|
Post by rockjunquie on Feb 16, 2017 12:09:56 GMT -5
I follow a few lapidary artists shops. I love eye candy. I have noticed a definite upwards trend in prices in the last year. What do y'all think?
|
|
zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
|
Post by zarguy on Feb 16, 2017 12:10:53 GMT -5
Where do you usually buy cabs? Lynn
|
|
Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
|
Post by Fossilman on Feb 16, 2017 12:11:01 GMT -5
Stands to reason,the rough is going up in price too.......
|
|
|
Post by rockjunquie on Feb 16, 2017 12:17:41 GMT -5
Where do you usually buy cabs? Lynn Where ever I see one that I like. Whether it be a stand alone shop, etsy or ebay.
|
|
|
Post by rockjunquie on Feb 16, 2017 12:20:15 GMT -5
Stands to reason,the rough is going up in price too....... I was wondering when the price of cabs would catch up with the rough price. When ever I see a material depleting, I try to grab up what I can. I got a lot of charoite before the prices went too high along with good rhodo and spectrolite. It seems like it didn't take too long for the prices to catch up. Wish I had gotten more bone.
|
|
Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,881
|
Post by Tommy on Feb 16, 2017 13:24:16 GMT -5
My theory is it's part of the effect that Facebook auctions are having on the hobby/business. Two years ago I would see mostly Buy-It-Now auctions and prices were stable and expected. Now I see the good rough and slabs selling for exorbitant prices every day and it's going up up up. Those same people having to pay a lot more for slabs and rough are selling higher priced cabs on other Facebook pages and it's trickling over to Etsy as well.
|
|
QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
|
Post by QuailRiver on Feb 16, 2017 14:42:05 GMT -5
Rough prices are definitely going up and that has to eventually force the price of cabs up too. Last May I went to the spring G&LW wholesale show in Franklin, NC. Even wholesale I had to pay more for good slabbing rough than I had ever had to pay anywhere before. I cherry-picked through literally tons of cutting rough and purchased the lots I hand-selected by the per pound price the dealers were charging for cherry-picking rather than buying the take-what-you-get bulk priced deals as to avoid being saddled with too much medium grade material that wouldn't be cost effective to slab. Just to see how I was coming out, when I got home I weighed each individual piece of rough and wrote the weight on each piece with a sharpie marker, and recorded the weight on a piece of paper so I could keep track. Then I calculated the cost of the trip and averaged that out evenly with the cost of the rough by the per pound dollar price. So now I had the actual, including trip expenses, cost of each piece of rough. I did this so I could have an accurate material cost factor to compare against the value of the resulting slabs after slabbing the material. Among the resulting slabs were some exceptionally nice pieces, a few duds, but overall fairly good commercial grade slabs. But based on what I would normally consider the slabs' value to be (perhaps I'm behind the times with prices) I found that in addition to the material costs, by the time I add the cost of the electricity and the saw maintenance & oil - That there is no way I can pay myself a reasonable wage for my time spent procuring and slabbing, and the time that will be spent reselling, least of all make an actual profit beyond that. So I can see how that by necessity the price of cabs & slabs, especially of premium quality material (that which is worthy of being made into custom jewelry or as being viewed as collector stones) are going to have to rise to keep up with the times or else the lapidary arts in the U.S. will be reduced to just another really expensive hobby (like playing the roulette wheel at a good-fellows casino ). Larry C.
|
|
Don
Cave Dweller
He wants you too, Malachi.
Member since December 2009
Posts: 2,616
|
Post by Don on Feb 16, 2017 15:54:02 GMT -5
Rough prices are going up. Old favorites are becoming extinct and new finds of quality rough are being brought to market in small quantities and artificially inflated prices. Just look at turkish agates. It's difficult to find quality suppliers too. For example I recently had an extremely disappointing experience of buying 10 lbs of premium material of a promised quality and only receiving about 4 lbs of promised quality and the rest of significantly lower quality. I won't ever buy bulk lbs of rough sight unseen online ever again...even if the vendor has a stellar reputation. The small amount of quality rough you get has to be priced extremely high to make up the lost margin in the lower quality bulk material.
|
|
QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
|
Post by QuailRiver on Feb 16, 2017 16:30:17 GMT -5
... I won't ever buy bulk lbs of rough sight unseen online ever again...even if the vendor has a stellar reputation. The small amount of quality rough you get has to be priced extremely high to make up the lost margin in the lower quality bulk material. Yes it does run up the price return needed of the better material. That's why I won't even buy the bulk lots of rough at wholesale shows, too much mediocre material included. I would rather pay the higher cherry-picker price in order to get to hand select material. And even then, with today's prices it can be a challenge to come out well. Larry C.
|
|
Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
|
Post by Sabre52 on Feb 16, 2017 17:16:12 GMT -5
Not only are rough prices going up but many rough collecting sites are becoming depleted or closed so may rough types are to be had only from old collections. Also many more common rough types are not available in the quality they once were. Scarcity always causes prices to rise as does a cab of higher quality material. Simple supply and demand....Mel
|
|
|
Post by pghram on Feb 16, 2017 17:59:31 GMT -5
I've certainly notice the price of slabs going up & a lack of quality on ebay. I was wondering about the effect of facebook. I'm not a participant there. Fortunately, I have enough slabs to last more than my lifetime, but for some reason I keep buying them.
