'Kids love rocks' is there a UK seller ?

[swizzlestix]

My 14 year old daughter has asked for one of these sets for Christmas. She sent me a link to a seller on Etsy and as it's shipped from the US, the shipping is over £60!
I don't seem to be able to find a UK seller, has anyone had any success?
It's the mining set she wants called 'big bag plus surprise'
Thank you 😊

I don't know where you live, but it would be really easy to make a set like that up yourself if you can source a beach with a good range of pebbles and sea glass and a crystal shop with geodes, fossils etc. Along the Jurassic coast every town has a shop pedalling the contents of those bags, I imagine other coastal areas are the same.

I don't think you need to import rocks from the US!

@2reefsin30knots

I don't know where you live, but it would be really easy to make a set like that up yourself if you can source a beach with a good range of pebbles and sea glass and a crystal shop with geodes, fossils etc. Along the Jurassic coast every town has a shop pedalling the contents of those bags, I imagine other coastal areas are the same.

I don't think you need to import rocks from the US!

There is a sign up at our local beach saying that it is illegal to remove pebbles from the beach, so I'd be careful of helping yourself to a sack full.

Shops that sell woo stuff usually sell stones individually and in packs. Sometimes they do lucky dips ones too ( I got a lovely geode that way once).

There's this on Amazon, Fossil Gift Shop Break Your Own Geodes 1kg Bumper Pack - Contains Up to 25 Geodes! https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08LNCD35C/ref=cmswwrcppapiglttfabc47CQ6RGX6EF3XA6VZH4T??encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks all so much, that's so helpful - will investigate those

Are you on Facebook? If so, search for Jurassic Jim. It's a shop on the Isle of Wight dedicated to fossils, gems, rocks etc. He has some great stuff and I'm sure I've seen him post pictures of something similar to what you're looking for.
Either message or email him a photo and I'm sure he'll be able to let you know what he's got. He was very helpful when I was looking for something specific.

Many museum shops sell that stuff, whether they have any geology in or not!!

Go onto eBay and search "assorted tumbled stones" and just order 250-500g. That will give you a lovely mixed bag of gem stones and minerals. Also on eBay you can find a HVT company or T-shirt printer to print you a bag with the image in that you wanted. If you can't find anybody that way then FB has loads.

If you search 'gem stone mining' in the UK Etsy store you can get buckets and tins/jars that are very well rated. I got a bucket one for DS for about £18 delivered.

OMG a bag of sand with a few gemstones, fossils and shark's teeth that you have to sieve using your own kitchen colander for $60?!! The science museum (the shop in the old geology museum part) used to sell individual samples at pocket money prices, they probably still do.

Why does your DD want them? Is she interested in geology and identifying them, is it more the fossils or shark's teeth that interest her, or does she want to use them to make jewellery or something?

If she is interested in identifying/classifying them, I would buy her a selction of small fossils and rock samples, and a book from an adult hobby site, not a kid's activity. If she is interested in making things from them, I would get her a rock polisher and a bag of gemstones plus some small fossils and shark's teeth. If she really just wants a bag of sand with mixed stuff in it, I would make that up myself.

You can get kid's rock polishers with a bag of semi precious gem stones for not very much. We had one from Bright Minds. If you think it is more than a one off fun thing to do, you would probably want to get a better quality one but they aren't cheap.

www.brightminds.co.uk/products/science-mad-rock-tumbler

earthlines.com/product-category/rock-samples/
(They have a kid's kit with rocks and fossils for £19.20)

rocktumble.com

www.manchesterminerals.co.uk/index.html

there might be some things here of interest

I bought my niece a National Geographic set which is basically a man made rock containing several gem stones and fossils that she has to “excavate”.

I’m afraid I bought it on Amazon.

Brilliant ideas thank you

We have a yearly gem festival near where I live ( not uk) and they sell a bucket full and you tip it out in a cloth and sort through. It’s run by the local lapidary club. Have a look to see if there is one local to you. Ours also does field trips looking for fossils and the like. They have a kids club for kids to polish the stones and make jewellery.

Great stuff on My Lost Gems

Thanks both some great ideas and suggestions

National geographic sell great gem and fossil sets.

I'd also suggest to visit local geological sites or museums, as they often have exhibits or activities related to rocks and minerals.

Even though the thread is a few years old, there are still ways to find a UK seller for the 'big bag plus surprise' set. You can check out local toy stores, hobby shops, or online marketplaces like eBay or Amazon UK. Sometimes, specialty shops or rock and mineral clubs might also carry such sets.
If you're open to exploring more options, consider DIY rock mining kits. They can be a fun and educational alternative, allowing you to customize the experience.
For those interested in rock tumbling and more, this site could be a valuable resource: rockstumbling.com/. Regardless of the route you choose, I'm sure your daughter will love her gift and enjoy the adventure of discovering rocks and minerals!

Thank you