Skipper
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 258
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Post by Skipper on Feb 21, 2005 12:38:13 GMT -5
Funny that Sands thread popped to the top again today...just as I was about to post this. I was very leery of this seller, but the rocks just looked so darn good. And pictures don't lie do they? I wanted to report my experience and this is not at all to invalidate John's experience. So, here is what I received from Astro. They arrived in a timely manner and exactly as pictured on the site. However, you can see the difference in pix when you wet the rock. Blue Quartz dry (with my son's hand)  Wet: (vivid, isn't it?)  Look how big this sucker is! That's 11.88 lbs.  9 pounds of sodalite. This stuff comes from Canada and I could never get it this cheap in Calgary.   Backside...I think that this is not AAAgrade...those white chunks are likely softer than the blue, but I'm still pleased with the quality vs. the price.  So, overall I'm really pleased. Tumbling will tell the final story, of course. |
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Post by sandsman1 on Feb 21, 2005 12:52:26 GMT -5
hey skip it looks like you did good that blue quartz is outstanding tell us how it comes out,, i might have to get some of that but not from him i learned my lesson hahaha-- is it better then the rose quartz i mean fracture wise?
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Skipper
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 258
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Post by Skipper on Feb 21, 2005 13:00:02 GMT -5
hey Sands! Good question on the quartz...it looks quite "fracturey" so I'm not expecting really clean finishes off this baby, but quartz is often that way, so I dunno if it gets any better than this anyway. Can't wait to try some though. Should look nice with the green quartz (I think that was from Banjo).
I should add a couple tips about buying from astro. Get a quote on shipping prior to bidding so you can hold the vendor to it (standard for any ebay purchase I make). Also, note what is and is not pictured. Some of the rocks offered only show one face of the rock at different angles. You need to see all sides in case there is some major defects or ugliness with the stone. I don't buy if I can't see it all. I've been happy with all my ebay purchases.
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Post by Debra on Feb 21, 2005 21:23:48 GMT -5
Skipper
My bid ended on Feb 12 and my rocks were delivered on Feb 17. I would say that is a speedy delivery rate, compared to some other sellers I'm still waiting on over 2 weeks now and still no rocks. Thank you for the shipping quote tip! I will try that first, as I did think their shipping rate was high for my area and compared to my other bids...
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JKowalski33
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2004
Posts: 451
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Post by JKowalski33 on Feb 22, 2005 21:31:21 GMT -5
Debra, I don't see why you take such interest in supporting this seller. You aren't even a member, and your only posts are to back up this guy. If you ask me, I'd say you are that seller, or someone else that was put to the task of trying to better astrogallery's reputation.
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Skipper
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 258
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Post by Skipper on Feb 22, 2005 23:03:44 GMT -5
Hey Joe, I'm not sure how you are reading that note from Debra, but I don't get that at all. I am not interested in starting a fight...just please be careful about accusations. It can make for a lot of bad feelings. I've seen that happen on other sites and wouldn't want to see it here. You may be right, but chances could easily be otherwise. Lots of people choose not to become members simply to protect their privacy or other legitimate reasons. Not looking for a conversation on this topic...let's let it be at that.
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Post by Debra on Feb 23, 2005 17:29:49 GMT -5
You are right Skipper! I'm just a girl who has always loved to collect rocks and shells. I use to have a rock tumbler years ago until I wore the motor out. It wasn't until recently that I started getting back into it. I found this site a few months ago and started reading the boards to learn more, like what kind of tumbler to buy? You can rest assured, I'm not the Astro stalker. Just a girl who works for a law enforcement ageny and loves to be outdoors. Hope this eases your feelings some. I've started collecting on my vacations and buying from sellers like ROCKSHOP. If you love collecting rocks and petrified wood among other things, he is one of the BEST SELLERS! His work is as soft as silk and shines like a mirror finish. I haven't found any that have come close to his craftmanship. You may wish to check his site out and see for yourself. I'm just a girl who loves nature and all that can be found in it.
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Post by Debra on Feb 23, 2005 17:44:43 GMT -5
Speaking of rocks...
Have any of you ever heard of Indian Paint Rocks or Face Pots? They really are kind of cool! You can open them up and there is a colored powder inside them. Once mixed with water you can use them for face paint. The rocks come in some really unique shapes and sizes. Just something a little different on the Rock topic board...
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JKowalski33
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2004
Posts: 451
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Post by JKowalski33 on Feb 23, 2005 20:39:43 GMT -5
skipper, if by Joe you mean me, thats not my name. Its Jackson. anyways i'm sorry, wasn't trying to start a fight or anything
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Skipper
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 258
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Post by Skipper on Feb 23, 2005 21:29:57 GMT -5
No worries Kowalski  Debra - the paint rocks sound cool - got any links or pics? You might want to start a thread on the topic on our general board. |
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Post by Debra on Feb 24, 2005 8:19:21 GMT -5
I came across them on ebay for sale. I've never heard of them myself, but I thought they would be a neat addition to my rock collection along with my indian paint stones. If you do a search on ebay for indian paint rocks or face pots 2 should come up. I'm going to try and bid on some as the seller states she is going to be selling alot of them! Happy rock hunting! Have a great week out there...
Debra
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Post by rockyraccoon on Feb 24, 2005 10:54:06 GMT -5
skipper i'm glad you had a positive experience. i got some blue quartz quite awhile back from msi and was pleased with my results. fracturing was relatively nil. it also was not a transluscent quartz but rather an opaque stone. looked very similiar in the rough to yours. i think we had some discussion back then about whether we thought this was truly blue in nature or dyed. i have been throwing some back in that i wasn't quite satisfied with and it is getting lighter this time.
as for astrogallery he went off my list of vendors when he responded like a nut on the board. had he responded like a professional vendor i might have viewed it differently but he did not. being in retail and dealing with customers is not easy but he did not handle it properly. i'd pay a little more to not deal with that.
debra sign up and share your tumbling knowledge. if you have a passion for rocks join us!
kim
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llanago
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,714
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Post by llanago on Feb 27, 2005 11:06:01 GMT -5
Skipper, looks like you got some nice rocks there!
When I first started tumbling, I ordered my first big batch of rocks from Astrogallery. They were delivered pretty fast and I was happy with the rocks. I still don't have all of them cut and tumbled, but thus far there has only been one or two out of the batch of 30 lbs. that were junk. The rest were really nice. I didn't order from them again because I discovered we have a great rock shop not too far from here, then Sands had his problem with them. I did think the shipping was a bit much, though. Much cheaper to go to the rock shop!
llana
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stefan
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Feb 28, 2005 13:22:26 GMT -5
So what is the final verdict- Seems like he is so-so- I did not like his posting on here like he did- Kinda turned me off- But it seems some have had good dealings-  |
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