[meteorite-list] item#2183522064: ## BEAUTIFUL IRON METEORITE 843 GRAMM...

From: John Gwilliam <jkg_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:21:04 2004
Message-ID: <4.2.0.58.20030714073932.00989100_at_mail.theriver.com>

At 07:11 PM 7/13/03 -0400, Sharkkb8_at_aol.com wrote:

>Steve Schoner:
>
>>I hated e-bay when it first started, I hated it when
>>meteorites started to appear there-- and I hate it
>>now, with or without the new format.
>>
>>I will not sell meteorites there, even if it means it
>>is the last place on earth to sell them.
>

Gregory wrote:

>[snip]And ebay (like it or not) may well be responsible for bringing more
>meteorite-consciousness to the public, and thus producing more collectors
>and enthusiasts, than any other single influence since Dr. Nininger.
>
> Gregory

Gregory and List,

Ebay may well be the major influencing factor for the drop in prices
(value) of meteorites as well. The worldwide market created through Ebay
for meteorites like Sikhote-Alin in turn stimulated the increased level of
hunting the strewnfield. The glut of these irons soon followed and the
short term prices plummeted. Those folks who stashed away quality
specimens will see higher prices in the future, but the current market is
dismal and will be for some time. Brahin and Chinga are a couple of others
that went the same direction because of bulk listings on Ebay and
world-wide access on the internet.

Most of us have a love/hate relationship with Ebay. When I first started
selling items on Ebay (underwater camera equipment) seven or eight years
ago, it was a seller's market for sure, with used items often selling for
more than new retail items. A few years later when I started selling
meteorites on Ebay, it was still a sellers market. Ask dealers like Mike
Farmer about the terrific prices the sellers were getting on common items
like Canyon Diablo and Gibeon. Now, the pendulum has swung the other way
and it's definitely a buyers market. Prices have dropped so low on most
meteorites that dealers have a hard time making even a small profit on
Ebay. If you're primarily a collector, this is a good thing, but if your a
seller, it's very frustrating.

Best,

John
Received on Mon 14 Jul 2003 11:01:07 AM PDT