MUNICH MINERAL-SHOW 2022

Despite the ongoing covid, Russian payment cards not working in Europe, the absence of direct flights to Europe, problems with visas, difficulties in buying cash currency, the absence of free places in hotels due to the combination with the Oktoberfest, partial mobilization and cordons at airports (which I did not I saw) I'm moving to Munich. And with a return to Russia ...

The last time I was at the Munich show was three years ago. Then one year the show was not held due to covid, the next year the show was held, but the covid had not subsided yet, and there was a requirement for a week of preliminary quarantine in the hotel. I did not want to put myself under a week's house arrest and did not go. Although others went and did without quarantine. This year there are even more problems. But this is the last year of my three year visa. Next year it is not at all clear whether I will be able to get it. Therefore, "at least with a carcass, at least a stuffed one, but you have to go" (C). I was lucky at least in that I managed to buy tickets even before partial mobilization, otherwise they would either not exist, or they would cost so much that they would kill the entire economy of purchasing minerals. So their cost increased five times, and I had to fly to Munich not for three hours, as before, but for a day with a change in Cairo, Egypt (one and a half days back). Well, at least we managed to sleep on the second plane on the way there, because upon arrival in the morning we went straight to the exhibition.

Now about the exhibition itself. This year it occupied three pavilions: two mineralogical and one jewelry. Previously, there were two plus two pavilions. This time there were no Chinese sellers - they continue to quarantine in China. Maybe that's for the best. They began to raise prices so much that it was rarely possible to agree with them on prices acceptable for wholesale. As for the Russians, only a few of the most stubborn ones, like me, came there this time from sellers and buyers. The Pakistani seller complained that he had a lot of clients from Russia, but this time no one... I did not know how European sellers would react to a Russian in the current conditions. But they reacted neutrally, only a few times I noticed how their gaze lingered on me a little longer than usual. One German asked, will you return to Russia after the exhibition?... As you can see, I have returned. I lived in the suburbs of Munich and was amazed at how many Russian speakers there - I got the impression that every second young man and teenager. Twice I asked a question in English, both times I answered in Russian.
Now about minerals. I will talk about my impressions, and new items for me, due to the fact that I missed last year, may not be new for someone. Maybe I didn’t notice something, but the exhibition didn’t bring any special novelties. Quartz appeared with the inclusion of yellow hallausite.

A red thomsonite with white needles appeared. His best specimens are very fluffy and decorative, but the price for such comes to five hundred euros per purchase. I bought a batch of more economical ones and for some reason did not take a picture at the exhibition.
An expensive rare Zuniite with fairly large well-formed crystals that appeared three years ago has spread to many tables, but this has not made it cheaper. I did bring a couple though.

Again, a bright green Iranian demantoid that appeared three years ago at one seller was in several places this time. And there were samples of better quality and size. He brought a batch of both expensive large samples and cheaper ones.
Bright red heulandite appeared on chalcedony. India. But it is expensive, did not buy. In general, the tables of the Indians this year were somehow boring.

Many sellers from different countries did not come, so there were even empty tables in the hall - this has never happened before. Therefore, it was not possible to buy everything that I wanted. As the sellers said, this time there are fewer buyers than last time, and last time there were fewer than the year before. At the same time, overhead costs have increased for everyone. Therefore, it is not surprising that the prices of sellers in Munich have increased by a lot. Where is the world heading?...

And this time there was no feeling of a holiday at the exhibition: there were quite a few visitors in the halls, there was no beer-snack bar (maybe because of covid) this time in the hall, unsold beer at the end was not distributed free of charge as before, there were no presentations was, and even the internal exhibition-museum this time was somehow indistinct. In general, not a holiday, but one job. Although, of course, I looked at beautiful samples ...

But damn it, some kind of geopathogenic zone: first the dosimeter and scales broke, then the UV flashlight broke, and at the very end - the camera! ((I photographed what I had time. I present to your attention.
And more about leisure. This time the show was combined with Oktoberfest. Therefore, in the evenings, burghers in short pants went to pubs to drink beer. On Friday evening, of those who were driving towards the center, there were almost half of them. There were many times fewer ladies for this purpose. They were dressed in dresses with a decollete, exposing the bust, and were much more pleasing to the eye. True, most of them had nothing special to expose ....

About my participation in the Oktoberfest: at first, every evening I warmed up with a bottle of beer from the nearest supermarket, and in recent days I visited three pubs, including the already traditionally famous HB.

I don't want more beer...

I want to receive information about new products

Author's section