AW: [meteorite-list] meteorite prices

From: Jörn Koblitz <koblitz_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Nov 4 13:02:00 2004
Message-ID: <E5E6112EA31FA24CB448E091C6883C050EBD2C_at_server2000.microfab.de>

Bernhard: I agree. Could be a scenario for the near future.

Martin: I think you are correct in your analysis regarding the Moroccan dealers. However, I think that they serve mainly the other - specialized - meteorite dealers on a wholesale basis. Their presence at mineral fairs like Munich is nice and there they will also reach serious collectors like you, but I assume that the "big deals" are already done, either in Morocco or at the first day, when the mineral show isn't open to the public. That's what I was frequently told by other (specialized) dealers. These "specialized" meteorite dealer serve the retail market, including eBay. My impression is that most medium-rare types like eucrites, howardites, ureilites are sold around 10 to 20$/g. Only in few instances - often with larger pieces - prices of less than 5$/g are realized. In Munich, I was lucky to buy a 100g individual of a howardite (paired with NWA 1929) from a Moroccan dealer (he knew what he sold!) for just 2.5 $/g. The same material - a slice of about 1 grams just went on ebay for about 20$/g. I always
wonder, who buys at such price levels. Probably, those, who do not have the chance to visit mineral fairs like Munich, Ensisheim or Tucson.

