others.
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Post by stardiamond on Mar 19, 2024 14:32:09 GMT -5
I don't go to shows. Most of my slabs are bought on Facebook. Hobbyists selling to hobbyists. What I pay for a slab is the quality, rareness and how much of the slab will make excellent cabs. Mediocre is only good for practicing. Other than 20 years ago this is a good time to buy slabs.
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realrockhound
Cave Dweller
Chucking leaverite at tweekers
Member since June 2020
Posts: 4,495
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Post by realrockhound on Mar 19, 2024 14:42:16 GMT -5
I personally would charge between $5-$10 per slab. That’s depending on size etc.. you gotta remember, there is electricity involved. Plus wear on the saw and your blade. Diamond blades aren’t cheap. But like I said, at the end of the day it really comes down to the material. I’ve been in this rockhounding circle with some of the OG’s for many years. I can assure you the stockpiles aren’t as extensive now days as one might think. I got stock of other good materials (Maury etc..) that I’d probably sell for $10-$20 a slab and it’s nice stuff. I also do extensive mining and I factor that cost in. I’m talking excavators etc.. and that stuff ain’t cheap to operate.
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Mark K
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Post by Mark K on Mar 19, 2024 14:45:19 GMT -5
I sell my slabs at a much lower price than most others. I sell quantity of quality, instead of a few quality at a high price.
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realrockhound
Cave Dweller
Chucking leaverite at tweekers
Member since June 2020
Posts: 4,495
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Post by realrockhound on Mar 19, 2024 14:48:31 GMT -5
I will admit that there are some people out there who do ask way too much. Mostly these idiots who are currently digging readily available materials. Or people who are overly proud of what they have. But from what I see, most overpriced materials can always be found at more reasonable prices around what I would deem they should be worth.
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rockbrain
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Member since January 2022
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Post by rockbrain on Mar 19, 2024 14:58:54 GMT -5
I feel like there was a thread about this pretty recently but I couldn't find it, well there's probably a few of them. Anyway I just wanted to vent more about slab prices. Seems like $50 is average these days, which makes me wonder why the heck? Are people buying slab saws and planning their retirement through them? I don't understand how clamping a rock in a vise and pressing a button deserves doubling the value? I'm genuinely curious. If you're a slab seller - what markup do you shoot for? 100%? I get it, there's shipping, time spent shopping at shows, time spent running the saw, dud investments. But holy cow if you're making a living off slabbing, how does anyone down the line make a living? I feel like the cabber or end-stage artist is investing the most time in the whole process from quarry to jewelry, yet I feel like they have the tightest margins. If I charge minimum wage for the time invested in a set cabochon, it'd be hundreds of dollars. Obviously there's no market for that. Not to mention the room full of equipment that I need to invest in that is probably more expensive than the slab saw. Maybe I'm wrong, but I guess I just wish slab sellers were a little more honest or humble about what it cost them. Curious what types of material you're talking about and where you're shopping. $50 seems like it's way on the high end to me. I mean I'm just guessing, and maybe if you're averaging with Pietersite, OJ, Morgan Hill and the more rare expensive material that would put the prices up there, but when I go to a show, or shop on FB I would guess that 90% of slabs or so fall in the $15-20 range. |
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rockbrain
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Member since January 2022
Posts: 3,172
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Post by rockbrain on Mar 19, 2024 15:08:38 GMT -5
I just went on FB and looked at the first auction I saw there. The starting bid on the first 25 slabs averaged less than $15. There was OJ, MHPJ, flame agate, Indonesian Pet palm, Stony Ford poppy, etc. They might not sell for that but some will and that will be the buyer setting the price. I'm not trying to defend the high cost of slabs. I just don't think I've been seeing them at the prices that you are.
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Post by rockjunquie on Mar 19, 2024 15:15:42 GMT -5
When I started buying slabs on eBay about 10 years ago, my avg was abt 30 for good slabs. A little more for the better stuff. I think the prices now, reflect inflation. I buy almost exclusively on eBay. The prices have really risen in just the last few years and forget about shipping.
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Post by rockjunquie on Mar 19, 2024 15:23:58 GMT -5
No you're right, I guess I exaggerated $50 average. I just looked too and struggled to find some that exceeded 50. And if someone wants to mark up a $10 slab 100%, I don't really care, get your $10. I guess I mean the high-end and rare stuff that's already worth a lot for fair reasons, where a 100% markup can add hundreds to the price. Like, I see a chunk of ocean jasper for $450. Not even slabbed, just faced. But I really wonder how much the raw rough was worth and whether they're just adding $200 because they can. OJ is probably a bad example- it's extinct. (I've seen it go for a helluva lot more then that.) But, I get your drift. Whatever the market will bear, I guess. I know I have cut back on those high end slabs. Others will, too. Then we'll see the prices come down... maybe. |
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ThomasT
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2022
Posts: 616
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Post by ThomasT on Mar 19, 2024 15:27:16 GMT -5
I believe in an old RTH thread that RMF calculated it costed about $20/lb in overhead to slab stones 5 years ago... not counting the cost of the rough.
