[meteorite-list] ebay auction meteorites + collectors hint

From: Martin Altmann <Altmann_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Nov 4 09:25:27 2004
Message-ID: <009001c4c27a$3a9a35c0$27d4e4d9_at_9y6y40j>

AS: this mail didn't made it through, sorry if it will appear twice.

Hi list,

a kind of price "Catalogue" can easily be compiled by each list member using
Paul&Jim's dealers_list with more than hundred meteorite dealers/collectors:
http://www.meteorite.com/dealer_list.htm

Mail additionally to the offerors with broken links (or to those, who don't
give prices on their websites) and search in google for sales sites not
listed there, thus you will get at the end the assortment of 100-150
meteorite sellers, there aren't much more in web.

Make a price list, with lowest, highest and average prices.
Because of the broad dara base extreme prices will nivellate.

It's a work of 1 week plus, but it will help you to save hundreds and
thousands of bucks or vice versa your collection will grow faster than you
could imagine.
And the meteorite branch is so much smaller than the stamps, coins, barbie
dolls collection field,
there are only a view offerors, no field, where it's easier to have a
survey!

(Thomas Cave did a similar approach, unfortunately he used not enough
dealers in my opinion and mixed his compilation with ebay prices.)

Of course such a list does not reflect the quality of the specimens, small
specks are remarkably more expensive than bulk specimens etc.
but all in all it turned out for me to be extremely helpful in determinating
trade values and in shut one's mouth, if someone has no ideas about pricing,
but addresses to me in a offensive way, that my prices would be ways to
expensive, as it's a special german attitude this year.

Of course NWAs and desert meteorites may change in price very rapidely,
especially such sensible material like Moon and others and in general most
NWAs are dealt in US-ebay,
but for "classics with names" such a list works perfectly.

Ebay has not to be included, as there always happen accidents. A bad
picture, a missing or wrong description, bad feedback, unconfortable payment
methods, non-US-sellers and the result can be ridiculous low, as well as
there are from time to time specimens horribly overpaid.
Not to speak about the work to note all ebay results by hand without
software.

But, doesn't matter - in other collecting fields there won't be paid
catalogue's prices neither and such a list gives you an excellent
orientation.
Just bid a fraction of the average price of a location and you will be on
the save side.
Also on fairs it will help you to haggle and to find some real bargains.
(And you won't loose your face, as it happens, if you'll address to a dealer
expressing undiscutable and ridicolous low price imaginations for a
meteorite, you want to buy).

Additionally you will get a sensation, which dealers in general are tending
to ask high prices and which are all in all so cheap, that it's well worth
to check their assortment frequently.
And finally, if you are reselling meteorites to financiate your collection,
you are able to estimate, which profit or loss is possible.

When I started selling meteorites years ago, first I compiled such a list.
Was very helpful (also I could see, what has sold best, when I made the list
in the following years) in pricing to be competitive with others offerors.
Unfortunately here in Germany the few collectors didn't get it, that I
priced my material quite affordable and the Americans tend to buy somewhat
more expensive at their home dealers as they often don't notice dealers from
other countries,

so that I finally would appreciate, if someone would compile such a list and
would it put online, accessible for everyone.
(Perhaps I'll do so next year, at the moment I have no time. And then in my
hybris this catalogue has to be named: "The Little Altmann").

Cheers!
Martin


----- Original Message -----
From: "Bernhard "Rendelius" Rems" <rendelius_at_rpgdot.com>
To: "'Pel? Pierre-Marie'" <pierremariepele_at_yahoo.fr>
Cc: <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Thursday, November 04, 2004 12:52 PM
Subject: [meteorite-list] RE: Ad ebay meteorites


Yes, but what for?

Everyone can check prices for meteorites with little effort using google
- and having something like an "half-official" price list just opens the
doors for fights between dealers. Everybody will want his own meteorites
being priced higher and those of competitors lower.

And you simply can't compare the meteorite market to the stamps or coins
market. Totally different things.

What should such a price list be for? The meteorite market is volatile
(need I have to say "Amgala"?) and such a list will be obsolete for many
meteorites within months. What are you trying to achieve? Hold prices up
for moon and mars artificially? It just won't work.

The maker of such a list will run into disputes he hasn't even dreamed
of...
Received on Thu 04 Nov 2004 09:26:08 AM PST