[meteorite-list] Collectors and dealers.

From: mark ford <markf_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:32:57 2004
Message-ID: <6CE3EEEFE92F4B4085B0E086B2941B311A33FA_at_s-southern01.s-southern.com>

Jeannie,

Well put, I think that however much bickering goes on between dealers, =
they all have one thing in common, they love meteorites! It's not the =
sort of thing you can really buy and sell without becoming emotionally =
involved with.

I think you could safely say that pretty well all dealers started as =
collectors (& maybe a few dealers also became later collectors), its =
really like a trading game, you buy/sell trade up until you get bigger =
and better specimens, like the board game 'monopoly' btw - isn't 'Park =
Lane' a fall? :)

 And it is VERY addictive! Gold fever has nothing over meteorite fever!!

Best regards,
Mark Ford




-----Original Message-----
From: Jeannie Devon [mailto:musnat_at_alaska.net]=20
Sent: 31 March 2004 08:38
To: Mike / flattoprocks; meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Collectors and dealers.

Hi Mike,
=A0
I sell meteorites in my store and my husband always kids me that it's =
only to support my own habit!=A0 I would not really call myself a =
meteorite "dealer" in the true sense of the word, but rather a meteorite =
retailer! Whenever I buy several of the same fall, I can never really =
bear to part with all of them and one or two end up "disappearing" into =
my personal collection.=A0 Some of my favorites are a gorgeous half =
stone of Camel Donga, a Sikhote Alin shaped just like a bullet, a small =
but fantastic piece of Willamette, and a 125 pound Gibeon with a huge =
cavity in it the size of a grapefruit that they will have to pry from my =
cold dead hands!=A0 : )=A0=A0 That one is currently at a local =
childrens' science museum on loan because I felt too guilty about =
keeping it all to myself!
=A0
And of course I have several meteorites that were given to me as gifts =
from very special people which I would not part with for anything!
=A0
I have found that the best part about being a buyer/seller/collector is =
that you may think you have the perfect sample of some particular =
meteorite so you keep it in your collection.=A0 Then, you come across =
one that is even better, so you sell the other one and upgrade your =
sample.=A0 After a while the size of your collection doesn't increase as =
quickly, but its quality and your appreciation for it increases.=A0 As a =
matter of fact, I recently purchased a nice end cut of Toluca from you =
which will upgrade my current piece.=A0 So I will sell my old one, and =
so on and so on.
=A0
I think that some dealers end up having to think too much about their =
bottom line, and what other dealers are doing, and they don't have the =
luxury of just plain loving a meteorite for what it is.=A0 I am glad =
that meteorites are not my bread and butter.=A0 I don't feel compelled =
to attach a dollar figure to them, and I think that collecting helps =
keep me in touch with what I love about them.=A0 I hope you enjoy being =
a dealer,=A0and don't stop collecting what you love!
=A0
Regards,
Jeannie
www.thenaturesource.com
Anchorage, Alaska
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Mike / flattoprocks=20
To: meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com=20
Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 9:16 PM
Subject: [meteorite-list] Collectors and dealers.

Hello list, I do not post very often. I would guess that 90% of the =
meteorite people on the list rarely=A0if ever post. Anyway I was =
wondering if the dealers at the top of the meteorite world still have =
time to collect meteorites? Do you collect each new fall and or find =
that you sell? Is it more fun to sell a new meteorite or to add it to =
your collection?=20
=A0I am fairly new at collecting and selling meteorites. Each time I see =
or find something that is new or different I tend to collect it. I just =
added a Canyon Diablo to my collection that has a hole through it. It =
would be very easy to sell it and make a few bucks, but I would rather =
keep it in my collection. I found a Gold Basin that shows flow lines and =
has a rollover lip, I could sell it for a dollar a gram, but I would =
rather collect it.
=A0I guess I am wondering if anyone is collecting meteorites or just =
selling them. I would like to hear about the really cool one you put in =
your personal collection, maybe even see a picture. I had a friend give =
me a 2 kilo Gibeon (the best I have ever seen) as a gift. I would not =
sell the piece for $100.00 per gram. I also had a friend give me a 14.5 =
gram iron from AZ, I would not sell it for $100.00 per gram either. Am I =
the only collector out there?
Mike Miller=A0 //=A0 E-Bay=A0 flattoprocks
Received on Wed 31 Mar 2004 09:15:05 AM PST