Most collectors have heard and possibly visited the large, well-publicised mineral shows like St Marie, Munich and Tucson. Whilst our impression of these shows has been very positive, certainly as far as size and spectacle are concerned, we have been rather disappointed by the similarity of material offered from show to show and the escalating prices of even quite average specimens. Consequently for the next year or two we have decided to focus our attention on smaller regional shows as we believe these offer a better opportunity to see local specimens and at more realistic prices. We begin at Tisnov, in the Czech Republic and we were in for a real treat.

Our visit started with a flight form London to Prague taking just under an hour and a half. On the plane we met a group of very friendly ladies who had imbibed more than their fair share of complimentary drinks. After discovering that we were about to visit a mineral show, one decided that she would rather travel with us than with her group of friends celebrating her own birthday. Needless to say we declined the offer and managed to lose the party at Prague Airport. Given the free flow of onboard wine I am not sure they even made the bus into town!

Having arrived in the early afternoon gave us a few hours for some sightseeing. We drove into Prague in our hire car and after getting temporarily lost we suddenly found ourselves only 200m from the Old Town. Leaving the car behind we walked into the old cobbled streets and were immediately taken by the charm of this beautiful city. Straddling the winding River Vltava, with a steep wooded hill to one side, the centre retains much of its medieval layout and the street facades are smothered in a rich mix of Gothic, Baroque and Rococo embellishments. After snapping away with the camera and crossing the world-famous Charles Bridge we made our way back to the car for the drive to Tisnov.

View of Prague Castle from the Old Town	Prague's Main Square

Unfortunately this happened to be a Friday evening rush hour so traffic was very slow and the rain made driving difficult. However in spite of the slow progress on the motorway we eventually made it into Tisnov approximately 3 hours later, having driven the 160km from Prague. By now a thick fog had descended and driving the last stretch along a narrow forest road reminded us of the many vampire movies we had seen; this was central Europe after all. However the weather was even too wet for spooks an ghouls and we arrived safely at the hotel. On checking in however we encountered a problem, there was only one room available whereas we had actually booked two. Fortunately we had the relevant confirmation letter with us and after much arm waving and gesticulating by the receptionist we got the rooms we wanted. All that happened was that someone else had their name wiped off the register. Good job we had got there relatively early!

After the unsettled weather of the previous night, the morning could not have been different. It was icy cold but gloriously sunny. Tisnov is a small market town on the banks of the River Svratka. Its history goes back to at least the 13th century when it is first mentioned in written records. For many years it remained the property of the local convent after which it became an important regional town. Regrettably being in central Europe the 19th and 20th centuries have been turbulent with numerous armies marching back and forth between the east and west. In spite of these upheavals the centre of the town has remained relatively undamaged and contains many fine buildings, churches and a wonderfully preserved town square.

Tisnov Town Hall	Tisnov's charming streets

Having had a good look around it was time to visit the show. However as the time was still early we tried to find out a little of its history. The first mineral exchange was held in 1975 with about 60 participants from the then Czechoslovakia. At that time nobody could guess that in a few years it would become one of the biggest exhibitions in Europe. By 1985 there were 315 exhibitors. The word had also spread overseas because 115 of these participants were from outside the Czech borders, mainly from Germany, but also from neighbouring Poland and Hungary. Gradually this became one of the very few venues where exhibitors and enthusiasts from both sides of divided Europe could meet. In those days it was not easy for the organisers to ensure varied and quality participation but their hard efforts paid off and ensured the diversity that attracted both exhibitors and visitors. The record participation was in 1991 with 405 exhibitors.

Soon after the show was renamed the Tisnov International Mineral Show. At present the show is held twice each year in early May and November and the average number of dealers attending is approximately 250. The entire show lasts for three days and is held in the large community hall and also in the neighbouring secondary school. The number of visitors ranges between 9,000 and 10,000 people at every show.

The Sokolv Community Hall	The main exhibtion area

Being rather keen, we found ourselves waiting for the doors of the school to open. As soon as the door opened we swept inside amongst the rush of other people. It was only when we entered one of the exhibition rooms we discovered that we had come in with the dealers and that the show wasn't actually open to the public yet. Most of the tables were still shrouded by sheets and only a few had been uncovered. Undeterred we proceeded to examine what was in view and one of the first things we snapped up were some wonderful Marcasites from Komorany, showing uniquely good tabular crystals.

Exploring the school we discovered that five large classrooms on the ground floor had been dedicated to exhibition space, as well as the long corridor linking these together. One thing which surprised us was the fact that although visitors had begun to arrive many of the dealers had still not appeared. The relaxed attitude of the exhibitors was in marked contrast to their western counterparts. It was at least another hour before the show was fully up an running.

