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This site is Hu-z guide to the Gem Show In Tucson.....If you are trying to get to Colored Stone's TucsonShowGuide.com, click here.
Well apparently you are still here so let me tell you what this site is about. This is Hu'z Creation of the Art, ultra-fandangled hippified, happyfied, tech-nomadic online vegie cafe, serving up my pointers, rambles and gems of the Tucson Gem Show for 2001.
This site is neither sponsored by, approved of, or in any way related to Colored Stone Magazine, or their website TucsonShowGuide.com. In however, a very pleasant conversation with Colored Stone Magazine's Editor in Chief, Morgan Beard, she said that Tucson-Show-Guide.com would be an appropriate forum to present my ramblings, and they had no problem with that.....so ....here I am.
And another show has come to an end....I'm back at home....if you enjoyed the review let me know... hope to see you next year......best to you till then.
Hu
2/10/01
Well getting an early start today....here at kinkos...where they provide free local phone calls, free laptop, hookups, and friendly help....Its also the place to run off that extra batch of emergency business cards...more on the show later.........and now it is later, much later...at the Casbah...injecting Jah Levi into the electron stream, and frappeing the musically spiritual ether with the one planet consciousness.....enjoying the gathering of the family before the parting of the ways..... as we soon slip out of each others vision and into each others heart consciousness for the coming year....The Gem show has been another raging success....and this in so many ways is the epitome of that connection...the creative energy shared, merging with all then evolving into the new.....and carried to the many hearths away from here, as family connects with family throught this clan.....We will all flow together soon enough as we eventually become a part of the great oneness.....but for now we honor this moment, and dance within it.........
2/9/01
Star Rubies....all day long, but had to hunt all over the get the "kind"....Amber enhydros.....only a few, snagged them up....Beads beads beads, even met another bead carving Hugh! Hugh Martin, from Oregon, carving beads at the Beaucoup Conge show...and of course he knows other carvers I know......chased down those flat oval Malachites and Azurites I have been looking for...
2/8/01
Bizarre strange day....Hail in Tucson, then Snow....It was cold....freezing cold...outside vendors roughed it...and in that Fire/Ice dichotomy I did well with Fire Agates....Met the "premier" vendor of Fire Agates....who was the most abrasive dealer I've met yet...but it apparently works for him....Hooked up with the rock carving crew, swapped roots for rocks....did the HoloDome...lot of hype this year, not so much rock.....Decided to Motel it, a Dive, where I cleaned my tourmaline rough....andin the morning as I was packing, I was approached by a woman who smiled brightly at me to show me her gold tooth, carved with a the playboy bunny emblem, with a missing hole where a (guessing)diamond had once been set, times must have gotten hard...She coyly asked me if I was a gem dealer. After telling her I just played with rocks, she lost interest after asking what kind and I replied corundum.....
2/7/01
Extremely windy day, and that was rough on the small tents, but the inside shows and big tents did well, even increased their business, because everyone was inside...For me it was yet another great day at the show.... Today's treat will be my showpiece for my website Heliodors.com ...I found a heavy gold heliodor, surrounding, another heliodor...not a phantom, but one Heliodor grew around another, at a slightly different angle....I have never seen one like this before.....Toooo Delighted! Pink Tourmalines too........Fossil Conches, gem size....
2/6/01
Another fine day at the show....Well today I got a treat of treats...found a beautifully terminated Aquamarine Crystal...with an enhydro!!!
