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The Tucson Show is the place to be  - January and February 2005

Are you going to the Tucson Show next year?   If you don't yet have a website, we're here for you!  Check out our many hosting plans.

The show?  It's a buyers market.  Some of the best deals in the world are to be had.  And it's the ultimate show or, more accurately the ultimate conglomeration of many shows all rolled in to one.  It's the Woodstock and the Comdex of stonedom.  It's big. Very big and you should be there!  Your webmaster is certainly going to try and make it.

Home Tucson Show Reports 2004 Show Info & Calendar Email List Bob's Rock Shop

AGTA
Wholesale Show - American Gem Trade Association Gemfair. World's premier trade show for colored stones. Over 200 suppliers of gemstones, cultured pearls and diamonds. Manufacturers and Silversmiths of America Pavilion, American Designer Jewelers section with designer gem-set jewelry, and mineral and gemstone objects from Gifts of the Earth lapidary artists.
Tucson Convention Center, 260 South Church Street (Main entrance on S. Granada Avenue)
Contact: American Gem Trade Association, PO Box 420643, Dallas TX 75342-0643 Phone: (800) 972-1162 Fax on Demand: 800-879-6259

American Indian Arts Exposition
Public Show - Sponsored by the National Native American Co-op. Authentic Native American Indian artifacts from 50 tribal communities including jewelry, baskets, beadwork, drums, paintings and much more. 40 featured artists changing throughout the 14 days. Weekend tribal dancers pool side. See the artist at work.
Flamingo Travelodge Ballroom, 1300 N. Stone Ave.
Contact: Fred Synder, National Native American Cooperative, PO Box 27626, Tucson, AZ 85726 Phone: (520) 622-4900

Arizona Mineral and Fossil Shows
Public Shows. Mostly minerals at Executive Inn Show and fossils at Vagabond Plaza (formerly Ramada Inn) Show. Meteorite Dealers and Artist Gallery at Inn Suites Show. Four Shows featuring 450 dealers from around the world. These are must see shows for mineral or fossil collectors.
Show #1 - Vagabond Plaza (formerly Ramada Inn), 1601 North Oracle Road (Drachman and Oracle)
Show #2 - Executive Inn, 333 West Drachman (Drachman and Oracle)
Show #3 - InnSuites Hotel, 475 North Granada
Show #4 - Mineral & Fossil Marketplace, 1333 N. Oracle Road (between Executive Inn and Vagabond Plaza (formerly Ramada Inn)).
Contact: Marty Zinn, Martin Zinn Expositions, PO Box 999, Evergreen CO 80437-0999 Phone: (303) 674-2713 Fax: (303) 674-2384

Atrium Productions
Wholesale Show - More than 200 U.S. and international wholesale exhibitors. Showcases a collection of colored gemstones in cut, rough and loose form; one of a kind pieces; designer jewelry; high karat gold; minerals, rare, carved, rough, collector specimens; quartz and amethyst crystals and more.
Four Points Hotel (formerly the Pueblo Inn), 350 S. Freeway
Contact: George Zraket, Phone: (480) 998-4000 Fax: (480) 998-4748 Email: atriumpro@aol.com

The Bead Renaissance Show
Public Show - Bead artists and merchants carrying ancient, vintage, and contemporary beads. There are also designer beads, buttons, jewelry, tools, books and bead stringing supplies. Demonstrating wire wrapping. February 3rd premier gala with hor d'ouvres and cash bar. A $5.00 donation goes to the Shrine Hospital Children's Transportation Fund.
Sabbar Shrine Temple, 450 S. Tucson Blvd.
Contact: J & J Promotions, L.L.C., PO Box 420, Williamsburg, NM 87942-0420 Phone: (505) 894-1293 Fax (505) 894-4080

Beaucoup Conge
Public Show - Unusual beads and glass art, cabs, semi-precious stone beads, handmade glass beads, polymer clay artist. Classes and demonstrations.
355 East Fort Lowell Rd. (Between First & Stone Ave)
Contact: Reg. A Beaucoup Conge, 355 E. Ft. Lowell Road, Tucson, AZ 85705 Phone: (520) 696-0032 Fax: 520-696-0039

The Best Bead Show
Public Show - Glass, porcelain, brass, sterling silver and stone beads, marbles, sculpture, goblets, plates and vases, findings, tools and stringing supplies.
Kino Veterans Memorial Community Center, 2805 E. Ajo Way (E. Ajo Way & Forgeous Avenue)
Contact: Crystal Myths, Inc., PO Box 3246, Albuquerque, NM 87190 Phone: (800) 873-2323 Fax: (505) 883-0056

