[meteorite-list] Michael's meteorite market trends
From: Michael L Blood <mlblood_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Jun 9 21:35:06 2005 Message-ID: <BECE3C6D.1DD1A%mlblood_at_cox.net> OK, I think, after reading all those words, the objection is to the implication I made that one should not purchase or trade with a dealer that is not "established" - and you are right, that is irrational.... and I apologize for the unintended implication. However, I was actually quoting a phrase oft heard in the past wherein "established" and "reputable" were always linked & I did not mean to imply the former. In fact, in the article I state: " It is one thing to buy from a "new" dealer who is advertising in METEORITE MAGAZINE and even though not around a long time, has established as fact an exemplary treatment of customers, standing by everything s/he sells with a life time guarantee of authenticity, accepting any and all returns should a customer be dissatisfied in any way, etc." -- So, to rephrase: it is asinine to deal with people who's reputations for dishonest dealing proceed them.(period - this is the main thrust of the article) As an add on, I believe one should also proceed with caution when dealing with someone yet to establish their reliability. I state this more as reasonable behavior than behavior which I always practice, myself. I tend to take people at their word until they prove themselves unworthy of trust. At any rate, sorry to all if there was any confusion in my intended statements. Best wishes, Michael on 6/9/05 3:27 PM, MexicoDoug_at_aol.com at MexicoDoug@aol.com wrote: > Michael B. wrote: >> This sort of ignores the fact that I was specifically referring to the >> practice of dealing with known criminals and rip off artists. > > Martin A. must have seen Star Wars dubbed in German if at all (Martin - > Michael signed his article in Yodish. That is where it started). Dave > Freeman > vanquished Yoda by hallucinating about "good herb", now Yoda has left... > > Michael, I repeat Yoda's carefully addressed thoughts on your theme of > purchasing from SCAM ARTISTS which you clearly expressed in the article: > "Foolish > then is it, morals they have not. The Jedi who heeds not the counsel of the > Force, to the dark side he listens, yes...." > > Yoda is definitely not ignoring you and hopes that, "disagreement alone you > seek not, for disagreement then find you shall...hmmmm...." In translating > his Yodish, he says he agrees with you that once the dark side is detected, > one is a fool to deal again with a particular individual.... > > The objection is that in making your general SCAMMER ATTACK, with which we > agree completely, we noticed clearly a negative energy and a mixing of the > dark side with respect to the "newbe", unknowns, even though you may have not > intended this at all. Yoda cautioned me always to give a "newbe" the benefit > of the doubt and thus create positive energy and a greater network within the > "hobby" and for growth. Yoda favors the stimulation and grooming of good > dealers right from birth to become good, contributing citizens of the > Republic, > and is troubled by several statements in your article, including but not > limited to what I will refer to as "Michael's Mantra": > > Michael's Mantra: > *It wasn't long ago that collectors frequently uttered the admonishment, > "buy only from established dealers with flawless reputations." It isn't as > though there are not enough of us to go around. Yet, now that it clearly > matters, > it seems I haven't heard that phrase in recent times?.* > > I have problems with your logic - but not at all with you, who I respect as > generally a positive, contributiong member to our community. This logic to > me is much worse than the type that resulted in the recent Iraqi War. The > fact that the mantra may be a suspicion in ONE or SOME case(s) doesn't mean > it > is true in ALL cases, and to act this way is not without it's negative side > effects. So it is potentially a very damaging mantra. And of course the > market recognizes this, though not in the orderly fashion we can easily pin > down... > > A dealer who is not established, obviously has no reputation, and if > anything, it is up to the established dealers with flawless reputations to be > stewards of trust. If that trust is violated, your article rings true. If > not, it > is a mantra that becomes for a bizarre barrier to entry for many nice > meteorite collectors out there and creates a stoogy community concentrated > among > fewer. My view is the more the merrier, and that is why I was so quick to > respond to Martin A's exciting post of more European friends to make. In > Martin > H's post he also makes a few very good points, and I would go further and say > rather than attempt to protect a "newbe" which might been seen by the > greenhorn as condescending, I would encourage him to be conservative at first > but > most definitely purposely depart from mantra and make new trades with new > friends from new places. The super dealers have nothing to worry about. We > do > business with them not so much as for their reputation, as for our personal > experiences with them. That is why Martin H. and Serge V. are gentle giants > among their peers for me and one or two BIG guys are of more questionable > repute...No substitute for a calculated approach to crack open the market. > > Regarding dealers and collectors, to me the line between "us" and "them" > doesn't exist. We are all dealers and collectors and trade, sales and > purchases > are necessary for any hardworking collector to build a great collection, > necessitating our bending over backwards to create positive energy. There is > nothing wrong with making a livelihood out of it as well, of course, but such > superdealers shan't overshadow the thousands more who are working diligently > for enough feedback to have a nice reputation, too. > > So when we discover and sufficiently confirm dishonesty, ostracism is the > modus operandi, but before that encouragement should be the rule. We have > seen > enough superdealer wars and heard what has been said to know that no person > walks on water, which clouds with the profit motive taking front row. We > need to take small, calculated-informed risks to create a more interesting > and > robust trade with each "newbe" that is attracted. Otherwise we could become > stuck with many one time sales rusting away in drawers across the world where > interests have moved on... > > You article for me had one very cogent point, but some spare baggage from > the past, that you seem to be shedding quite conservatively...If that baggage > it > would be a pleasure to serve on Captain Blood's discrete scammer lynch > team... > Saludos, Doug > > > > > > on 6/9/05 9:32 AM, MexicoDoug_at_aol.com at MexicoDoug@aol.com wrote: > >> These new dealers, if fear us they do, help us they will not. If hate us >> they do, hunt us they will. Think Yoda, good is it, yes....Encouragement >> from >> us, this buying of meteorites from new dealers it is.... A positive > network >> it makes, hmmmm....Positive Force to the hobby it brings....yes, expand > does >> the force as our universe it will. Agree with Master Blood Yoda not, > unless >> seen the Dark Force once, other Jedi masters and children do, hmmmmm. >> Foolish then is it, morals they have not. The Jedi who heeds not the > counsel >> of >> the Force, to the dark side he listens, yes... >> Yoda I am. > > > -- > "You and I do not see things as they are. We see things as we are." > -Herb Cohen > -- > If a million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing. > > ______________________________________________ > Meteorite-list mailing list > Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > -- "You and I do not see things as they are. We see things as we are." -Herb Cohen -- If a million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.Received on Thu 09 Jun 2005 09:35:25 PM PDT |
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