Re: [meteorite-list] Meteorites & Competition - Rebels without a cause??
Hi there, I feel like so often today somewhat slow in mind, and would ask you for some help. I'm reading in that discussion, that here would dealers, individuals, big players or whoever, would treat collectors, newbies or whomever so bad, would prevent information, meteorites or whatever. And half of the responses is, yes, yes exactly - and the others, yes, but there are at least a few good guys left. And that action has to be taken, to improve the situation. Now I read about ominous groups and the danger that these could have an influence on restricting the access to, yah to what? And how? (And why?) And that we need new structures of..of? Please, can you give me some concrete examples? Or what you mean at all? Some beef please? Because I have difficulties to understand, what this discussion is about. All which comes to my mind is that once a newbie was unhappy, because the discoverer of a new strewnfield didn't invite him to hunt with him there. And else? Maybe that a few individuals among the scientists, who don't know, how meteorites are recovered, made the wrong laws - or what do you mean? It's meant seriously, not ironically. Thanks in advance, Martin __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Meteorites & Competition
Hi Dave, List, Adam and all who care,
Let me be absolutely clear in my statement and meaning so as no to
confuse anyone about my beliefs and views on the IMCA, corporations,
profit, and the influence that such entities have on the meteorite world
and access to the knowledge it provides people about our universe.
Profit is not always monetary. In fact profit can be and is power and
influence based on what the intrinsic cost of input versus what's
returned, whether that be a trade in time investment, or a tangible
product. Everything has value, and more importantly that perceived value
is what makes the world go round.
I support the IMCA and what they stand for and have respect and
admiration for the people who created it and work hard to build it
everyday. I have many friends and business colleagues who are members of
the IMCA and members of the board. I have been invited many times to
become a member and have politely and respectfully declined to join at
this time. This is not to say that I will not ever become a member, nor
does it say that I dislike the IMCA at all or even worse, view them in a
negative light, which I do not. I am NOT an arbiter for corporate
sponsorship, or the IMCA, nor do I subscribe to the view that anyone
should be. The integrity of the meteorite world is based upon the
integrity of individuals within this community, and NOT any one group.
Your statement Dave:
"...'The word "corporate" to me means restrictive for profit...'..."
Wikipedia? Oh, goodness..."
No, that's not Wikipedia at all, that's my view, and just what I said it
was. ;)
There is nothing horrifying about profit, and if I understand your post
correctly and if you were simply being facetious, I would agree. The
issue is not profit, the issue is about at the very least the temptation
of influencing restrictive rules or guidelines that limits public access
to knowledge and physical display of specimens.
"...Then you wrote: "My personal beliefs are that people should have
free access to the knowledge and information that meteorites and
astronomy provides."
And...? ..."
To answer your simple question, I will give a simple answer. I've
already said it.
Don't limit or restrict access or use the power and influence of a group
to control something which should be freely available knowledge.
Let other enjoy the meteorites too... Share.
This has all been hashed out in the past, and I'm not trying to bring
something up that's already been discussed at length, I'm not attacking
anyone or any group, I'm simply saying I don't like group power because
they tend to forget about the little guy, whether it be purposefully or
by unintentional means.
Respectfully of course...
Regards,
Eric Wichman
Meteorites USA
Dave Gheesling wrote:
For whatever its worth, I've disagreed with both Adam and Eric on many
occasions, and I'm quite certain both have disagreed with me before as well.
That said, I thought Adam's post was superb, though the semantics
("corporate involvement," to reference just one point) may have been
confusing.
Eric, you wrote: "if corporate involvement means losing the personality and
integrity of the meteorite world through increased tampering by larger
groups and politically or profit motivated companies who might in future
times limit the publics access to meteorites then I'm not for that at all".
Not sure who the arbiter is for such matters, but let's assume it's you.
The IMCA would not exist if the integrity of the meteorite world were so
pristine, and there's no use jamming up bandwidth with examples. And to
think that this arena understands marketing and packaging of these rarest of
rocks on Earth is, well, profoundly off base.
