[meteorite-list] My thanks to a meteorite dealer....

From: SSachs9056_at_aol.com <SSachs9056_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:41:11 2004
Message-ID: <e2.10b6693c.27c71153_at_aol.com>

To Dean Bessey and list,
Just wanted to pass along my thanks to Dean and possible words of
encouragement to others in this field. Just recently I bidded on eBay for a
NWA meteorite, 300 offered by Dean Bessey. It was a 91.7 gram specimen, (no
classification or specific locale) and the picture on eBay did not do it
justice. With only two bids total, I paid $29.00 for it, and when I received
it a few days ago I had a nice surprise. One side was expertly cut showing
many metal flakes (at least an H5) and one third had a very fresh fusion
crust with a good number of well defined regmaglypts. Any other location of
this type of specimen other than NWA would have fetched a much higher
monetary price.

I guess that in the last few months, members of the list have had a good
debate with regards to NWA meteorites found by nomads, with no clear cut
locations noted and being unclassified. I'd like to think that eventually,
the specimens within the group that Dean was selling will be given a proper
classification, and possibly even a locale. I know that this frustrates many
list members and a times it frustrates me as well. Sniping among dealers
really offers no value to the science of meteorites, which bring me to
another point. Lately, the scientific community has been deluged with so many
specimens, the backlog is either too long or some are not even interested in
testing specimens, from that continent. With that said, I will always
appreciate a meteorite....not from where found, how bought, or from which
camel it was carried on...but from the vastness of outer space and it's
miraculous survival through our atmosphere.

What I said in a previous posting still holds true. I am on a fixed income,
and budget and really could never afford a SNC or Lunar sample worth noting.
I still plan however to donate all specimens (stipulated in my will) to a
local museum / planetarium that also is on a fixed income and budget. I once
recall in an article written that Haag stated .... scientists were jealous
about collectors gobbling up all of the specimens and the scientists felt
they were being left out in the cold, because they did not want to hunt for
specimens in the fields themselves. I see it as a new version of the trite
saying: "It's the circle of life." Substitute the word life for "Meteorite"
and many private collections eventually end up in museums, universities,
etc., where once again, scientists have a chance to study them. Is this "pie
in the sky" thinking??

Other than passing collections onto family members, how does members of the
list plan to dispose of their collections once they are no longer around?
Just curious.

Again thanks Dean for a great specimen! And thanks to the list for the
stimulating dialogue!

Best to all,

Steven Sachs
(meteorite collector and self studied student of meteoritics from--1991
to--who-knows-when?)

www.geocities.com/gangwise/meteorite.html
Received on Thu 22 Feb 2001 08:05:23 PM PST