Moving around was by now becoming difficult as huge crowds had appeared as if from nowhere. Accommodation space in Tisnov is limited and being an-out-of-the-way kind of place the majority of visitors must have travelled a long way to get here. The other key difference from western shows we noticed straight away were the large number of young collectors and parents with their children. It seems that the mineral scene in the Czech Republic is thriving and the interest paid to minerals by the youngsters is a stark contrast to our British shows.

Superbly crystalline Marcasite	Intensely blue Langite from Lubietova

The majority of specimens on show at the school were from Czech and Slovak locations. This was great news because our main aim was to find local specimens. Most had the appearance of being self collected but there were some good quality items amongst these. We were particularly impressed by a large suite of copper minerals from Spania Dolina in Slovakia of which we bought numerous examples of good crystalline Devilline, Euchroite and Langite. Also on display were location specimens from many of the classic Czech sites including Pribram, Jahymov and Cinoviec. Pribram was mainly represented by native Silver on matrix and a number of the metal's rare minerals including Argyrodite and Acanthite. There were also good specimens of Cerussite, Wurtzite and Heteromorphite. Specimens from Jahymov included metallic crystals of Stephanite, bright red masses of crystalline Proustite and pale yellow Schroeckingerite. From Cinoviec were a number of recently mined quality examples of Wolframite, Stolzite and Zinnwaldite.

We were particularly impressed by the famous Horni Halze agates, several of which found their way into our bags. Next there were a few dealers selling rare and unusual silicates including the curious Hermanov Balls, the Anthrophyllite concretions from Hermanov, twinned orthoclase from Strzegom in Poland and beautiful Cassiterite from Horni Slavkow. Lastly, there were many dealers selling the bottle-green tektites known as Moldavites. What amazed us was the low price. Whereas at west European shows we had seen these selling for significant sums of money, here they were selling grape-sized specimens for an amazingly low L1 to L2. That's the advantage to coming to a country where specimens are plentiful and are sold directly by the people who find them.

Having thus spent the morning at the school we strolled across the road into the Sokolov community hall to see the other part of the show. This occupies a foyer, two large halls as well as the gallery overlooking the larger of the two. In spite of the exhibition space the crush of people was indescribable. There was literally no room to move and progress was only possible as a single file crush past the exhibition tables. Attendance like this can only be dreamed of at the western shows. Perhaps not surprising because the range and quality of specimens on show was excellent.

Silver in matrix from Pribram	Kermesite needles from Pezinok

The main difference from the school was the presence of many more foreign dealers. Also the Czech dealers here generally had better quality specimens and a range that came from further afield, not just from central European locations. One, for example, had an excellent suite of specimens from Siberia and from Dalnegorsk. Amongst them water-clear octahedral Fluorites as well as beautiful watermelon tourmalines from Kazakhstan. Another had a number of very nice selection of specimens from Tsumeb including very unusual stalactitic Malachites, transluscent Cerussite and well formed Azurite crystals.

The German dealers had brought with them many location specimens from the Harz Mountains, Erzegebirge and Eifel. This was a treasure find considering that very few German dealers had native specimens of this kind at their home show in Munich a few months earlier. Many found their way into our collection including wonderful dendritic silver from Wittichen in the Black Forest. Erzegebirge specimens were the most plentiful, probably the region being closest. Amongst these we discovered good crystalline examples of Erythrite, yellow Helvite, similarly coloured Mimetesite and Manganite. Particularly good examples of specimens from Freiberg included Argentite, Chalcopyrite, the type mineral Freibergite, occurring as small tetrahedral crystals. This, like many of the others, were quickly snapped up and placed carefully into our bags.

Harz specimens we discovered included the dark red silver ore Pyrargyrite, the unusual pink Apophyllite from St Andreasberg and native Arsenic, as dark grey flakes on black matrix. There were also irregularly shaped crystals of brown Siderite and Bournonite, both from Neudorf. The last major group of German specimens, those from Eifel, included the bright red lead oxide Minium and tiny blue crystals of Hauynite. We also found the red Biotite variety Rubellan as well as small irregular masses of Nosean, both we were told came from Laacher See.

Anthophyllite - otherwise known as Hermanov Balls	Stunning Horni Halze Agate

Exhibitors from Poland had brought with them numerous sulphides from Klodawa, beautiful green Wavellites from Wisniowka and pretty multi-banded Agates from Rozana. One was selling the beautiful bottle-green Vivianites from Bolivia. Also here was a French dealer who had brought with him several specimens of the famous blue Fluorite from Le Burg, as well as a stunning Bournonite from Saint Laurent le Minier. This was quickly snapped up swelling our already heavy bags. Nearby was an astonishing find of another kind. Whilst browsing a large cluttered table a glint of purple caught our attention. Picking up the specimen it turned out to be a large cube of Boltzburn Fluorite. It was time for it to come home.