2/5/01 Back at Sweet Tomatoes after a quick visit to Ronnie and Zee'z 21st annual extravaganza at the Metro, where I'll go back to after this quick vegie-fix... It was a little too smoky in there for me, but I maybe that'll clear up later (yeah right!) and the food there is good (reports from the eaters) free, and donations are collected to help same the lives of children by paying for rabies vaccines for children who cannot afford this in Africa. Last year's party paid for vaccines for more than 12 children and 2 adults...All the money generated goes straight to the clinic to purchase the vaccine...This year Rock Lobster is playing, and while I was there earlier I met "THE SCARY GUY" who travels hither and thither spreading his message of Respect, Acceptance, and openmindedness....And Ronnie's good bud Marty introduced me around to all in reach...The Brazillian women I met there put emeralds to shame...I'll fill in the report on music tomorrow...In the meantime today was a very good day for me for Red Emeralds (found just what I wanted after following through on 5, yes 5 referrals, taking me to shows all over town), and for huge conch shells.....I'm stoked.. Back at the Extravaganza and it is all that and more....crazed jewels spinning and twirling...Ricky M kicking in tunez Rave atmoshpereeeeee slinking sliding and slipping into the gemstream....Marla-Light Flame Flickering with Denizons of Gem and Jewel seekers gazing into the opalescent dance....HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY.....Katie and Angie, Goddesses of the Liquid Elixers keep the energy flowing with their effervescent smiles....Wizards of the Pointy hat guild speak truth...rule number one: Be yourself.....
2/4/01
Well finally got around to checking out the Ultrasonic Drill....it is incredible...but that high pitched dental type squeeeellllll gave me an earache...I'm going to go back and check it out again in the next few days... but I'll have earplugs. Phantom Crystals galore...did the Bead thing at the Bead convention, traded famous Africa John ginseng roots for a gem silica bead, and then later in the evening got one of Paulo's famous head beads.....that's it for now...
2/3/01
Today was a good day for labradorite....malachite...didn't do much else in purchases....more ramblings on the issues I mentioned yesterday in the getting online section....my perspectives on these peceptions
2/2/01
Ok thats enough about food for the moment....some ramblings on the shows.....At the GJX across from the Convention Center I had a good time---but for some strange reason they singled out my hat as unacceptable, even after I turned it around to lower its profile... so I had to go in only wearing my standby hat....an excellent raven-bill cap from The Hat People. Not to say that I am unhappy wearing my raven-bill by any means, it is indeed a faithful, comfortable, and effective hat, but it was not my theme of choice for the day....and for that alone the GJX loses several points.....In terms of vendors there, again mostly the standard faire, with gems here and there......Interestingly I am seeing some trends....and read my Gems & Computers section and you'll get my perspective on them.....
Trend One...
Gemstone dealers are for the most part very reluctant to use the Internet, and very few actually even have a website up.
While this may not be a surprise to other gemstone professionals, it is to those of us who like to play with both gems and computers. The prevalent themes are:
1)"I have no use for the internet, it won't make any sales for me because you have to see, feel and touch the stones to buy them."
2)"I am in the wholesale business, the internet is for those who are in the retail business"
3)"It will take too much time, I will have to hire someone full time and that will cost me at least $50,000 a year"
4)"my wholesale customers will be very angry with me if I am on the internet, they will think I am trying to take their business"
5)"I am too busy already, I can't spend any time doing anything else"
6)"I already have all the business I can handle"
7)"I don't want to put a site up until it is ready"
and you will get my perspectives on these themes shortly....for now let me just say that this is what I am hearing.....and from what I am seeing, less than 5% of the gem dealers have an operational website up and running, although more now are starting to use e-mail.......till tomorrow...
bye
Hu
First off the internet is not for everyone...it is not for anyone who doesn't want it. It is just like the telephone...it is not for everyone...it is not for anyone who doesnt' want it...Of course life is less expensive with no phone bills, but then again there isn't as much income either.......
That said....it is easy to perceive why gem dealers are reluctant to use the internet...that is the normal state of human affairs...Psychotherapists were reluctant to use computers several years ago, and are now just beginning to find ways to make them effective tools. In every field other than computer science, there has been resistance to computer use...there has been the fear of obsolecence of the human...this is an understandable, but unfortunate misperception. There is that it is impossible to learn to use computers unless you are young. There is the fear of making life far more complicated. But computers are only a tool...there is no one forcing you to use the tool, however if you can be much more effective because of the tool, so much the better.....
