Steve "Wild Man" Garza to speak at the Gilsum Rock Swap
On June 26th 2010 at 1:00 pm Steve Garza will give a special presentation on geodes of Indiana and geode formation. Specimens will be on display. A more in-depth session for dealers and rockhounds will be held at 7:00 pm, right after the ham and bean dinner.
Steve has been collecting mineral specimens since the age of six. He'll be speaking about Geodes found in Indiana and how geodes form. Steve has a wide field of knowledge that he uses in collecting and prospecting - and he prides himself in finding specimens the everyone else overlooks! Steve has helped many beginners get excited about collecting as a hobby. He’s also a dealer and swapper and has made many notable finds, including five gold deposits.
Steve's secret: Above: What's wrong with this picture? Answer: There are holes in the rock. These holes are actually lined (if you look closely) with dogtooth calcite xls. Those vugs are coral head replacements that can get to 18 inches in diameter and have calcites up to four inches long, some sprinkled with golden pyrites, octos, brassy marcasite "swords", transparent goethite xls, and salmon celestite/wht to bl baryte roses. The location? Steve won't say, but it's hidden in plain sight.
"This is one of my secret sites but people drive past it several hundred times a day. No one has ever noticed it, even experienced collectors!" If you come to Kentucky Steve just might take you there - but then he'd have to kill you," he says with a chuckle.
What minerals can you find in Gilsum? See these photos from a local collector.
What People are Saying About the 2009 Gilsum Rock Swap
" I know just by the feel when something is run very well. And all I can say is wow."
Michael Walsh, Dino Distributors
Previous years
Listen to this New Hampshire Public Radio Audio Postcard from the 2006 Gilsum Rock Swap.
About the Gilsum Rock Swap
The town of Gilsum, located in the scenic Monadnock Region in southwestern NH, will once again host 6,000 - 8,000 people from all over the U.S. who will attend the Gilsum Rock Swap and Mineral Show. Here more than 70 dealers, swappers, distributors, and collectors can buy, sell, or swap beryl, quartz crystals, semi-precious stones, and rocks and minerals of all sorts. Displays range from newly found specimens in the rough to fossils, prized collector’s pieces and even hand crafted jewelry.
This year’s event will include a special presentation. The presentation will be held Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. at the Elementary School auditorium immediately following the annual Ham and Bean dinner.
The event takes place at the Gilsum Elementary School fields, Route 10 in Gilsum, just north of Keene, NH, and is about 2 hours from Boston. Show hours are 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM Saturday and 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Sunday. The Gilsum Rock Swap is truly a community event with more than 60 people volunteering at the show. That number rises to more than 100 when one includes all the volunteers that bake home made beans and pies for the annual Ham and Bean Supper.
Gilsum’s many mines operated until the 1940s and yielded feldspar, mica and beryl. Most are now abandoned, although one, the Beauregard mine, is available to mineral clubs through prior arrangement. Today collectors prize other minerals such as beryl. Maps showing locations of local mines are available during the show.
Since the show’s inception, the town of Gilsum has opened its doors for the event. Activities include a daily pancake brunch, bake sale, book sale, chicken barbeque dinner, and a traditional Saturday night New England ham and bean supper with all you can eat home-made pies.
Admission is free, although donations are graciously accepted. All proceeds go to youth recreation and community programs.
Local Interest
See the exploits of local collector Tom Chandler and friends, including photos, at Tom's Web site.
See Jim Tovey's mining operation, located just a few miles from the Gilsum show. Visit the Toceco Web site to see outstanding specimens of beryl and other rminerals, all mined right here!