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Post by cabby on Jul 10, 2024 8:12:57 GMT -5
Now that my current “collection” is clean I will be focusing on sorting and organizing. Already regretting filling my easy access bins with things like agate offcuts and large Brazilian agates, so need to be giving thought to what I DO want easy access to. Which leads me to:
WHAT THE HECK DO I DO WITH THESE ROCKS?!?!
I see plenty of listings for Brazilian agate display slices or bookends, but that doesn’t tell me if it actually sells (kinda suspect not with how much competition there is). Snowflake obsidian seems to be mostly for tumbling these days? Listings for it appear to focus pretty heavily on the metaphysical properties.
Tiger eye is another one… I mostly see tumbled stones in the searches, but if I hadn’t already learned about the existence of low quality I honestly would have assumed those are similar rocks, not true tiger eye, since they don’t seem to have the optical effect I associate with tiger eye. Is it that lower quality is used for tumbling with higher quality for cabbing, or is there just not really a demand for tiger eye cabs these days?
These are some of the specific things that would potentially waste space in the easy access bins, but would like general input on what types of things are in higher demand as cabs vs tumbles vs carving vs display, as well as any materials you have given up on due to low demand.
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wargrafix
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Post by wargrafix on Jul 10, 2024 10:34:04 GMT -5
I have started sorted my geodes after polishing. The stuff I don't want I normally give away. Morocco geodes are cool, but Normally unless they have loose crystals, I find fairly boring.
I am putting together a shelf for display
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Post by cabby on Jul 10, 2024 10:57:46 GMT -5
I have started sorted my geodes after polishing. The stuff I don't want I normally give away. Morocco geodes are cool, but Normally unless they have loose crystals, I find fairly boring. I am putting together a shelf for display Yeah, geodes will be a problem as well. The old stock thundereggs and geodes might be things I can polish and sell, but I’m not sure what to do with the 25 lbs of Indiana geodes…
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wargrafix
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Post by wargrafix on Jul 10, 2024 11:02:40 GMT -5
I have started sorted my geodes after polishing. The stuff I don't want I normally give away. Morocco geodes are cool, but Normally unless they have loose crystals, I find fairly boring. I am putting together a shelf for display Yeah, geodes will be a problem as well. The old stock thundereggs and geodes might be things I can polish and sell, but I’m not sure what to do with the 25 lbs of Indiana geodes… Are they cut yet? I have found the Indiana geodes to be really great and fully of variety
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realrockhound
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Post by realrockhound on Jul 10, 2024 11:11:13 GMT -5
Just do what I do and throw all your scraps over into the neighbors yard. They throw there trash over my fence, so I throw endcuts and the undesirables in theirs.
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wargrafix
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Post by wargrafix on Jul 10, 2024 11:58:26 GMT -5
Just do what I do and throw all your scraps over into the neighbors yard. They throw there trash over my fence, so I throw endcuts and the undesirables in theirs. Damn, I should be your neighbor. But I won't be throwing trash on your side.
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realrockhound
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Post by realrockhound on Jul 10, 2024 12:08:55 GMT -5
Just do what I do and throw all your scraps over into the neighbors yard. They throw there trash over my fence, so I throw endcuts and the undesirables in theirs. Damn, I should be your neighbor. But I won't be throwing trash on your side. It’s a problem. Caught a lady doing it a week or two back. So went and grabbed the chicken bone she was gnawing on and chucked it back over. Then I got their damn kids coming over the fence etc. But the kids might be coming over because they are figuring out where the rocks are coming from 😂
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pebblesky
fully equipped rock polisher
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Post by pebblesky on Jul 10, 2024 12:10:04 GMT -5
Just do what I do and throw all your scraps over into the neighbors yard. They throw there trash over my fence, so I throw endcuts and the undesirables in theirs. Damn, I should be your neighbor. But I won't be throwing trash on your side. I will throw something nicer in hope of getting better endcuts and the less undesirables
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Post by cabby on Jul 10, 2024 13:05:35 GMT -5
Ugh, I’m suddenly reminded of my attempt at composting at my last house. I gave up after a few months because I kept finding bones, plastic grocery bags, chip bags, etc in my rotating bin! Finally installed a camera and figured out that my neighbor was sneaking over to put garbage in it to discourage me from composting.
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wargrafix
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Post by wargrafix on Jul 10, 2024 14:04:11 GMT -5
Damn, I should be your neighbor. But I won't be throwing trash on your side. It’s a problem. Caught a lady doing it a week or two back. So went and grabbed the chicken bone she was gnawing on and chucked it back over. Then I got their damn kids coming over the fence etc. But the kids might be coming over because they are figuring out where the rocks are coming from 😂 A trebuchet....good with launching all forms of projectiles.