I guess I was lucky to find an old guy in NC at a trade show years ago that had pallets of large (30-100+ lb. chunks) of Ocean Jasper that he was having a hard time selling. I picked up quite a bit.
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Post by MsAli on Mar 19, 2024 15:54:43 GMT -5
There is a saying that goes..
It's worth what you'll pay for it
I've been trying to do some sales and I do not think I charge enough sometimes, and I always put in bonuses and I'm not selling a lot at all.
There is no way Nate & I could go through it all and I'd like to fund the silversmith part of the hobby.
So as a seller, I'm not seeing people dropping alot of money right now.
As a buyer..
I'll pay if it's something I want. I've even done trades & I've paid alot for some stuff and not alot for some others.
And every once in awhile I kick myself for not dropping a couple hundred on some material when it 1st came available.
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Post by rockjunquie on Mar 19, 2024 16:05:36 GMT -5
I guess I was lucky to find an old guy in NC at a trade show years ago that had pallets of large (30-100+ lb. chunks) of Ocean Jasper that he was having a hard time selling. I picked up quite a bit. LUCKY!!!!! You should post pics of your OJ. |
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Post by rockjunquie on Mar 19, 2024 16:07:20 GMT -5
There is a saying that goes.. It's worth what you'll pay for it I've been trying to do some sales and I do not think I charge enough sometimes, and I always put in bonuses and I'm not selling a lot at all. There is no way Nate & I could go through it all and I'd like to fund the silversmith part of the hobby. So as a seller, I'm not seeing people dropping alot of money right now. As a buyer.. I'll pay if it's something I want. I've even done trades & I've paid alot for some stuff and not alot for some others. And every once in awhile I kick myself for not dropping a couple hundred on some material when it 1st came available. The market seems slow, for sure- at least on eBay. Rxscram is listing tons of high end slabs over and over to bump them to the top and I don't see a lot of them selling. |
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ThomasT
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2022
Posts: 616
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Post by ThomasT on Mar 19, 2024 16:13:22 GMT -5
About the only thing that comes to mind that I can hold in my hand that hasn't become "worth" more over many decades is a hundred-dollar bill (Edit: and electronic throw-away gadgets).
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ThomasT
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2022
Posts: 616
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Post by ThomasT on Mar 19, 2024 16:40:27 GMT -5
@hefty I understand your pain in getting a profitable price for your art creations. But, let me ask you, if I find a few ounces of gold that I bought and stashed away in 1979 what are they "worth"?
Perhaps you need to raise your prices considerably.
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Post by stardiamond on Mar 19, 2024 18:06:14 GMT -5
It isn't age or appreciation. It is supply and demand. Those who have an abundant supply can have a lower price. The best of a material will sell at a premium. When I make a cab I want to use the best material I can afford. I don't collect, so a slab to me is cabbing material. There is a completely different market for collector slabs. I view a slab as a collection of preforms. A slab might be worth $500 to a slab collector and much less to me.
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Post by MsAli on Mar 19, 2024 18:27:17 GMT -5
Nate and I have probably half a ton of material (and that's not alot compared to some) and I'm not saying we have primo, but we don't have junk either. There is no way we can go through it all, but I can't afford lower prices either. We put $ into it not with the expectation of making money, but because we just like rocks and this hobby
Then I also collect because IMO some stuff you just won't come across anymore and I want piece of it.
I have some incredible slabs of some pretty hard to come by stuff and I wont even face polish them.
If I come across better than what I have, I may buy.
But too me,I don't care about value. They just are something that are beautiful as made and I'm blessed to have them in possesion.
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realrockhound
Cave Dweller
Chucking leaverite at tweekers
Member since June 2020
Posts: 4,495
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Post by realrockhound on Mar 19, 2024 19:48:50 GMT -5
Nate and I have probably half a ton of material (and that's not alot compared to some) and I'm not saying we have primo, but we don't have junk either. There is no way we can go through it all, but I can't afford lower prices either. We put $ into it not with the expectation of making money, but because we just like rocks and this hobby Then I also collect because IMO some stuff you just won't come across anymore and I want piece of it. I have some incredible slabs of some pretty hard to come by stuff and I wont even face polish them. If I come across better than what I have, I may buy. But too me,I don't care about value. They just are something that are beautiful as made and I'm blessed to have them in possesion. Bingo!!! Winner winner winner! |
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NDK
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Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,440
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Post by NDK on Mar 19, 2024 20:13:28 GMT -5
I think a lot of the pricing is also due to popularity. At least for newer material. The classics will always demand a higher price but what some new stuff sells for boggles my mind.
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