There are roughly 3,000 licensed mineral dealers in the United States, and hundreds of annual mineral shows. Mineral shows and "rock shops" can be visited in the same manner as a museum mineral display; to browse specimens. However, most people visit them to purchase new minerals for their collection.

Before purchasing minerals, make sure the desired specimen:

• is labeled with a complete locality
• has been cleaned and trimmed by the dealer*
• is not a broken crystal fragment
• contains a the proper color and crystal habit authentic to that mineral
• is reasonably priced

It is preferred that the specimen be in a matrix.

When the desired mineral has been purchased, make sure it is placed in a covered box, or wrapped up and placed in a bag. Fibrous, acicular, arborescent, pointy, and other fragile minerals should be carefully wrapped. The locality of the specimen, usually labeled on a small paper together with the mineral, should not be lost.

*unless the mineral is from an old collection that has collected dust over the years, or has been recently excavated and not yet cleaned or trimmed by the dealer. Specimens cleaned and trimmed well can transform from ugly "rocks" to beautiful mineral specimens.

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