What dave bunk minerals does

Dave Bunk Minerals is a privately held mineral specimen retailer founded in 2013 and headquartered in Olde Town Arvada, Colorado. The company sells collectible mineral specimens — ranging from sub-$100 thumbnails to cabinet specimens priced up to $35,000 — to individual hobbyist collectors and wholesale dealers through a tri-channel distribution model comprising its own e-commerce website, an eBay storefront, and participation in major U.S. mineral shows including the Tucson, Denver, and Golden events. The website and eBay store together list over 2,000 specimens, updated weekly (Thursdays and Tuesdays respectively), with catalog depth drawn from notable private collections (Bryant Harris, Frank and Wendy Melanson, Rich Olsen, Gene Reynolds) and localities spanning Colorado, California, Pakistan, Namibia, Mexico, Brazil, and other international sources.

The technology stack is a conventional e-commerce platform with search, locality filtering, species filtering, and size categorization (thumbnails under 2.5 cm through cabinet over 12.5 cm), supported by professional specimen photography credited to Jesse La Plante, who is co-located at the Arvada showroom alongside Lithographie, Ltd. There are no disclosed AI/ML components, proprietary software products, or platform integrations beyond standard marketplace functionality.

The business model is one-time unit sales of individual specimens with no subscription or recurring revenue. Pricing is per-specimen and ranges from approximately $35 (books and publications) to $35,000 (rare Elbaite tourmalines), with most common specimens in the $75–$1,500 range. A wholesale channel operates via two-day pre-show events before major Tucson shows. The company is owner-operated with 1–10 employees, no institutional funding, and no disclosed revenue figures, supporting its profile as a lifestyle micro-business anchored in the mineral-collecting hobbyist market.

Name

dave bunk minerals

Legal name

Dave Bunk Minerals

Website

https://davebunkminerals.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dave Bunk Minerals is a privately held Colorado-based dealer founded in 2013 that sells collectible mineral specimens ($35 to $35,000) to individual hobbyist collectors and wholesale dealers via its e-commerce site, eBay store, and U.S. mineral shows.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Mineral Specimen Retail Sales: Direct sales of mineral specimens to collectors through website, eBay, and at mineral shows. Specimens range from affordable thumbnails to high-value cabinet specimens priced up to $35,000.
2. Wholesale Mineral Sales: Wholesale minerals offered at shows, including 2-day wholesale events before major shows like the Mineral City Show in Tucson.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Dave Bunk Minerals retails individual mineral specimens and curated named collections (such as the Bryant Harris and Frank and Wendy Melanson collections) sourced from localities worldwide. It also sells a small selection of mineralogy reference books. Sales are conducted through its own e-commerce website, an eBay store, a physical showroom in Olde Town Arvada, Colorado, and at mineral shows across the U.S.

Product overview

Dave Bunk Minerals operates a dual-channel e-commerce business for mineral specimens. The main platform consists of their website featuring over 2,000 specimens with a companion eBay store, both updated weekly. They offer individual mineral specimens across various categories (thumbnails under 2.5cm, miniatures under 5cm, small cabinet under 12.5cm, and cabinet specimens over 12.5cm), plus curated collections including the Bryant Harris Collection, Frank and Wendy Melanson Collection, and Colorado-specific inventory. They also sell mineralogy reference books. The company is based in Olde Town Arvada, Colorado, and participates in mineral shows throughout the year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mineral Specimens (retail) Individual mineral specimens offered for retail sale, including species such as quartz, topaz, fluorite, beryl, elbaite, pyrite, gold, copper, spodumene, phenakite, wulfenite, rhodochrosite, chalcocite, polybasite, acanthite, legrandite, and smithsonite from localities worldwide. Sized into thumbnails (under 2.5cm), miniatures (under 5cm), small cabinet (under 12.5cm), and cabinet (over 12.5cm) categories, with prices ranging from approximately $75 to $35,000.
• Bryant Harris Collection Curated collection of mineral specimens from collector Bryant Harris, featuring pieces from California, Arizona, Montana, Illinois, and Alaska, available through the online shop.
• Frank and Wendy Melanson Collection Featured thumbnail collection from Frank and Wendy Melanson containing specimens from Canada, Brazil, Portugal, Germany, Namibia, Peru, Bolivia, and other global localities.
• Colorado Minerals Inventory Specialized inventory of Colorado-sourced mineral specimens, including topaz, pyrite, fluorite, and barite from various Colorado localities, with regular updates.
• Mineralogy Reference Books Books on mineralogy including Dana's New Mineralogy, Gem & Crystal Treasures, The World's Finest Minerals and Crystals, and Minerals of Colorado, priced from approximately $35 to $200.
• Wholesale Mineral Sales Wholesale mineral purchasing available to dealers and resellers during 2-day pre-show events before major shows such as the Mineral City Show in Tucson, AZ.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,000 specimens available across website and eBay

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Lithographie, Ltd.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLithographie, Ltd. is co-located with Dave Bunk Minerals in Olde Town Arvada. Both businesses share the same physical location, suggesting a collaborative retail environment.
• Jesse La PlanteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional mineral photographer Jesse La Plante is co-located with Dave Bunk Minerals. La Plante's photography appears on all specimens. He is a noted mineral photographer whose work is featured on the website.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Weinrich Minerals: Dan Weinrich's long-running mineral specimen dealership offering fine specimens to collectors via dedicated website and U.S. show circuit. Directly comparable in product mix, customer segment, and small-dealer operating model.
• Excalibur Mineral Corporation: Tony and Dawn Stevens-run dealer offering fine mineral specimens for collectors with an established e-commerce presence and active participation in the U.S. show circuit. Comparable inventory range, hobbyist/collector customer focus, and multi-channel distribution.
• Collector's Edge Minerals: Bryan Lees's Colorado-based mineral business combining specimen mining and retail, offering collector-grade minerals from company-operated claims alongside purchased inventory. Comparable in Colorado base, high-end collector focus, and specimen retail.
• Mineral Classics: Online mineral specimen retailer carrying a deep catalog of collector pieces across price points with locality documentation. Direct peer in e-commerce-driven fine mineral retail to hobbyist collectors.
• The Arkenstone (iRocks): Founded by Rob Lavinsky, The Arkenstone is one of the largest online mineral specimen dealers globally, selling fine collector specimens through its iRocks platform with extensive photography and provenance data — directly comparable to Dave Bunk Minerals in product, customer, and digital-first go-to-market.
• Fabre Minerals: Jordi Fabre's well-known European mineral specimen dealer operating from Spain with a strong web catalog and presence at major international shows including Tucson. Direct peer in fine-specimen retail and collector audience, though primarily regional in physical operations.
• John Betts Fine Minerals: New York-based long-time mineral dealer offering collector specimens via website with detailed locality and provenance information. Direct peer in target customer, product type, and online-first retail model.
• Kristalle: Long-established California-based mineral specimen dealer run by Wayne and Dona Leicht, selling high-end collector minerals through a dedicated website and major shows including Tucson. Directly comparable product mix, customer base, and show-driven sales motion.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/dbminerals
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dave-bunk-minerals

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about dave bunk minerals