[meteorite-list] Who will write the Saharan story?

From: David Freeman <dfreeman_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:48:13 2004
Message-ID: <3BD1F556.1050306_at_fascination.com>

Dear Martin and List;
I almost think that while history is still happening, it is current
events, or news. History probably is history after it has happened and
the era has ended.
I think a documentary on the world's meteorite collecting would be
worthy and would be the research of this period for the "history" of the
next period.

Oh, and I have my new Dell up and running and have cleaned out my old
233 speed, including addresses, files and folders, and all the good
stuff. Off to 1.5Ghz heaven!
It has taken me 16 hours to do this task. Good Grief!
Best Saturday,
Dave Freeman

Martin Horejsi wrote:

> Dean B. kindly wrote:
>
> "At the present time we are witnessing history. Not just the
> sahara but other deserts to. A time when meteorites cost a small
> fraction of what they did just a few years earlier and after."
>
> I agree that it is possible for people to purchase meteorites for
> "a small fraction" compared to recent history, but this is mostly
> limited to those from hot deserts. By contrast, those from the
> cold deserts are commanding obscene prices for their
> classification, historical falls are doubling or tripling their
> recent prices and even the prices being asked for many common
> chondrites from locations outside the hot deserts seem to have
> climbed to where witnessed falls were just a decade ago.
>
> However, there is a giant asterisk here, and that his that the
> prices are noted "at the pump" shall we say. There are many
> dealers who are still paying the same out-of-the-field prices that
> were paid 10 or 20 years ago.
>
> There is one more caveat that I see as a major change in meteorite
> collecting compared to last decade, and that is an increase on the
> importance of knowing a story within or behind any given meteorite
> specimen. It used to be said that every meteorite has a story
> behind it, but that is a rough stretch when talking about many of
> the hot desert stones. They are of value scientifically, and as
> collection pieces, but they hardly inspire the sense of wonder
> that many of the other specimens the earth has given up, or those
> who's fall the inhabitants of this planet personally experienced.
>
> One of the main differences I have always found interesting
> between mineral collecting and meteorite collecting is the stories
> behind the meteorites that often were lacking when it came to
> minerals and even fossils. Few of the hot desert meteorites carry
> with them much of a story.
>
> A fear of mine here is that if one cuts their collecting teeth on
> hot desert meteorites, they will have have missed some of the
> important elements I feel are important in order for the collector
> to truly respect the medium that is being collected.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Martin
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Received on Sat 20 Oct 2001 06:06:14 PM PDT