The we have the horrifying notion of profit. Profits are derived from
offering products that prospective customers need or want at a price (that
exceeds the costs of providing the product) deemed a value by said
prospective customers. In other words, they will, on their own volition,
pay the individual or entity for the act of procuring or developing then
providing said product. Of course there is corporate corruption; yet there
is corruption everywhere...even in the world of meteorites (thank you IMCA
for addressing that). Anyway, would such undoubtedly evil, profit-motivated
entities not prefer that public (read: customers) access to meteorites, if
anything, be expanded?
Then you wrote: "My personal beliefs are that people should have free access
to the knowledge and information that meteorites and astronomy provides."
And...?
Then lastly: "The word "corporate" to me means restrictive for profit..."
Wikipedia?
Oh, goodness...
Dave
www.fallingrocks.com
-Original Message-
From: meteorite-list-boun...@meteoritecentra
Re: [meteorite-list] Meteorites & Competition
I liked the comment about suits siting around a board table like is done with oil and gold. That is such an one sided way of doing commerce (some old fuddy siting at a table with his country's flag in his hand agreeing to pay x dollars for a commodity that he makes so much anyway, he could care less how it affects those at the bottom of the wage scales, where is the free enterprise, yet men just like this run our lives. Keeping that mentality out of meteorites goes a long long way, and dealing with the principles (those who actually find the meteorites) will do more for keeping the science and hobby alive than most could see. I find it harsh and wrong to pay a middleman a high price when he has undercut or misled the finder. By the same token, without some middlemen, we wouldn't have many finds and they would have been dumped on the ground as a waste of time and the strewn field forgotten about. Keeping things real and in perspective are important. Mark Ferguson On November 15, 7:03 pm "Galactic Stone & Ironworks" wrote: > Well said Eric. I agree 110%. > > You said it much better than I did in my reply. > > There are two sides to everything, especially in the realm of > business. And that is a core issue here - we are not just dealing > with collecting, science, or trading. There is a marriage of > personal collecting, science, and business for profit at work in the > meteorite world. Different people are drawn to meteorites for a wide > variety of reasons. No single group can represent all of those > interests. Speaking just for myself, the IMCA does not represent me, > but I do appreciate the good work they do to maintain the integrity of > the market. > > I don't like the idea of a bunch of suits sitting around a table and > contriving reasons to expand their influence. Whenever that happens, > the average person is one who ends up losing out. IMO, the meteorite > market polices itself very well. This List is a good example of that > fact - despite some of the complaints about some of the personalities > involved. If a meteorite is stolen, it is announced quickly on this > List. If a trader misrepresents a specimen or pulls a scam, this List > will hear about it. If the scammer is an IMCA member, then there is > recourse. If the scammer uses PayPal, then there is recourse. If the > scammer uses eBay, then there is recourse as well. People who are > dishonest in their practices are quickly labelled as such and their > reputations are ruined in this small world of meteorites. I can > think of at least 2 major meteorite players who have become "persona > non grata" during my short time of about 2 years on this List. In > addition to this List, we have at least 2 other meteorite discussion > forums that are active with high traffic - and all of them are > populated by IMCA and MS members (and a bunch of good folks who aren't > members of either group). The same people who are not welcome on this > List would find themselves unwelcome in those places as well. > > I do think the meteorite market needs more consistency and structure, > but we don't need an invitation-only club to make the decisions. > > Best regards and clear skies, > > MikeG > > > > > > > > On 11/15/09, Meteorites USA wrote: > > Hi Adam, > > > > I'm curios what you mean by "corporate involvement" when it > > concerns meteorites? With regards to the IMCA I am in partial > > agreement, and believe they are a good organization, and needed in > > this industry. But some restraint needs to be had with regard to > > the influence that these types of groups have. Historically > > speaking such groups tend to lean toward their own motives over > > time. There has been no organization in the history of man that > > has not given in, at least partially, to the temptation such > > influence. > > If you mean some sort of sponsorship of certain outreach and > > educational programs geared toward teaching children and young > > adults about astronomy and meteorites then I'm game. But if > > corporate involvement means losing the personality and integrity > > of the meteorite world through increased tampering by larger > > groups and politically or profit motivated companies who might in > > future times limit the publics access to meteorites then I'm not > > for that at all. This is a slippery slope... > > My personal beliefs are that people should have free access to the > > knowledge and information that meteorites and astronomy provides. > > The word "corporate" to me means restrictive for profit, and an > > example would be the corporate mentality of profit before people. > > I'm not necessarily referring to monetary profit, but rather to > > the increased influence particular groups may have over access to > > knowledge and information through the study of meteorites by > > individuals and the limited access that some scientific > > institutions have applied to certain collections. Collections tha
