Tucson Fossil Show 2022 **PHOTOS**

[Troodon]

After a one year off for Covid the Tucson show will open the last week of January.  Here is a link that provides you info to the +40 venues.  Arizona still has high daily Covid 19 cases, so some venues or dealer rooms may require you to wear a mask, be safe.   

 

 https://xpopress.com/showcase/profile/1/tucson-gem-mineral-fossil-showcase

 

Lots of major changes will occur this year with the location of fossil dealers.  The Arizona Mineral & Fossil Show which occupied the Tucson City Center Hotel was moving to the El Conquistador Resort but their web site says this show has been cancelled for the next two years.  See Link, something might change as we move closer to the date.  If you are looking for someone specifically and cannot find them, contact them directly.

https://www.mineralshowslld.com/tucson/

 

Here are the Key Fossil Venues with a link but most venues have some fossils.

 

The Fossil and Mineral Alley Show at Days Inn  

Timing:   Around Jan 27 - Dealers have individual rooms so the timing will dependent when they arrive and finish setup

Dealer Listing:  (62 Dealers)  I don't see major changes from prior years.   Great Fossil Venue (Shark/Dinosaur/Invertebrates)

 

https://xpopress.com/show/vendors/25/fossil-mineral-alley

 

 

The 22nd Street Show

Timing: Jan 27 to Feb 13  Parking is a nightmare and $$

Dealer Listing:  Few fossil dealers mostly trinkets

 

https://22ndstreet.show/exhibitor-list/

 

 

The Big Gem Show at Tucson City Center    (CANCELLED)

Timing: Same as the other shows

Dealer Listing:  Only 32 dealers remain.  Only one Fossil Fish dealer, Now mostly Gem and Minerals

 

https://www.thebiggemshow.com/

(Web Page Closed Dec 6)

 

Mineral and Fossil Market Place

Timing: Jan 29 to Feb 13   Some dealers have individual areas so their opening may be different (earlier) than posted dates.

Dealer Listing:  Lots of fossil dealers have migrated to this venue including the Black Hills Institute.  Tight dealer quarters and parking but may be one of the better fossil venues

 

https://mfmshow.com/

 

 

Mineral Fossil Co-Op

Timing:  Jan 28 to Feb 13 ( some stores open year around)

Dealer Listing:   (13 Dealers)

 

 https://xpopress.com/show/vendors/44/mineral-fossil-co-op

 

Note:  Kendal of Moussa Minerals just let me know of a new tent venue (RMGM Mineral and Fossil Show / Oracle Rd) will set up shop at this location.  See page 2 for information  Moved again to Keno venue

 

 

Kino Gem and Minerial Show

Timing:  TBD

Dealer Listing:  (231 Dealers)  Mostly Trinkets, few Moroccan Tent dealers

 

https://xpopress.com/show/vendors/41/kino-gem-mineral-show

 

 

 

Moroccan Tent City

TBD will see who shows up on Oracle Road

[FB003]

Wish they had shows like this in CT.  As far as I know there is nothing out here. Nice of you to post this for everyone!

[Troodon]

7 minutes ago, FB003 said:

Wish they had shows like this in CT.  As far as I know there is nothing out here. Nice of you to post this for everyone!

 

I used to go to the East Coast Gem, Mineral and Fossil show in East Springfield, CT.  Loved going, it was nice long weekend outing in late summer.  I stopped going when the fossil dealers I liked stopped going.   Not sure how the show looks today.

 

[FB003]

24 minutes ago, Troodon said:

 

I used to go to the East Coast Gem, Mineral and Fossil show in East Springfield, CT.  Loved going, it was nice long weekend outing in late summer.  I stopped going when the fossil dealers I liked stopped going.   Not sure how the show looks today.

 

Thanks!  I'll have to take a look as the next one gets closer in 2022.  Looks like it moved to MA and was primarily mineral focused from what pictures show of 2021.

[Troodon]

30 minutes ago, FB003 said:

Thanks!  I'll have to take a look as the next one gets closer in 2022.  Looks like it moved to MA and was primarily mineral focused from what pictures show of 2021.

My mistake its MA, close enough

[Fossildude19]

24 minutes ago, Troodon said:

My mistake its MA, close enough

Can confirm. 

[IsaacTheFossilMan]

Darn! One of the many downsides of living in the UK

[PFOOLEY]

35 minutes ago, IsaacTheFossilMan said:

Darn! One of the many downsides of living in the UK

 

Start one. Years from now we'll all be wishing we could go to The Cotswolds Fossil and Gem Show.

[Troodon]

34 minutes ago, IsaacTheFossilMan said:

Darn! One of the many downsides of living in the UK

 

Yes we are fortunate.  You would be surprised how many European collectors make it to the show and there are quite a few UK fossil dealers.

[Biotalker]

10 hours ago, Troodon said:

 

I used to go to the East Coast Gem, Mineral and Fossil show in East Springfield, CT.  Loved going, it was nice long weekend outing in late summer.  I stopped going when the fossil dealers I liked stopped going.   Not sure how the show looks today.

 

I went to the West Springfield, MA show in 2019 and 2021 (drove through CT to get there). It was only fair in '19 with perhaps 4 fossil vendors, and dismal in '21, a total waste of a trip. You'd be better of at NJ Gem & Fossil Show, though its nothing like we see from member's pictures of the Tucson Show.

[-Andy-]

This year's Tucson wasn't fruitful for many collectors and dealers I hear. I hope 2022's Tucson would be better

[FB003]

23 hours ago, Fossildude19 said:

Can confirm. 

Yes we don't get much out here in CT from what I can tell.

[Fossildude19]

3 minutes ago, FB003 said:

Yes we don't get much out here in CT from what I can tell.

