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Vendors get set up for Tucson Gem Show Finale

Posted: Feb 8, 2012 9:43 PM
Updated: Feb 9, 2012 3:39 AM


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TUCSON - The grand finale for Tucson's three week celebration of all things buried, bizarre or beautiful kicks off tomorrow.

It's held as always on the second full weekend of February. The exhibition runs ten to six each day and charges $10 per ticket. Children 14 and under free with adult admission.

Well it was busy Wednesday with vendors setting up displays of minerals from all over the world.

Considering how rare and delicate the items are, it takes a lot of work but they all say that it's worth it for this show.

The Tucson gem and mineral show has more than 250 vendors hoping to wow crowds of thousands, but first they have to set up.

Vendor Cal Graeber said, "There's a huge amount of work involved with getting all this done." Everything is in boxes; it all needs to be hung"

You can't just put the rare beauties anywhere or in anyway. There's a lot of strategy that goes into it.

Graeber said, "There's a lot going on when you think about how to put things up. Every dealer approaches it in a little bit different fashion."

And they said for this show, they pull out all the stops.

Vendor Steve Behling said, "It's unlike any other in the world. The next largest is in Munich, Germany so this is the largest in the States and largest in world."

Vendor Nancy LaValley-Freeland said, "They have the most phenomenal minerals here. These are minerals that are beyond museum quality, millions of dollars, just phenomenal."

Many of the vendors said this year is going to be a good one. Graeber said, "This show has a certain buzz, a synergy and a lot of energy in the air this year more so than normal."

There were a number of vendors that said this year will be good so we asked them why they think that. Some said the economy is getting better and more people are ready to buy, others credit the weather.

One vendor said he can't remember a gem show here in Tucson where they've had three weeks of great weather like we've had and because of that he says 2012 will be one to remember.

It all kicks off Thursday morning at 10.

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