Hi Steve,

I have to say that I disagree in relation to 'slabbing' meteorites as is done 
in coin market. For me as a collector I collect for the variety and difference 
in specimens and would definitely not want a display cabinet filled with 
identical sized specimens lined up like dominoes. That would hold no interest 
for me whatsoever. I don't primarily collect for investment, I obviously know 
the value of specimens but for me its the science and history and aesthetics of 
individual specimens that attract me. In all honesty if meteorites were traded 
like silver or gold it would put me off the hobby. Each to their own though and 
your opinion is appreciated 

Cheers 

Martin   
Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Dunklee <steve.dunk...@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 27 Feb 2010 02:28:17 
To: <meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com>; martin 
goff<msgmeteori...@googlemail.com>
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Labeling specimens

I have said this before and I am saying it again! The meteorite comunnity needs 
to take some lessons from the rare coin dealers and start sellling specimens in 
packages with standards. Hermatically sealed specimens of standard size and 
provanance, sealed in thin collector sized cases. To create an investor market 
we need to sell 1 cm square slices 4mm thick in sealed dessicated containers 
that are tamper proof and graded like collector coins. this would be a lot 
better than the current method of selling irregular  chunks sent in a baggy 
with a business card. by establishing a standard of grading for collector 
meteorites we will create a larger market of collector specimins with a higher 
value which will allow them to be traded like gold or silver on the commodities 
market. and dramitically increase the vALUE OF METEORITES FOR EVERYONE ON THE 
LIST. I may have problems trying to figure out if a meteorite is a 4 or a 5 but 
if its in a dime sized container
 graded and authenticated by the imca. it would be a win win  situation
cheers
Steve Dunklee

--- On Sat, 2/27/10, martin goff <msgmeteori...@googlemail.com> wrote:

> From: martin goff <msgmeteori...@googlemail.com>
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Labeling specimens
> To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com
> Date: Saturday, February 27, 2010, 8:50 AM
> All,
> 
> Thanks for your all your comments on and off list, most
> interesting. I
> think i am being steered
> away from directly labelling my stones unless they are NWA
> or
> unclassified. However it seems a bit of a double standard
> that if i
> were to label my specimens myself it would be somehow
> frowned upon yet
> we as collectors value specimens with Nininger/Huss numbers
> etc. If
> for example a specimen was obtained say from the Manchester
> museum
> with one of their recently applied labels on would any of
> us remove the
> label? I very much doubt it, we would prize that specimen
> as showing
> provenance from that collection, that would match their
> catalogue etc.
> etc. In 50 or 100 or however many years that specimen would
> only get
> more and more historical and that label have more and more
> importance
> attached to it.
> 
> I suppose my point is that would we now have the same
> number of
> Nininger/Huss etc.labelled stones if they didn't have
> numbers written
> directly on them? If say they had been displayed/sold in a
> bag or box
> with a label but no markings on, over time would some have
> have been
> separated from their boxes/bags and labels? I would hazard
> a guess
> that quite a few would have suffered this fate and now we
> would be
> left with some unidentifiable stones.
> 
> Although by saying this i am placing no importance
> whatsoever on me as
> an individual collector or my own numbers as being valuable
> other than
> to avoid the situation of misidentified or unidentified
> specimens in
> the future. As only temporary custodians of our collections
> surely
> making sure that our collections can easily be passed on
> without any
> missing info is of prime importance?
> 
> Numbering specimens directly is surely the most foolproof
> method of
> achieving this? All the labels on boxes/bags and display
> stands etc.
> are meaningless when the specimen is removed. All the
> photos of the
> specimen stored either in hard copy or digital form are
> subject to
> being lost or destroyed. I know these are all extreme
> circumstances
> and most of the time these steps that we take will be
> absolutely fine
> as specimens stay with their displays/cards etc. but if
> there is a
> possibility, however small of accidents happening should we
> not do
> more?
> 
> As an example of the situation i want to avoid see the
> photo of the
> orphaned stone in the article on a recent visit to the
> Manchester
> museum (http://www.bimsociety.org/article-manchester.shtml) If
> this
> had an original number on it it probably would not be in
> the situation
> its in now. Its more than a distinct possibility that this
> is stone
> from a historical fall and yet we may never know........
> 
> Anyway, some food for thought!
> 
> Cheers
> 
> 
> Martin
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