Re: [meteorite-list] Meteorites & Competition
Well said Eric. I agree 110%. You said it much better than I did in my reply. There are two sides to everything, especially in the realm of business. And that is a core issue here - we are not just dealing with collecting, science, or trading. There is a marriage of personal collecting, science, and business for profit at work in the meteorite world. Different people are drawn to meteorites for a wide variety of reasons. No single group can represent all of those interests. Speaking just for myself, the IMCA does not represent me, but I do appreciate the good work they do to maintain the integrity of the market. I don't like the idea of a bunch of suits sitting around a table and contriving reasons to expand their influence. Whenever that happens, the average person is one who ends up losing out. IMO, the meteorite market polices itself very well. This List is a good example of that fact - despite some of the complaints about some of the personalities involved. If a meteorite is stolen, it is announced quickly on this List. If a trader misrepresents a specimen or pulls a scam, this List will hear about it. If the scammer is an IMCA member, then there is recourse. If the scammer uses PayPal, then there is recourse. If the scammer uses eBay, then there is recourse as well. People who are dishonest in their practices are quickly labelled as such and their reputations are ruined in this small world of meteorites. I can think of at least 2 major meteorite players who have become "persona non grata" during my short time of about 2 years on this List. In addition to this List, we have at least 2 other meteorite discussion forums that are active with high traffic - and all of them are populated by IMCA and MS members (and a bunch of good folks who aren't members of either group). The same people who are not welcome on this List would find themselves unwelcome in those places as well. I do think the meteorite market needs more consistency and structure, but we don't need an invitation-only club to make the decisions. Best regards and clear skies, MikeG On 11/15/09, Meteorites USA wrote: > Hi Adam, > > I'm curios what you mean by "corporate involvement" when it concerns > meteorites? With regards to the IMCA I am in partial agreement, and > believe they are a good organization, and needed in this industry. But > some restraint needs to be had with regard to the influence that these > types of groups have. Historically speaking such groups tend to lean > toward their own motives over time. There has been no organization in > the history of man that has not given in, at least partially, to the > temptation such influence. > > If you mean some sort of sponsorship of certain outreach and educational > programs geared toward teaching children and young adults about > astronomy and meteorites then I'm game. But if corporate involvement > means losing the personality and integrity of the meteorite world > through increased tampering by larger groups and politically or profit > motivated companies who might in future times limit the publics access > to meteorites then I'm not for that at all. This is a slippery slope... > > My personal beliefs are that people should have free access to the > knowledge and information that meteorites and astronomy provides. The > word "corporate" to me means restrictive for profit, and an example > would be the corporate mentality of profit before people. I'm not > necessarily referring to monetary profit, but rather to the increased > influence particular groups may have over access to knowledge and > information through the study of meteorites by individuals and the > limited access that some scientific institutions have applied to certain > collections. Collections that in my opinion every human being on the > planet should have access to. Not to fondle and ogle the collection, but > to view, study and learn. > > I'm not attacking here, I'm simply voicing a concern and my belief in > the free access to knowledge that needs to be preserved. > > Thanks for listening... > > Regards, > Eric Wichman > Meteorites USA > > > Adam Hupe wrote: >> Dear List, >> >> >> I think it is crazy to talk about corporate greed and meteorites at the >> same time. There are much simpler ways of earning money than chasing and >> selling meteorites. You have to have a love for these rocks to engage at >> this level. The overhead is astonishing while the returns are >> unpredictable in an incredibly thin market. Risk management doesn't >> exist. >> >> I believe more corporate involvement is needed to push this avocation to >> the next level. The IMCA is a perfect example of a positive corporate >> influence on a mostly misunderstood hobby. What lacks the most right now >> is customer service and value added reselling. Most new dealers do not >> even polish out the saw marks on slices, let alone polish both sides. >> Collectors pay for both sides of a complete slice, not just o
Re: [meteorite-list] Meteorites & Competition
For whatever its worth, I've disagreed with both Adam and Eric on many
occasions, and I'm quite certain both have disagreed with me before as well.