Peace,
Rich
|
|
|
Post by rockjunquie on Feb 16, 2017 18:21:49 GMT -5
I've certainly notice the price of slabs going up & a lack of quality on ebay. I was wondering about the effect of facebook. I'm not a participant there. Fortunately, I have enough slabs to last more than my lifetime, but for some reason I keep buying them. Peace, Rich I was seriously wondering the other day if I would live to cab half of what I have! LOL!
|
|
Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,881
|
Post by Tommy on Feb 16, 2017 18:46:06 GMT -5
Not only are rough prices going up but many rough collecting sites are becoming depleted or closed so may rough types are to be had only from old collections. Also many more common rough types are not available in the quality they once were. Scarcity always causes prices to rise as does a cab of higher quality material. Simple supply and demand....Mel Agreed - it's also trendiness that is driving things. Certain rocks are hot and selling like crazy and it makes no sense. Meanwhile a truly scarce material like Carey Plume agate - handful of beautiful cabochons on Etsy page and I practically can't give them away.
|
|
peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
Posts: 1,745
|
Post by peachfront on Feb 18, 2017 12:58:16 GMT -5
There's no way I can cab all the rough I have. I'm about ready to start downsizing but at current costs of shipping it even got too expensive to give away the practice/cheaper rough. I only want to work better material in the time remaining to me...
|
|
|
Post by rockjunquie on Feb 18, 2017 13:07:09 GMT -5
There's no way I can cab all the rough I have. I'm about ready to start downsizing but at current costs of shipping it even got too expensive to give away the practice/cheaper rough. I only want to work better material in the time remaining to me... I totally get that. Luckily, I can pass my other stuff to my son to use.
|
|
Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,881
|
Post by Tommy on Feb 19, 2017 11:04:32 GMT -5
There's no way I can cab all the rough I have. I'm about ready to start downsizing but at current costs of shipping it even got too expensive to give away the practice/cheaper rough. I only want to work better material in the time remaining to me... Yeah I totally get that too. When I first started cabbing a few years ago I immediately stockpiled everything I could get my hands on like an obsessed madman. There came a point when it dawned on me that I had already amassed a lifetime supply of material - and still wanting to participate in the going and finding and buying/digging part of it I started focusing my limited time and energy on the better stuff. I've given a LOT of good decent material that you aptly called "practice material" away on this board and elsewhere - but the pile just doesn't seem to diminish
|
|
gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 4,018
|
Post by gemfeller on Feb 19, 2017 12:29:26 GMT -5
For example I recently had an extremely disappointing experience of buying 10 lbs of premium material of a promised quality and only receiving about 4 lbs of promised quality and the rest of significantly lower quality. I won't ever buy bulk lbs of rough sight unseen online ever again...even if the vendor has a stellar reputation. The small amount of quality rough you get has to be priced extremely high to make up the lost margin in the lower quality bulk material. Now I don't feel alone. I had the same experience and (I suspect) with the same vendor. Second time it's happened; first time their fault, second time mine. No more. The trendiness Tommy points out is a real problem. I, like others, have many slabs of great old-time material. But the market demands new, new, new!! And suppliers for the trendy stuff have the market pretty much cornered unless you buy tonnage. The same thing applies to faceted goods. I can sell trendy stones like red spinel, top Umba garnet or fine chrysoberyl quickly -- if I can find them at an marketable price. There's the "gotcha!" Suppliers in the jungles and deserts have computers too and often price rough at near retail for finished goods. And trends can turn on a dime. The internet has added a brand new dimension to the gem trade. Certain websites have enormous influence on buying habits even if the advice they dispense goes counter to sound gem knowledge. When it comes to buying rough I'm always torn between two old adages: "He who hesitates is lost," and "Look before you leap."
|
|
|
Post by rockjunquie on Feb 19, 2017 19:10:45 GMT -5
I've never been lucky enough to go to a show with lots of slabs. I've bought some cabs, but I never see much rough. I do it all online and I've been burned enough times to have a good eye and spidey senses.
|
|
|
Post by vegasjames on Feb 19, 2017 21:00:04 GMT -5
I've never been lucky enough to go to a show with lots of slabs. I've bought some cabs, but I never see much rough. I do it all online and I've been burned enough times to have a good eye and spidey senses. Instead of getting spidey senses from a radioactive spider get bit by a radioactive owl instead. Not only will you be very wise and have great vision but you will also know how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop!
|
|
|
Post by rockjunquie on Feb 19, 2017 21:02:58 GMT -5
vegasjames LOL! But, I already know how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop. 3
|
|