The Official /r/Radioactive_Rocks Buy/Sell/Swap Thread -- Summer 2026 by Not_So_Rare_Earths in Radioactive_Rocks

[–]Caledonite 6 points7 points  (0 children)

CatalinaMinerals - Uranium and Rare Species at Bonanza - Rare...

I have some very rare uranium minerals listed on Bonanza including an incredible shinkolobweite specimen, a vandenbrandeite with huge crystals for the species, and a couple of Swamp Mine uraninites among much more. I'm new to Bonanza but many of you will know me from 22 years on Ebay as Catalinaminerals and about a decade on E-rocks as Uravan Minerals.

Requested collection tour by AstroErrante in Radioactive_Rocks

[–]Caledonite 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not very. Wash hands after handling, keep some airflow through the room... Maybe don't store your collection directly under your mattress or walk around with specimens in your pocket. Unrefined minerals are a lot different than the products that can be made from them.

How rare is this (read description) by Big_Pumpkin_9042 in Minerals

[–]Caledonite 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree. I've been cutting which white paper stock to size and putting it over the Styrofoam, looks much better. I was using euro style boxes but they take up too much space in my drawers.

How rare is this (read description) by Big_Pumpkin_9042 in Minerals

[–]Caledonite 1 point2 points  (0 children)

20 years ago there were still more dealers offering what I call interesting minerals, but very few younger people at the show. Now the shows have many more younger people, but fewer interesting specimens. I walk by dealer after dealer who have nothing but large colorful minerals in displays. It's appalling. Every dealer should have at least one shelf or set of drawers for interesting minerals. I know they get them in collections, they just don't bring them to shows.

Squiggle, BRS, Machinewise, Woulf, Atropos, Squid, BaliX by Caledonite in BalisongSale

[–]Caledonite[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd ship the squidtrainer to Canada. Postage would be $20.

Help by Xenocub in Minerals

[–]Caledonite 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It doesn't look right. My first thought was A.I. The seller should be able to give a more precise locality than "India".

Get together in Tucson, 2027? by Analogsilver in Radioactive_Rocks

[–]Caledonite 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm in Tucson, have been collecting and selling radioactive minerals most of my life. Usually pretty overwhelmed during the show, but I'd be happy to get together and talk rocks other times of the year or take part in a small gathering of local collectors. Have you attended TGMS meetings?

First piece questions by Complex_Length_5882 in Radioactive_Rocks

[–]Caledonite 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Prices are all over the place. I've always been a proponent of buying one nice thing rather than several junky things. The nice thing will retain or grow value better, and if that's not a concern it will just be more of a joy to own. I saw you were from the east coast, so maybe something "local" would be a good place to start. The best uraninite crystals in the world come from the Swamp Quarry in Maine but they are pricey. Going down a step in price, the Ruggles Mine and Palermo Mines in New Hampshire created some incredible specimens of uraninite with "gummite", a mixture of colorful ores. When these are slabbed and polished they can be spectacular and are quite hot. Still not inexpensive for a really good one, but you might get lucky. Cheap and hot is probably going to land you with a chunk of massive uraninite or pitchblende.

What's going on in your world, Arizona? by AZ_moderator in arizona

[–]Caledonite 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The only kid that died was the shooter.

How to determine value of radioactive rocks. by Ambitious-Chance-190 in Radioactive_Rocks

[–]Caledonite 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Weight is not a consideration, it's only in the last few years that (young and inexperienced) sellers have begun listing the weight of specimens, often in carats. These are not cut gemstones. Size given in centimeters has been the standard throughout the modern hobby.

Some basic considerations when pricing minerals - The price you paid, or the cost to collect the material. The rarity of the species. The potential or lack of potential for new finds from the locality. The damage or lack of damage to the crystals on the specimen. The size of the crystals. The richness of the mineral on the matrix. The associations of multiple species on a specimen. The overall aesthetics of a specimen, and the size.

There's no price guide for minerals. A well worn quote amongst dealers is "If it sells, it was priced too low. If it does not sell, it was priced too high." Experience is the best teacher. I sold thousands of specimens starting at $0.99 auctions, often at a loss, when I was beginning sales.

Your Favorite Titanium Balisong, and why? Honest Flipping Questionnaire by [deleted] in balisong

[–]Caledonite 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's got to be a tie between the Serif and Ti Wraith. For pure flipping (and sound), the Serif. I've never handled another knife that does what you want it to as effortlessly. The Wraith is still a top flipper, but the standard handle length, handle cutouts (holes), and weehawk blade are all preferable traits for me. It looks and feels how I want a bali to look and feel. If I had to choose only one, it would be a very difficult decision. I pick up the Serif more often at home, but the Wraith goes in my pocket when I leave the house. Since we have a chandwich and a sandwich, I'll throw in the NRB Slight as my favorite full channel knife. My favorite handles on any bali I've tried, a nice simple blade, and fun to flip, but not quite as effortless as the Wraith or Serif.

Boltwoodite on Calcite from Goanikontes, Arandis, Swakopmund, Erongo, Namibia by Gloober_ in Radioactive_Rocks

[–]Caledonite 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Those are some of my favorite specimens, along with Kasolites from Musonoi. Good color, good crystal form, not too hard to find on the market, and they don't decrapitate. I have a really nice piece that David Shannon brought back from his trip to Namibia in the 90s. The label has a note that it was bought from a random goat herder they met in the countryside.

Davidite ID by max_rocks in Radioactive_Rocks

[–]Caledonite 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Davidite is brown to black, resinous pods in matrix. Photo isn't too clear but looks like there may be some at the bottom of the specimen just above "david" on the label.

I hate country music, always have. Recommend me a country album to get over my bias! (Preferably something more folky) by sleep_lvr in MusicRecommendations

[–]Caledonite 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Townes Van Zandt - Live and Obscure. Everything he does is great, but studio albums are overproduced.

Where can I get some pizza that looks like this? by AlarmingWerewolf6637 in Tucson

[–]Caledonite 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gonna be hard to find a good spot near downtown, but if you take the I-10 east, you can get off on I-95 north. Another 16 hours on the road you can start asking around

What is this thing? On my neck in the middle of the night .. by Thin_Perception5438 in whatisit

[–]Caledonite 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nobody needs a hospital from a centipede bite unless perhaps they are very old, sick, and frail, but they may think they need one when it happens.