What's Ahead for 2019?

Our Newly Minted American Gem Trade Membership, and YES, CRD’s Ten Year Anniversary Bash

I hope all of you had a fun and/or restful holiday season.  I spent mine doing what retailers do, getting a lot of last-minute orders out, doing my own holiday shopping and decorating in between.  Then I went to spend Christmas with my dad and mom in Germany, did some rock climbing with my sister, racked up weight watchers’ points eating dad’s cookies and singed my new sweater blowing up new year’s fireworks.  Now it’s time to shed the holiday pounds and get cracking on the new year!  Already on the calendar is the Tucson show which is less than a month away and I have to figure out what I need, what I want, and how to strike a balance between the two.

     

A spring cleaning of the stock shelves of “Sophie,” our faithful 600-pound steel guardian of gems, reveals old Madagascar and Tanzania goods from as much as two years ago: unlisted beryl and aquamarine, goshenite and Mahenge garnet.  This is a good thing because at least aquamarine is going up in price.  All mine are unheated which is even better!  There are other gems I still need to list, like color change garnets and Madagascar sapphires.  We plan on one more winter cleaning in the form of a steep flash sale just before Tucson, and then it’s “in with the new.”

I’m really thrilled that this year we are going there as AGTA members, and can sport the logo on all of our listings as well – something we started just a short few months ago.  This is a big deal.  The American Gem Trade Association has worked hard in the last couple of years to raise public awareness of gemstone treatments and enhancements.  While the law on disclosure of the latter is always slow, the AGTA is proud to have implemented a self-monitoring system whereby all its members obligate themselves to full disclosure. 

Why does this matter?  Because treatment can affect both pricing and durability of a gem.  For example, a ruby purchased from an overseas vendor may be glass filled but if the seller doesn’t disclose this, the buyer is up a creek, especially if she’s not protected by Etsy or PayPal Buyer protection.  The buyer will have overpaid, the gem cannot undergo certain cleaning processes because it will lose its color, and the chances of a full refund are limited, especially, and this is important, because the gem IS a ruby and as such the vendor did not lie, even if he or she did not fully disclose!

Buying within the US, and especially buying from an AGTA vendor, a retail buyer enjoys much greater safety.  The AGTA carefully vets each new member.  It takes several months to process a new membership, which is not automatic but the result of a vote, and requires several references of both AGTA members and non-members.  To be an AGTA member, you have to be a US based business and have been active for at least two years. 

From what I am able to gather, we are actually the only vetted AGTA member selling on Etsy (if there are others, they are not making this public).  We would be eternally grateful if you help us spread this news!

We are happy to send you informational brochures on gems and gemstone enhancements from the American Gem Trade Association for free! Request one now via email: cecileraleydesigns@gmail.com

In Tucson, we will be visiting several shows in addition to the AGTA: GJX, 22nd street show, Inn Suites and more.  We are starting to take orders already, please let us know if you are interested in anything in particular.

In other news – and more about this in future blogs – CRD is going to be 10 years old this year.  Our Etsy shop was established in August of 2009.  I had my first sale in October of 2009 – a beaded necklace - and I started selling loose gems in 2011.  We’re still thinking about how to celebrate this.  Obviously, we will have a sale, but we do that anyway!  We want to have an event, probably in October, so stay tuned, AND let us know if you think you’d like to be part of it.  We are happy to entertain suggestions about how to make this a national, no, INTERNATIONAL event, since so many of you are actually overseas.  Cecile Raley Designs has been blessed with an amazing number of repeat clients, some of them going back to as early as 2011, when our shop really started to take off. 

Until next time, and Happy New Year to you all!

Yvonne, Debbie, Karen, and Joanne

TUCSON 2018: NEW VENTURES, AND REVISITING SOME OLD ONES

I’ve only been back from Europe for a couple of days (I landed the evening before the blizzard whereas my aunt’s flight was Friday and she’s now stuck in Germany over the weekend!  But I am already planning the next trip: Tucson Gem and Mineral Show 2018.  Even though I’m still jetlagged, I can’t say I’m going to mind getting out of these near zero temperatures.  Debbie is coming with me, Karen and Jo are manning the shop from frigid New Jersey.  Custom orders will chug along at a reduced pace the first week of February.

