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GPAA Gold Show Phoenix


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Well, I spent the weekend in Arizona representing the ICMJ Prospecting and Mining Journal at the GPAA's gold show. For those of you who have never attended one of these shows, they can be fun and lots of people to talk with and new stuff to see. I'd guess around 1500 people attended over the two days the show was there. There are all different types of people who range in experience from old hands to rank beginners. I always end up visiting with a lot of different folks - this show was like it was Chicken, AK week in Phoenix. I must have had half a dozen people come by that wanted to talk about Chicken, including a guy who has spent a lot of time dredging on the south Fork and had a bunch of pictures of his gold. Additionally, there was another guy and his wife who own a bunch of patented ground up there and then also Mike Busby and his wife Lou, they specifically said to say "Hi" to Steve. I visited with most of the folks I usually see in AZ, however there were a few missing like Rob Allison and Mr. Barry "Clay Diggings". Lots of interesting prospecting discussions though and nice to see everyone. To give forum members a feel for the event, here are some pictures I took:

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The GPAA offers free panning lessons to anyone who wants to try - You pay like $2.50 to pan and they give you a free snuffer bottle to collect your gold. Sometimes there were 40 people around these tubs. My booth was across the way from them.

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They sprinkled gold in every once in a while, and when they did there was a mad rush, kind of like when the plant fish in the local lakes.

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Steve was there if only in spirit.

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The American Mining Rights folks were there.

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As were loads of vendors.

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This is Jim McCollough's booth - he represents Whites Electronics.

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Minelab was well represented by many dealers.

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There was even a rare detector not yet available to the public on display to be seen.

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There were even fabulous gold gettin' Gizmos aplenty - this is the gold claw pan, a new gold pan design, and the first pan I have ever seen offered in clear transparent plastic. Maybe it was actually transparent aluminum - I didn't look that closely.

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And of course the ICMJ was there giving away free magazine samples and taking subscriptions for anyone who wanted to sign up. My father went with me and sat in the booth.
Next week the show moves to Puyallup, WA in the Seattle area, so I will be up there representing the magazine at the show. If you are in the Seattle area, its well worth coming by.

 

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On 3/13/2017 at 4:37 PM, Reno Chris said:

Well, I spent the weekend in Arizona representing the ICMJ Prospecting and Mining Journal at the GPAA's gold show.  I visited with most of the folks I usually see in AZ, however there were a few missing like Rob Allison and Mr. Barry "Clay Diggings".

ICMJ.thumb.jpg.a8200d3392c667df2906db24799d51ef.jpg

And of course the ICMJ was there giving away free magazine samples and taking subscriptions for anyone who wanted to sign up. My father went with me and sat in the booth.

Sorry we missed you and your Dad Chris. Leigh and I were doing the flu thing and thought it might impolite and even a little uncomfortable to be spreading the joy last week.

Hopefully we will make the next round and meet up with you and your Dad. Maybe Rob will buy.  :smile:

Barry

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