Hi Michael, Curious if this issue on the speck debate has come up before. In the case of "hammer" specks trust in the seller is paramont since we're dealing mostly with ordinary chondrites. With yourself and all the other established dealers, that trust is above question.
Now, hypothesize that some collector like myself buys a speck of some hard to get hammer for his collection from an established dealer and a few weeks later, obtains a much larger piece. (This has happened more times than I's like to admitt). Now I want to sell the speck I bought. I submitt that it is now actually worth less now because, all things being equal, I'm not as well known, the speck is not easily verifiable, and it is one step removed from the original dealer i purchased it from. So the risk of the speck being fake to a new buyer, however small, increases. And you've heard the arguments..."I'll only buy from establisked dealers", so the pool of potential buyers has also shrunk, further lessoning its value. I think this "depreciation" becomes much less as the size of the specimen increases and one can identify characteristic textural and mineralogical features. Boy, it's a good thing I'm in this for the joy of meteorites than for investment purposes!! That's my 2 cents...I'm done. All the best, Frank --- Michael L Blood <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi Frank, > This topic of specks was debated endlessly > on the list > Years ago when Bessey made them famous. Let's don't > spend > Another three weeks going over the same falderal. > For those that > Missed it: there are those "for them" and those > "against them." > Those against them get a little more righteous in > their position > But do not appear to outnumber those for them. 'Nuff > said; > Read the archives. > As for prices, I would MUCH rather have > consistent > Prices than high or low - either way does not effect > My profit percentage - in fact, low is better from > my personal > Perspective, because I can increase my personal > collection more > Rapidly then. What screws everything up is up and > down prices - > And nit wit sellers and resellers who have no > comprehension of > Retail vs wholesale marketing! When you can't get a > brake in price > By buying in bulk you cannot make a profit, and if > you sell wholesale, > Then turn around and retail individual pieces at the > same gram > Price, you are screwing your wholesale buyers. Of > course, all of this > Goes on all of the time. > The point is, high or low, prices have > little to do with profit, > unless you happen to have a garage full of stock - > and I don't know > Anyone with one of those. > Michael > PS: The convicted meteorite thief, Ron Ferral, has > never, to the > Best of my knowledge, been a part of the list. If he > ever attempted > to, I would personally lead a drive in requesting > Art remove him > Immediately. There are more than enough shenanigans > going on > Without outright convicted thieves on the list! > > on 3/3/08 1:23 PM, Walter Branch at > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > Hi Frank, > > > > I could not agree more with you. Every word, > every line. > > > > Remember when Blaine Reed brought out DAG 262? > There > > were a few who looked at the specks and balked but > because it > > was Blaine who was selling it, the pedigree was > beyond reproach. > > > > This is not meant to be an indictment of Blaine. > Quite the opposite. > > > > I understand the economic pressures of ever > smaller pieces of > > meteorite selling for ever higher prices, but it > seems the price-to-weight > > graph is almost "U" shaped, with more and more > material ending up > > as smaller and smaller fragments. > > > > Where is Steve Schoner? I'd always liked to hear > his comments on this. :-) > > > > -Walter Branch > > (From sunny and beautiful Savannah. What the heck > am I doing > > indoors. Oh, that's right - I have a job!) > > > ----------------------------------------------------- > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Frank Cressy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: "Meteorite List" > <meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com> > > Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 3:41 PM > > Subject: [meteorite-list] Speck Issues - Reply to > this subject > > > > > >> Hello all, > >> > >> This is a resend of a previous post. I meant to > >> change the subject line but in my fever muddled > state > >> I forgot. Sorry about that. Please reply to > this > >> post to avoid confusion. > >> > >> Frank > >> > >> --- Frank Cressy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> > >>> Hi Michael and all, > >>> > >>> The Barboton you mentioned was a 9mg speck and > went > >>> for $46.67. Many people shopping ebay don't > blink > >>> until the price reaches a $100 or more. So > >>> price/gram > >>> on a speck means nothing. The problem I see is > that > >>> this and other hammer specks and rare and > historical > >>> specks can never be verified. Barbotan is an H5 > >>> veined chondrite...see any veining? On the > above > >>> example, Peter M was the seller and I have 100% > >>> confidence that this was indeed Barbotan, Now > what > >>> if > >>> the winner "1randombid" with a "private" > feedback > >>> profile finds a larger Barbotan speck next week, > and > >>> decides to sell this one, maybe even using > Peter's > >>> original box and card. Still 100% sure of it??? > >>> Unless you know the complete collection history > of > >>> the > >>> piece with everyone involved, can a buyer have > even > >>> a > >>> shred of confidence that the speck is what it is > >>> described to be. At least the Bessey Specks of > 10 > >>> years ago were either Nakhla and Zagami, and > with a > >>> good lens or microscope one could be quite > certain > >>> as > >>> to what he/she had. A little more difficult > with an > >>> H5 or an L6 to say the least. > >>> > >>> Michael, I also have 100% confidence that your > >>> material is what you say it is, but then I also > >>> wouldn't bet the farm on it. I also know if > >>> something > >>> were to be found in error, you'd stand behind it > as > >>> would most dealers. However, with the prices > >>> raising > >>> crazily it's might be too tempting for someone > to > >>> sell > >>> a bogus speck maybe just once in a while. We > like > >>> to > >>> think that the people on the list are above all > >>> those > >>> things, but wasn't "the one who still remains > >>> nameless" who got caught with a rock in his > shoe, > >>> once > >>> a member of the list. > >>> > >>> For you dealers the rising prices are great, but > >>> hopefully is isn't a house of cards and won't > end up > >>> like the housing and credit debaucle, built, > >>> founded, > >>> fueled, and distroyed by Greed. The speck value > is > >>> only based on trust, and should a couple bad > apples > >>> ever show up, I think it could collapse. > >>> > >>> Just my ramblings on another fun filled day with > the > >>> flu, Hope you didn't take this personally, just > my > >>> views on specks. Also seeing historical > specimens > >>> broken into smaller and smaller pieces upsets me > >>> too, > >>> but that's another story. > >>> > >>> All the best, > >>> Frank > >>> > >>> --- Michael L Blood <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >>> > >>>> I noted with interest a small piece of Barbotan > on > === message truncated === ______________________________________________ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
