The mistake most new collectors make isn't what they buy — it's how fast. Here's the slower path.
1. Pick a thread, not a species
"All fluorites" is a budget. "All fluorites from Illinois mines that closed before 1995" is a collection. Threads make every piece talk to every other piece, and they make eBay's algorithm a lot less interesting.
2. Pay for size only when size is the story
A two-inch perfect cube of pyrite from Navajún is a finer piece than a six-inch broken one. Save the big numbers for the species where size genuinely shifts the rarity curve (large gemmy aquas, large rhodochrosites, large untreated tourmalines).
3. Locality matters more than colour
A clear quartz from Herkimer NY is worth more than a brilliant one from "China." Provenance is the data; colour is the decoration.
4. Don't restore. Trim, maybe.
Repaired tips and reglued matrix kill resale and conscience. A clean trim by a professional is fine. Anything beyond that is editorializing.
5. Hold before you buy, when you can
Pictures lie about luster, lustre lies about light source, and light source lies about colour. If you can't visit, ask for video under daylight. We're happy to film any piece.