Deceased: Lawrence H. Conklin (1933-2016)

摘要

Larry Conklin, perhaps the first well-publicized "high-end" mineral dealer of recent times, passed away on Sunday, February 7,2016. The news reached Tucson almost immediately, and I heard about it that very morning of his passing while perusing specimens in a dealer's room at the Tucson City Center (formerly Inn Suites) hotel. Bad news does, indeed, travel fast. Many collectors outside of New York City will likely remember Larry's inside-back-cover full page ads in Mineralogical Record, first appearing in mid-1972. By that time, he had already been a dealer in fine minerals for more than fifteen years, and like many of us, used early ads in Lapidary Journal and Rocks and Minerals to attract customers. His best sales pitch involved chiding collectors to seek out the best specimens, and most importantly, to do so with the guidance of a professional dealer to ensure authenticity, quality and proper valuation.