[meteorite-list] Comments re: membrane boxes from Ron Hartman
From: R. N. Hartman <rhartman04_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat Feb 11 23:25:25 2006 Message-ID: <001301c62f8a$4747fbd0$6401a8c0_at_ronij3wi4b7cpv> Reply from Ron I have enjoyed all the free advertising so far on this list, and have found all the posts of interest. I appreciate healthy debate and the many points that have been made. I would like to address two comments regarding one of the previously sent posts. COMMENT 1)<<You can't tell me that stretching that membrane across the plastic is so much more difficult than sticking a piece of round foam in a jar that it costs 3-4 times as much to make??? REPLY: In fact, it is. There is a great deal of hand assembly in this process. The membrane is attached by a process almost identical to putting a new screen on a screen door and trimming it to size. The stretch has to be just right for the box to have its shock proof characteristics and for the membrane to return to a flat plane when the piece is removed. It requires special tooling and semi-automated machinery, and a skilled person to do the job. We do this ourselves, and it required sending Jim to the factory in Europe for a week of special training plus the purchase and importing of the equipment. If we did not do part of the manufacturing, we could not keep our prices lower than everyone elses. COMMENT 2)<<... and am really annoyed by the mold mark in the middle of it-- exactly where a mold mark should NOT be on a display case>> REPLY: The box is a patented invention, but was not designed with meteorite collectors in mind. It was designed for transportation and/or storage of delicate parts and to provide shock protection. THE GOOD NEWS: Our #10 membrane box, 100 x 50 x 16 mm is our own unique box with NO MOLD MARK OR MARKINGS. We offer it with a colorless latch. It is the ideal size for smal pieces. We provide it with colorless latches. We got into the membrane business a few years ago after reading that a number of collectors were looking for the product. There are other dealers on the web. You can find them by going to Google and typing membrane box into the search. We tried them initially. One such dealer sent loose boxes in a zip-lock bag, so scratched up that half were unusable. Another (and I talked to their CEO personally) took about 3 months to deliver the micro boxes and a third of the boxes were scuffed on one side due to improper packing. Most of these places do not keep much of a stock in inventory, as we try to do. And, we guarantee that our boxes will arrive quickly and fully assembled, in perfect condition and ready to use, or we will replace them. You don't have to worry about broken plastic cases due to rough handling in shipping. We also offer advise and support about the proper sized for your needs. I notice that some other sellers on the web are now including in their ads that the membrane boxes are good for meteorites, although I suspect that most couldn't recognize a meteorite if they tripped on it! I will be pleased to respond to any questions or comments. RON R. N. HARTMAN, Inc. METEORITES AND ACCESSORIES MEMBRANE SUSPENSION BOXES Serving collectors, education and industry worldwide email: info_at_meteorite1.com info_at_membranebox.com visit us on the web at: www.meteorite1.com www.membranebox.com Mailing address: R. N. Hartman 20687-2 Amar Road #400 Walnut, CA 91789 (U.S.A.) ----- Original Message ----- From: Cc: <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com> Sent: Saturday, February 11, 2006 12:36 PM Subject: Re: Re: [meteorite-list] Membrane Boxes On Sat, 11 Feb 2006 13:15:53 -0500, you wrote: >I find Ron Hartman's pricing very reasonable. Try to beat that by buying >from the source in Europe and having them shipped to the US. > The prices are reasonable-- if you are displaying pieces worth a sizable multiple of the price of the membrane box. For instance, a $800 lunar in a $2 membrane box is no big deal. I tend to collect micromounts, both for economic and for space reasons. I thought about putting all of mine into membrane boxes, but I just could not justify paying the price per membrane box when you could get a gem jar of about the same size for a small fraction of the price. The gem jars are about the same size, about the same amount of material, and about the same complexity to manufacture, but because only one company is making the membrane boxes, there is no competition for them, and therefore inflated, monopoly prices. You can't tell me that stretching that membrane across the plastic is so much more difficult than sticking a piece of round foam in a jar that it costs 3-4 times as much to make? I only go with a membrane box for the pieces with great interest on both size. My other micro pieces go into gem jars. Also, I have one of the boxes like this one, and am really annoyed by the mold mark in the middle of it-- exactly where a mold mark should NOT be on a display case: http://home.earthlink.net/~capricorn89/box23.jpg (irrelevant side note-- I worked in a plastics plant running injection molding machines one summer during school, some of the machines the size of rooms. It gives an interesting perspecitive on how plastic objects are made). ______________________________________________ Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 267.15.6/257 - Release Date: 2/10/2006 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 267.15.6/257 - Release Date: 2/10/2006Received on Sat 11 Feb 2006 11:10:37 PM PST |
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