Build your collection with confidence

I want to help my clients build lifelong enjoyment of the mineral hobby, so I’m now offering a lifetime trade-in policy. As a collection grows, parts of that collection may periodically require deaccession to make room for new or more valuable specimens. Deaccession can be a challenge for many collectors. To streamline this process for my clients, I offer a lifetime trade-in policy: if you purchase a specimen from me, you can use that specimen as a form of trade-in credit (at your purchase price) for a more valuable specimen in the future. This is a lifelong policy, and it applies as long as you own the specimen you purchased from me. I love the minerals that I buy and sell; I don’t buy or sell specimens that I wouldn’t be happy to own again.

Example Scenario: You purchase a specimen from me in 2025 for $4,000, not including shipping or fees. In 2026, you see another specimen in my inventory priced at $10,000. I will accept that original $4,000 specimen as a trade-in + $6,000 in exchange for the $10,000 specimen.

The following terms and conditions apply to this offer, and they also help explain the process:

  • Your specimen’s trade-in value is the amount I received from you in USD for that specimen excluding transaction costs. Shipping, taxes, fees, or other costs related to the transaction are not included in the trade-in value.

  • Trade-in value guidelines:

    • Specimens purchased for $5,000 and under: you may apply your specimen’s trade-in value for a specimen valued at least $2,500 more than your trade-in.

    • Specimens purchased for over $5,000: you may apply your specimen’s trade-in value for a specimen valued at least 50% more than your trade-in.

    • For example, your $2,000 specimen may not be exchanged for another $2,000 specimen. Your $2,000 specimen may be applied as trade-in value for a specimen valued at $4,500 or more. You could also apply this $2,000 trade-in value to multiple less expensive specimens totaling $4,500 or more.

  • To keep the full trade-in value, your trade-ins must have no changes from the condition at the original time of purchase: this includes subsequent damage, subsequent repairs or restorations, any subsequent lab work, or any other subsequent changes. These changes can reduce the trade-in value depending on the extent of the changes. If your specimen is destroyed or damaged beyond repair, a trade-in will not be applicable for that specimen.

  • Your trade-in specimen must be returned to Cross Minerals and inspected for any damage or changes before I will confirm the trade-in value. If I identify a defect, I will inform you of the impact on the trade-in value to let you decide whether or not you’d like to proceed with a trade-in. Client is responsible for return shipping costs.

  • Only one specimen may be applied as a trade-in per transaction.

  • This offer cannot be combined with other discounts or offers.

  • Client assumes all risk in shipping and must provide their own insurance if they wish to cover the risk of trade-ins via shipping.

  • This policy is subject to the availability of specimens in the respective trade-in price range.

  • Exceptions to this policy may be considered at the sole discretion of Mark Cross / Cross Minerals. I intend to honor all trade-ins, but if I sense that someone is trying to manipulate this policy I reserve the right to decline.