No, quite the opposite!

The name is because I am well aware that my taste is, to the average person, not particularly appealing. My minerals are brown, my plants are stinky, and then there's the *winces* bugs. There are so many strange, fascinating things our Earth has managed to create but it seems like such a small share hog all the attention. I hope to introduce you to things you haven't seen before and help you appreciate them.

This poem by Nicolette Sowder has circulated in recent years:

May we raise children
who love the unloved things – the dandelion, the worms & spiderlings.
Children who sense the rose needs the thorn
& run into rainswept days the same way they turn towards sun…

And when they’re grown & someone has to speak for those who have no voice may they draw upon that wilder bond, those days of tending tender things and be the ones.

This site is for people who love the unloved things, lifelong learners and the people with endless curiosity about nature. Hope you have fun!

🦆 What are "ugly ducklings?"

You might see reference to "ugly duckling" items throughout the mineral offerings. This means two things:

1. This was the "ugliest" one in the batch. It may have poor color or luster, broken crystals, or bad composition. There will generally be an explanation of the reason why the item has been marked as an ugly duckling. This is for the benefit of newer collectors who are interested in learning what other people see in a piece.
2. The item is discounted! The price will reflect the imperfection. This is for the benefit of the people who enjoy the ostensibly 'ugly' stuff anyway!

 

 

This store came about in part because of my frustration witnessing how difficult it is becoming to find reliable information while shopping on the internet. It's a bit of a Wild West of deceptive vendors and SEO nonsense.

As a seller I aim to be an anti-Amazon. I believe in informed consent for consumers and have aimed to provide accurate, practical, and clear information that is accessible to hobbyists at all skill levels and ages (just don’t even pretend I’m the first person to teach them that swear word). There is an autistic level of detail in product descriptions explaining mineral treatments, questionable plant identifications, or any potential problems with items available for purchase so people new to their collecting journey can learn how to evaluate these factors for themselves.

Learning and educational materials on the site will be updated regularly. Send topic suggestions to PrettyUglyThingsAZ@gmail.com.

 

 

Based out of the collector's Mecca Tucson, Arizona, I specialize in minerals off the beaten path—for collectors, by a collector!

I come from a family of geologists, rockhounds, and mineral collectors, and began collecting rocks and minerals at an early age. After college I attended the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) at the Carlsbad campus to study diamond and gemstone grading & identification. I spent several years working as an appraiser in the jewelry industry, but remained more fascinated by the raw rocks and minerals.

I started collecting minerals seriously while I was at GIA, but remain somewhat of an amateur without formal education in geology and mineralogy. I've done my best to understand things and translate them into terms even the most novice collector can comprehend.

 

 

I grew up doing gopher work on a native plant nursery in Hawaii. I now focus on collecting asclepiads, a succulent family which includes many of my favorite plants ranging from milkweeds for pollinators to smelly stapeliads and the beautiful desert rose adenium. I began collecting variants of these species before I even knew they were related.

One of my biggest realizations—and struggles!—as a hobbyist is that a lot of people simply do not know what they are selling. This is common with asclepiads because many stapelia, huernia, and orbea look quite similar to one another and can be easily mixed up. Stapeliads also hybridize readily, and may not grow true from seed. The true species often only becomes apparent when they bloom.

I religiously label my plants to try to avoid mix-ups, and those for sale are cuttings from plants with confirmed blooms. I've attempted to re-categorize my collection as accurately as possible using the LLIFLE succulent encyclopedia and guidance from Prickly Prospects, but would welcome any corrections.

 

 

Pill bugs are another of my life-long passions, though I only recently discovered the world of pet isopods. I legitimately felt ripped off, like why did no one tell me this existed?! I didn’t know how but I knew I wanted to devote my life to these things. I jumped in with both feet and quickly developed a collection of a few dozen varieties (and growing).

People can think bugs are gross or scary, but I hope fond childhood memories of playing with roly-polies can make isopods a gateway drug to the fascinating world of invertebrates. I can spend a lot of time watching them do their little isopod things! Similar to cats, they are a little willful and ungovernable. Personally one of my favorite things about isopods is that they have a personality both as individuals, and as a colony. Can you really look into those compound eyes and not open your heart to isopods?