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Re: Misleading statements and the responsibility of Meteorite dealers.

Ron Baalke wrote:
> 
> Frank Stroik writes:
> >       I am troubled by what I am reading in dealer catalogs, listings,
> >and webpages. I see a lot of inaccuracies, and half truths in
> >descriptions of meteorites. This is a touchy subject, but one that needs
> >to be addressed.
> 

> 
> >From my experience, dealers set prices to whatever they want to, and can
> increase the price for no apparent reason.  I have found that prices can vary by as much as a factor of 10
> from dealer to dealer.  In the case with the Ibitira meteorite,
> one particular dealer was selling Ibitira for $2500/gram, and then
> dropped the price down to about $200/gram.
> 

> Some months ago, I've also seen a dealer selling Allende and claiming
> Phobos was its parent body.  When I asked him the source of this information,
> he told me that someone had told him that, though he wouldn't say who.
> I've asked him to provide me additional details, which
> he said he would, but to date, he has not done so.  It turns out this same
> dealer also was making very questionable claims on another meteorite, most of
> them obviously erroneous.  Again I questioned him on the source of his
> information, such as a research paper or a name of someone doing the
> study of the meteorite, and again he came back with the vague answer
> that someone had told him, and wouldn't say who.  In other words, he was
> making claims that he could not backup, and cranking up the prices of his
> meteorites based on these claims.  This is apparently the mode of operation
> of this particular meteorite dealer.  Fortunately, this is an isolated
> case, and I've encountered no other meteorite dealer who sells meteorites
> in this fashion.
> 
> In my experience, I have encountered only one meteorite dealer
> whom I would consider dishonest, and I obviously don't deal with him
> anymore.

> 
> Ron Baalke

Ron,

I really shouldn't get into this flap, but the Emails just keep showing
up in my mailbox.  It's like a soap opera I don't want to follow.  

I'd like to say I can understand why Mike Blood might have thought you
were referring to him as the "one meteorite dealer whom I would consider
dishonest," after reading and re-reading your writings. 

I've read his Web site, too, and my first impression was a bit of
irritation over meteorite acquisitions being described as
"investments."  However, I think his Web site just reflects a lot of
passion and enthusiasm.  Before Mike offered up the Ibitira for sale, I
was aware of the auction and how some of it was coming this way.  After
reading Gomes and Keil's intriguing chapter on the Ibitira, especially
the older claims on the oxygen isotope anomalies, I was hoping the
Ibitira was going to be an anomalous eucrite.  Visions of it being a
lunite certainly entered my psyche. I didn't know enough.  And I heard
some of the same things Mike wrote in regards the Ibitira from another
source prior to his ad on the Ibitira.

My only dealings w/ Mike Blood has been the purchase of his very fine
Russian made binocular microscope, the same scope I saw selling in
Tucson a year prior for a hundred bucks more.  It's the same scope that
O. Richard Norton was very very enthusiastic about. I really think it
was the greatest buy I've made since I got Zagami at $80/gram.  I think
Mike's really done a great service to many of us amateurs in bringing
the scope to us for 20% less than the closest competitor (and postage to
Hawaii included at that price!).

I'm still left wondering who YOUR dishonest meteorite dealer was.  I've
dealt with twenty or so individuals over these past 15 years.  Not one
has been dishonest with me so far as I could tell.  Most were, in my
opinion, outstanding individuals who freely shared with me their
"passion and enthusiasm" for meteorites.  I've heard the rumours about
the Nova 002 and 003 fiasco.  I was also concerned about my Nullarbor
010 ureilite and Nuevo Murcurio 'B'.  Over-inflated prices of common
meteorites to novice collectors also concerned me greatly...verging on
dishonesty.  As an amateur, I'm really at the mercy of my dealer's
ethics, as I'm certainly not going to be submitting my half-a-gram of
Chassigney or Lafayette for analysis.  I hope I never have the
misfortune to meet your 'dishonest dealer."

The dealers I know and personally enjoyed working with include Robert
Haag, Blaine Reed, Al Mitterling, Marlin Cilz, David New, the Cisneros,
Al Lang and Bill Kroth, just to name a few that come immediately to
mind.  Mike Casper's been very nice to work with, too.

Perhaps you can give me feedback by Email.

Joseph
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