Next we discovered a Hungarian dealer we know very well. We stopped for a chat and he invited us to a great rock show in Hungary, so watch this space. Meanwhile he showed us some very crystalline pink Rhodochrosites from Romania and a discovery of Barite he has made in Tunisia. His business was going well and we managed to persuade him to give us a great deal on some cherry red Sphalerite from the Carpathian mountains. We were surprised to see he also had a number of the pink Fluorites from Mina Navidad, but sadly these were too heavy for us to bring back. What we did pick up though was a very unusual specimen of Chinese fluorite showing clusters of both cubic and octahedral crystals. This was a uniquely interesting specimen and so was quickly acquired, adding to our growing hoard.

The one thing that we noticed about mineral shows is that it is thirsty work. Fortunately, positioned between the two halls was a buffet selling local beer. Having heard the virtues of Czech Pilsner lagers we didn't need much persuading to sample the local brews. The flavour was very full and the strength provided plenty of energy for looking at rocks. The price was an unbelievable 30p for a half litre measure, 5p being given back on return of the bottle. Also, the buffet served a range of snacks including a very tasty local sausage, smothered in onions and mustard. A very welcome distraction from the minerals.

Uniquely rare Euchroite	Silver pennies from Kutna Hora

What was left of the Saturday was spent moving back and forth between the school and the hall examining and buying specimens for the website and our own private collections. The weight of the specimens grew considerably throughout the day and it was very fortunate that the hotel was only 150m away, so that we could make frequent trips back to unload our purchases. Eventually the day drew to a close and after an excellent dinner we retired exhausted for the night.

Sunday is the last day of the show, but alas this was also the day that we had to be heading back to the UK. We dropped in for some very last minute haggling and after all the specimens were safely packed we set off back towards Prague. The journey back was uneventful but since our flight didn't take off until the afternoon, we decided to visit Kutna Hora, a small town laying 60km east of Prague. The reason for our visit was that the town was once one of Europe's largest sources of silver.

After the precious metal was discovered, King Wenceslas II founded a mint in the town in 1300. It was called the Italian Court because the first workers came from Florence in Italy, and started the minting of silver coin called the "Prague Groschen". Around 1400 King Wenceslas IV built a royal palace directly in the mint and during the 15th century the town became the seat of Czech Kings. The immense wealth of the city allowed the construction of the Gothic Cathedral of St.Barbara. It is one of the world's few five-naved churches. Together with other magnificent buildings the beauty of the city has earned it a place on the UNESCO world heritage site list.

Silver mining declined in the 18th century, being replaced by zinc and lead. These continued to be mined in Kutná Hora until 1991, when the very last mine was closed down. Among the town's many attractions is the Hrádek Mining Museum, popular for its medieval mineshaft tours. The town is also famous in the mineralogical world for being the type location to Kutnohorite, a complex calcium-manganese-iron-magnesium carbonate. This occurs as light pink sheaf-like bundles of elongated crystals.

Although we were very impressed by the architecture of the town we had visited at the wrong time of year. November was long past the tourist season and consequently the mining museum and mint were both closed. However we did manage to find a store selling examples of the silver coins once produced here and after and informative discussion with the owner we managed to acquire a couple for our collection. And so after a very enjoyable tree days in the Czech Republic it was time to catch the plane home.

The beautiful cathedral of St Barbara - patron saint of miners	The Italian Court - the royal mint and source of Prague's wealth

So what was our overall impression? We think that local shows like this are unquestionably worth visiting. For a start there are many dealers who don't attend the larger shows and thus you will see a variety of specimens that you won't normally see at places like Munich, St Marie or Tucson. Because of this, the prices tend to be much lower, making good quality specimens much more affordable. Although there were many average quality specimens, there were also some stunners and very rare species if one took the time to look carefully.

Next, you get to see many more local species, so if you are after particular locations then these shows are invaluable. There was also the notable absence of the hordes of travelling Moroccan, Chinese and Indian dealers selling their mostly identical overpriced Vanadinites, Fluorites and Zeolites. Instead you will come across dealers selling minerals from less commercialised deposits, which means that they have both a much wider range of species and also at much lower prices.

And finally, you will get an impression of the collecting scene in that particular region or country. We were astonished by the crowds attending the Tisnov show, especially children and young collectors. Youth attendance like this would be something that western shows would die for. Although they may not be spending much money now, they are the future of mineral collecting. We should do everything we can in the UK and elsewhere to encourage and nurture this interest in our youngsters.