 (Tucson Gem & Mineral Show)

So, here’s what’s new this year, what the same is, and what is gone:

In with the new:

(1) Russian Demantoid: as many of you know, while my older source has run out I have made a new connection to a supplier in Russia, and I will be requesting melee and smaller stones for earrings.  For other orders, please let me know at your earliest convenience because I need to contact Sergey.

(2) Namibian Lagoon Tourmaline: finally the source of the now famous lagoon tourmalines can be revealed.  The supply line in Namibia has been secured and a new production has arrived that I will get to pick from.  Some of these will be available pre Tucson.  Colors are: lagoon, teal, mint and indigo.  Most of these are heated, some are precision cut.  I already saw some neat princess cuts that would be great for earrings.

(3) Montana Sapphire: I’ve been carrying these off and on for a bit and have been using them for jewelry as well.  It’s tough to match Montanas but I can supply rounds in 3-6mm as well as ovals in 4x3 up to 8x6mm.  Most are heated, but the price point is excellent, much cheaper than what I have seen elsewhere.  The colors are teal blue, teal green, yellow and a little bit of pink.

(4) Calibrated Mint Garnet: a new production of this material is also on the way, in calibrated sizes, which hasn’t been the case in a couple of years.  I don’t know exactly what’s available yet but I am very excited. 

(5) Grandidierite: Considered one of the 10 rarest gemstones on earth, there’s been a new but smallish production in Madagascar.  I’ve secured a small parcel of rounds and ovals, fairly clean material, which is brought to me to Tucson through my friend Jochen from Jentsch Minerals.  He picked them up from Madagascar for me in November of 2017. Available here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/576505427/sale-grandidierite-baguette-rare-blue

Replenishing:

(1) Burma Spinel: this material is not new, and it is not big but I can still get some of the smaller stuff that you’ve been seeing.  Almost all gems are round.  Anything larger than 4mm is wiped off the planet.

(2) Ceylon Sapphire: I am expecting a bit of new stuff, especially matched pairs and blue rounds.  Would be happy to take custom orders for these.  Some color changes and purples will also be available.

(3) Chrysoberyl: I am getting a “mystery box” from Madagascar but I don’t know what it looks like yet.  Material is pretty scarce.

(4) Madagascar Sapphire: Also part of my “mystery box” with material from a few locations.  There’s been a lot on the market lately because of a bigger new find that also contains pinks, but I’ve mostly asked for blue and teal colors.

(5) Benitoite: I will be getting more of the ombres and melee in the 1.5-2mm sizes, and smaller pairs or singles (under half a carat) if there’s interest.  Some rounds for earrings may still be available. Available here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/557618588/sale-benitoite-melee-benitoite-blue

(6) Lavender Sapphire Melee: I’m hoping to do this on the first day if I have time – there’s a Thai dealer that I see only at the GJX show in Tucson and they have a lot of small lavender sapphire melee.  I have to hand match them which takes oodles of time.  That’s why I can only get a limited number, but I will try this time to get more.  I’d love to know ahead of time which sizes are needed, so that I know what to get more of.

(7) Opal: I still have a few in the shop but I am getting quite attracted to the nicer quality black opals and opals and boulder, so I may purchase more if there is interest. Available here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/526017215/sale-tsavorite-trillion-green-gemstone

(8) Ruby: I can get 3-4mm rubies, round and some other shapes, matched pairs and singles, as well as slightly larger singles.  Most will be heated though.  Let me know if there’s any interest.  My ability to get rubies throughout the year is more limited.

Say goodbye to:

(1) Kornerupine: the find from which I have been purchasing seems to be completely depleted.  I have put in requests with the relevant sources but for the time being I have been told by all of them that there’s nothing.  There may be a tiny bit of old stock still, if there is I will buy it. Available here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/510045816/sale-kornerupine-octagon-precision-cut

(2) Malaya Garnet from Mahenge: the production is also finished.  But there is still material from last year on the market for for now.

(3) Purple Mozambique Garnet: production also finished for now, or almost finished, but some material is still available.  Tanzanian material is still (somewhat) available but it’s more grape colored, less purple.

