[meteorite-list] Dissapointed collector

From: Michael Blood <mlblood_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:43:30 2004
Message-ID: <3B4ADAFE.1078_at_home.com>

Hi Dean & all,
        Well, Dean, it was refreshing to hear someone "talk strait" about
what's going on. However, I would like to comment on two of your
statements I think miss some of the point:

--
> I know of 3 groups right now who are looking into the feisbaility 
> of starting a for profit classification service. Likely there are others.
> Once this happens the meteorite world will start slowly changing 
> and some of the criticisms that you hear on this list about desert 
> meteorites will start improving.
--
	Yes, some of the cause for criticism will vanish - but so will the 
ultra low prices! PART of the reason for the low prices is the LACK of
classification and official name - once those are on the record, people
will be willing to pay more - and I don't believe for once second you,
or ANY dealer will say, "Oh, no, no, don't pay me that much, make it
half that.." Supply & demand will rule - as it always does, and when 
a meteorite has a name and the typology is known, it is more desirable 
- the "demand" goes up....Which brings us to the other statement on
the supply aspect:
--
> And remember, in 25 years time this turn of the century desert 
> meteorite rush that we are now in will be known as "the good old 
> days".
--
	25 years?! Are you KIDDING? This rush cannot POSSIBLY last 
anywhere near that long! This is like a "Great White Hunter" in 
Africa in the 60s saying, "Can't last more than another century..."
or the whole attitude prevelant when I was growing up regarding
the ocean - EVERYONE assumed the oceans of the world were SO
big you could dump crap (literally as well as figuratively) into
them indefinately & she would just some how "obsorb" and 
recycle it ALL - FOREVER. 
	No, you will be able to say, "I told you so" MUCH MUCH sooner
than that, I fear. In fact, it would be interesting to have a "pool" 
like they have at places of work for when one of the workers is
going to have a baby or the like. I would want the time frames 1.5 
to 3 years from now and wouldn't consider anything beyond 6 
years - and 6 years is probably terrably optimistic! Africa is big, but
it isn't THAT big - and you know I have been saying this all along, 
Dean. This situation is going to shift, and likely VERY soon and when
it does start to shift, it will go VERY quickly. The material you,
alone,
take out, is enough to result in the entire continent being "hunted out"
in a number of months....a few years, at the most. DEFINATELY not 
decades! I will bet you ANY amount you like that 10 years from now 
this flush of material at these prices will be absolute HISTORY. (And 
I will be quite surprized if it isn't so in less than 5 years - I just
wouldn't 
bet the farm on it - but I would certainly bet one of my most prized 
meteorites in my collection that 5 years from now this is all history - 
and clearly so. (ANYONE got a super specimen they want to bet me
that in 5 years you can still buy meteorites on eBay for UNDER 20c
a gram? I have seen them go for far less, so, 20c/g allows some 
inflation - any takers???)
	No. No matter how much you "put asside," Dean - and no matter 
how much anyone buys, they will, before long, wish it had been more.
MUCH more. 
	Best wishes, Michael
--
Eat a live toad in the morning and nothing worse 
can happen to you for the rest of the day.
--
1)  "Hunger Site" Donates 3/4 cup of rice EACH DAY you visit & click 
http://www.thehungersite.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/HungerSite
--
2) "Rainforest Site" Donates 14.4sqare feet EACH DAY you visit & click
http://www.therainforestsite.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/RainforestSite
--
3) "The Breast Cancer Site" Donates free mamograms to empoverished
women (click daily):  http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/
--
Michael Blood Meteorites for sale at:
http://www.meteorite.com/Michael_Blood/catalog.htm

Received on Tue 10 Jul 2001 06:37:50 AM PDT