Centurion Jewelry
Wholesale Show - 80 fine jewelry industry designers and manufacturers in an elegant show environment.
By invitation only. When you are visiting the Shows, call mobile (516) 647-8165 for questions. Prior to the Shows email or call ahead to request consideration for admittance.
Contact: Howard Hauben, 2019 Park Avenue, Merrick, NY 11566 Phone: (516) 377-5909 Fax: (413) 683-1333 Email hh@h2consult.com

Days Inn / Globe-X
Public Show - 200 dealers of gems, minerals, fossils. Mostly direct-import merchandise from around the world, including gem stones, decorator minerals, polished minerals, rough minerals, beads, opals, fossils, amber, crystals, Arizona minerals, septarians, and carvings.
222 S. Freeway (S. Freeway Between Congress St. & Starr Pass Blvd.)
Contact: Piyush Patel or Raj Tiwari Phone: (520) 791-7511 Fax: (520) 622-3481

Dell Productions
Public Show - Beads, carvings, jade, faceted gemstones, opals, stone setting, scrimshaw, onyx gifts, soapstone, gold and silver jewelry, stone setting and repair, Native American jewelry, metaphysical readings, custom wire-wrapped jewelry, supplies and equipment for the trade. Jewelry and beads from Bali. Wire wrapping and stone cutting demonstrations.
160 South Scott Avenue (Tucson Scottish Rite)
Contact: Dell Productions, 3033 Cherokee, Wills Point, TX 75169 Phone: 903-560-0803 Fax: 903-560-0026 Email TexasWire@aol.com

Fine Minerals International Gem & Mineral Forum
Public Show - Dealers include Fine Minerals International, Detrin Fine Minerals, Pederneria Gem Group, Marcus Fudil Minerals, Heliodor-Star & Brad van Scriver, Jeff Scovil Photography, and Markus Walter Mineral Preparation Laboratory. Offering the finest minerals and gems from all over the globe, including new material from China, Russia and Brazil.
450 North Granada Avenue (Granada Avenue & St. Mary's Road next to the InnSuites Hotel)
Contact: Daniel Trinchillo Jr. Phone: (917) 295-7141; Email: danieltr@ix.netcom.com

Gem Galleria
Wholesale Show (Open to Public on Saturday). Gem, jewelry, and gem art show with over 150 exhibitors. Featuring diverse specialty food, happy hour and daily drawings for wine and dinner for two.
Manning House Estate Mansion, 450 W. Paseo Redondo (Congress and Granada) (520) 770-0714
Contact: GemCast Productions Phone: (303) 526-4412 Fax: (303) 526-5109

Gem and Jewelry Exchange
Wholesale Show - Over 350 U.S. and international exhibitors of diamonds, colored gemstones, pearls, cameos, jewelry, and gem carvings.
GJX pavilion, 198 South Granada (across from the Tucson Convention Center)
Contact: Gem and Jewelry Exchange L.L.C., 411 West Congress Street Tucson, Arizona 85701 Phone: 520.882.4200 Fax: 520.882.4203

Gem and Lapidary Dealers Association
Wholesale Show - Over 350 dealers of gems, fine jewelry, diamonds, pearls, antique jewelry, silver jewelry, sculpture, beads and carvings from the United States and foreign countries.
Radisson City Center (formerly Holiday Inn City Center) - 198 S. Granada (next to the Tucson Convention center)
Contact: Gem and Lapidary Dealers Association, P.O. Box 2391, Tucson, AZ 85702-2391 Phone: (520) 792-9431 Fax: (520) 882-2836

Gem and Lapidary Wholesalers 1, 2 & 3
Wholesale Shows. More than 250 national and international dealers of gems, minerals, lapidary equipment, beads.
Show #1 - Rodeway Inn, 1365 West Grant Road (Grant and I-10) Public auction February 15th at 1:00 pm.
Show #2 - The Gem Mall, 4475 South Country Club Road (Pavilion on 37 acres behind Holiday Inn Holidome)
Show #3 - Holidome (Holiday Inn), 4550 South Palo Verde Over 500 national and international exhibitors. Featuring pavilions with over 150,000 sq ft of shopping with everything from fossils to diamonds.
Contact: Gem and Lapidary Wholesalers, Inc., P.O. Box 98, Flora, MS 39071-0098 Phone: (601) 879-8832, Fax: (601) 879-3282

