[meteorite-list] a little collector advice........

From: dean bessey <deanbessey_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:02:27 2004
Message-ID: <LAW2-F129iKBsuZ2K4x00010cbb_at_hotmail.com>

I thought that I would add another comment to this. Collectors have been
lucky because new desert falls and finds are pretty much all in dealers
hands and not tied up into museums. We all know about certain meteorites
(Selma comes to mind) that are overpriced because most of the very large
mass is in museums and collectors cant get at them. One of the aubrites (I
cant remembre which one) has a huge mass but costs $40 to $60 a gram because
it is all in a museum but should be worth $5 a gram. All canadian meteorites
are pretty much in that catagory to. I sold a 54 gram St Robert at $9 a gram
a while back and had people emailing me for days wanting more. It is a lousy
H5 that would be hard to sell for $1 a gram if it fell 100 miles to the
south.
Buyers have it good on this new fall because dealers have it all. Collectors
can buy the Moroccan CR2 right now because it is all in dealers hands and
museums dont have it all tied up. If it was all in a museum you can bet that
the trade value would be $300 a gram like it was before it became known that
15 kilos exist of the moroccan CR2 find. A museum wouldent care that it
shouldent be worth $300 if they traded any. But since collectors and dealers
have it all then prices are low (At least until it gets all bought up - the
CR2 is $20 a gram now. Dont wait two years to get your CR2 specimen).
So for buyers of this meteorite be thankful that it is in the hands of
dealers and not the government. If the government had all of this meteorite
you can bet that it would be just as scarce to buy as St Robert or Tagish
Lake.
And be thankful that the nomads who are used to working for $2 a day is
getting it. If it was a fall and some western dealer had to pay the expense
of flying over on the whim that he might get lucky and find any you can bet
that you wouldent see this offered for $15 a gram.
Thats enough for me. I have to make a sale posting of my new meteorite
Cheers
DEAN



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Received on Tue 12 Mar 2002 08:36:00 PM PST