Hello,
WOW! STOP. You prove my point exactly and you read a lot into what I
said!
> NEVER. Did I suggest That the Lorton was not worth a lot of money.
It probably is worth 50k, give or take. NEVER, did I compare it to
NWA. You prove my point, because the HIGH END is the only thing
people remember.
Here is my quote from the Washington Post Article:
Internet auction sites such as eBay have made buying and selling
meteorite bits and chunks far more lucrative in recent years, said
Michael Cottingham, a New Mexico-based hunter and dealer. Prices for
small bits of the space rock can vary on the Web site from $10 for a
common bit of meteorite that landed long ago, up to thousands of
dollars for a newly landed specimens.
"When you get a new meteorite like the one in Lorton, the low-end
figure gets forgotten," Cottingham says. "You're just not going to go
find some meteorites and pay all your bills."
I took a lot of effort to get him to write $10.00! He only wanted to
know about the high end. TV shows and news stories that ONLY State the
high end do more harm then good. In fact, they drive away young
collectors. If young collectors or new collectors think all meteorites
cost 10k, you will get very few people coming in to the field. YOU
ALSO DRIVE UP FIELD PRICES. I am not talking about cheating a farmer
or rancher by trying to get something for nothing, I am talking about
ridiculous price being asked because of ignorance and TV SHOWS that
are poorly done.
I had 6 meteorites located last year. All real meteorites. ALL 6
meteorites were found by people who saw the cash and treasure show and
the 1st episode of "Meteorite Men". All- and I mean all of these
people thought their stones were worth 100k to begin with. Where did
they get this idea? They got it from BAD REPORTING . Where did the
farmer get the idea that his 1 kilo ugly ass chondrite was worth
$45,000.00 ???? From the show Cash and Treasure!
That is a fact and if I need to get his statement in writing he has
agreed to do this.... because BAD REPORTING AND BAD TV Shows can and
do harm this field.
In my ebay store I have 100's of meteorites under $100.00. Do you
mention that. NO. You quote my high end collection pieces only.
Unlike a lot of people on this list (Most in fact) I have supported my
5 children by really making a living by hunting, buying and selling
meteorites for the last 10+ years. When I tell you that TV shows have
had a negative impact on the field - I am not talking hot air.
There are 4+ meteorites sitting in farmer's houses right now because
of what these people have perceived to learn about meteorites.
on and on and on.....
Michael Cottingham
On Feb 4, 2010, at 8:51 AM, Mike Hankey wrote:
Michael,
I have to repectfully disagree with some of your satements. First
suggesting that a hammer stone from a witnessed fall in the nations
Capitol is equivellent in price to a weathered nwa at cents a gram is
nonsense. This tactic is more about getting a good deal from an
unwitting landowner than the preservation of science.
Secondly I have seen the prices on most of your collection and from
what I can tell that farmer in Texas isn't asking much more than what
you are asking for your west meteorites. Why should an educated farmer
take the hit just so a collector can take the prize?
Third media and shows about meteorites are good for meteorites. It
increases demand which in turn increases sales and values. Supply is
limited which means anyone already invested in meteorites will
benefit. Commodities can become overvalued at times look at real
estate. When someone is asking too much the product doesn't sell. This
is part of capitalism.
I don't think the values of the lorton meteorite have been
misteprestend in any of the stories.
Spreading knowledge and excitement about meteorites is a good for
meteorites, good for science and it leads to discoveries. Hording
knowledge is good for profits and that's about it.
Thanks,
Mike
On Wednesday, February 3, 2010, michael cottingham <mikew...@gilanet.com
> wrote:
Hello,
It should be of great concern. Every news article, every TV show,
every special that features meteorites as "treasure" first, and
science second, will most likely result in a distorted view of what
meteorites are worth.
In my recent interview with the Washington Post writer, we spent
nearly 20-30 minutes talking about the pricing of meteorites. I
expressed to him that it was extremely important to report the
pricing accurately. I told him almost every time a story is done on
meteorites and prices are mentioned, well the reporter seems to
forget the pennies per gram and goes with the ten's of thousands
that a meteorite could be worth.
I told him when you state the high end only, you get a distorted
view of pricing, and the results can be extremely negative. I
believe you have more fraud on ebay, because people think they can
get $10,000 for the meteorwrong, not $10.00. This is most likely a
direct result of distorted news reporting and TV shows.
I know many of you dearly love the Meteorite TV shows of late, and
think they are nothing but great for the field of meteorites. Well,
I know of 4 meteorites in the field, who's owners/finders want tens
of thousands of dollars, more than these little chondrites are
worth- simply because of the Cash and Treasure Show and the first
Meteorite Men episode.
So, because I will not pay, $45,000 for a 1 kilo chondrite from
North Texas, it will sit, like many others meteorites with the
owners- who believe, because of TV shows that were done poorly,
that they are worth $50,000 or more. Science will loose out if
reporting is not done accurately.
Best Wishes
Michael Cottingham
On Feb 3, 2010, at 9:34 AM, Michael Groetz wrote:
List-
Maybe many of the rest of you don't feel this way- but to me it
generally seems the news media and television shows are more
concerned
about a quick buck rather than the science and appreciation for
meteorites for what they are- treasures from space that you can hold
in your hand.
It seems like initially meteorites are viewed as something special
and usually wind up "How much is it worth?" after buyers roll in.
The doctor in this case tried to maintain the scientific value for
all to appreciate while helping the people of Haiti. Then the $$$ was
thrown at them and greed seems to be winning out.
Sorry for the frustration.
Mike
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/02/03/meteorite-worth-thousands-stirs-ownership-debate/
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