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Post by rockhoundingwithkids on Mar 25, 2021 23:48:54 GMT -5
Wondering if anyone cleaning out their collection has any random slab boxes I could buy off of them. Hubs is still new to cabbing and has only worked with a handful of types of material. We've been collecting ourselves but the quality is really all over the place. I did a search but only found some threads from years ago. I'd prefer locally/ethically sourced material. We have a saw and could wander over to the local rock shops but thought I'd ask you wonderful people. I know instagram and etsy has slab sales too but like I said I'd thought I'd ask this group. Tommy I KNOW you've got stuff to clean out... happy to buy some from you. |
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NDK
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,440
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Post by NDK on Mar 26, 2021 7:22:37 GMT -5
I'm going to tag MsAli on this. I'm betting we could throw something together for you... |
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Post by paulshiroma on Mar 26, 2021 8:54:10 GMT -5
Good Morning, check your personal messages, I'll send some materials.
--Paul
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Post by Rockoonz on Mar 26, 2021 9:17:35 GMT -5
If you're not already loaded up with more offers than you need, shoot me a PM. It won't be real fast, as we would be filling a box as we unpack.
As for ethically sourced, that can be pretty specific, but we can also discuss that by PM instead of me thread jacking.
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Tommy
Administrator 
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,989
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Post by Tommy on Mar 26, 2021 10:04:13 GMT -5
Wondering if anyone cleaning out their collection has any random slab boxes I could buy off of them. Hubs is still new to cabbing and has only worked with a handful of types of material. We've been collecting ourselves but the quality is really all over the place. I did a search but only found some threads from years ago. I'd prefer locally/ethically sourced material. We have a saw and could wander over to the local rock shops but thought I'd ask you wonderful people. I know instagram and etsy has slab sales too but like I said I'd thought I'd ask this group. Tommy I KNOW you've got stuff to clean out... happy to buy some from you. I definitely have stuff to clean out *but* it's a bit off of normal and it comes with a story. For the five years or so that I was heavily making and selling 2000+ cabs in the TLO Etsy shop I had a 'strategy' of hitting 10+ gem shows a year and buying slabs, getting them home, high grading and marking into cut regions, then cutting them up. What I mean by high grading is I would designate the cutting regions from 1 to 4, one being the highest, four the lowest. 1's and 2's would get immediately cut into preforms for the store, and while 3's and 4's would get cut and sorted into the drawers as well, often they would get tossed in a scrap box. If you're not asleep at this point, the bottom line is I've got probably 2500 cabochon shaped cut preforms separated into drawers, a milk crate or more full of crappy scraps (3's and 4's and ungraded offcuts), and a surprisingly LOW amount of uncut slabs - maybe ten or less that I really care about. Really the only slabs I didn't whack up are the ones I've bought in the past couple of years while I haven't been cabbing very much. One of these days I do need to go through it and get rid of a lot - especially the milk crate of off quality scraps. I know there is still plenty of decent material to play with in that crate but it's a bit of a nightmare to get it done. |
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,989
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Post by Tommy on Mar 26, 2021 10:12:16 GMT -5
BTW rockhoundingwithkids are you and hubby going to the Mariposa show the weekend of 4/10? The correct answer is heck-yes!  Of all the Northern CA shows we've attended, Mariposa and Roseville were by far my favorites for quality slabs in quantity. Not sure how Covid will have changed things but I am trying to get that Saturday off - my wife already has it off so we are hoping to spend a day in our favorite spot on earth. |
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Post by hummingbirdstones2 on Mar 26, 2021 18:48:57 GMT -5
Hey, Tommy - how 'bout doing a ballpark average for what you might've paid per pound for those slabs and selling the preforms by weight?
If you could figure out a price per pound you could live with, put 'em on a tarp or carpet and do blind scoops to sell by the pound.
I'll bet a lot of folks would be happy to get some of your "rejects", especially since preforming would've gotten rid of the uncuttable areas.
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Post by MsAli on Mar 26, 2021 18:53:25 GMT -5
Message sent to you
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Post by rockhoundingwithkids on Mar 28, 2021 12:24:11 GMT -5
Thanks for the replies everyone! Yes my inbox filled up quick! That's a great method of grading Tommy I'll have to let Zack in on that knowledge. We've got buckets of stuff that is host rock or subpar material that needs to go back out to a field somewhere. When you're ready to clean out those crates I think many of us will be sending you our paypal info. LOL I really like random boxes... it's like christmas! Even if the material isn't quality the area around our koi pond is a rock lover paradise LOL. Rockoonz as for ethically sourced I meant like you or someone you know found it or you picked it out of a bucket at an estate sale. After being on instagram I'm really irked by the Indonesian rock market and have really come to appreciate the jewelers that seek out locally sourced material. There's probably a Netflix documentary about it and if not there definitely should be. As I rock hound I like having that personal connection to the stuff we find. I realize this topic is a probably a whole thread on it's own... He's gone through enough agates and jaspers now to have a preference on what he likes to work with but he likes having an assortment. It's great therapy for him so if he's not feeling it with one material he'll grab a different one. So far the lavic jasper I found on a roadtrip has been his least favorite. It's just too tough.  Oh and as for the Mariposa rock show we might stop by but getting ready for our trip to New Mexico to visit the grandparents and do lots of rock hounding. |
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,989
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Post by Tommy on Mar 28, 2021 13:11:35 GMT -5
Hey, Tommy - how 'bout doing a ballpark average for what you might've paid per pound for those slabs and selling the preforms by weight? If you could figure out a price per pound you could live with, put 'em on a tarp or carpet and do blind scoops to sell by the pound.