(4) Kenyan Tsavorite: that production has ended some time ago but I have been picking up leftovers.  I bought everything still available in Denver in September. Available here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/526017215/sale-tsavorite-trillion-green-gemstone

Mystery candidates:

(1) Paraiba: I’ve been promised a tad of new stuff by my old suppliers, but I have no idea what  it will be or how it looks.  I am expecting some more small melee however, the supplier who has sold me the 1mm, 1.3 and 1.6mm rounds secured a little bit more of the older production and is offering me the old price.  I don’t know how much it is though.  I will also look for larger melee (2mm sizes). Available here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/535597039/sale-paraiba-tourmaline-round-melee-16mm

(2) Hauyne: I keep asking, but I have no idea if there’s any.  As I have said before, production is available but nobody is allowed on the site.

Pre Orders are welcome – preferred even – the Tucson gem sale starts Sunday 1/28.

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Tucson Treasures

I got back from Tucson Tuesday night and the very first thing I did was sleep.  First on the plane (1 hr the first leg, 2 hrs the second leg) and then 10 more hours at home.  My assistant Debbie, who was with me till Saturday, took Sunday-Tuesday off to recoup.  Yesterday, I got my little treasures from Brink, thanks to Prima Gems who did the transport for me together with their (considerably larger) inventory.

Tucson was amazing this year.  As many of you know, I stumbled upon a couple of dozen of boxes of Demantoid at Dudley's booth the first day, and I sold out three days in a row.  Spurred by the interest, I also bought a larger piece, .77 cts, a couple of larger pairs and a larger 5mm round from a Russian seller at the GJX.  They come from the Ural mountains.  Not sure I'll share the .77 piece - it's apple green, absolutely perfect in color, horsetail inclusions and everything. But the 5mm is on Etsy, and some 3.2 and 4mm pieces are available if there's interest.  Dudley also had more spinel melee, some more reddish ones, of which I still have some 3mm and 4mm pieces - nice open color, very bright.  He backfilled with a little of the older cobalt spinel material, and he explained to us why the stuff is so rare at this point.  He also backfilled on kornerupine, which I am selling out of at a rapid pace.  In general, some of the new stuff has been flying out the door this week, which made me rather happy.  Oh and there's a little bit more of the Kenyan tsavorite, also old stock.

Red Spinel, Burma, 3mm

Russian Demantoid 4-5mm

Russian Demandoid 6mm, .77 Cts, Perfect Color

Vietnamese Cobalt Spinel

Tanzanian Kornerupine

A new find - not yet released on my website, is what Dudley called "Chrome-Beryl" from Pakistan.  A light blue-green color, chrome beryl is not exactly aquamarine and not exactly green beryl.  It has the chromium content of beryl, ruling it out as an aqua, but it is too blue to be a beryl color.  Some of the pieces are bi-color. Dudley bought out the entire find, and I grabbed a bunch.

Speaking of beryl, I spoke at length to Monte from Equatorian Imports, who specializes in red beryl. Below is a little interview with him, explaining why they use the clarity enhancement process on most of their stones.  He convinced me to try working with some melee and so I've listed them on Etsy.  The color is gorgeous - and since there is no more mining in the area, there's not likely to be much once he is sold out.

Chromium Beryl

Chromium Beryl

While I was talking to Monte, I ran into Richard Wise who has just come out with a new Edition of his book, Secrets of the Gemstone Trade.  I bought a copy and interviewed him on the new book to share with you.

Red Beryl

I also got some more pyrope garnet from Arizona, I have 4.5mm pairs still available and 3.5mm rounds.  And I saw some gorgeous Nigerian Indicolite - one princess cut pair is on Etsy already, another longer pair is coming up.  There is a bit more Cambodian Zircon available (I suggest the pair shapes in my shop which need better photos if I have time), mostly rounds.  And I have some additional tourmaline.  There were no new shipments of the lagoon color, at least not for now.  I saw a seller at GJX who had it but he charged more than I charge on resale, so there was no point in getting any.

Pyrope Garnet

I bought some more paraiba melee, several more pairs in the 2.5-3mm range.  And a larger parcel of 2mm that can be used for melee.  I have another cabochon coming up as well.  Generally I found the paraiba to be a bit slim pickings.  Same with tourmaline in general.  I bought and sold two pairs of elongated pear shapes, and I have one more that's indicolite color (this will be on the more expensive side I'm afraid).