Madagascar Minerals Gallery & Warehouse
Wholesale Show - Madagascar minerals, fossils, gems, lapidary products
Gallery & Warehouse 1224 N. Main Avenue (Next to Executive Inn between Speedway Boulevard & Drachman Street)
Contact: Norcross-Madagascar LLC, 1224 North Main Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85705 Phone/Fax: (520) 882-8884

International Gem and Jewelry Show
Wholesale Show - Gems, beads crystals & jewelry bazaar. Collectibles from around the world.
Frontage Rd. & Simpson St. (Near I-10 Two Blocks Southwest of the Tucson Convention Center)
Contact: Phone: (301) 294-1640 Fax: (301) 294-0034

La Quinta Group
Public Show - Over 30 dealers of gems, beads, jewelry, minerals, fossils, artifacts.
La Quinta Inn, N. Freeway Ave. & Street Mary's Rd.; 665 N. Freeway Ave.
Contact: Laurie Conway 40488 Murrieta Hot Springs Rd. #210 , Murrieta, CA 92563 Phone: 909-538-3569 Fax: 909-698-5029 Email: pieceofpast@netscape.net

Mineral and Fossil Co-op
1635 N. Oracle (Oracle Road and Elm Street next to the Vagabond Plaza (formerly Ramada Inn))
Wholesale Show - Approximately 15 dealers. Minerals, fossils, lapidary, display products
Contact: Bill Barker, Phone/Fax: (520) 617-0207 Email: docfossil1@aol.com

Pacifica/AKS Trade Show #1,2 & 3
Wholesale Shows. Managed by AKS Gem and Jewelry Show Productions. Fine jewelry, diamonds, colored stones, gold, silver, mountings, supplies, tools, equipment, fashion jewelry, crystals, minerals and fossils.
Show #1 - Howard Johnson, 1010 S. Freeway - Over 200 exhibitors of fine jewelry, diamonds, colored stones, gold, silver, mountings, supplies, tools, equipment, fashion jewelry, crystals, minerals and fossils.
Show #2 - Holiday Inn Express, 750 W. Star Pass Blvd. (I-10 at Starr Pass Blvd.) - More than 100 dealers of minerals, fossils, gemstones, rough jewelry and metaphysical merchandise on second floor.
Show #3 - Quality Inn, 1025 East Benson Highway (I-10 Exit 262 - halfway between Howard Johnson's and the Holidome—Holiday Inn Palo Verde)
Contact: A Kay Schabilion Production, LLC., PO Box 24552, New Orleans, LA 70184, Phone Toll Free: 866-AKS-SHOW

Rapa River Enterprises
Public Show - Gems, minerals, oriental rugs, African art objects, Original Corn Roast booth...
292 S. Freeway Avenue (Freeway between Congress Street & Granada Avenue)
Contact: Ray Arriaga, 4460 W. Crestview Tucson, AZ 87545 Phone: [520] 743-0866 Fax: [520] 743-0563

Rio Grande Catalog in Motion Equipment Showcase
Wholesale Show - Annual Catalog in Motion Showcase. Exhibition and demonstrations of jewelry-making tools, machinery, supplies and equipment. Wide selection of products from gems & findings and display & packaging catalogs.
Tucson East Hilton and Towers, 7600 East Broadway Blvd. (Broadway and Prudence)
Contact: Rio Grande, 7500 Bluewater Road NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87121-1962 Phone: (505) 839-3286 Fax: (505) 839-3551

Top Gem Minerals
Wholesale Show - Dealers include Tysons' Fine Minerals & Red Metal Minerals. Minerals from Arizona, U.S., Mexico, Canada, Peru and China. Holistic items, fossils, polished goods. Over 600 varieties. Closed for 5 weeks prior to first day.
1248 N. Main Street (corner of Main & Mabel just south of Coco's Restaurant)
Contact: Mike or Norma New, TopGem Minerals, P.O. Box 50251, Tucson, Arizona 85703 Phone: (520) 662-6633 Fax: (520)792-2928

Tucson Electric Park Gem & Mineral Show, Inc.
Public Show - Lapidary equipment, tools, rough, minerals, fossils, jewelry, gemstones, acres of free parking.
Tucson Electric Park (Kino Sports Complex), 2500 E. Ajo Way (East Ajo Way Between Kino Parkway and South Country Club Road)
Contact: Al Sargent, Phone: (520) 883-6447, Fax: (520) 883-0527 Email: TEPGemShow@cs.com