That said, I thought Adam's post was superb, though the semantics
("corporate involvement," to reference just one point) may have been
confusing.
Eric, you wrote: "if corporate involvement means losing the personality and
integrity of the meteorite world through increased tampering by larger
groups and politically or profit motivated companies who might in future
times limit the publics access to meteorites then I'm not for that at all".
Not sure who the arbiter is for such matters, but let's assume it's you.
The IMCA would not exist if the integrity of the meteorite world were so
pristine, and there's no use jamming up bandwidth with examples. And to
think that this arena understands marketing and packaging of these rarest of
rocks on Earth is, well, profoundly off base.
The we have the horrifying notion of profit. Profits are derived from
offering products that prospective customers need or want at a price (that
exceeds the costs of providing the product) deemed a value by said
prospective customers. In other words, they will, on their own volition,
pay the individual or entity for the act of procuring or developing then
providing said product. Of course there is corporate corruption; yet there
is corruption everywhere...even in the world of meteorites (thank you IMCA
for addressing that). Anyway, would such undoubtedly evil, profit-motivated
entities not prefer that public (read: customers) access to meteorites, if
anything, be expanded?
Then you wrote: "My personal beliefs are that people should have free access
to the knowledge and information that meteorites and astronomy provides."
And...?
Then lastly: "The word "corporate" to me means restrictive for profit..."
Wikipedia?
Oh, goodness...
Dave
www.fallingrocks.com
-Original Message-
From: meteorite-list-boun...@meteoritecentral.com
[mailto:meteorite-list-boun...@meteoritecentral.com] On Behalf Of Meteorites
USA
Sent: Sunday, November 15, 2009 1:41 PM
To: Adam Hupe
Cc: Adam
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Meteorites & Competition
Hi Adam,
I'm curios what you mean by "corporate involvement" when it concerns
meteorites? With regards to the IMCA I am in partial agreement, and believe
they are a good organization, and needed in this industry. But some
restraint needs to be had with regard to the influence that these types of
groups have. Historically speaking such groups tend to lean toward their own
motives over time. There has been no organization in the history of man that
has not given in, at least partially, to the temptation such influence.
If you mean some sort of sponsorship of certain outreach and educational
programs geared toward teaching children and young adults about astronomy
and meteorites then I'm game. But if corporate involvement means losing the
personality and integrity of the meteorite world through increased tampering
by larger groups and politically or profit motivated companies who might in
future times limit the publics access to meteorites then I'm not for that at
all. This is a slippery slope...
My personal beliefs are that people should have free access to the knowledge
and information that meteorites and astronomy provides. The word "corporate"
to me means restrictive for profit, and an example would be the corporate
mentality of profit before people. I'm not necessarily referring to monetary
profit, but rather to the increased influence particular groups may have
over access to knowledge and information through the study of meteorites by
individuals and the limited access that some scientific institutions have
applied to certain collections. Collections that in my opinion every human
being on the planet should have access to. Not to fondle and ogle the
collection, but to view, study and learn.
I'm not attacking here, I'm simply voicing a concern and my belief in the
free access to knowledge that needs to be preserved.
Thanks for listening...
