[meteorite-list] Meteorite Values
From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:08:20 2004 Message-ID: <001f01c25291$92c7d320$91fc0f3f_at_bigcolle> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0005_01C25267.12A97600 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hello List,=20 I recently recived a good question from one of our list members. If was = a private e-mail to me so I won't paste the name or e-mail but I am = posting it because I think it may interest other listees. =20 I was asked.. Hello Mark, How does a collector know how to price meteorites? Is there = a price list?=20 Thanks, CENSOR You didn't ask a very easy question but here we go. Meteorites like all = items have a value. That value is what anyone will give you for it. = This like most things very depending on several factors. Some = controllable and others not. For a collector, I think one really needs = to decide the direction of one's collection. Perhaps you wold like all = the Texas meteorites, or a nice specimen of every type, ect. If a = person is new I would suggest they try to aquire a nice iron slice, a = stony-iron, a carbonaceous along with a big moroccan or otherwise bargin = priced meteorite, NWA869 is a good example. Having a nice big stone I = believe helps in one's interest into meteorites. This is kind of off = track of your question and I will now try to answer that... The main factors that will decide how much you are charged for a = meteorite is, 1. Classification, (As a real general rule, the common = classification find meteorite outside of Africa are $2-3 a gram in = slicess, while African are around $1.00.) 2. Find or Fall (falls are = worth more then finds), Irons are retailing around $1.00 a gram for the = common ones in etched slices. 3. Size, You can usualy buy a 3 kilo stone = much cheaper then you could a 20 gram of the same type. Larger more = expensive stones are harder to sell and I often find them to be good = bargins. 4. Appearence, a meteorite with a hole is worth more then one = without, a meteorite that has nice crust is worth then a weathered one, = ect. While there are several different factors here, all collectors = seem to agree on what a nice looking stone is. 5. Total weight on the = market, the Total known weight is a factor but it is more the total = weight that is on the market. It doesn't really matter if there is a = lot of the stone, if only 100 grams is available to collectors. 5. = Documention/Source of meteorite. I am grouping both of these together. = A meteorite with a nice label from a Museum or someone like Nininger is = worth more then one without. I know I would like all my meteorites to = have labels from the Smithsonian and others would to. In the same sense = a meteorite sold from one dealer that is well liked and good in the = community will often sell higher then from one that has not. The reason = here is simple. The good dealer will have a strong customer base, with = more people feeling safer spending their money. 6. Prepration, A slice = is worth more then a wedge, Irons seem to be taking the road that a = slice is worth more then an individual. For stones this verys more. A = small stone will often cost the same or less depending, then a slice of = it. If a dealer can cut up a kilo. size meteorite, he or she could make = a lot of small partslices. Where buying a lot of baby individual of the = same meteorite might be much harder if not impossible. 7. Micromounts. = These small part slices and fragments are often priced higher and should = be. Here you are in as much paying for the selllers time as well as the = meteorite. 8. How many dealers have the meteorite. If several people = are selling it. They have to compete for sales to a degree and the = price is generally a little lower.=20 So to answer your question.....it depends. I like to go with a basic of = $1-3 a grams for commons and then vary it from there depending on what I = am wanting and the factors listed above. I am more in likely going to = buy a Kansas Stone over a Nebraska stone. I would pay more for a stone = I did not have, then one I have. On rare types it's really hard to = decide what is fair and what is not. Going back to my earlier comment on = deciding the direction of your collection helps buffer a purchase that = later finds that stone dropping in price. If I buy a small partslice of = a rare Kansas stone and it drops in price, thats good. Now I can get a = big slice. =20 As a side note, Mike Martinez has been working on a complete listing of = what meteorites have been priced and sold this last couple years. At = shows, on the internet, and in auctions. Perhaps one day he will share = his information in a book or like document. Since I have sent this to the list I am hiding behind my firewall = now...:-) =20 Thanks, Mark Bosick ------=_NextPart_000_0005_01C25267.12A97600 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; = charset=3Diso-8859-1"> <META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2716.2200" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hello List, </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I recently recived a good question from = one of our=20 list members. If was a private e-mail to me so I won't paste the name or = e-mail=20 but I am posting it because I think it may interest other listees. = </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I was asked..