Tucson Gem and Mineral Society AKA "The Main Event"
Public Show aka "The Main Event." $5.50 admission. This is the longest standing show and the one that started it all at Tucson. Minerals, fossils, gemstones, rough, meteorites, jewelry, equipment, gem and mineral publications, museum, private and competitive displays, lectures and seminars, free kids table and programs.
Tucson Convention Center, 260 South Church Street, Main Entrance (on South Granada Avenue)
Contact: Tucson Gem & Mineral Society Office, PO Box 42543, Tucson AZ 85733 Phone: (520) 322-5773 Fax: (520) 322-6031 Email: tgms@tgms.org

Tucsonshowplace
Wholesale Show - Variety of crystals, minerals, gems, fossils, spheres, gifts, displays and supplies. Many one of a kind products, large specimens and thousands to choose from. Very large specimens of Arkansas quartz crystals.
1530 South Freeway (22nd Street and I-10)
Contact: Don Burrows, Crystal City, HC 63, Box 135C, Mt Ida AR 71957 Phone: (800) 367-1592, (520) 620-0007

V-Rock Shop
Wholesale Show - Brazilian amethyst & agate products (geodes, slices, key chains, etc), gemstone jewelry, gemstone carvings, freshwater pearls, gemstone beads from China, cutting rough, onyx carvings from Mexico, holistic items (spheres, massage tools, pyramids, and crystals), tumbled stones, mineral and gemstone collections, display items and stands. Tumbled gemstones, Brazilian amethyst geodes and druzes, hundreds of bins and barrels...
933 North Main Avenue (Just south of traffic light at Speedway and N. Main Ave. next to daycare center)
Contact: Gerald or Dave Vukmanovich Phone: (520) 882-8886 Fax: (520)882-2971

Westward Look Resort Mineral Show
Public Show - Fine minerals for elite collectors. Friday, February 7th from 7-10 pm reception and program. Open to the public (seating limited to 100). Hors d?oeuvres and no host bar.
Westward Look Resort, 245 East Ina Road (One Mile East of Oracle Road) Phone: (520) 297-1151
Contact: Dave Waisman, PO Box 8543, Spokane, WA 99203 Phone: (509) 458-2331 Email: svldave@aol.com

The Whole Bead Show
Public Show - Over 100 bead makers, merchants and traders exhibiting vintage glass beads, handmade glass beads, beads of silver, gold, crystal, pearl, stone, shell and wood. Findings, stringing materials, fine jewelry, and books. Classes and workshops.
The Windmill Inn, 4250 North Campbell Avenue (Street Phillips Plaza)
Street Philip's Ballroom, Lobby, and Suites 101 - 130
Contact: The Whole Bead Show, Post Office Box 1100, Nevada City, CA 95959 Phone: (800) 292-2577 or (530) 265-2544 Fax (530) 265-2776

About the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show

The colossal Tucson Gem and Mineral Show is by far the largest gem and mineral show on Earth. It is not a single show or held at a single location. The Tucson Show is an annual "happening" consisting of a cluster of several dozen major independent shows held by different organizations and show promoters at various locations throughout the city of Tucson, Arizona.

Some of the independent promoters conduct gem and mineral shows in other cities at other times, but what makes the Tucson Show unique is the world-wide coming together in a common locality at more or less at the same time during the first two weeks of February. The Tucson Show has been growing and evolving since the 1950s when the Tucson Gem and Mineral Society founded and held the first and original show. Over the years the original Tucson Gem and Mineral Society Show, which often appropriately referred to as the Main Event, has attracted numerous commercial, specialty and niche satellite shows, with thousands of dealers and vendors from all over the world exhibiting and doing business at these various shows.

The exact beginning and ending dates for each of the Tucson Shows varies with the yearly calendar and changes made by the various show promoters and organizers, but most of the activity occurs during the first two weeks of February. The Tucson Show seems to grow ever larger with new public and wholesale shows and locations added yearly. Some of the new shows flounder and are here one year and gone the next. However, once established, most of the participating dealers return to the same shows and locations year after year. Admission to most of the shows is free. A notable exception is admission charged for the public show held by the Tucson Gem and Mineral Society in the Tucson Community Center. This 4-day event harbors free lectures, rockhound-oriented organization meetings, numerous competitive and educational mineralogical cases and displays, a micromounter's swap room, a junior education exhibit with free tables and other attractions in addition to hundreds of retail mineral, fossil, gemstone, lapidary equipment and jewelry dealers.

