Hello everyone! I am planning a trip to the Southwest in July and am also planning a stop in Gallup. What are the best places to go to for turquoise jewelry? Other things to see? Places to stay? Thanks in advance!
Edit: Also, places for appraisals?
2 Likes
Perry Null Trading.(who also runs this forum)
8 Likes
Agree with @JW and also
Ogg’s Hogan in Prescott AZ (my must do if I’m out there)
Cowboys and Indians Antiques in ABQ (not sure where you’re going)
Umm…Grand Canyon !!! Hopi House there is nice too.
The drive from Gallup north to Shiprock is pretty cool. Four Corners is just west of Shiprock, and then not far to Teec Nos Pos Trading Post which is like stepping back in time. Again, depends on where you are headed.
3 Likes
The Southwest is HUGE! Can you narrow down what parts of it you will be visiting to help us give better recommendations? For Gallup, I recommend Perry Null as others have, as well as Richardson’s, Tanner’s, and Bill Malone Trading. There are seemingly hundreds of “Indian jewelry” stores in Gallup but I would be cautious at most of them. There is also the Gallup Flea market which I have never been to but looks fun, but again I would be cautious there. And there are nightly dances at 7 in front of the court house which are worth checking out.
2 Likes
Lots of good info about Gallup @OrbitOrange, thanks! We might get back out there next year, and I didn’t know about some of those things like the flea market. It was quite a long time ago, but I found some great items (cuff, basket, and rug) at Shush Yaz Trading Company in Gallup.
If you have time I would also recommend buying this book if you can get a hold of it. I literally take it with me almost every time I go. It’s got a lot of history, information, and photos on the best places to shop in the Four Corners area. I believe I got it at the Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site, but maybe it’s online.
4 Likes
Thanks for the recommendation, Zia! Just bought one on eBay for $4.67 to the door. There’s a bunch of them on there.
3 Likes
Well, I’m planning on doing a loop starting at Mesa Verde, then heading down to Chaco and Gallup. Then I’ll head west and cut up to canyon de chelly, then monument valley and up into the butler wash area in Utah.
2 Likes
Oh yes, I forgot about Shush Yaz. I have never been there but I believe they are supposed to be good.
I remember you recommending that book before and it looks fun; maybe I’ll get it. At the price @TAH quoted, how could I not? I think the main reason I haven’t yet is that you’ve said all the places in it keep closing, so it would probably mostly make me sad about all the places I missed!
3 Likes
I’m glad you found it. Now I need to try to get an updated version myself. Mine’s from the late 90’s, and literally falling apart.
3 Likes
So true about a number of them closing. But there’s still a lot there! And the book itself is really nice in how it mixes in some of the history and general information about trading posts. It covers pretty much all Native American art, not just jewelry. And tells you what each place specializes in which is kind of nice.
3 Likes
That sounds like it will be an amazing trip. The Thunderbird Lodge Gift Shop near the mouth of Canyon de Chelly is nice also. I haven’t bought any jewelry there, but purchased a Navajo rug.
It seems like from your trip itinerary, you’re very interested in Native American history. If you can carve out time to visit any of the original old trading posts, like Teec Nos Pos (it’s not far west of Shiprock) or Toadlena Trading Post (which is just a little way west off the highway between Shiprock and Gallup after you head south from Mesa Verde) I highly recommend it. These places are priceless in seeing how it all started, and learning more about the history of the Navajo people. I feel like they’ve helped me understand why Native American art is so unique. Toadlena doesn’t have much jewelry, but it is a classic famous post, in the area where the Two Grey Hills rug design originated. We went there for the first time a few years ago, and it was so worth it; like a step back in time.
Mesa Verde is one of my top three favorite National parks. There’s just something about it that’s hauntingly beautiful. We’ve only been to Chaco once, but I really would like to get back. And I’m wondering if you will actually be close to Bluff, UT? I don’t have a map right in front of me. Like Jason said the trading post there is great.
Here’s a quick article with links to info about different posts.Trading Posts – Discover Navajo
4 Likes
Yes, I’m very interested in history and archaeology!
1 Like
I figured that would be the case. I mostly bought it for history and nostalgia.
2 Likes
In Monument Valley, The View Hotel and Goulding’s Lodge have nice gift shops. Enjoy your trip. You’re heading to some special places.
5 Likes
Oh it’s still very relevant! For me anyway. I took it with me in '21 on our trip to NM. It helps with wading your way through the shops in cities like Gallup, Sedona, Santa Fe, and ABQ, and helped me find out of the way trading posts that are still open. It also has phone #'s, addresses, and websites (when applicable).
It breaks everything down by sections geographically. For example, the Hopi reservation has its own section with 20 shops/artists (it occasionally lists artists separately) described.
3 Likes
Sounds like a great trip! Additional recommendations based on your planned route (I haven’t actually been to any of these but all are on my list):
Notah-Dineh Trading in Cortez, CO
Durango Silver Co. and Toh-Atin Gallery in Durango, CO
Hubbell Trading Post in Ganado, AZ (now run as a National Historic Site)
Twin Rocks Trading in Bluff, Utah
It looks like you might be passing near Crownpoint, NM. One thing I really would like to do someday is go to the Crownpoint rug auction. It takes place once a month on the evening of the first Friday at the Crownpoint Elementary School. Navajo weavers from the region bring their rugs to sell. First there is a period where you can view all the rugs, then later they are auctioned off in a live auction. I think like most auctions there is a lot of unpredictability in how many of the rugs sell and the prices achieved. And I also believe that it’s a bit of a social event for the local community, and that weavers come from pretty far to bring their rugs. Anyway, it looks like a really interesting time and I would love to go some day. The problem is it only happens once a month, so you have to time your travel right. But if you happen to be nearby on the first Friday it could be a really fun thing to see.
3 Likes
@Ziacat I’m curious to know what your other two top three National Parks are. I’m guessing Zion and…….?
2 Likes
Those are good recommendations, OrbitOrange. I’ve been to all at one point, except the 2 in Durango. I forgot to mention the one in Cortez; @Emily will be close to there (BTW those are all in the above book). I really want to visit the Crownpoint auction someday too, probably due to my constant reading of the Hillerman novels. In '21 we drove past it just so I could see it, even though it wasn’t auction time!
2 Likes
In the past I would have said, Grand Canyon, Zion, Mesa Verde, but Zion has become so busy. The last time we were there was in the summer of '17 and it was almost unbearably crowded. If you take a long trail you can still avoid people, but everywhere else was packed. I’m going to have to go back in the fall or winter. It really feels like some of the UT parks are becoming loved to death. So I think now I’d probably say Grand Canyon, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and Mesa Verde. But I love so many it really is hard to decide. Mount Rainier and Badlands are also some of my favorites.
I know GC is crowded, but it goes so far back in my history that it feels like it’s part of me, and it has such a tie to the southwest. I was first there when I was 4. And you can go to the North Rim to avoid the crowds. Early on in our marriage we hiked to the bottom and camped. That was an amazing experience. My brother was in Congress for years, years ago, and he was the co-chair and co-founder of the National Park Caucus, so love of the parks is strong in our family. Here’s a picture of us watching a Native American dance outside the Hopi House at the Grand Canyon in 1969.
Thanks for letting me share a little, kind of missing him this summer.
5 Likes
Another goal of my trip is to try and get a lot of stamps for my national parks passport book
1 Like