[Rockhounds] Auralite-23 Bather, Blather, Blather

[axel.emmermann at telenet.be]

Gary,

My club, the MKA, is ambitious when it comes to identifying minerals (they call it 'determination' but in my book that means finding out the borders of the parameters that define a NEW mineral!). We have the knowledge and good addresses of people who have access to XRF, RDX, and other acronyms from the second part of the alphabet.
We do however pay for that... our members pay a small fee (copay?) and the club pays the rest. 
We have some spectrometers and other small instruments, mostly for gemology, but when it comes to buying a Raman-spectrometer they find that too expensive.
OK, I can see that, but we get the bulk of out income from our annual mineral show (which has been canceled twice, due to COVID! So we have to be frugal in our spending).
That show is organized for collectors only, although we see wizards and witches and paranormal geohealers pass through our halls every year. So, my logical suggestion to the board was: organize a mineral show for the collectors, but do the same for the healers, witches, floaters, wizards, nincompoops and petromagicians in the adjoining hall. Do it under a different name if you 're too ashamed and you don't want your reputation as scientific organisation tarnished, but make sure that people can buy a ticked for BOTH shows at a slightly reduced price. You'll get at least five times the income from the admission, but also your invited dealers will see MUCH more visitors passing their tables. Other dealers will hear of that and your show will grow...
They almost ate me alive... THE IDEA that we would be associated with the softly levitating rock-licking mystics is unbearable to the hardcore scientifically oriented board members. 
Silly, no? We could buy a Raman spectrometer EVERY year and, while doing so, pluck away a few lost souls from the dark side and bring them into the light...
People seem to forget that ALL mineralogy started with superstition. ALL the gems in the British crown jewels are meant to be healing stones in the time they were made.
Nobody makes fun of 'Lizzy' when she wears all that stuff on her head.
So we're proud but poor....

Cheers
Axel


Axel Emmermann 
Mineralogische Kring Antwerpen 
Mineralogical Society of Antwerp 
Werkgroep Fluorescerende mineralen 
Workgroup Fluorescent Minerals 
[ http://fluo.mineralogie.be/index.html | http://fluo.mineralogie.be/index.html ] 
Bezoek Minerant 6 & 7 mei 2023 
10-18 u in Antwerp Expo Center

----- Oorspronkelijk bericht -----
Van: gbrown at catspaw-minerals.com
Aan: "Rockhounds at drizzle.com" <rockhounds at rockhounds.drizzle.com>
Verzonden: Maandag 18 juli 2022 17:44:49
Onderwerp: Re: [Rockhounds] Auralite-23 Bather, Blather, Blather

" who on earth believes that 'male bovine excrement'"

Apparently enough.  Many a rock shop has been kept afloat with the purchases
by these nutters.  When a shop I'm in empties out I'll talk with the owner
and ask "how many REAL collectors do you see".  Usually "5-10%" is the
answer.  Often followed by "you're real... knock 25% off the price!"  As I'm
often told, "their money is green, and it pays the rent".  

GcB