Sell your old mineral collection - Sell your rock collection - We buy rock collections, we buy gem collections, we buy mineral collections

John Betts - Fine Minerals > Home Page > Sell Your Mineral Collection

Aesthetic Fine Mineral Specimens, Crystals, Gemstones for Rockshops, Rockhounds, Collectors and Mineral Clubs with Articles on Mineral Collecting, Mineral Locations, Mineral Research, Mineral History, Earth Sciences, Geology
John Betts - Fine Minerals, New York, NY 212-678-1942
Dealers of Fine Minerals and Natural Crystal Clusters since 1989.

Sell your old mineral collection - Sell your rock collection
We buy rock collections, we buy gem collections, we buy mineral collections

What do you do with an old mineral collection?

Perhaps you are moving to a smaller home and can't keep all of you collection...
Or you inherited an old mineral collection and don't know what to do with all the heavy, dust covered boxes...
Or you are getting on in years and your children and grandchildren don't show any interest in the collection...

You should consider selling your mineral collection.

We regularly purchase old mineral collections. If the collection is located in the eastern U.S. we will travel to see the collection in person, and assess it's value. If a deal can be agreed to, you will receive immediate payment and we will box up the collection and take it with us.

We also purchase collections without ever seeing the collection. You simply ship the collection, one box at a time, through the mail. As each box arrives we will call you to discuss the price for the contents. If we come to an agreed price, a check will be mailed that day and you can prepare another box of minerals to be shipped.

In the case of large, significant specimens that are valued over $1000, you should contact us via email (jhbnyc@aol.com) with photos, description, and asking price. If we are interested and accept your price it will be pending inspection of the specimen. You will be required to ship the specimen at your expense for our review.

(Remember to keep all the original labels or catalog with the collection - these greatly add to the value of the minerals. It is highly recommended that you take the time to catalog the contents of the collection. This will make it much easier to assess the collection's value. But it is understandable if you just want to sell it quickly, without much effort.)

Note: locality of origin does affect the value of a mineral. Locality is about half the value of good specimens. For example, a tourmaline from California may be worth $300, the same crystals from Brazil may be worth only $150, and the same crystals from Connecticut may be worth $750. Without a label of origin, the lowest price must be assumed.

Please understand, we can only pay wholesale prices. Most often this is one half the retail value. However, if the collection was assembled many years ago, then the actual investment in the collection will be much lower than today's wholesale price. You will still make money. Some items in the collection will be worthless as retail inventory. In this case, we arrange to donate the items to a local mineral museum in your name, so that you can get a tax deduction.

Unfortunately the worldwide economic crash that began in September 2008 has great affected the market for mineral specimens. As a result we are only interested in buying quality minerals. We are looking for clean, lustrous, undamaged, crystallized mineral specimens that are properly identified with labels. High quality does NOT mean large.

When selling your mineral collection, be prepared to answer these questions:

How many minerals?
What size specimens (in general)?
Are they all labeled?
If they are not labeled at this time, do you have a catalog or database identifying each mineral?
Are they on display, loose, boxed or mounted?
Any historic specimens or with provenance?
What dealers have you been buying from?
What is the average price you paid?
Do you have a price in mind for the whole collection?
If we reach an acceptable price, can I box the collection and take it with me, or do I have to make a second trip after you shop the collection around?

Are you ready to sell your mineral collection?

STEP 1. Email sample digital images, sizes, and prices to jhbnyc@aol.com or call 212-678-1942 (9:00 to 17:00 EST).

STEP 2. We will respond almost immediately with questions to determine our interest in your minerals.

STEP 3. If we agree to proceed, you mail your specimens to our office. Be sure to include in the package your telephone number (many people forget!) and return address. Be careful to protect the minerals against damage. Damaged crystals are the number one cause of low/reduced resale value of mineral specimens.

STEP 4. Upon receipt of the package we will assess whether the minerals meet our requirements. If the minerals are satisfactory we will mail a check or send PayPal payment that day. If there are problems with the minerals, we will call to discuss the issues with you.

Or visit me at my next show.

My article The Minerals of New York City is now available online.

The minerals illustrated on this site were purchased from collectors or wholesale suppliers for resale purposes.
The owner of this site did not collect the minerals and collectors should not assume access is permitted to the property
based on inclusion in this site. Please contact the property owner to obtain legal permission before entering private property.