About Me - The Owner

I have lived in Tucson, Arizona for over 45 years. My interest in mineral collecting started during hunting trips with my father in the late 1960's. We would often stumble across abandoned mines and I would be more interested in the dark, mysterious mine shafts and tailing piles than hunting. My father took me to the Tucson Gem Show in 1968 (when it was still in a Quonset hut at the rodeo grounds) and I was hooked on minerals.

In the mid-to-late 1970's I bought, sold and traded minerals at Tucson swap meets. I spent a lot of time exploring old mines and mineral deposits around Arizona. In those days, abandoned mine shafts were still accessible but posed serious safety issues -- as they still do, so stay out! Thankfully, many of the people I explored with were experienced miners and spelunkers.

By the early 1980's I had amassed a very impressive collection of minerals, the majority from Arizona mines.

In the late 1980's I attended the University of Arizona. I had to sell most of my collection to help pay the tuition. After college, I worked as a newspaper and magazine photojournalist and volunteer EMS operator. I eventually became the world's first full-time storm photographer. You might have seen me featured on The Weather Channel, National Geographic and most of the major cable news networks.

In 2013 I decided to resume pursuing my mineral interests. Fortunately, I never lost my passion for minerals and mining history, centered on Bisbee, Arizona. Both the astonishing mineral content and the unique history of how such mineral treasures were found, collected and preserved has always fascinated me.

Today, I am the owner of Bisbee Minerals. We specialize in collecting, buying, selling and preserving rare mineral specimens, from Bisbee and around the world. We are now the largest buyer of mineral collections and estates in Arizona, with an average of over 2,000 specimens purchased every year. We also conduct explorations to find new sources for rare mineral specimens, including both minerals that have been extracted and new collecting sites.

I am a Registed Gemologist and a member of the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum, the Tucson Gem and Mineral Society and the Old Pueblo Lapidary Club.

Warren Faidley
Owner, Bisbee Minerals

All images are © Warren Faidley - Bisbee Minerals