Yesterday was the spring "wholesale" Gem & Mineral Show. This is a GLW show for those of you familiar with them from Tucson or other smaller venues. The basic requirement for entry is a copy of your resale (sales tax) license and a business card or check. Since my state gives out resale licenses so easily and does not charge for them or have expiration dates on them, a lot of my customers also attend the show. This can make for an uncomfortable shopping experience.
I went because I did not go to Tucson this year. One of my vendors exhibits both in Tucson and here and I hadn't purchased from him in more than 2-1/2 years. My stock was VERY low. So I went to shop with him and then to see what I could get for my own work. I got what I needed, and found some nice druzy free-form cabs to play with, along with a few lower-end (but nice) gemstones to set. It was a successful day, even though I didn't spring for the Pariba or the nicely colored Tourmaline that I also wanted. It did seem that the numbers were down and that people were being much more careful about what they were buying. Several people mentionrd that they would not be attending the fall show (which I always miss because it comes during the Renaissance Festival season). A few also mentioned that they thought this show would be their last unless the economy (i.e. their own sales) improved. So things are still hurting for people. And that is sad. But I do have faith that people are resiliant and they will pull back and land back on their feet. It's a rough sea right now, though.
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