rockcat11
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since August 2017
Posts: 176 
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Post by rockcat11 on Oct 8, 2017 13:33:54 GMT -5
I am looking for some good, reputable sites to get some tumble material from. Not Ebay, I have never trusted that site though.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller 
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,494
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Post by Sabre52 on Oct 8, 2017 13:57:33 GMT -5
I've got a lot of tumbling material but most will have to be broken or trim sawed up a bit more if you want smaller pieces. Do you have any variety in particular in mind?....Mel
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Post by aDave on Oct 8, 2017 13:57:39 GMT -5
Places to Buy RoughAlso keep an eye on the "for sale" section here. Stuff pops up fairly regularly. Dave
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fishnpinball
Cave Dweller
So much to learn, so little time
Member since March 2017
Posts: 1,491 
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Post by fishnpinball on Oct 8, 2017 14:39:46 GMT -5
Places like the Rock Shed do have rough. You might also check local rock shows. I was just at one in Denver. I bought a bag with 40 kilos of Swazi Agate for $60 because it was hard to pass up. Some booths were charging $35 a pound for the same agates, though hopefully the more expensive agates were sorted out as higher grade. My bag was poured out of larger bags that were imported with no sorting.
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rockcat11
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since August 2017
Posts: 176
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Post by rockcat11 on Oct 8, 2017 14:41:33 GMT -5
I'm not ready to buy now, I just got a new job so it will be a bit. That, and my tumbler is quite happy with the rough that I won at the moment  I like to have a varieety. Right now I am in love with petrified wood and agate, and I am liking the biger sized rocks. I don't have access to a saw though. Is the rockshed a good source? or the gem shop?has anyone dealt with kingsley north? |
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Post by youp50 on Oct 8, 2017 16:11:46 GMT -5
I have gotten nice rough from Rock Shed. I used to love picking through the rock room at Kingsley's. Both are fair. Gem Shop is on the radar, I have grandkids south of there. I would try Mel (Sabre 51), see what he has. Wait a day or two, so I can pick over his stuff first.
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fishnpinball
Cave Dweller
So much to learn, so little time
Member since March 2017
Posts: 1,491
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Post by fishnpinball on Oct 8, 2017 18:37:12 GMT -5
A lot of the material in the auctions that support this group are also something that can be tumbled. Some of it would need to be cut or broken into smaller pieces. Currently up for bid is a box of small laker agates. That is great tumbling material in my book.
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tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,548
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Post by tkvancil on Oct 9, 2017 10:05:31 GMT -5
I'm not ready to buy now, I just got a new job so it will be a bit. That, and my tumbler is quite happy with the rough that I won at the moment I like to have a varieety. Right now I am in love with petrified wood and agate, and I am liking the biger sized rocks. I don't have access to a saw though. Is the rockshed a good source? or the gem shop?has anyone dealt with kingsley north? Rockshed is good. Lots to choose from there. Can't go wrong with their Bahia agate and large ones are available. The Blue Botswana Agates are nice too if a bit pricey. Kingsley is good too and you get lower by the pound price as you buy more. I like the Crazy Lace they have even though I get a fair amount of culls. Common for that rock these days. The Golden Tiger eye I got from them was pretty good rough. I like the Gem Shop too. Only a couple hour drive for me so I go there and pick through their barrels. Lots of fun. Think it would be a great stop for anyone with a saw. Lots of nice larger pieces of various materials. For tumbling I'd say the Carnelian Agate, Ocean Jasper (mostly smaller pieces), and crushed Montana agate would be good choices. Granted I picked my own so can't speak to what comes if ordered online. |
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Post by youp50 on Oct 9, 2017 13:32:15 GMT -5
Riverbend Lapidary is on here sometimes. I have bought from there also. Fair price and excellent packaging.
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on Oct 9, 2017 17:31:03 GMT -5
I know you said you don't trust eBay, but there are some great sellers with low priced material.
People get spooked from the horror stories, but that's generally the only time people write about their eBay experiences; To complain. You don't see posts about every other transaction that goes smoothly.
I've had thousands of transactions as a buyer and a seller, and can count on one hand the number of times things have ended poorly.
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Post by gmitch067 on Oct 9, 2017 21:10:32 GMT -5
I have been very pleased with buying materials from The Rock Shed... consistent quality of rough rocks, and reasonable prices. I have not used eBay, so I can not compare. When I started the hobby Jan 2017 I bought extensively from Amazon, but no longer... inconsistent quality of tumbling material.