J?rn


> -----Urspr?ngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: Bernhard Rems [mailto:rendelius_at_rpgdot.com]
> Gesendet: Donnerstag, 4. November 2004 18:39
> An: J?rn Koblitz
> Cc: Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com
> Betreff: AW: [meteorite-list] meteorite prices
>
>
> My theory (and I might be wrong):
>
> The number of "occasional" collectors will continue to grow.
> Occasional
> in this regard means that they will try to build a collection, but are
> limited on the amount of money they WANT to spend on a piece. I'd say
> 95% of the collectors out there now have a limit of $100-200 of what
> they are willing to pay for a single piece. They will never buy a 600g
> Brahin or a 5g martian (well, on very rare occasions, maybe).
>
> The "high price market" will grow much slower than this entry level
> segment. It will grow as well, since some of the entry levellers will
> become passionate collectors.
>
> So the shortage of OC's that could happen soon could have two effects:
> prices will rise in relation to the "better" meteorites, and
> sold pieces
> will become smaller.
>
> I predict that the boom markets for meteorites will be the OC markets
> and micromounts of rarer meteorites.
>
> Bernhard
>
> -----Urspr?ngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: meteorite-list-bounces_at_meteoritecentral.com
> [mailto:meteorite-list-bounces_at_meteoritecentral.com] Im
> Auftrag von J?rn
> Koblitz
> Gesendet: Donnerstag, 04. November 2004 18:17
> An: Greg Hupe; Michael Farmer
> Cc: meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com
> Betreff: AW: [meteorite-list] meteorite prices
>
> Certainly, there are many more ordinary chondrites (OCs) from the hot
> desert and rare types like achondrite probably make up just one or two
> percent of it...
>
> ...but, considering the fairly high prices for the rare types and the
> limited spending capacity of this market segment (collectors
> as well as
> museums/research institutes), my impression is, that OCs are
> easily sold
> in "tons" at price levels of 50 to 100$/kg, wereas the rare stuff is
> being sold on a gram or even milligram scale.
>
> Wouldn't it take a very long time, to get all the howardites, polymict
> eucrites, rumurutiites, martian meteorites (considering alone the TKWs
> of DaG 476 or SaU 005 and pairings) hiding in the back rooms
> of Moroccan
> and non-Moroccan dealers?
>
> I assume, that the prices for OCs - especially those with
> nice shapes or
> fairly unweathered interior - will rise soon, whereas most of the rare
> types will stay at high level or will even decline.
>
> Any objections?
>
> Cheers,
> J?rn
>
> > -----Urspr?ngliche Nachricht-----
> > Von: Greg Hupe [mailto:gmhupe_at_tampabay.rr.com]
> > Gesendet: Donnerstag, 4. November 2004 18:44
> > An: Michael Farmer
> > Cc: meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com
> > Betreff: Re: [meteorite-list] ebay auction meteorites
> >
> >
> > Hi Mike,
> >
> > I concur! The gold rush is already showing signs of ending.
> > The Moroccans
> > are pulling out their "good" material and acting in a
> > feverish, money lust,
> > frenzy to get the last buck from those who deal there.
> >
> > Greg
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Michael Farmer" <meteoritehunter_at_comcast.net>
> > To: "Martin Altmann" <Altmann_at_Meteorite-Martin.de>; "MARK BOSTICK"
> > <thebigcollector_at_msn.com>; <meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com>
> > Sent: Thursday, November 04, 2004 10:27 AM
> > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] ebay auction meteorites
> >
> >
> > > On two expeditions in Oman, we found over 100 meteorites
> > before finding my
> > > first achondrite, a rare type of Ureilite.
> > > Achondrites are rare, the flood from Morocco will soon end.
> > > Mike Farmer
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Martin Altmann" <Altmann_at_Meteorite-Martin.de>
> > > To: "MARK BOSTICK" <thebigcollector_at_msn.com>;
> > > <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
> > > Sent: Thursday, November 04, 2004 7:19 AM
> > > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] ebay auction meteorites
> > >
> > >
> > >> Hiho Mark,
> > >>
> > >> the region does not make the difference, the finders do!
> > >>
> > >> In Antarctica it's the common process, to number each
> > stone seperately -
> > >> take a look at the Bulletins, there you'll find rare
> > types, found in the
> > >> same place on the same day with different numbers.
> > >> Sahara in general is different, in Oman never were so much
> > hunters around
> > >> as
> > >> in Libya and the Oman stuff does not end up in Morocco.
> > >> And the teams in Oman give always all their finds from one
> > aerea as a
> > >> bunch
> > >> in classification, most in the same place. So different
> > conditions as
> > >> with
> > >> the NWA-stuff.
> > >> Meanwhile a beginning collector must have the impression, that a
> > >> howardite,
> > >> a mesosiderite, a CV3 or a olivine diogenite must be
> > something extremely
> > >> common, as always when a new one is coming out, in the
> > months to follow,
> > >> appears a dozen numbers of the same material.
> > >> But ask f.e. Afanasjev or Haberer how many ordinary
> > chondrites you have
> > >> to
> > >> hunt down, until you'll find an achondrite! Make some
> > stats NWA versus
> > >> Dho,
> > >> with the latter I suppose you will get different ratios of
> > rare types to
> > >> common ones, if you count the numbers as own finds.
> > >>
> > >> And of course many of the OCs from Oman are similar
> > looking as in most
> > >> cases, they ae very weathered, W3-4. But take a look in
> > the lists from
> > >> the
> > >> Bulletins, where you can see from the date of find and the
> > coordinates,
> > >> that
> > >> mostly a large series of subsequent numbers were found on
> > the same trip,
> > >> there you have a wide variety of Ls and Hs with different
> > Fa and Fs
> > >> values
> > >> and weathering degrees.
> > >>
> > >> So I think, if it costs the same, Stevey is not wrong to
> > prefer Dho
> > >> instead
> > >> of NWA, as in my eyes, they have a higher collector's
> > value (and I'm
> > >> really
> > >> no fan of desert chondrites, I'm sooo conservative and
> > collect names).
> > >>
> > >> Cheeers!
> > >> Martin
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> ----- Original Message -----
> > >> From: "MARK BOSTICK" <thebigcollector_at_msn.com>
> > >> To: <Altmann_at_Meteorite-Martin.de>;
> > <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
> > >> Sent: Thursday, November 04, 2004 2:38 PM
> > >> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] ebay auction meteorites
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>> Hello Martin,
> > >>>
> > >>> I do not keep a list of paired meteorites or possible
> > paired meteorites.
> > >>>
> > >>> Dhofar is no different then DaG or other like regions. I
> > have traded
> > >>> more
> > >>> in DaG so I could tell you some pairs in it. I have seen
> > a few tables
> > >>> of
> > >>> Dhofar's where you have several H5 or L6's that look a
> lot alike.
> > >>>
> > >>> There have been pairing studies done in DaG, Roosvelt
> County and
> > >>> Anartica.
> > >>> In all of these high collection places pairings were
> > found to be pretty
> > >>> common. Which I do not see as any problem and that was
> > not a negative
> > >>> Dhofar comment. Anyone thinking it was negative is free
> > to send me all
> > >>> their Roosevelt County meteorites. Should a pairing
> > study be made, I
> > >> think
> > >>> the numbers say you will find Dhofar no different then
> > other areas of
> > >>> meteorite concentration.
> > >>>
> > >>> The naming rules in all these areas say pretty much,
> > unless it fits
> > >>> together, it gets a different name...or number as it is.
> > We seem to
> > >>> have
> > >>> changed this a little to, found within a few feet, as
> > many of the DaG's
> > >> with
> > >>> the same number do not fit together.
> > >>>
> > >>> On my website you will find I have many Dhofar, DaG and
> other like
> > >> numbered
> > >>> meteorites. However, if you check the gallery, you
> will see in my
> > >> personal
> > >>> collection, I avoid like classification meteorites from
> > regions of high
> > >>> meteorite concentration.
> > >>>
> > >>> http://www.meteoritearticles.com/photogallerymeteorites.html
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> Mark Bostick
> > >>> www.meteoritearticles.com
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> ______________________________________________
> > >>> Meteorite-list mailing list
> > >>> Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com
> > >>> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
> > >>
> > >> ______________________________________________
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> > >>
> > >
> > >
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Received on Thu 04 Nov 2004 01:03:59 PM PST