The Executive Inn Show

***TUCSON GEM & MINERAL SHOWS***
***Executive Inn Mineral & Fossil Show***
In 2005, Marty Zinn moved most of the Executive Inn dealers to his new Clarion Hotel and Smugglers Inn locations. By 2008, both of these locations were abandoned by Zinn in favor of his new location at the Quality Inn on E. Benson Hwy. by I-10. Much more convient! In 2006, a few of these old Executive Inn dealers migrated back from Zinn's new venues to the E.I. location. After all, it's hard to retrain old customers to go to a new dealer location after many years at this one. Maybe the room rates will be cheaper?? no - same price! and the specimen prices lower (quality?) For the 2006 show, there were reportedly over 120 dealers and a whole lot more small tent dealers out in the parking lot. Finding a place for the "Monster" truck was tough enough in most parking lots. In 2007, additional tents and fewer parking spaces but there were also fewer buyers. A lot of the dealers who had their showroom doors closed. Whats up with that???? As a general rule: If you see a specimen at an expensive motel room or an expensive hotel show, the prices are inflated to cover the extra overhead. If you see the same quality of specimen at a warehouse or tent show, you will get a lot more for less money. That said, if your willing to buy in LARGE quantities, you may be able to get an excellent buy even at a hotel show. And finally, if you wait till the last day of a particular show, you can get great deals because most dealers DO NOT want to have to carry a lot of heavy specimens back home. The problem with waiting till the last day is that you will not have the best selection of material or may have missed out completely on that special specimen that you wanted to buy. So, it all boils down to knowing where to go to get the best deals and skipping everything else till you have most of your shopping done! (I wish I could follow my own advice!) David Shannon Minerals and Blue Sky Minerals will be greatly missed as their owners have passed to that great rockyard in the sky. Really sad for the mineral world!
[2003] THE EXECUTIVE INN - Best Western The 2005 show was run by the Best Western manager.
2007 More Morrocan again this year and less off street parking.
[2003] [2007] This year there was a noticeable reduction in the number of inside dealers. Also, in the middle of the second day of this show, there were a lot of dealer rooms with their doors closed. Does this mean that they haven't show up yet or maybe they have decided to skip this one altogether!? Anyway, it was really strange to see this on one of the first days of this show. RUMOR HAS IT, that the E.I. has been sold again? and that next year this show will be under new management. The current show promoters have sold more outside tent spaces to mostly Moroccan dealers and a guy from Cleveland selling big bubbling rock fountains. He knew that he was booked into the wrong venue but you take what you can get when you book at the last second. [2006] The dealers at the E.I. are mostly from Western and Eastern Europe, Russian, with a few North American dealers thrown in for good measure! Most of these dealers carry low to mid-price range specimens with the higher price range mineral dealers found at the InnSuites. [2005] Only about 40 "hold over" dealers at this years show. Quality somewhat less than in the past!
[2003] The exception here is David Shannon Minerals of Mesa, AZ. David always had the best prices on fold-up boxes and a couple of hundred flats of minerals that he would sell at a progressive discount based on the number of days that he has had his door open. Sorry to report that David Shannon is no longer with us as he passed away tragically on the 2nd of January 2004. He was noted for his thumbnails, micros', and rare species specimens found in all those alphabetized flats piled all over his motel room. He had very reasonable prices and was always willing to give you a good deal or exchange a specimen that you had purchased and then changed your mind on. He was most noted for contributing to the finding of a new mineral; Shannonite - Type Locality: Grand Reef mine, Graham County, Arizona, USA. Named for David M. Shannon (1942-2004 ), a mineral dealer who helped collect the first samples of the mineral. We will all miss him. His son will still operate his mineral business and will continue to sell the best value in fold-up boxes in the business, Geo-tac, and much more! Shannon & Sons Minerals Michael Shannon 3816 E. Encinas Ave USA - Gilbert, Arizona 85234 Phone: (001)-480-927-1862 Fax: (001)-480-927-1862 Cell: 480-225-1272 www.shannonsminerals.com
[2003] Denver Box and Blue Sky Mining Another buying exception! There are three pallets stacked high with flats of minerals just to the left of the small square tent. You pay 25% of the individually marked retail price if you buy by the piece but only 12.5% by the full flat. $50 minimum(I've never had them stick to that!) You can also find some excellent buys on full flats under the long tent. Another loss to the mineral community! The owner and operator of Blue Sky Minerals passed away during 2003. I believe he was only in his 40's... No more great pallet flat deals! Denver Box is now Mineral & Fossil Supply Inc. out of Denver. Don't be fooled by anyone else telling you that they are the NEW Denver Box!