There is a learing curve that you will have to go through to understand how the tool can be effective to you, and if you choose to let someone else do that part of the job, it will be expensive, challenging, frustrating, and ultimately ineffective....Think of it this way, if you needed to hire an operator every time you needed to use a phone, how complex would life be? You could either keep an operator on the job full time, or all your business would come to a standstill everytime you needed to make or answer a call. The phone operator would have you by your crystal spheres (gem show humor injection). Phone operators could command an outrageous wage, could make the process sound far more complex than it is, and could suggest ongoing upgrades to phone equipement, ongoing training, etc.....
After playing with computers since the 1970's, I have come to a number of realizations....the first being about software salespersons...(a vast majority have earned reputations equal to politicians)... promise the world before the sale, after the sale they are almost impossible to get in touch with, and if you can get in touch it may be at a very high price.......the worst among them have evolved into software engineering salestypes....those who customize your system...that way you are very dependent on them because you believe no-one else can understand your system...ultimately you can get locked into a losing proposition, unless you learn for yourself how to use your computer, you are dependent on someone else....the irony is that it is not that difficult to learn what you need to know, and how to get what you need out of your system......but unless you understand what the system can do, what your needs are, and how to mesh to two, you're not as likely to get that.....
Okay enough rambling without issues, back to yesterdays themes presented by gem dealers
1)"I have no use for the internet, it won't make any sales for me because you have to see, feel and touch stones to buy them."
Computers and the internet are complex and highly versatile. If you look at them from a unilateral perception you will always be able to find reasons they don't or won't work. Making sales is a rather complex process that involves more than just the exchange of goods for money. First you have to have a good product, you have to make contact with the person who wants that product, you have to be able to provide an incentive to purchase the product from you instead of your competitors, and you should maintain an ongoing relationship (business or more) with the person who buys from you. Perhaps you do all of this automatically, and don't even realize that this is a multi-faceted task. If any part the process breaks down, your sales decrease....
1) if you don't have a good product, you won't have many sales
2) if you don't make contact with the buyers, you won't have many sales
3) if your competitors provide a better incentive (lower price, better product, better year round support, faster turn around on orders, etc), you will probably lose sales to your competitors.
4) if you do not maintain an ongoing relationship, you need to make new contacts every year, and you lose the opportunity for repeat sales.
Well that is enough for now...need to go gem shopping....I will address the other Issues as presented by gemdealers later, but for now.. read on if you wish
I cannot tell you exactly how computers and the internet can help you in this process, because better than anyone else, you can analyze your needs...as you learn what computers can and cannot currently (which is constantly changing) do, you come to know how they can help you......
I can however give some basic generalizations that I have come to see from talking to many vendors, from analyzing the net, and from watching many on the net make errors.....so perhaps some of this advice can assist you....
Start Simple: With hardware, software, and service, my basic message is the same...Start simple and as you learn what you can do and what your needs are you will come to realize what features you need and don't....Again I cannot tell you how often I come across a dealer who doesn't want to put a site up until it is "Visa compatible", with an automated "shopping cart".... sometimes they have the perception that once the site is up, sales flow automatically from it....and that if they wait to get the perfect site up that will be the end of it...it won't require maintenance or other work....other times I come across dealers who know some one somewhere who put up a business website, and wound up spending all their time on the web instead of doing business....You can eliminate this possibility by starting simple then gradually adding features after you have learned how to control basic websites.
Hardware:If you buy your hardware new, it will probably come with a one year warranty, if you can extend that to 3 years for less than 15% of the cost and it is a transferrable warranty it is not a bad idea..... More than that and your equipement may devaluate more than the value of the warranty.
Software: Probably what your computer came with is all that you need to get started...there is little reason to upgrade until you know why and what features you seek.....Besides by the time you are ready to upgrade...the software, just like the hardware, will probably be better, faster, and maybe even cheaper...... Service: Connection and Hosting
There are different types of services available for computer users, and this sometimes adds to the confusion about what is needed, or what your overall expenses may be. I have defined service here as connecting, or accessing the internet, and hosting, or putting a website up. There are also many other ancillary services, that may or may not be to your advantage. It is important to note that you do not need to get all your services with the same provider.