  Wholesale Shows vs Public Shows

Some of the satellite shows are conducted as wholesale only venues. Their promoters typically require attendees to present appropriate resale licenses and business credentials at their registration desk prior to issuing admission badges and they employ security guards at building entrances and exits to screen the attendees for badges. Each wholesale show independently establishes its own criteria for admission and issues its own admission badges.

The general minimum requirement is to show a resale tax license and sometimes business checks or cards for your gem and mineral related business at their registration desk. Some of the wholesale only shows, such as the American Gem Trade Association GemFair trade show, are more stringent in screening attendees than others. The security at the AGTA show is so tight the AGTA admission badges are even electronically scanned at checkpoints as a counterfeiting safeguard. And the guards are armed.

Note that a copy of your uncle Ed's Arkansas resale license for "Ed's Plumbing" and his business card displaying crossed pipe wrenches is unlikely to impress the dealer registration desk personnel at any of the wholesale shows. On the other hand, "Carol's Creations" is more likely to pass registration muster at least at some of the wholesale shows such as Gem and Lapidary Wholesalers where beads, gemstones, findings, jewelry making tools and supplies and so forth are trafficked.

Dealer registration lines and waits can get long, particularly so on the opening day of the particular show. Time is truly money for professional buyers during the Show, so many of the wholesale show promoters provide pre-registration services. Consult their web sites for pre-registration details.

If you're not a licensed reseller who is "in the business" but you are attending the Tucson Show with someone who is, it may be possible for them to obtain additional buyer or helper badges for you when they register for a particular show. If you know a vendor at a particular wholesale show, they may also be able to request a guest badge for you. Each of the wholesale shows sets its own policies in this regard.

Of course everyone wants to buy at "wholesale" prices, but something to understand about the wholesale shows and wholesale buying at Tucson in general is that admission badges aren't magic wands in that regard. The wholesale shows aren't portals to some secret parallel dimension where reality of price hinging on quantity is suspended for the badge wearers. Each wholesale show vendor and dealer autonomously sets their own requirements for minimum purchases and volume price structures. The bottom line is the vendors at the wholesale shows provide wholesale pricing on wholesale sized purchases.

Another thing that's important to grok about buying at the Tucson Shows is that a good deal of "wholesale" (significantly discounted) buying also goes on at the public, or "retail" shows. Many dealers and rock shop owners also attend the public shows as buyers. In fact, the public shows at Tucson constitute major sources of supply for thousands of people who are "in the business" one way or another. It would seem the law of "money talks" is transcendent from jungle to jungle. Each show vendor and dealer at the public shows also autonomously sets their own requirements for minimum purchases and volume price structures. If you are interested in purchasing just one specimen from a dealer at one of the public shows, (almost) all of them will be glad to oblige you. But don't expect "wholesale" (aka "keystone") pricing at that level, at least not until it is late in the Show and their best material has already been picked over and sold.

 

Many dealers showing and doing business at the public shows become more approachable and pliable regarding price as the total sale increases. Three or four specimens may put you in another ballpark, and ten another ballpark yet. "Ask And Ye Shall Receive" doesn't always apply of course, because there are many factors at play in determining price in any given circumstance. The "fair market value" is ultimately related to both the availability of their material and the availability of your money. In any event, it seldom hurts to ask...

So Many Rocks and So Little Time...

People often ask something along the lines of "They will only give me three days off from work. So when should I come to Tucson and which shows should I attend?"

The Show is an ultimate marketplace and a primary attraction for many attendees are the opportunities to buy inventory for their businesses and/or specimens and items for their personal collections. One lesson of Tucson is that the most unique and highest quality items go fast. There are many sets of educated and appreciative eyes checking out the offerings at the various shows. The very first round of eyeing over generally goes to the other dealers exhibiting at the same show, as they tend to get about and visit with their neighbors first...

If the sorts of rocks that are efficiently purchased by the flat or barrel, or manufactured items such as tools and equipment or mass produced gemstones, jewelry and carved figures are of primary interest to you, sources at Tucson are deep. But if your buying interests focus on rarer and more unique and one-of-a-kind "art-by-God" type items like high quality mineral and fossil specimens, or "art-by-man" type items like custom jewelry and lapidary objects d'art, what it boils down to at Tucson is getting there before the other guy who sees it the same way you do (and of course the depth of your pockets).

