BY
| One of the things
that happens at GPAA shows and ALL such goldshows is this: the "dreaded
slow time." You know how it is, right?? We pay our money to stand there,
on hard concrete for 3 days, and pray that THIS is the show where folks
walk by and throw money at us while we watch our stuff fly off the table/shelves/racks--as
if by Liz Montgomery "Betwitched" nose-twitching magic--flying out the
door as it were, home with the happy goldbugs, leaving us breathless and
wishing we'd brought more to sell. "Alas...if we'd only known," we sigh,
day-dreaming of riches, too, but as "vendors."
I've learned to LOVE the slow times...as
an exhibitor, there is a kind of "bro/sis"terhood formed with the other
dealers all there hopin' the same hopes and dreamin' the same dreams.
The slow times offer US a chance to "mill around" and visit with each other.
That time is how we learn stuff IF we're willing to listen and not make
a sales pitch to another dealer. That already successful Victorville show
was one such show, where I scored big...a second time. Here's what happened. |
One of the things
a sharp exhibitor looks for as we scan the passing throngs [or clusters
of three's and four's] in front of our rented-for-the- weekend real-estate,
is the occasional bewhiskered, baggy pants, plaid-shirted, rather rumpled
looking male (or female) who wanders through. Ayup, complete with dirty
felt hat! WHAT a treat to really get a chance to visit with one of
THOSE old timers I'm here to tell ya'!!!
It was one of those "slow times" and I
spotted above described sourdough—male type-- already passing by my booth,
hat jammed down around his ears. He only mumbled a grunted acknowledgement
to my cheery howdy. His sharp eyes took in--in about 3 seconds without
breaking stride--my entire gold recycling "above ground mining resources"
display with with copies of Thrift
Store Prospecting complete "how-to" kit, containing manual, 6 pages
of list with gold tester and samples baggie and my claim of abundant,
cheap 24K gold available for under $20 per oz cost. I had set up
there to in Victorville to discuss or sell to my boothe visitors my kit
promoting the notion of above ground, discovery and recovery of "already
refined once gold." I always display my some of my personally recycled
gold buttons as well. |
| The display didn't
slow him down any; he paid it no mind. The old miner hurried on to
see what else or WHO else was at that gold show. Although I was disappointed
he didn't stop, he was so remarkable in appearance, I resolved to keep
track of him if I could spot him, between visiting with the public stopping
to see me and learn at my table.
It was quiet in the low ceiling exhibit
hall at Victorville's fairground complex, and I could clearly hear SOMEONE
animatedly story-telling two aisles over. {When I heard those voices
so plainly in the nearly empty show, I stepped to the back of my booth,
and parted my "official GPAA gold, broadcloth exhibitor booth curtains,"
plumb curious about who I was eavesdropping on. |
HEHEHEH...I was
RIGHT!!]...it WAS the ole sourdough just gettin' warmed up to his subject.
I hurriedly turned the visiting public over to my publisher and scooted
over to eavesdrop...in the flesh!
Sure enough, he had about 4 other guy dealers
standing around with their arms folded across their chests, kinda half
listening, judging from the looks on their faces--half wondering where
they were going to eat that night in town. But, NOT ME!! I was standing
at the fringe, and never took my eyes off his grungy face, week-old stubble
and all. He was telling the most astonishing tale about him and 2 of his
other buddies scrapping out jet engine cowlings just for the silver. |
I'd never heard
of such a thing. And here's his account:
Seems his best friend dropped by his mining
claims campsite one evening and asked him if he had a few hours to go check
out something the next day. Looking for an excuse to take a break because
he was frustrated working some low-grade ore, he said yes, and turned in
early. The next morning his buddy showed up and took him to a storage unit
on the outskirts of town and popped open the door. In the dimly lit unit
he spotted this huge HUGE metal circle thing. At least that was all he
could tell without closer examination. He and his buddy went inside, his
buddy closing the door firmly behind him, and securing the latch from inside
to prevent interruptions.. Flipping on a cigarette lighter for light, he
motioned for the old sourdough to come take a closer look. Puzzled but
piqued, he stepped up and began to run his hands over the machined shape
of this gigantic circle of metal. Not reckoning out anything new than what
he already had seen when he stepped through the doorway, he looked at his
friend and asked him what the heck he was looking at.
His friend replied, "A jet turbine cowling.
I've been told some of them are covered with silver but I don't know how
to tell. That's why I asked YOU to come see it."
The old sourdough looked at his friend's
face in the flickering lighter's erie glow, casting weird shadows across
the bridge of his friend's nose. He didn't know if he was having his leg
pulled or not. But he saw his friend was deadly serious. He ran his hands
across the metal s'more and replied, "Yeah, I know how to tell, but I didn't
bring any of my acids with me."
His buddy replied, "Oh, that's all right,
I've got a hacksaw in here somewhere. Let's just hack out a few slivers,
if you'll hold this here lighter and we'll take the scraps back to your
place so you can test 'em for me."
The old duffer agreed and held the lighter
while his friend sawed away with steady sure strokes of a retired machinist
who was comfortable with the ancient handsaw in his hands. About 10 minutes
later, the shards were loose and the two men made their way to the doorway
and stepped out into the blinding sunlight. |
Taking a few minutes
to get used to daylight again, the buddy spoke up. "If you tell me this
is made out of silver or has silver on it, I know where there are about
3 dozen more and we can have them all for $200 ...the whole lot!
And I'll cut you in!"
The sourdough telling the story, stopped
to chuckle a bit and noticed I'd joined the circle of guys he was talking
to, taking this all in. Clearing his throat and smoothing out his plaid
shirt-front with both grimy hands, he continued after checking one more
time to make sure I was still listenin'....[like where was I gonna go???]
He said, "Well, bottom-line boys, those
scraps, they was COVERED in pure silver. I was shocked to see how much
came off in my tests of those shards!!! I weighed them pieces before testing
and weighed 'em after and did a quick figurin' in my head. I figgered we
had several thousand ounces we could split if my buddy would get the other
cowlings. So, he cut me in. I told him we'd have to use something quicker
than his old hacksaw, tho' if we was gonna get done in MY lifetime." The
men and I all laughed with the old miner, who was obviously warming to
both his tale and being the center of attention.
He continued, "It took 5 of us almost 2
weeks to get all the silver off those things. Darned near killed us all
off, but we done it! And I was right about there being several thousand
ounces of silver we got to split. Trouble is, I never learned the
make and model of them cowlings we was workin' on so that I could go find
me s'more. But it sure was fun, working that hard. And that was back when
silver brought more than a stinkin' $5 an oz, too!
**************
Me? I'd be happy knowing if which
end I was looking for when hunting for one of those darned cowlings. Maybe
you'll be the one to solve THAT mystery. Then, let ME know --by private
email, of course-- if y'do, okay?
....I PROMISE to split it with you!
|
Megan Rose, Author
copyright 2002
one time use permission granted by my publisher, Pen Press, PO BOX 232, Durkee OR 97905,
exclusive distributor for Megan's complete line of
THREE recycling how to kits:
Thrift Store Prospecting -GOLD-kit
PLATINUM Recycling Made Easy -Platinum-Kit
Catalytic Converters: the NEW Cash for Plat Biz Model--Kit
website: http://members.aol.com/origppress/welcome.htm
email: goldtutor@aol.com
|