Paraiba Cabochon

Paraiba Rounds 3mm

Paraiba Princess Pair

From a Thai seller that I've worked with a few times, I got nice sapphire melee (listed), ruby 3mm (sold), lavender sapphire melee (2mm, 3mm), a ruby marquis and some pear shapes (coming up).  The marquis fits the Cleo ring.  I also got one slightly bigger ruby.  I HAD a matched pair but one fell under the heater during the photo session and we are still looking for it.  Bummer because that was an amazing pair.  (Shortly before I moved I found a ruby underneath my deep freezer that had been there for about 2 years, so you never know when that turns up).

Sapphire Melee

I found "my" benitoite dealer at the Inn Suites - he sold me those ombre layouts before.  I have more ombres available - I'd love to do one in my new five stone hexagon pendant.  And I have 1.5mm, 1.8-1.9mm and 2mm melee.

Benitoite Melee

Benitoite from California

On the more unusual side, I brought back a twin star sapphire, a reddish orange kyanite, a Vesuvianite, a little bit of Triplite, Mexican Danburite (white), a dumortierite cabochon (I can barely spell that!), and next week I am getting another shipment from Dudley!

Double Star Sapphire, Ceylon

Dumortierit in Quartz from Brazil

In sadder news, there will be no hauyne in the near future.  As I shared on FB already, there was an accident on the mining site in Germany (a small field near Idar Oberstein, which is the only place in the world where it has ever been found), and since then the owners of the property have not let anyone on to the site. My German seller, Juergen, who lives nearby, hopes to change that in the near future but right now it is uncertain what will happen.  Juergen had completely sold out in Hong Kong and the Israeli dealers from whom I got a big parcel last year didn't come to the show.  They specialize in Vietnamese spinel and there was not enough material this year to feature it.

Dudley said he might have a little more hauyne and he promised me to look next month when he gets home.  Juergen said he had some more rough and he would email me when it was worked up.  If either of these come through, I will let you all know.

All in all though, aside from the lost (and found) cell phone charger, the lost (and found) rental car key that turned up in my pocketbook the day after we had left the rental in the parking lot of El Churro's and taken an Uber back, a delayed arrival flight, a hotel booking confusion that forced us to drastically downsize for a night (I'd rather skip the details), and a forgotten passport coupled with a nearly missed flight, the trip went perfectly smoothly.  And it was totally worth it all, too!

Tucson Prep

For those of you who travel "vicariously" with me to Tucson to hunt for gems, here's a little more of a breakdown of what I have now, what I am looking for, and what kinds of purchases I am arranging.

Let's start with what has been my main draw, and my personal favorite - Paraiba tourmaline.  I've done a count on my melees and I have adjusted all the quantities in the shop to reflect what I have left.  I have arranged with the melee sellers to buy some more on my first day in Tucson and they are holding back the parcel.  But each size (1, 1.3 and 1.6mm) only has a few carats left.  The sellers have informed me that they cannot get more.  So for those of you still planning projects, let me know what you need and/or buy them at the beginning of the sale - I have to pay for these up front and prices are high so I can't simply buy them out.  I can also get 1.8mm but they are about $80 or so each which is why I haven't stocked them.

I will also be able to get some more 3mm rounds similar to the pair I had up a couple of weeks ago. I've already called ahead for those and have arranged for a few to be held back.  However, there are only 5 or 6 pieces.

3mm Paraiba Pair

I've already met with the other dealer from whom I usually buy my Paraibas here.  They gave me first dibs on the freshly cut material (all from their old stock of rough).  I bought some small ovals and marquis, a few greenish cabs, a blueish cab, and some rounds in the 4mm range.  I am processing those already and will be releasing them later in the week.

Paraiba Princess Cut Suite ($2000/ct x .30 ct for the suite)

3x2mm Paraiba Ovals ($1500/ct)

Hauyne (hauynite): again what is online reflects what I have, except for a few 2mm pieces.  That dealer should definitely be in Tucson and he knows me as well.  But his prices are higher than what I had stocked last year in Tucson because last year, I was lucky enough to buy out a mixed parcel (1mm-1.8mm) of about 15 carats.  That's the parcel I have been selling from all year and that's drawing to a close.  The "larger" pieces come from the German dealer, and I can restock on melee, but expect them to be closer to $1400/ct, and for finer goods, $2000/ct.  Forget anything larger than 3mm, but I can get a few 4x3mm ovals, that's about the largest size.