</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV>Hello Mark, How does a collector know how to price meteorites? Is = there a=20 price list? <BR>Thanks, CENSOR</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>You didn't ask a very easy question but = here we=20 go. Meteorites like all items have a value. That value is = what=20 anyone will give you for it. This like most things very depending = on=20 several factors. Some controllable and others not. For a = collector,=20 I think one really needs to decide the direction of one's = collection. =20 Perhaps you wold like all the Texas meteorites, or a nice specimen of = every=20 type, ect. If a person is new I would suggest they try to aquire a = nice=20 iron slice, a stony-iron, a carbonaceous along with a big moroccan or = otherwise=20 bargin priced meteorite, NWA869 is a good example. Having a nice = big stone=20 I believe helps in one's interest into meteorites. This is kind of = off=20 track of your question and I will now try to answer that...</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> <DIV>The main factors that will decide how much you are charged for a = meteorite=20 is, 1. Classification, (As a real general rule, the common = classification find=20 meteorite outside of Africa are $2-3 a gram in slicess, while African = are around=20 $1.00.) 2. Find or Fall (falls are worth more then finds), Irons are = retailing=20 around $1.00 a gram for the common ones in etched slices. 3. Size, You = can=20 usualy buy a 3 kilo stone much cheaper then you could a 20 gram of the = same=20 type. Larger more expensive stones are harder to sell and I often find = them to=20 be good bargins. 4. Appearence, a meteorite with a hole is worth = more then=20 one without, a meteorite that has nice crust is worth then a weathered = one,=20 ect. While there are several different factors here, all = collectors seem=20 to agree on what a nice looking stone is. 5. Total weight on the market, = the=20 Total known weight is a factor but it is more the total weight that is = on the=20 market. It doesn't really matter if there is a lot of the stone, = if only=20 100 grams is available to collectors. 5. Documention/Source = of=20 meteorite. I am grouping both of these together. A meteorite = with a=20 nice label from a Museum or someone like Nininger is worth more then one = without. I know I would like all my meteorites to have labels from = the=20 Smithsonian and others would to. In the same sense a meteorite = sold from=20 one dealer that is well liked and good in the community will often sell = higher=20 then from one that has not. The reason here is simple. The = good=20 dealer will have a strong customer base, with more people feeling safer = spending=20 their money. 6. Prepration, A slice is worth more then a wedge, = Irons seem=20 to be taking the road that a slice is worth more then an = individual. For=20 stones this verys more. A small stone will often cost the same or = less=20 depending, then a slice of it. If a dealer can cut up a kilo. size = meteorite, he or she could make a lot of small partslices. Where = buying a=20 lot of baby individual of the same meteorite might be much harder if not = impossible. 7. Micromounts. These small part slices and = fragments=20 are often priced higher and should be. Here you are in as much = paying for=20 the selllers time as well as the meteorite. 8. How many dealers = have the=20 meteorite. If several people are selling it. They have to = compete=20 for sales to a degree and the price is generally a little lower. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>So to answer your question.....it depends. I like to go with = a basic=20 of $1-3 a grams for commons and then vary it from there depending on = what I am=20 wanting and the factors listed above. I am more in likely going to = buy a=20 Kansas Stone over a Nebraska stone. I would pay more for a stone I = did not=20 have, then one I have. On rare types it's really hard to decide = what is=20 fair and what is not. Going back to my earlier comment on deciding the = direction=20 of your collection helps buffer a purchase that later finds that stone = dropping=20 in price. If I buy a small partslice of a rare Kansas stone and it drops = in=20 price, thats good. Now I can get a big slice. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>As a side note, Mike Martinez has been working on a complete = listing of=20 what meteorites have been priced and sold this last couple years. = At=20 shows, on the internet, and in auctions. Perhaps one day he will share = his=20 information in a book or like document.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Since I have sent this to the list I am hiding behind my firewall=20 now...:-) <BR></DIV> <DIV>Thanks, Mark Bosick</DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0005_01C25267.12A97600-- Received on Mon 02 Sep 2002 10:56:56 AM PDT |
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