AGTA
AGTA inside (No photos allowed on the floor)
To get you in the mood for this year’s Tucson blogs, I thought you would like a preview. The showcase has five added shows this year. Some small and at least one large. One new show is the International Gem & Jewelry Show (Intergem) where you should have 80-100 vendors, inside and outside the Clarion Hotel-Tucson Airport. I recall this show from several years ago at another locale. A big draw at Intergem will be jewelry owed by the Stars, featuring Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, Elton John, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and the Duke of Windsor.
The hotels on the Stip will not look like this next week.
The Stip Shows always have a few of these.
Another new show will be mineral dealers at the Elks Lodge. I have little information on this, but have heard 6-8 dealers are involved. Sorry, details on this are sparse until the Showguides come out.
The three largest show in Tucson are the American Gem Trade Association’s (AGTA) show at the Tucson Convention Center (Business ID required for this show), and runs the first weekend of the Showcase the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show at the Convention Center (Fee charged for this show, but open to the public). This show is also referred to as the Main Event and features jewelry retailers, random wonders, and wonderful Displays. This show originally started the Tucson Showcase got, sponsored by the Tucson Rock & Mineral Club. It runs the last weekend of the Showcase and should not be missed. The third very large show is the Gem and Lapidary Wholesalers Show out near Kino (G&LW). This show also requires business ID.
Typical hotel courtyard on the Strip
Fish swimming at 22nd Street
Always seen on the Strip
Typical Hotel on the Strip.
Hotal Tucson City Center
The majority of the shows are open to the public, and careful negotiation will yield better bargains than most of the Wholesale Shows offer. We have enjoyed the 22nd Street Show, and it is bigger and better this year. From that show, you can walk under US10 and on the other side, explore the many shows in the Hotels there. Over the years, many of my best finds and bargains have come for these shows along the “Strip”.(Notice I did not say “Strip Shows”, but it is OK for you to call them that.
Kino Sports Complex
There are also many hidden treasures at the Kino Sports Complex, a mostly outside Flea Market type Show. there are several large “treasure tents” also at that location where you can get imported goods of all sorts, and not all rocks. I seldom buy this cheap buy/sell junk, but to each there own. I try to support American Businesses when I can, but often they are difficult to find in Tucson.
JOGS (at the Tucson Expo Center), used to be a more Wholesale show with ID required, but this year I’ve heard that it will be a Wholesale/Retail show with different ID for various classes of shoppers. I have also heard that if you are not a dealer, there will be an entry charge. Don’t hold me to this. I enjoy the JOGS show except it IS crowded, and maybe even more so if more people are let in. CAUTION: Watch for “Bead Laidies” at this show and others. They will tie up the aisles with large luggage in tow. I dislike this and am sometimes rude to them for blocking the narrow aisles. My wife has come to an acceptance that I will always insult “Bead Ladies”. How about carry on luggage and not giant trailers girls? So if you are a bead lady (you know who you are) and a grumpy guy insults you, just deal with it.
I hope you have lodging already or you may have to commute from way out, but sometimes I do see “vacancy signs” around town, so good luck. If you see us, say hello,; if you are a Bead lady, just get out of the way.