TUCSON GEM & MINERAL SHOWS
Executive Inn Mineral & Fossil Show

In 2005, Marty Zinn moved most of the Executive Inn dealers to his new Clarion Hotel and Smugglers Inn locations. By 2008, both of these locations were abandoned by Zinn in favor of his new location at the Quality Inn on E. Benson Hwy. by I-10. Much more convient!

In 2006, a few of these old Executive Inn dealers migrated back from Zinn's new venues to the E.I. location. After all, it's hard to retrain old customers to go to a new dealer location after many years at this one. Maybe the room rates will be cheaper?? no - same price! and the specimen prices lower (quality?) For the 2006 show, there were reportedly over 120 dealers and a whole lot more small tent dealers out in the parking lot. Finding a place for the "Monster" truck was tough enough in most parking lots.

In 2007, additional tents and fewer parking spaces but there were also fewer buyers. A lot of the dealers who had their showroom doors closed. Whats up with that????

As a general rule: If you see a specimen at an expensive motel room or an expensive hotel show, the prices are inflated to cover the extra overhead. If you see the same quality of specimen at a warehouse or tent show, you will get a lot more for less money. That said, if your willing to buy in LARGE quantities, you may be able to get an excellent buy even at a hotel show. And finally, if you wait till the last day of a particular show, you can get great deals because most dealers DO NOT want to have to carry a lot of heavy specimens back home. The problem with waiting till the last day is that you will not have the best selection of material or may have missed out completely on that special specimen that you wanted to buy. So, it all boils down to knowing where to go to get the best deals and skipping everything else till you have most of your shopping done! (I wish I could follow my own advice!)

David Shannon Minerals and Blue Sky Minerals will be greatly missed as their owners have passed to that great rockyard in the sky. Really sad for the mineral world!

[2003]

THE EXECUTIVE INN - Best Western
The 2005 show was run by the Best Western manager.

2007

More Morrocan again this year and less off street parking.

[2003]

[2007] This year there was a noticeable reduction in the number of inside dealers. Also, in the middle of the second day of this show, there were a lot of dealer rooms with their doors closed. Does this mean that they haven't show up yet or maybe they have decided to skip this one altogether!? Anyway, it was really strange to see this on one of the first days of this show. RUMOR HAS IT, that the E.I. has been sold again? and that next year this show will be under new management. The current show promoters have sold more outside tent spaces to mostly Moroccan dealers and a guy from Cleveland selling big bubbling rock fountains. He knew that he was booked into the wrong venue but you take what you can get when you book at the last second.

[2006] The dealers at the E.I. are mostly from Western and Eastern Europe, Russian, with a few North American dealers thrown in for good measure! Most of these dealers carry low to mid-price range specimens with the higher price range mineral dealers found at the InnSuites.

[2005] Only about 40 "hold over" dealers at this years show. Quality somewhat less than in the past!

[2003]

The exception here is David Shannon Minerals of Mesa, AZ. David always had the best prices on fold-up boxes and a couple of hundred flats of minerals that he would sell at a progressive discount based on the number of days that he has had his door open.

Sorry to report that David Shannon is no longer with us as he passed away tragically on the 2nd of January 2004. He was noted for his thumbnails, micros', and rare species specimens found in all those alphabetized flats piled all over his motel room. He had very reasonable prices and was always willing to give you a good deal or exchange a specimen that you had purchased and then changed your mind on. He was most noted for contributing to the finding of a new mineral; Shannonite - Type Locality: Grand Reef mine, Graham County, Arizona, USA. Named for David M. Shannon (1942-2004 ), a mineral dealer who helped collect the first samples of the mineral. We will all miss him.

His son will still operate his mineral business and will continue to sell the best value in fold-up boxes in the business, Geo-tac, and much more!

Shannon & Sons Minerals
Michael Shannon
3816 E. Encinas Ave
USA - Gilbert, Arizona 85234
Phone: (001)-480-927-1862
Fax: (001)-480-927-1862
Cell: 480-225-1272
www.shannonsminerals.com

[2003]

Denver Box and Blue Sky Mining
Another buying exception!

There are three pallets stacked high with flats of minerals just to the left of the small square tent. You pay 25% of the individually marked retail price if you buy by the piece but only 12.5% by the full flat. $50 minimum(I've never had them stick to that!) You can also find some excellent buys on full flats under the long tent.

Another loss to the mineral community! The owner and operator of Blue Sky Minerals passed away during 2003. I believe he was only in his 40's... No more great pallet flat deals! Denver Box is now Mineral & Fossil Supply Inc. out of Denver. Don't be fooled by anyone else telling you that they are the NEW Denver Box!