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Re: Fw: Meteorite "worth"

In a message dated 4/4/99 10:12:05 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
rmarlin@network-one.com writes:

<< If trains were an object of scientific value, there would be federal
 regulation by now.

Give me a break Gene,  It is by the efforts of meteorite hunters that many 
new meteorites are brough to the scientific community.  And as for 
regulations, the federal government has a lock on all meteorites that have 
fallen on public lands.  I can only wonder about all the meteorites rotting 
in the field because of this stupid law.
 
 But, if the train collectors had congealed an organization to slow the
 inflation, prices might have been more reasonable. But I am sure their
 inflation has helped many of them, and an old toy model can always be
 reproduced! Meteorites cannot be replicated or put "back into production."
  >>

Actually train collectors are a very organized bunch if you have ever met 
any.  I have, and I dont hear them complaining too much.  They find real 
pleasure in thier  expencive toys. I can guarentee you that if you offer them 
a repro of an expencive train, they would not give you a plug nickel for it. 
.  
   As to the irreproducable nature of meteorites you are wrong there too.  
Meteorites fall with astounding regularity.  Most of them that are extremely 
rare are prized by collectors and held in the best condition.  I offer you 
Haag's vault as a prime example of that.  Many researchers look to these 
collectors for samples and are given them, sometimes for trade, for sale, or 
as a donation.  In an case the researcher does not have to hold millions of 
dollars in meteorites to do research.  
Collectors, and especially the high end collectors, are GOOD for reseachers.

Regards,
Geoff Cintron  


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