[meteorite-list] Re: solution to the number game

From: minador <minador_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon Nov 22 03:26:25 2004
Message-ID: <01c001c4d06c$7638dd20$3a79480c_at_s0024741812>

Hi All,

From: "Comcast Mail" <bobe5531_at_comcast.net>
> I believe ( I know this will not be the popular belief ) that whether a
> meteorite is a find or a fall and has a NWA # or locality name there
> really is no point in renaming specimens. If its the same meteorite .....
> then its the same meteorite.

It might be the same meteorite, but it's not NWA 1110.

It's sort of like two different companies buying bolts from the same
factory. The bolts have the same look, features and reliability. One
company has theirs tested and certified. The other company doesn't (and
gives them a different name and packaging). They're exactly the same in
every respect, but not to a engineering firm with deep pockets (or the
lawyers looking for any reason to sue after a failure of what ever the
engineer makes...). An engineer is going to use the certified bolts if the
application calls for it. I'll opt for the less expensive untested bolts as
I'm only building a "swing set" or the like. And if I'm led to believe they
come from the same bin as the certified ones, there's nothing wrong with
passing that info along. It may or may not be true, but as long as I'm
getting a cheap bolt what do I care? It's obviously they size I need...

The point is that no matter how the same they are, they're not the same.
e.g. RC can't sell their cola in a Coke can. Except if Coke doesn't care,
then it's ok. That's what you're doing when you sell your "NWA 1110".

Just say you bought your unclassified material from a guy in Africa who
claims he sold Adam his NWA 1110 (and that he also claims he collected them
from the same exact location), but that you haven't had it scientifically
tested or paired to the NonCom standards as it pertains to NWA meteorites.
It looks the same, smells the same, but didn't come from the material tested
and named NWA 1110. This tends to build up trust between collectors and
dealers.

Clear skies to all,

Mark Bowling
Vail, AZ
Received on Mon 22 Nov 2004 03:22:45 AM PST