Connection:Hosting:
Well shall I start....How about Foooooddddd....I am indeed not only a gem and rock guy, but I am a food person...a vegie at that....so I must say that the food in the shows in for the most part dismal...but you knew it would be...it is standard convention center faire....so bring protein bars and maybe a lunch and a few bottles of water....at the show of course you may assimilate enough free kisses to overloadd your neuro-chocolate-syanapses, amd gem size Hershey bars float more freely than tahitian black pearls, An ancient nugget encountered was a mid size Tootsie Rolls, probably about 100 carats no less.....
After the show, if you are a vegetarian the first place to check out is the Casbah Tea House.....it is at 4th and 4th, behind the Creative Spirit Gallery....A turkish Bedouin style restaurant coffee house where alternative gemologists from around the world gather to listen to music, drink organic chai (rice, soy, or traditional, mocha soy chai is my favorite if you are inclined to order me one!), tea or coffees, eat incredible faire (check out the tempeh salad) wild deserts, and connect with family they haven't seen since last year's show.....good place to get the scoops on where to get what at the show.....and a good place to run into me....I'm the strange guy in the big hat...say "Hi"...Even if I eat elsewhere I often return to the Casbah for teas, music, and great company....
Casbah Tea House, 628 1/2 N. 4th Ave. 740-0393. 4 p.m.-midnight daily.
Hemp Burger, with the works (Facon Bacon, grilled mushrooms,soy cheese, all the fixins) Recommended by Rainbow Fluff, one of the owners, when I told him I was pretty hungry, and looking for a high protein fix...After all day at the shows, and only a protein bar for lunch I wasn't kidding.....Nice friendly hole in the wall atmosphere, Good chai very reasonably priced ($1.25, refills .50).....Okay the Burger is Tasty and I can tell it's healthy...only it is a bit pricey (Burger 5.25, facon-bacon .75, cheese .55, grilled mushrooms .30, for a total of $6.85) and about average size for a burger.... which is offset by the low chai price.....so it was tasty, a bit pricey, and I wish it had been a bit bigger burger... course if it had been bigger then it wouldn't have been pricey...Rainbow asked me how it was, I told him the above, and he kicked in desert...tofu cheesecake....so dinner with chai and dessert was very reasonably priced. Rainbow was surprised that I found it pricey, and taking into account that they use organic ingredients, it is not so pricey...
2/9/01:
Well Govinda's has been handing out cards (and directions) at the show....and it is just as well, because the biggest problem I have ever had with their restaurant is finding it....It is tucked away off 1st and somehow I seem to keep missing it....well eventually I got there and as always the food was great....I met a guy who had driven down from Phoenix because he said he couldn't get any good vegi-food there (I directed to check with Gentle Strength Natural Foods in Tempe for information (Gentle Strength Co-op 234 W. University Drive, 602 968-4831)...As for this evening, dinner ($8.95, all you can eat, desserts, drinks, & samosas extra) was excellent, the salad bar is 70% organic, and the atmosphere friendly....
Govinda's always has had excellent food in past years too, peacock laden atmosphere, fountains, spiritual, meditative setting.... Tuesdays have Indian theme cuisine... buffet....call to find out the evenings theme
Govinda's Natural Foods Buffet, 711 E. Blacklidge Dr. 792-0630. Wed.-Sat. lunch 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. dinner Tues.-Sat. 5-9 p.m.
and there is also the standby Sweet Tomatoes, where I often working on this review....They always take good care of me...they are buffet style with lots of vegie selections and they will put a plate I've loaded up at the salad bar into the hot oven for me....I try not to come in during their peak dinner time when I'm going to get this done.....and they've always been very pleasant....Peter there even remembered me from last year and warned the bake crew ahead......Nationwide they are an excellent vegie resource..... Interestingly there are two in Tucson but only one is listed in the phone book that one is on Park the other, where I'm at, is in the 6200 block of Broadway....
Well I didn't get there yet this year so I'll have to save that for my next trip trough...... The Garland specializes in American, ethnic, and vegetarian cuisine, The Garland bakes all their own breads, rolls, and desserts. Described as charming, atmosphere, serving beer and wine. Open 8 a.m.-9 p.m.
The Garland, 119 E. Speedway; 792-4221.Sun.-Thurs. and 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri. and Sat.
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