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Post by Garage Rocker on Oct 9, 2017 21:56:42 GMT -5
I know you said you don't trust eBay, but there are some great sellers with low priced material. People get spooked from the horror stories, but that's generally the only time people write about their eBay experiences; To complain. You don't see posts about every other transaction that goes smoothly. I've had thousands of transactions as a buyer and a seller, and can count on one hand the number of times things have ended poorly. If you double check reviews and study the photos, I've found transactions on eBay that worked well for me. One caveat, I will not participate in auctions. My own personal philosophy. If it ain't Buy it Now, it's not for me. Not an auction kind of guy. Wish everything had a set price that I could decide whether it was something I would pay, or not. I don't have the time, or will, to try and beat the masses. I don't want to pay for an auto bidder either. Limits what is available to me, but it's not worth the angst either. Nothing worse than eyeballing something I really want, only to find out I can't get it when I've decided to part with my money. |
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Post by grumpybill on Oct 10, 2017 7:17:38 GMT -5
I collect local antiques/memorabilia and buy quite a bit of it through eBay auctions. I usually know what something's worth and set my Max Bid at what I'm willing to pay. Just set it and forget it. Sometimes I get lucky and get a real bargain, other times some idiot outbids me and overpays. Sometimes, when the bids get ridiculously high, I'll bump the bids up just to spite the idiot bidders. <evil grin> It's also fun watching a-holes try to jump in during the last 30 seconds with $1 bumps on something that's going cheap without allowing themselves enough time to get over my preset max.
Back on topic.
As for tumbling rough: I bought some from various eBay sellers when I started tumbling about 6 months ago. Almost all of it was someone's crap/culls. Feedback/ratings don't help when the majority of those leaving it are newbies like me and don't know good from bad. In the future, if I buy rough on eBay it will only be from sellers who also have legitimate websites.
I've gotten some pretty decent rough from The Rock Shed. Almost everything was usable.
I haven't seen gemsbymail.com mentioned here. Haven't bought from them, but I will in the future now that I'm buying in larger quantities. They have a flat shipping rate of $9.95 no matter how much you order.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,722
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Post by Fossilman on Oct 10, 2017 9:50:40 GMT -5
Keep watching on this site...People will sell end cuts,scraps and etc for tumbling....
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ontherocks
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since May 2017
Posts: 76
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Post by ontherocks on Oct 13, 2017 12:41:19 GMT -5
I collect local antiques/memorabilia and buy quite a bit of it through eBay auctions. I usually know what something's worth and set my Max Bid at what I'm willing to pay. Just set it and forget it. Sometimes I get lucky and get a real bargain, other times some idiot outbids me and overpays. Sometimes, when the bids get ridiculously high, I'll bump the bids up just to spite the idiot bidders. <evil grin> It's also fun watching a-holes try to jump in during the last 30 seconds with $1 bumps on something that's going cheap without allowing themselves enough time to get over my preset max. Back on topic. As for tumbling rough: I bought some from various eBay sellers when I started tumbling about 6 months ago. Almost all of it was someone's crap/culls. Feedback/ratings don't help when the majority of those leaving it are newbies like me and don't know good from bad. In the future, if I buy rough on eBay it will only be from sellers who also have legitimate websites. I've gotten some pretty decent rough from The Rock Shed. Almost everything was usable. I haven't seen gemsbymail.com mentioned here. Haven't bought from them, but I will in the future now that I'm buying in larger quantities. They have a flat shipping rate of $9.95 no matter how much you order. I have also bought from gemsbymail, their low shopping is very appealing. It has been hit or miss with me, but part of that is just learning what material is good for tumbling. Also, if you spend over $50, and use code FreeShip50 you get free shipping. I can't tell you how many times I have added more to my cart just to get over $50. I have ordered a lot from the Rock Shed and have had decent luck on eBay. I feel there is a lot of variety there. The hardest thing about buying rough is that I haven't tumbled enough variety of rocks to know what is low quality rough, vs what just doesn't tumble well. But I guess that is part of the learning process. |
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,494
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Post by Sabre52 on Oct 15, 2017 7:44:26 GMT -5
I too have had very good luck buying from the Rockshed and Riverbend. I use them mainly for exotic materials and have been very pleased with their quality though Riverbend material is usually not crushed so you have to saw it or break it up....Mel
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I like to have a varieety. Right now I am in love with petrified wood and agate, and I am liking the biger sized rocks. I don't have access to a saw though. Is the rockshed a good source? or the gem shop?has anyone dealt with kingsley north?
Nov 14, 2024 18:17:57 GMT -5
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Nov 15, 2024 17:44:51 GMT -5
Nov 15, 2024 17:44:51 GMT -5