Paraiba Round $1600/ct (.35ct round shown)

Marquis +/-4x2mm ($1400/ct)

Cobalt spinel: from what I can tell, that material is off the market.  The true blue anyway.  It was much rarer than Paraiba, and the yield is now next to nothing at astronomical per carat prices.  So unless Dudley has a little left that I didn't buy yet, the best piece is still the one in my shop.  There's a small Israeli company, two brothers, that will be at GJX - they might have stuff because they collect on location, just like Dudley.  They have a lot of Vietnamese material.  Also, if anyone is interested in the lilac and light purple spinel pear pairs, or other shapes, please inform me ahead of time.  I can't stock that material, it is too expensive, and I cannot memo from them.  This company exhibits once a year only, only at GJX.

Paraiba Cabochons, .8 and .48 cts ($600/ct)

Sapphire: I love to stock and I can memo good Ceylon material, matched pairs, color changers, purplish, cornflower blue, royal blue.  The largest selection is in ovals, but there are many good round pairs available in the 3.5-5mm size.

Other tourmaline: I always look for nice saturated pinks, blueish greens, and indicolites.  But I don't have a regular source for any of them, and the lagoon colors only come through my NY seller.  There haven't been any recent shipments though some new stuff is expected in the next few months.  That location is kept fairly secret and the production is very small.

Burma spinel: I wrote about this last time. It is on my list, as well as the other rare stones. If you have any interest in bixbite, demantoid, benitoite, and other rare stones, please let me know ahead of time. I have to be very careful with funds, and I need to know who wants what before I buy.  My company is  not big enough to purchase large inventory.  Maybe some day:)

Tucson: How to Shop Wisely at a Gem Show

The countdown is on: on Monday January 30th I leave for Tucson for the largest gem show, or rather, gem shows, of the world, ready to stock up on more goodies.  I will visit the AGTA and GJX shows for the most part, but I also go to a couple of the smaller shows, notably the one at the Hotel Tucson City Center, where my friend Jochen from Jentsch Mineralien exhibits.  That's more of a mineral show but you can also find some gem dealers there.  I got some nice deals there toward the end of the show last year.

Jochen Hintze from Jentsch Mineralien

Shopping for gems in Tucson is one of the most overwhelming experiences you can imagine.  If you don't stay focused on what you want to look for, and if you don't keep an eye on your budget, you will spend everything on the first day.  You also need a plan.  Wholesale purchases are not refundable.  On occasion you can exchange, but usually only if something's wrong with the product or if you have a relationship with the seller.  If you have a customer who is interested in something but needs to see the stone first, I can memo it at the show from the sellers that I know and that trust me, I photograph it, and then return it after a day or two if there's no sale.  That's the best way to do it short of buying a ton of stuff just so that you can send out photos.  You still have the risk of return but I have to say 95% of my customers understand the risks I have to take and return only if absolutely necessary.  Or they tell me ahead of time that they are not sure about a purchase so that I can make different choices.  With some sellers I can memo gems for longer, which I do at the end of the show, then I can mail out the goods to my customers and pay only for what I sell after the return period is up.

The memo system is very widespread in this industry, but it also requires a lot of trust.  No seller will memo to someone they don't know.  And even if you come "vetted" through another gem dealer, getting stones on memo has to be earned.  During the time you have the stones, you are 100% responsible for loss or breakage, once you set a stone it is yours, and once you sell it, you must pay the seller out. Some wholesale buyers use the proceeds from the sale of a memo'd stone to buy other inventory in the hope of selling that too.  They take the money as an unapproved loan, in other words.  That is not uncommon but a big No No.  Not getting paid, or not getting paid on time, is a big reason why gem dealers dislike memo-ing out stones.  Memos are usually short term (a few days, a week, maybe a month), and something longer is rare.  I have longer memo agreements with three sellers in industry, and I make sure I spend most of my money with them to keep those privileges.