I'll bet a lot of folks would be happy to get some of your "rejects", especially since preforming would've gotten rid of the uncuttable areas.
Vince the problem is it is really diverse and I never really tracked what I paid for what. Also there is quite a bit of actual garbage rock in the crate. At some point over the years the lines blurred to include actual scrap cuts as I trimmed around the cabochon markings. I think the only answer is to just pull up a chair and start going through it piece by piece and see how much actual usable pieces remain. The other problem is the milk crate is still at the old house and I need to go get it before the weeds take it away |
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Post by rockhoundingwithkids on Mar 28, 2021 13:53:38 GMT -5
Tommy just do a quick looksie for what you might actually miss, then take out some tarps, dump them out and then put up a post about it and charge by the bucket full. Just make a weekend out of it
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Brian
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2020
Posts: 1,512
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Post by Brian on Mar 28, 2021 19:35:06 GMT -5
Thanks for the replies everyone! Yes my inbox filled up quick! That's a great method of grading Tommy I'll have to let Zack in on that knowledge. We've got buckets of stuff that is host rock or subpar material that needs to go back out to a field somewhere. When you're ready to clean out those crates I think many of us will be sending you our paypal info. LOL I really like random boxes... it's like christmas! I will second that! One person's scraps are another's treasure. We live in a rock starved location (unless you count crushed gray rock) and have to buy all of our rocks. With the kids having fun with this hobby, random mixes of stuff are so much fun. Plus, I feel guilty buying good stuff while we are still learning. |
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vwfence
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2013
Posts: 566
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Post by vwfence on Mar 29, 2021 9:02:15 GMT -5
I probably have a ton or 2 of slabs that i have no way to sell as i cant set up at shows anymore and lots more rough mostly in larger pieces that need to be worked down for most peoples saws . a lot of it comes out of burro creek area in Arizona and north west mohave County . If anyone might be interested message me
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Post by rockjunquie on Mar 29, 2021 9:05:55 GMT -5
Hey, Tommy - how 'bout doing a ballpark average for what you might've paid per pound for those slabs and selling the preforms by weight? If you could figure out a price per pound you could live with, put 'em on a tarp or carpet and do blind scoops to sell by the pound.
I'll bet a lot of folks would be happy to get some of your "rejects", especially since preforming would've gotten rid of the uncuttable areas.
At some point over the years the lines blurred to include actual scrap cuts as I trimmed around the cabochon markings. I hear ya! At some point, I was handing my son whole slabs that just didn't look that promising. Now he has many bins full. Last I looked at them, I was like WTH? Did I really give that to you?? He said I could go through them. But I prolly never will. I have a bin of preforms to do something with, too. |
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Post by rockhoundingwithkids on Mar 30, 2021 10:16:03 GMT -5
We've only lived in this house for 2 years... started seriously rock hounding about a year ago. The last time we cleaned the garage I found several small crates of random rocks from our adventures. It's a special kind of hoarding isn't it LOL.
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Post by paulshiroma on Mar 30, 2021 20:26:25 GMT -5
I love going to the post office with the flat rate boxes, especially when the USPS employee asks, "What's in here? It's really heavy?"
Paul: "Rocks"
Employee [blank stare]: "They don't have rocks in Turlock?"
Paul: "Nope"
LOL
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Post by rockhoundingwithkids on Apr 2, 2021 10:13:29 GMT -5
Thats when you lean over the counter and say "Not like THESE!" or "Nope, no rocks, just cow shit." So many good responses...
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Post by rockhoundingwithkids on Apr 2, 2021 22:33:04 GMT -5
Don't worry Tommy won't need you sort through your piles...  paulshiroma really came through |
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Post by paulshiroma on Apr 2, 2021 22:58:23 GMT -5
 Don't forget to post pics of your work! I don't cab (actually, can't cab, is probably more accurate) so I always enjoy seeing what others can do.
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Post by stardiamond on Apr 2, 2021 23:26:34 GMT -5
I think boxes of slabs are easier to sell than give away. I had extra slabs and extra cigar boxes and offered the slabs for the cost of the shipping. A padded envelope with a cigar box inside holds more than a small flat rate box and costs about the same to ship. I had few takers.
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