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Post by stardiamond on Jul 10, 2024 16:14:45 GMT -5
8.5x11 Ryker mount display boxes for cabs. Cardboard boxes for rough. Large cigar boxes for slabs. Small cigar boxes for preforms.
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realrockhound
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Post by realrockhound on Jul 10, 2024 17:02:28 GMT -5
Ugh, I’m suddenly reminded of my attempt at composting at my last house. I gave up after a few months because I kept finding bones, plastic grocery bags, chip bags, etc in my rotating bin! Finally installed a camera and figured out that my neighbor was sneaking over to put garbage in it to discourage me from composting. When I was in college, someone kept pissing their dog on my car. Then I was finding stuff in my trash bin that shouldn’t be in there, vaccumes, etc.. finally caught who it was. Some Mexican couple that lived a few units down from me. Went out one night and ripped the guy a new one for pissing his dogs on my car. Then stored up a bunch of their trash and threw it all over their front yard 😂. Miraculously.. it all stoped. I was fully prepared to take a dump on the hood of their car if it continued. Garbage place was charging me for stuff in the trash that should let be in their. It’s like buy your own container ya bums.
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Post by cabby on Jul 11, 2024 6:39:12 GMT -5
While the discussion did go into a rather interesting direction, my question still stands 😅
Does anyone really use these materials for making thing to sell? Would highly prefer to try using them for something that actually sells, rather than just sell bulk rough or tumble it all, but what I’m seeing with Google searches doesn’t seem promising. Especially with the amounts I have.
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Post by rockjunquie on Jul 11, 2024 7:01:28 GMT -5
Tiger eye is desirable as both a tumble and cab material- though it is plentiful and usually inexpensive. It's hard to see the flash in pictures, so sometimes it doesn't look that great when really it is. I was recently surprised by some myself.
I don't tumble but from I have seen here, tumblers will tumble just about anything and some of it is drop dead gorgeous material which, in turn, become gorgeous tumbles.
Slabs are worth trying to sell. As are cabs- if you want to start cabbing.
Snowflake obsidian is like tiger eye- plentiful and inexpensive. It tumbles great and cabs nicely, too.
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Post by cabby on Jul 11, 2024 7:17:10 GMT -5
rockjunquie thank you! Guess I need to decide on a zone for “slab to sell” rough. The local metaphysical shop sells tumbles, and is contracted with a supplier. With how poor the economy is around here it would be pretty mean for me to cut into their already small market, so any tumbles I do would have to compete online. While I did plan to sell slabs eventually anyway, it’s kinda depressing how little market there is for some of these rough even all these years later. I figured out what he was doing with the Brazilian agates, but some of the other things he was stockpiling makes me scream “why?! Why did you buy so much of something you weren’t using?!” Edit: *looks away from her craft room that has 100+ yards of fabric, a dozen or so leather hides, and a few dozen yarn skeins*
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Post by rockjunquie on Jul 11, 2024 7:20:22 GMT -5
Maybe he sold the other kinds and these are what's left. Maybe he particularly liked them or got great deals on big lots? Who knows.
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chaosdsm
starting to spend too much on rocks
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Post by chaosdsm on Jul 11, 2024 20:57:04 GMT -5
I see plenty of listings for Brazilian agate display slices or bookends, but that doesn’t tell me if it actually sells For sales data, you can check ebay: On the left side are all the selection options, scroll down to "Show Only" and you can select "Sold" to view listings that have recently sold. ![](https://i.imgur.com/4nFIsYWl.png)
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wargrafix
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Post by wargrafix on Jul 12, 2024 5:15:54 GMT -5
Tiger eye is desirable as both a tumble and cab material- though it is plentiful and usually inexpensive. It's hard to see the flash in pictures, so sometimes it doesn't look that great when really it is. I was recently surprised by some myself.
I don't tumble but from I have seen here, tumblers will tumble just about anything and some of it is drop dead gorgeous material which, in turn, become gorgeous tumbles.
Slabs are worth trying to sell. As are cabs- if you want to start cabbing.
Snowflake obsidian is like tiger eye- plentiful and inexpensive. It tumbles great and cabs nicely, too.
I have a piece that the rough side reveals the flash. It's really pretty
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Post by cabby on Jul 12, 2024 7:09:21 GMT -5
chaosdsm thanks for the info! Honestly, I am a bit too jaded to trust the “sold” items anymore, as the winning bid could be their alt account or friend trying to jack up the price. Hearing from people that have experience selling similar products gives me a better idea of what the market is truly like.
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pebblesky
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Post by pebblesky on Jul 12, 2024 11:39:24 GMT -5
My rough impression from online markets such as ebay and etsy: it seems there is a bigger market of tumbled/raw crystals for metaphysical use (for example, witchcraft). The pure rock collecting market, or for decorative purpose, or for lapidary use is relatively smaller. I could be completely wrong though.
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