Regards,
Eric Wichman
Meteorites USA
Adam Hupe wrote:
> Dear List,
>
>
> I think it is crazy to talk about corporate greed and meteorites at the
same time. There are much simpler ways of earning money than chasing and
selling meteorites. You have to have a love for these rocks to engage at
this level. The overhead is astonishing while the returns are unpredictable
in an incredibly thin market. Risk management doesn't exist.
>
> I believe more corporate involvement is needed to push this avocation to
the next level. The IMCA is a perfect example of a positive corporate
influence on a mostly misunderstood hobby. What lacks the most right now is
customer service and value added reselling. Most new dealers do not even
polish out the saw marks on slic
Re: [meteorite-list] Meteorites & Competition
Hi Adam, I'm curios what you mean by "corporate involvement" when it concerns meteorites? With regards to the IMCA I am in partial agreement, and believe they are a good organization, and needed in this industry. But some restraint needs to be had with regard to the influence that these types of groups have. Historically speaking such groups tend to lean toward their own motives over time. There has been no organization in the history of man that has not given in, at least partially, to the temptation such influence. If you mean some sort of sponsorship of certain outreach and educational programs geared toward teaching children and young adults about astronomy and meteorites then I'm game. But if corporate involvement means losing the personality and integrity of the meteorite world through increased tampering by larger groups and politically or profit motivated companies who might in future times limit the publics access to meteorites then I'm not for that at all. This is a slippery slope... My personal beliefs are that people should have free access to the knowledge and information that meteorites and astronomy provides. The word "corporate" to me means restrictive for profit, and an example would be the corporate mentality of profit before people. I'm not necessarily referring to monetary profit, but rather to the increased influence particular groups may have over access to knowledge and information through the study of meteorites by individuals and the limited access that some scientific institutions have applied to certain collections. Collections that in my opinion every human being on the planet should have access to. Not to fondle and ogle the collection, but to view, study and learn. I'm not attacking here, I'm simply voicing a concern and my belief in the free access to knowledge that needs to be preserved. Thanks for listening... Regards, Eric Wichman Meteorites USA Adam Hupe wrote: Dear List, I think it is crazy to talk about corporate greed and meteorites at the same time. There are much simpler ways of earning money than chasing and selling meteorites. You have to have a love for these rocks to engage at this level. The overhead is astonishing while the returns are unpredictable in an incredibly thin market. Risk management doesn't exist. I believe more corporate involvement is needed to push this avocation to the next level. The IMCA is a perfect example of a positive corporate influence on a mostly misunderstood hobby. What lacks the most right now is customer service and value added reselling. Most new dealers do not even polish out the saw marks on slices, let alone polish both sides. Collectors pay for both sides of a complete slice, not just one. It is disrespectful to cut a meteorite and then not complete the job. A good polish is more important for reasons beyond aesthetics. Certification is the most important aspect of collecting and is consistently lacking when dealing with meteorites. One just needs to look at coins, baseball cards and most other collectibles to see they are nearly worthless without it. In virtually ever other collectibles market, there are standards in place thanks to corporate interest. These days, some uninformed elements treat meteorites like commodities that are renewable. Nothing could be further from the truth. The lack of appreciation for these rarities is really on full display during these hard times. People forget that meteorites are millions of time rarer than gold that currently maintains a price of around $35.00/gram. May I remind you that now only about 1/20th the amount of meteorites by weight is all that is coming out of Moroccan compared to just five years ago according to my calculations. It will not be long before the non-available Antarctic meteorites regain the volume title once again. I do appreciate the real nomadic meteorite hunters from Morocco and surrounding countries. In my opinion, they are the best in world. It is what happens to meteorites after they leave the finders hands that concerns me. Standards, proper appreciation and corporate involvement are key to the long-term future. I see a business-like environment helping in all of these regards.Collectors deserve to have their investments protected. All the best, Adam __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Meteorites & Competition
