Hey all, I have a few questions regarding the gem shows in Tucson.
I would like to get into the big, wholesale gem shows to do a
little buying and a lot of admiring. I remember from last year that
I need my resale # and a bunch of invoices… any specifics on
this? Will my invoices from Rio and a few gem wholesalers be
enough? If not, any tips on how to con my way in? If the req’s
vary from show to show a source for specific would be much
appreciated.
Which shows are your favorites for seeing all kinds of beautiful
gems? I seem to remember that most require pre-registration so I’d
like to know which shows are most worthwhile.
If you could only be in Tucson for one day when would you choose
to go?
Can I bring my wife and a friend to the wholesale shows, or is
the registration only for me?
Where can i get one of those handy Gem Show Guides? I paid to
mail order one last year, then got to the show and they were
everywhere for free!
Thanks in advance for your help! Hopefully these questions will be
relevant to others as well.
I hope to make it to the Orchid dinner - sounds like fun! At only 4
hours away I have no excuse
My life as a Jewelry Artist (newly acquired title) has been forever
changed by the invaluable resource that Orchid is. Thanks and MUCH
respect to Hanuman and all who regularly post here!
Where can i get one of those handy Gem Show Guides? I paid to
mail order one last year, then got to the show and they were
everywhere for free!
The Tucson Show Guide is published by Colored Stone magazine as its
Jan/Feb issue. They are always distributed free at the show, but if
you want it mailed in advance, you need to either order it in advance
or subscribe to the magazine. Basically, if you want it for free, you
have to wait until you arrive in Tucson. (Or make friends with
someone who already subscribes to Colored Stone!) You can decide for
yourself whether it’s worth the subscription price to have it mailed
to you before the show.
BTW, I know some people were dismayed by the lateness of the mailing
of last year’s show guide to Colored Stone subscribers. Their editor
assures me they are working overtime (and then some) to ensure it
goes out earlier this year.
Catbleu, I have been shopping and a dealer at Tucson for almost 20
years. You are in for the experience of your lifetime. There are
several dealers in G+LW at the Holidome that sell tools and
equipment. You can also find a gathering of equipment dealers at the
Electric Park Shows. I would not expect to find anyone dealing in
fabrication metals, but you will find a quite a few dealers of cast
findings and parts. G+LW is a good location for both. I deal in
custom cabs and concaved facetted.
Try to get some business cards and a checkbook with your business
name on the account. All three will get you into most shows without
a hassle. If you are missing any of the three you may have trouble
gaining access to some shows. Also bring picture ID of yourself.
Tucson is a double edged sword. Some of the most ethical people in
the business are dealers at the shows. Unfortunately some of the
worse scoundrels are also there as dealers. The best defense you
have to stop yourself from being taken advantage of is your own
knowledge of price, quality, and identification. This applies to
equipment supplies and
Personal safety is always a concern. A thief knows that Tucson is a
spread out show where people with means to purchase are often
walking between shows. Normal precautions are necessary to insure
that you have a safe experience at Tucson. Every year people make
mistakes like leaving their purse open while they walk or storing
purchased items in their automobiles or hotels. Flashing large wads
of bills is dangerous as a thief may be watching. The biggest factor
in crime in Tucson seems to be that the criminals are creatures of
opportunity. They do not want confrontation. They wait until you let
your guard down, then in a matter of minutes your property is stolen.
Be safe, travel in pairs, and always keep a sense of awareness of
what is going on around you.
Otherwise, Tucson is the greatest experience I have ever encountered
in the gemstone business. The world meets at Tucson and is welcome.
Enjoy.
Suggestions for a Newbie, In Tucson, go to Rio Grande’s Catalog in
Motion at the Tucson East Hotel. There you will find much wonderful
as well as many vendors demonstrating their products.
You can purchase from Rio’s catalog while there. There are free
lectures throughout the day covering many subjects. Many known
notables will also be demonstrating.
You can also go to the formerly known as Congress Street Tent, it is
located at Edison Park, well worth spending time there. Alpha supply
is there as well as smaller dealers and also some used tools to be
found. Teresa
Oh yea, already have Sales Tax Permit which hopefully will help
me gain access to wholesale shows. Thanks
For any of the shows, make copies of your Sales Tax Permit, and your
Business License. Make sure you have a good supply of business
cards. With these three items, you can get into most of the shows.
Some of the Jewelry only shows, JCK, and Professional Jeweler,
require copies of invoices of jewelry purchases, not stones, metal,
or findings, but finished jewelry, in the last year totaling a set
amount before they will admit you. The shows you want to hit in
Tucson are the AGTA show, and some of the tent shows. The Congress
Street Expo used to have a bunch of tools dealers, but as I missed
last year, and they moved the year before, I’m not sure where you
will find them. But looking is 3/4 the fun.
Where to go will depend on what you are looking for. There are
around 3000 dealers in town supplying everything you would need to
create any kind of jewelry. The best bet is to get one of the show
catalogs that are available at all the major shows. In there you
can search for the things you are most interested in.
The G&LW show at the Holidome is fairly easy to get into and has a
good representation of most of the things you might be interested
in. The AGTA and GLDA shows specialize in gem stones.
You will have to have a business card and a copy of your tax license
for some of the shows. There are several shows that do not require
registration but the best shows require registration.
There are shuttles between all the shows. A map showing the routes
is in the show catalog. Downtown parking is very difficult. You
might try going to one of the shows located outside the center of
town and riding the shuttle to other shows.
Today’s weather is about 50 degrees in the morning and around 75
during the day. Things could change in the next couple of weeks so
be prepared for cooler weather.
You will probably find that one day is not enough but the new
experience will be great. Good Luck
Lee
Was at the G&LW show today. I noticed a sign in the lobby of the
Rodeway inn indicating that Mailboxes etc. is located in the hotel
and will ship items. Weather was warm. Shirt sleeve and shorts. I
saw several people sweating. Parking downtown is terrible but they do
provide remote parking with shuttle service. You will need a business
card and a copy of your tax license to register at the G&LW show.
Look forward to meeting all that will attend the dinner. Lee
There really are a few things you could see, but without a ready
guide, some are impossible to find.
One thing you could try is contacting Commercial Mineral in
Scottsdale -800.545.GEMS. Talk with Mike or Jerry about their Four
Peaks Amethyst mine. Amethyst from this mine is in the Russian crown
jewels and it is about sixty miles east of metro Phoenix. They may
also be able to give you directions to the San Carlos reservation
for ‘anthill’ garnets & the finest peridot in the world (my
opinion). They are showing at Tucson, so it may be hard for them to
spare personnel to guide you, but they do like to show off.
If the req’s