The Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences

Black Hills Institute of Geological Research

2025 Guide to Fossil Dealers and Events

I'm pleased to announce the completion of the 2025 "Tucson Show Guide: Fossil Dealers and Events". Paul Hamon of Bone Clones and I completed the layout, and editing in record time this year. AAPS has produced the "Tucson Show Guide: Fossil Dealers and Events" to promote our business members and events taking place during the annual fossil shows in Tucson for over 20 years. We endeavor to improve the guide each year and expanded it to 78 pages.

The guide will be available at all of the shows where fossil dealers set up. We start to deliver the magazine earlier in 2025 because of early events beginning on January 25th. Beginning with distribution to the Tucson International Airport, "Welcome to Tucson" tables and booths. You can pick up a copy of the guide on the lower level of the airport.

Please contact me if you would like a copy of the guide mailed to you. george@stonejungle.com

Click Here to View the 2025 "Tucson Show Guide: Fossil Dealers and Events"

2025 Annual Meeting, Dinner, and Auction

The annual meeting will be at a new location this year, the Embassy Suites by Hilton Tucson East Located at 6555 East Speedway Boulevard. Please see the map on page 8 of the 2025 guide for directions. The meeting will start at 7 PM, dinner will follow at 7:30 PM. Doors to the banquet room will open at 6:30 PM.

Silent auction items will be on display and bid sheets will be available for each piece. The live auction will start by 8:15 PM. Many interesting items including the famous "Lab Coat" will be up for bid. The successful bidder on the "Lab Coat" will be the 2025 AAPS Advocate and be listed on the AAPS website and in the 2026 guide.

Dinner will cost $45.00 per person. There will be two cash bars serving a selection of beer and wine. Awards will be presented during dinner. Reservations are required, please sign up at the AAPS booth located in the main building at the Mineral and Fossil Market Place or call 435-744-3428.

This year we are trying something different; the menu choices are either a traditional Italian or Southwestern buffet. The hotel has a reputation of preparing great meals and we hope you will enjoy the selections.

Someone will take home the evening door prize, a brand new PaleoTools Micro Jack Mini Pulse, valued at $730.00 as shown. Your dinner ticket will be your prize stub. I do hope you will join us.

2025 Kemmerer Fossil & Mineral Expo

Attention Fossil and Mineral Vendors!

We're excited to announce that early bird pricing for vending at the June 2025 Kemmerer Fossil & Mineral Expo has been extended until December 31, 2024!

If you would like to participate in this annual event, please take a moment to review and complete the updated form carefully, as there are some important changes this year.

In the past, we encountered challenges with table availability at the event center and restrictions on setup times, which were beyond our control. To better prepare this year, we're implementing the following:

10 x 10 booths include 1 table.
10 x 20 booths include 2 tables.

Additional tables may become available after we finalize vendor numbers, which are prioritized according to the dates when booth payments are received. You're also welcome to bring your own tables to ensure your setup meets your needs.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we continue to improve the event experience for everyone!

Follow the links below for the contract information and fill out the form to secure your spot! Let's make this 2025 Kemmerer Fossil & Mineral Expo the best!

https://kemmererexpo.com/vendor-portal
https://kemmererexpo.com/sponsorship

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A Chance to Dig Crystal Clams

Crystal Clam Incredible is the most common term used when people see this unusual combination of crystals and fossils. Discovered in the mid-1990s in a quarry near Lake Okeechobee, Florida, they quickly became famous in both the mineral and fossil worlds. But by the mid-2000s the mining played out, the quarry flooded, and the land was sold. A few years later Pacific GeoLab gained exclusive access to the property and since then we have discovered several sites where we excavate the classic crystalized clams that made this occurrence famous. Now you may have a chance to dig your own.

How They Formed
This area was a shallow sea about 2 million years ago. Like many bivalve communities today, these clams lived in sandy mud near the shoreline at the time. Sudden storm events periodically buried the area under deep sediments, trapping the clams. As their bodies decayed, the process left behind cavities in the shells. With the heat and pressure that accompanied the pile-up of sediments, the original shell material (aragonite) became unstable and began to dissolve away. As it happened, this provided the elements necessary to grow pure honey-colored calcite crystals in the open spaces.

Your Chance To Dig
Honey-colored Calcite Crystals in a Fossil Clam The quarry will never reopen. But we are exploring the idea of arranging a very limited, one-time opportunity for clients to visit and dig at our site in mid-April 2025. This may be your only chance to dig these unique specimens for yourself. Only a few dozen people will be allowed and just for a few days.

This is not for kids or open to the general public. Serious inquiries only. If you are interested in participating in this unique fossil/crystal digging opportunity, check our website for further details: PacificGeoLab.com or email: sundialjon@gmail.com

Live Sculpture Demonstration by Gary Staab — Granada Gallery Opening Weekend Tucson

Celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Granada Gallery with a special live sculpture demonstration by renowned paleo-artist Gary Staab! Known for his lifelike reconstructions of prehistoric creatures featured in the "Smithsonian" magazine, "National Geographic", and top museums worldwide, Staab will showcase his process of transforming scientific discoveries into stunning art.

Don't miss this rare opportunity to meet the artist, ask questions, and experience the fusion of science and art up close. Join us Opening weekend for this unforgettable event. Please share this information with your customers, clients, and friends.

When: January 25 — 26, 2025, 11am 5PM
Where: 338 North Granada Avenue Tucson, AZ 85701

Unique to the 2025 showcase:

For our 10th anniversary, Granada Gallery proudly presents an exclusive exhibition: "Archaeopteryx and the Arial Wonders of Solnhofen". The iconic link between dinosaurs and modern birds will be on display alongside other fossil masterpieces from the famous locality of Solnhofen.

Additionally, the gallery will present "A Decade in Review" - a retrospective of various artists featured over the past ten years.

Check website (www.granadagallery.com), Facebook (facebook.com/TheGranadaGallery) or Instagram (granada.gallery) for more information, dates and times.

Donations to AAPS Tax Deductible Donations to AAPS

The Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences, AAPS, is a public charity under IRS section 501(c)(3). As such it is tax-exempt for income tax purposes and is permitted to receive tax-deductible gifts pursuant to the Internal Revenue Service. It is also able to receive tax deductible bequests for estate tax purposes. Donations to any of our scholarships and grants are totally tax-deductible here in the United States. 100% of all Scholarship and Grant donations are used for those purposes. Specimens donated for our annual auction and for the youth programs may also be deductible, but you need to check with your tax and estate planner.

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