About Colorado Collectibles

Gary Curtiss grew up on the East Coast, where a childhood visit to the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History left a lasting impression. At just seven years old, he stood among towering dinosaur skeletons and fossils including specimens from the Morrison area of Colorado and encountered meteorites described as remnants of the early solar system, some more than 4.5 billion years old.

That experience sparked a curiosity about the natural world that never went away. Over the years, that curiosity grew into a lifelong passion for geology, meteorites, fossils, minerals, and the stories preserved within them. What began with childhood fascination eventually became a pursuit of finding, collecting, studying, and sharing specimens from both Earth and beyond.

Gary has always been a collector at heart, and that interest extends beyond the natural sciences. Books, vinyl records, and other objects of historical and cultural interest have also found their way into his collections.

A meteorite hunter and collector since 1971, Gary has much experience in both the private sector and for the state. He recognized the Clifford meteorite in a finding documented in the Meteoritical Bulletin, and was a contributing author to Messages in Stone: Colorado's Colorful Geology, a widely recognized Colorado Geological Survey publication.

Gary co-owned a wire saw meteorite cutting business that prepared samples including Black Beauty (NWA 7034) and many other meteorites. He has contributed to public Colorado meteorite education through the Colorado Meteorite Society, the Denver Gem & Mineral Guild, and professional talks for groups including the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists and the Denver Mining Club, and has also contributed to numerous other geologic and meteoritic works.