If you're planning to make only a once in a lifetime, all-around rockhound's pilgrimage to the Tucson Show, you'll seriously want to consider scheduling your time at Tucson to include at least a day at the Main Event held in the Tucson Convention Center by the Tucson Gem and Mineral Society. By virtue of being conducted as an educational show and general hobnob in addition to providing a major commercial venue, this one is truly the reigning queen of the Tucson Shows.

Arthur Roe Micromounter Symposium at the Main Event

Unfortunately, if your time is limited to several days at the Tucson Show, attending the Main Event means coming hopelessly late in terms of early birding for bargains and unique pieces at the satellite shows. The Main Event is held from Thursday through Sunday on the last four days of the Tucson Show. Many of the satellite shows come and go before the Main Event even gets under way, wholesale shows in particular. On the first day of the Main Event, what remains in the still operating satellite shows has undergone several weeks of intense picking over.

If you are planning on attending the Main Event, one factor to take into consideration is Friday is traditionally kids day and young children are bussed in from all over the city on "field trips" for this event. For a good deal of the time on kids day the floor of this show is unusually crowded with large groups of children. It can get pretty noisy with lots of finger and nose prints on the cases.

Many of the dealers understandably move things back and barricade the entrances to their booths to keep young hands off of delicate and valuable specimens while kids day is underway. Unless you happen to be one of the kids on a field trip, there are probably better places to be than the floor of this show while kids day is underway.

While I certainly wouldn't want to miss the Main Event, it is hardly the only show in town, and it can be eclipsed by some of the more focused specialty shows, just depending on your personal orientations and interests.

 An absolute must see for mineral or fossil collectors are the Arizona Mineral and Fossil Shows held at the Executive Inn, InnSuites Hotel, and the Vagabond Plaza (formerly Ramada Inn). Other traditional haunts of mine during the Show include the Tucson Electric Park Gem and Mineral Show (formerly the Congress Street Expo), the La Quinta Show, and numerous motel shows and seemingly endless tents and stalls along "the Strip" (South Freeway between Congress and 22nd Streets), including the Days Inn Show.

Within the last several years several new public shows have come online and there have also been some changes to several other public shows.

A new public show of note for mineral collectors is the Westward Look Resort Mineral Show, located on Tucson's north side at the Westward Look Resort, 245 East Ina Road (One Mile East of Oracle Road). This 5-day specialty show features upscale specimens offered by approximately twenty dealers including Wilensky Fine Minerals, Pala International, Victor Yount, Wayne Thompson Fine Minerals, Superb Minerals, Les Presmyk, Robert Haag Meteorites and others.

Another new mineral specimen oriented show is the Fine Minerals International Show located next to the InnSuites Hotel at 450 North Granada Avenue (Granada Avenue & St. Mary's Road).

The three outstanding Arizona Mineral and Fossil Shows have expanded to include a fourth location known as Mineral & Fossil Marketplace, which is located at 1333 N. Oracle Road between the Executive Inn and Vagabond Plaza (formerly the Ramada Inn). Unlike the other three Arizona Mineral and Fossil Shows which are held in motels, Mineral and Fossil Marketplace is a tent show. Superb Minerals of India has a major presence there with many tables full of affordable Deccan Traps zeolites and I've also scored some interesting lapidary rough from Australian Outback Mining at the Mineral and Fossil Marketplace.

The La Quinta Show has changed, due to the La Quinta management deciding to quit it several years ago. Then after skipping a year, the La Quinta Show was brought back. However, the year it wasn't had the effect of displacing the former La Quinta dealers to other locations such as the Arizona Mineral and Fossil Show at the Inn Suites, with many electing to stay put in their new digs rather than return to the La Quinta.

The Congress Street Expo, a long favored haunt of mine for lapidary rough and tools, is no more. It has been moved and reincarnated as the Tucson Electric Park Gem and Mineral Show, with most of the anchoring equipment and tool manufacturers and suppliers such as the Graves Company, Alpha Supply Diamond Pacific, Crystallite and Kent's Tools migrating to the new location at the Kino Sports Complex south of the Holidome, 2500 E. Ajo Way (East Ajo Way Between Kino Parkway and South Country Club Road). A downside to this new location is its remoteness compared to the old Congress Street Expo site, which was just off "the Strip" downtown and within walking distance of the Tucson Convention Center. An upside is there is now plenty of free parking. The Tucson Electric Park Gem and Mineral Show is also serviced by the free show shuttle system, but getting out there and back from downtown on the show shuttle can take a while.

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updated 05/23/2005 10:33:11 PM

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