Do unto ..." Think positive But BE happily surprised at any good fortune or good turn offered or given The only DUMB question is the one not asked -- From: "Meteorites USA" Sent: Saturday, November 14, 2009 2:18 PM To: Subject: [meteorite-list] Meteorites & Competition Hi Listees, With respect to all, but without concern for offending the easily offendable I would like to say: If you want to learn about meteorites ASK. If you want to sell meteorites, then buy them, or find them, and sell them. If you want to collect meteorites then collect them. If you want to find them, do the research yourself and help contribute something rather than complaining about people who won't contribute to creating their own competition. If you want to hunt for meteorites with a team ASK and be man (or woman) enough to except a no and be grateful if you get a yes! Be appreciative of the help you do receive. Don't whine! If you'd like to learn to etch meteorites If you'd like to learn how to track and find new meteorite falls If you'd like to learn how to get others help then do the following: Help others in turn! Offer to help when it's not expected! Give! Do your own research! Get out there and hunt! Get out there and make your own contacts. Don't "expect" people just to jump in and be happy to help you. Stop whining. Work your ass off! Put in the hours! Have something to contribute! Earn it! And most of all, don't make the mistake of thinking this business is dog-eat-dog. It's like ANY industry or social group and is what you make it. If you look at is in a certain light, that is what you will see. Have something to give, and do your own work, don't try piggy-backing on others successes. People will usually not help those who don't help them unless they are just nice people. Show respect and have admiration for those who go out and spend the countless hours and thousands of dollars researching the meteorites they love so much... Treat people the way you want to be treated and you'll garner a lot more respect from your peers in ANY business. Help people and they will help you. Regards, Eric Wichman Meteorites USA __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Meteorites & Competition
All very valid points - agree! --- Melanie IMCA: 2975 eBay: metmel2775 Known on SkyRock Cafe as SpaceCollector09 Unclassified meteorites are like a box of chocolates... you never know what you're gonna get! > Date: Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:18:09 -0800 > From: e...@meteoritesusa.com > To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com > Subject: [meteorite-list] Meteorites & Competition > > Hi Listees, > > With respect to all, but without concern for offending the easily > offendable I would like to say: > > If you want to learn about meteorites ASK. > If you want to sell meteorites, then buy them, or find them, and sell them. > If you want to collect meteorites then collect them. > If you want to find them, do the research yourself and help contribute > something rather than complaining about people who won't contribute to > creating their own competition. > If you want to hunt for meteorites with a team ASK and be man (or woman) > enough to except a no and be grateful if you get a yes! > Be appreciative of the help you do receive. > Don't whine! > > If you'd like to learn to etch meteorites > If you'd like to learn how to track and find new meteorite falls > If you'd like to learn how to get others help then do the following: > > Help others in turn! > Offer to help when it's not expected! > Give! > Do your own research! > Get out there and hunt! > Get out there and make your own contacts. > Don't "expect" people just to jump in and be happy to help you. > Stop whining. > Work your ass off! > Put in the hours! > Have something to contribute! > Earn it! > > And most of all, don't make the mistake of thinking this business is > dog-eat-dog. It's like ANY industry or social group and is what you make > it. If you look at is in a certain light, that is what you will see. > > Have something to give, and do your own work, don't try piggy-backing on > others successes. People will usually not help those who don't help them > unless they are just nice people. Show respect and have admiration for > those who go out and spend the countless hours and thousands of dollars > researching the meteorites they love so much... > > Treat people the way you want to be treated and you'll garner a lot more > respect from your peers in ANY business. > > Help people and they will help you. > > Regards, > Eric Wichman > Meteorites USA > > > > > > __ > http://www.meteoritecentral.com > Meteorite-list mailing list > Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list _ Windows Live: Keep your friends up to date with what you do online. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9691815 __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Meteorites & Competition (Government Bailout of the Meteorite Industry?)
