The soccer field is filled with sellers’ tents ready for the morning crowd
I’ve been setting up at the Gilsum Rock Swap since 1987. Unfortunately, that doesn’t make me an old timer, at least not compared to some of the guys who have been there every year since it started in 1964. Although the show still calls itself a rock swap, it is barely recognizable as such. There were only a handful of swappers set up this year; unfortunately, the number has been steadily dwindling from a high of over 40 back in the ‘80s. Still, all dealers are required to offer material for swapping, and the kids still show up with their boxes and bags full of treasures for swapping. That sets a fun tone for the event, and I hope it never loses that charm.
Still an Outdoor Show
May Mpuye’s booth full of malachite and chrysocolla
When you drive up the curved driveway you will be greeted by 2 rows of tents set up on either side of a grassy open space which stretches the length of the soccer field. There are probably about 40-50 “dealers” on either side, but that includes several dozen local field collectors who’s wares are almost all self-collected. This distinctly “amateur” tone is very refreshing, and if you want to, you can fill your car’s trunk with crystal treasures from all over New England and around the world for about $20! There aren’t many shows any more that can claim thatdistinction.
It’s a dog-friendly atmosphere
It Always Rains at Gilsum
You can count on it – it’s going to rain! So bring an umbrella and wet-weather gear; that way the rain doesn’t perturb your visit. This year it was mostly just showers, though some years feature thunderstorms with tent-ripping winds. Again, if you expect it, it’s all part of the fun. So ignore whatever the weatherman says, and just come expecting rain.
What Was New This Year
A view of the soccer field from above
I saw some really attractive Herkimer Diamonds, reportedly from Treasure Mountain in Little Falls, NY. No scepters were in evidence, but a pair of local Little Falls collectors had some nice large, rainbow-filled clusters to 5”. A brother-sister duo from Iceland had some fantastic, brightly colored ropy lava they had collected. There were pieces in all sizes, up to over a foot across. Rocko had a nice Deer Hill amethyst piece, an 8” scepter with parallel growth that my partner Dick Holmes snapped up on Friday night before the show even opened. Later, he picked up another nice amethyst from the Intergalactic Pit on Deer Hill from Bud Poulin out of Connecticut. Bud also had some excellent old wulfenite crystals from the Manhan River Lead Mine inLoudville, MA, probably dating back to the ‘70s. That all came out of a boulder he bought that had been collected by Ernie Schlichter.
Dick Holmes with daughter Katy, and me (back to the camera), helping a customer
Speaking of Loudville, we brought along our stash of the best pyromorphites from our find in 1999 (this material garnered the cover in our article about this amazing find in the March-April 2001 issue of Rocks & Minerals). Another collector, from Pennsylvania, had been busy at the Chester County Mine in Phoenixville, PA, and had dug up some delightful moss green pyromorphites in sharp micro crystals. Our friend Max Mpuye had his usual array of fine malachite specimens and carved animals, plus a nice lot of new dioptase from the Congo. There was lots more, of course, from geode splitting to jewelry. This is one show that has stuck steadfastly to rocks & crystals, and the mineral dealers outnumbered the bead & jewelry people by two-to-one (you won’t see that ratio most anywhere else).
The parking is free, and very convenient
Save the Date for Next Year
The Show will be held on Saturday and Sunday, June 25-26, 2011. This is an event we know you won’t want to miss. We’ll be looking for you – be sure to look for us in booth #41, on the side of the field closest to the elementary school.
Rock candy and popsicles – the makings for summer fun
A rainbow points the way to the treasures at the Gilsum Rock Swap
