Welcome to Tigerowner Minerals!
Rockhounding the internet? Then you’ve come to the right place! I first created this website some 25 years ago, when I retired. The original purpose was to help me to reduce the size of my collection, and in doing so to meet fellow collectors and finance my pursuit of the hobby. My collection consists of both fluorescent specimens and daylight cabinet specimens in all sizes; the center picture above is of a 4′ X 2′ fluorescent display currently in my basement, and the flanking specimens are two of my favorite Elmwood Mine large cabinet specimens.
The original website served its purpose well, but over time it had become difficult (read: impossible!) to manage. It is currently being updated with today’s technology – and I’m being helped (and guided!) in this renovation by my son Marc!
The old website was designed to provide visitors with access to photos of the portion of my collection that I was looking to sell or trade away. That will still be an important function of the new website , but we’re adding an additional goal: to document my entire private collection with photographs and data on each specimen (this will be an ongoing project!).
As new pages are added to the website, their links will appear above. There will be multiple pages of specimens for sale or trade, as well as pages documenting my personal collection. Stay tuned!
Just Getting Started in the Hobby?
I have several pages of information for folks just getting started in the mineral collecting hobby (Links and Tech. info). I prepared this material myself, and have researched it carefully, but I hereby apologize in advance for any errors or omissions. Just because you see something in print doesn’t mean you should assume it’s flawless! The information on UV lamps is probably somewhat dated – new UV LED technology is changing the field rapidly. Also, some of the information presented is just opinion (mine), not fact, and you should treat it as such…
Trades
Trades can be arranged via email – I am primarily interested in aesthetic crystalline specimens (cabinet-size and larger); the aesthetics are more important to me than either perfection or rarity. I am also interested in unusual multicolor cabinet or larger fluorescents. Since I am trying to reduce the size of my collection, I would prefer to trade one-for-one or better, many-for-one (as opposed to one-for-many). The prices shown on the website are my best guess at the fair retail value of the specimens, and as such can be considered a guide in thinking about what I might consider a “fair trade”. I often have multiple examples of specific mineral varieties, so once the “My Collection” pages are activated, many of those specimens will also be available for trade. We will both pay our shipping costs when a trade has been agreed upon.
Purchases
I have significant flexibility in the pricing of many specimens, but little flexibility on others – I don’t like paying a lot for a specimen and letting it go for a little (as I assume you wouldn’t either). So if you have an interest in a specific specimen and would like to make an offer on it, please feel free! I have no flexibility on the pricing of the specimens listed on eBay, except those listed with the “best offer” option (many will have this option)…..
Purchases from both eBay and this website can be combined to save on shipping costs, and I offer free shipping on all multiple specimen purchases from this website, as well as multiple ‘buy-it-now’ purchases from eBay; some single specimen purchases from this website qualify for free shipping as well.
Inquiries
Please use my email below to inquire about any specimens in the photo galleries, or about particular specimen types you’re seeking (they may still be in my basement!). I am happy to answer any questions, and I love talking rocks Thanks for visiting my site, and good luck in tracking down the right specimens to add to your collection!
Jim Simpson (tigerowner@gmail.com)