Hi Adam, You are right, I did jump to conclusions in my last post. But, when I heard meteorites being compared to McDonalds, it made me cringe. The last thing anyone wants is Meteorite Value Meals.or is it? H LOL Best regards, MikeG PS - instead of making meteorites corporate, how about a government bail out of the meteorite industry? We could have CASH FOR RUSTERS! Trade in your oxidized Dronino for a shiny new Sikhote Alin! ;) On 11/14/09, Adam Hupe wrote: > Dear List, > > > I think it is crazy to talk about corporate greed and meteorites at the same > time. There are much simpler ways of earning money than chasing and selling > meteorites. You have to have a love for these rocks to engage at this > level. The overhead is astonishing while the returns are unpredictable in > an incredibly thin market. Risk management doesn't exist. > > I believe more corporate involvement is needed to push this avocation to the > next level. The IMCA is a perfect example of a positive corporate influence > on a mostly misunderstood hobby. What lacks the most right now is customer > service and value added reselling. Most new dealers do not even polish out > the saw marks on slices, let alone polish both sides. Collectors pay for > both sides of a complete slice, not just one. It is disrespectful to cut a > meteorite and then not complete the job. A good polish is more important for > reasons beyond aesthetics. Certification is the most important aspect of > collecting and is consistently lacking when dealing with meteorites. One > just needs to look at coins, baseball cards and most other collectibles to > see they are nearly worthless without it. > > In virtually ever other collectibles market, there are standards in place > thanks to corporate interest. These days, some uninformed elements treat > meteorites like commodities that are renewable. Nothing could be further > from the truth. The lack of appreciation for these rarities is really on > full display during these hard times. People forget that meteorites are > millions of time rarer than gold that currently maintains a price of around > $35.00/gram. May I remind you that now only about 1/20th the amount of > meteorites by weight is all that is coming out of Moroccan compared to just > five years ago according to my calculations. It will not be long before the > non-available Antarctic meteorites regain the volume title once again. > > I do appreciate the real nomadic meteorite hunters from Morocco and > surrounding countries. In my opinion, they are the best in world. It is > what happens to meteorites after they leave the finders hands that concerns > me. > > Standards, proper appreciation and corporate involvement are key to the > long-term future. I see a business-like environment helping in all of these > regards.Collectors deserve to have their investments protected. > > All the best, > > Adam > __ > http://www.meteoritecentral.com > Meteorite-list mailing list > Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > -- . Michael Gilmer (Florida, USA) Member of the Meteoritical Society. Website - http://www.galactic-stone.com FaceBook - http://www.facebook.com/galacticstone MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/fine_meteorites_4_sale Twitter - Twitter - http://twitter.com/GalacticStone eBay - http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/maypickle .. __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Meteorites & Competition
Dear List, I think it is crazy to talk about corporate greed and meteorites at the same time. There are much simpler ways of earning money than chasing and selling meteorites. You have to have a love for these rocks to engage at this level. The overhead is astonishing while the returns are unpredictable in an incredibly thin market. Risk management doesn't exist. I believe more corporate involvement is needed to push this avocation to the next level. The IMCA is a perfect example of a positive corporate influence on a mostly misunderstood hobby. What lacks the most right now is customer service and value added reselling. Most new dealers do not even polish out the saw marks on slices, let alone polish both sides. Collectors pay for both sides of a complete slice, not just one. It is disrespectful to cut a meteorite and then not complete the job. A good polish is more important for reasons beyond aesthetics. Certification is the most important aspect of collecting and is consistently lacking when dealing with meteorites. One just needs to look at coins, baseball cards and most other collectibles to see they are nearly worthless without it. In virtually ever other collectibles market, there are standards in place thanks to corporate interest. These days, some uninformed elements treat meteorites like commodities that are renewable. Nothing could be further from the truth. The lack of appreciation for these rarities is really on full display during these hard times. People forget that meteorites are millions of time rarer than gold that currently maintains a price of around $35.00/gram. May I remind you that now only about 1/20th the amount of meteorites by weight is all that is coming out of Moroccan compared to just five years ago according to my calculations. It will not be long before the non-available Antarctic meteorites regain the volume title once again. I do appreciate the real nomadic meteorite hunters from Morocco and surrounding countries. In my opinion, they are the best in world. It is what happens to meteorites after they leave the finders hands that concerns me. Standards, proper appreciation and corporate involvement are key to the long-term future. I see a business-like environment helping in all of these regards.Collectors deserve to have their investments protected. All the best, Adam __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