I was mostly confirming that, in comparison to other state distances between cities and towns,  Massachusetts and Connecticut are practically the same.

 

But you are correct, there is not much in the way of big fossil shows here in the Northeast.

[Troodon]

15 hours ago, Biotalker said:

I went to the West Springfield, MA show in 2019 and 2021 (drove through CT to get there). It was only fair in '19 with perhaps 4 fossil vendors, and dismal in '21, a total waste of a trip. You'd be better of at NJ Gem & Fossil Show, though its nothing like we see from member's pictures of the Tucson Show.

Not surprised about the Springfield show.  Even the NJ show has taken a big step back from when it initially opened.  The first few years it included several dealers that attended the Tucson show and then they stopped going.  I remember the first or second year they even had the Tarbosaurus skeleton on display that was being auctioned off that kicked off all the Mongolian hoopla.  Hard to get even close to the Tucson show with all the international participation by dealers and collectors 

 

 

[FB003]

Whenever I head out that way again I'll have to try and time it correctly for one of these shows on the way.

[Troodon]

1 hour ago, FB003 said:

Whenever I head out that way again I'll have to try and time it correctly for one of these shows on the way.

 

I would recommend that for anyone;  You don't have to spend a cent on fossils just walking around all the venues is a experience by itself.    The show takes over the city from very high end jewelry, gems and more gems, fine art, minerals, trinkets, trinkets and more trinkets oh yea fossils.   And you cannot forget the local Saguaro  National Park and all tourist destinations basking with a mild Feb day.

 

 

 

 

[FB003]

10 minutes ago, Troodon said:

 

I would recommend that for anyone;  You don't have to spend a cent on fossils just walking around all the venues is a experience by itself.    The show takes over the city from very high end jewelry, gems and more gems, fine art, minerals, trinkets, trinkets and more trinkets oh yea fossils.   And you cannot forget the local Saguaro  National Park and all tourist destinations basking with a mild Feb day.

 

 

 

 

lol it would have to be mild.  I'm from New England I'm not made for the heat out there!

[jpc]

But be warned... the price of hotels in Tucson is jacked up for the show.  One time I went I stayed in Douglas, down on the border for a lot cheaper.  It is about an hour away (and as far as I know, the highway between Tucson and Douglas is the only one in the US where the speed limit is posted in Kilometers).  I also camped out on Mt Lemon once... and got snowed on.  Good for New England types like myself.  

Edited November 10, 2021 by jpc

[Troodon]

54 minutes ago, jpc said:

But be warned... the price of hotels in Tucson is jacked up for the show.  One time I went I stayed in Douglas, down on the border for a lot cheaper.  It is about an hour away (and as far as I know, the highway between Tucson and Douglas is the only one in the US where the speed limit is posted in Kilometers).  I also camped out on Mt Lemon once... and got snowed on.  Good for New England types like myself.  

Yep prices go up and they are full.  Capitalism.  You mean Nogales.  There was a highway in Delaware thats in Kmh. Changed back when locals were reading it as mph.  Hey Mt Lemon is 10000 feet snow expected in Feb

[jpc]

2 hours ago, Troodon said:

Yep prices go up and they are full.  Capitalism.  You mean Nogales.  There was a highway in Delaware thats in Kmh. Changed back when locals were reading it as mph.  Hey Mt Lemon is 10000 feet snow expected in Feb

Yeah, Nogales.  My bad.  

[FossilNerd]

My wife and I are planning a trip out west that has been put off multiple times due to COVID. I’m hoping to get the timing right to spend a day or two at the Tucson show while out that way. 
 

Thanks for posting this Frank! It will help to finalize our schedule.  

[Troodon]

10 hours ago, FossilNerd said:

My wife and I are planning a trip out west that has been put off multiple times due to COVID. I’m hoping to get the timing right to spend a day or two at the Tucson show while out that way. 
 

Thanks for posting this Frank! It will help to finalize our schedule.  

 

 Hope it works out for you, if you have any questions please ask

[Troodon]

Update

The Big Gem Show at the Tucson City Center has closed down their web page.   George Winters reported that on FB that yesterday.  So is the venue closed for the 2022 show.   Not much there anyway

[siteseer]

On 12/7/2021 at 2:56 AM, Troodon said:

Update

The Big Gem Show at the Tucson City Center has closed down their web page.   George Winters reported that on FB that yesterday.  So is the venue closed for the 2022 show.   Not much there anyway

 

 

That's weird.  The Tucson City Center, once called the Innsuites, was a major hub of fossil interest for years.  Black Hills was in the ballroom along with a few other fossil dealers and it seemed most of the rooms had fossil dealers.  I haven't been to Tucson in several years now.  I still think about all the activity that was along "the strip" when the Desert Inn was a hub of activity in the late 80's-early 90's and you could walk all the way to the Discovery Inn, finding oddball fossils at the the venues (Travelodge, Pueblo Inn) and people with tables in between.

 

 

[Troodon]

1 hour ago, siteseer said:

 

 

That's weird.  The Tucson City Center, once called the Innsuites, was a major hub of fossil interest for years.  Black Hills was in the ballroom along with a few other fossil dealers and it seemed most of the rooms had fossil dealers.  I haven't been to Tucson in several years now.  I still think about all the activity that was along "the strip" when the Desert Inn was a hub of activity in the late 80's-early 90's and you could walk all the way to the Discovery Inn, finding oddball fossils at the the venues (Travelodge, Pueblo Inn) and people with tables in between.

 

The big move was when the Arizona Mineral and Fossil show pulled out of the TCC and moved North, killed the TCC my favorite venue.   Sill a lot of activity in that strip from the 22nd Show, Travelodge, and Days Inn (Old Pueblo).  Most key fossil dealers still at Days Inn and those that were at the TCC are at the Market Place just north of TCC.