The AGTA (the American Gem Trade Association) only allows US businesses as vendors.  That means you see a lot of familiar faces there.  Pala Gems, Prima Gems, and lots of other well known sellers have big exhibits there.  Some do retail business online also, most don't.  Some do retail shows but not as many as they used to because online business is often better than retail shows.  The GJX show has a lot of international vendors, some of which I see only once a year, only at that show.  For instance, there's a small Israeli company (two brothers) that specialize in Vietnamese (and other) spinel.  They spend all year matching up pairs of lavender spinels for earrings, and they carry some very vibrant pinks also.  I try to get to their booth on the first day.  There is also a red beryl dealer in the GJX show - red beryl and paraiba and benitoite actually.  I see him quickly as well though he will now occasionally send me things in the mail.  It took two years to establish that but now we have a good "mail and email" relationship.  When I have him ship me goods I make sure I buy at least one thing from each shipment so that the relationship continues.

Red Beryl

Red Beryl and Aquamarine

Lavender Spinel from Vietnam

Pink Spinel from Vietnam

Pink Spinel from Vietnam and Purple Sapphire

I don't go to Tucson with a fixed budget, though I do go with a list of things, and I replenish what I am out of and what I cannot get elsewhere (except sometimes Vegas): hauynite (hauyne), Burma spinel melee, hopefully demantoid melee if any is left.  Those three items are high on my list so I will try to do those on the first day also.  Some booths get overrun the first day, so you can't even get an invoice made.  But at one such booth I am a repeat buyer so I just put everything I am definitely buying into a tray with my business card and they make the invoice in the afternoon.  Sometimes I start taking photos already before getting the invoice, and listing items.  I tell them which boxes I am borrowing, go outside (there is an outdoor seating area with some food trucks) to photograph, then bring the boxes back and photograph the front and back to do the pricing and get the weights.

In addition to my purchasing tray, I make a second tray with things I may want but am not committing to.  This tray I keep limited because it is rude to take inventory out of stock on the first day that you are not buying.  So I usually tell the staff that if they have a call for it, put it back into stock.  They normally don't but I want to make sure they know that they can.  I've seen people go glitter crazy and stash stuff into trays and then not return to purchase.  That sort of behavior is remembered and it is not likely that the person will get away with it twice.

At Dudley Blauwet's booth I will be getting sapphires - his are THE most well cut and cleanest on the market, and he's never wrong about whether or not they are heated.  In fact Dudley boasts - correctly I believe - that he has the largest collection of unheated sapphires on the market.  And he is well known for them too.  If any of my buyers wants sapphires, in particular Ceylon, no heat, Tucson and Vegas are the best times to let me know because I will see the widest variety.  JTV and other big online retailers visit booths like his on the first day and sometimes buy out entire productions (one year all the Kenyan yellow sapphires were gone when I got there).

I will also be looking for more Paraiba tourmaline, though one of the two largest sources I have is located in Manhattan and they call me when they cut material.  The Brazilians incidentally, have been buying back their stock because there is such a craze out there and the material is no longer mined.  Then they turn around and sell it for more.  Prices have not stopped rising and most of the sellers that know I'm after any good Paraiba now let me know when they run low.  For instance the melee's I carry are going to be gone soon.  There are maybe 2-3 carats left of each of the sizes I buy and certain common sizes (i.e. 1.5mm) is out.  The largest melee is 1.8mm and those I have to sell for $88 each, which is why I don't buy them.  Though I can if I have a call.

Paraiba Tourmaline Earrings

Other than that, I love looking at any kind of rare stone there is: benitoite, rhodochrosite, lazulite, you name it.  After the first craze is over, I usually walk every single aisle of both shows slowly, looking at what I might have missed.  It's always fun to find new sellers with interesting stuff and to talk with them.  Usually though I'm too busy to talk and my shoulders hurt at night because I walk with my head bent down half the time.

Benitoite and Rhodochrosite at GJX 2016

During the Tucson show I run a 20% sale off all gems in my shop.  It is my biggest gem sale with the steepest discount I can afford.  The objective is to move inventory very quickly to increase my budget for purchases that I take home.  What I don't ship out during the show I give to friends of mine who also vend to travel with Brinks for safety.  The gems arrive in NY a day or two after the show, and I pick them up immediately.  Then it's like Christmas all over again.  I often can't enjoy my purchases at the show because I am too busy buying and selling - and all of you readers of course ask me questions all day long, which I try to answer in addition.  This year I am taking my assistant Debbie, with Karen holding down the fort here.  Debbie will handle more of the social media and the photos to free me up for purchases, and so that I don't work till midnight each night listing and shipping.  After all, we want to enjoy the warm weather.  New Jersey in February is not a lot of fun!

More about Tucson coming up in two weeks....