We are extremely proud to announce that we have purchased the large 50-year collection of Herb and Monika Obodda. Herb Obodda has been collecting and selling fine minerals since 1957. Herb Obodda quite literally is the man responsible for opening up first Afghanistan, and then  Pakistan's mineral specimen riches, to the outside world of the collector. In addition, he pursued worldwide classics and German historic specimens via collection purchases and museum exchanges since the 1960s. This collection is one of the foremost collections of fine quality mineral specimens in the United States at this moment, and numbers nearly 2000 specimens of all sizes. A large part of his famous Pakistani and Afghani suites were exhibited in the Springfield and Munich shows of 2008, and currently reside in the University of Arizona Mineral Museum in Tucson.  The breadth and quality of specimens are stunning, as their many exhibitions and publications attest. We cannot even begin to prep and sell all the specimens this year. They will be sold by suites over the next two years and want lists may be sent AFTER July 15th, please. 

NOTE: We will post photos later this year from 3 exhibitions of parts of the collection :

Munich show 2008; Springfield show 2008; and the current exhibition of Pakistani and Afghani minerals now on view at the University of Arizona in Tucson: "Dangerous Beauty - Minerals of the Hindu Kush."

Lastly, Herb and Moni are alive and well, and have simply chosen to sell the thousands of specimens of their collections and dealer stock to me and semi-retire, rather than piecemeal them out themselves. We are currently collaborating on a book project documenting his legacy in the field, expected for late 2012 or early 2013.

 For more information, on the collection, see the following links for just a hint of what is to come in our dispersal online and at shows for the next 2 years :

MINeralogical Record BIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE article - (click here)

To see a full , illustrated article on the Obodda collection from 2008,

posted courtesy of the Mineralogical Record, CLICK HERE

for a PDF file download.

MINDAT entries: http://www.mindat.org/user-5157.html

EUROMINERAL photos: http://www.euromineral.fr/a_/b_ofc5.html

Springfield 2008, Show report from www.MineralShows.com

COMING SOON: a full, illustrated article on opening up the Pakistani mineral market in the 1970s-1980s, as written for the book LAPIS EXTRA - PAKISTAN (to be posted courtesy of Gloria Staebler)

 STAY TUNED FOR A TEASER UPDATE IN LATE SUMMER....