[meteorite-list] AD: METEORITE CLASSIFICATION SERVICE

From: Michael L Blood <mlblood_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed Jul 12 16:21:10 2006
Message-ID: <C0DAA7B3.2CB1C%mlblood_at_cox.net>

Hi Stan,
        While I more than appreciate your concern - since I am a collector
and a dealer, of course, I would share your perspective IF that were
what the center were about. However, in protracted discussions with
Marvin and Dr. Lauretta that is certainly not the sense I get, at all.
In fact, the goal of the center is to buy from dealers/finders only portions
of each fall and find - leaving the remainder of each fall/find available to
the collecting community.
        Now, I can tell you as a dealer there is no way (and Marvin, having
been a dealer for years is well aware of this) I or any other dealer would
sell them material for less than they (the dealers) could get for it on the
market. They (the institution) know they will be paying and they don?t
have any interest in
>"their goal as keeping rare material off the collector's market"
- indeed, they would only like to get a significant percentage of said
material. (Note, for example, what Bob Haag did with Zagami - cut up
and sold a significant percentage - and kept a significant percentage).
It will be far more conceivable for the center to get a percentage of
everything than to attempt to
>"own the very stones they are classifying."
[paraphrased]
        Even if the center were able to generate a small fortune in funding,
it would still be far more realistic to get some of everything than all of
some things. Only Bill Gates could afford to buy every gram of material
"on the market." And even then, other institutions will have their holdings
which are never for sale - at best available as a percentage used as trade
for other material.
        So, if anyone is holding the illusion that Marvin Killgore or anyone
else at the center is so na?ve as to think they could generate the hundreds
and hundreds of millions of dollars it would take to buy EVERYTHING,
please be informed that they are not - nor is that their goal. Their goal is
to ultimately build the largest, most representative repository and display
of meteorites in the world - that is a sufficiently large goal - owning
every gram of meteoritic material would be not only beyond any institution's
reach, it would not be desirable.
        It sounds, however, like you heard them come across more like rabid
animal rights maniacs who think no one should ever eat meat, wear
leather shoes (let alone fur), do ANY animal testing of any kind - in
fact, no one should ever own any animal at all - and if they disagree
with my perspective, they deserve to be killed - because they are being
speciscentric!
        I guess I look at them more as trying to maintain a zoo where all
the DNA is protected. It doesn't mean there can't be many more wild
animals "out there" as well as private owners of animals - or hunters.
In fact, the institutions are dependant upon meteorite hunters directly
as well as the private meteorite collectors (which create a market)
indirectly - or there would be no motivation for the hunters and dealers
to make the material available.
        Best wishes, Michael

        

         




on 7/12/06 12:37 PM, stan . at laser_maniac_at_hotmail.com wrote:

> Michael,
>
> This is a somewhat touchy subject that I'm about to bring up, so I will just
> come out and say it.
>
> Nothing against Killgore or Dr. Lauretta personally, but lets not forget
> that their new meteorite center was founded because of the 'private
> collecting community cutting up and distributing rare material' their
> mission statement seems to sugest their goal as keeping rare material off
> the collector's market.
>
> While there is some convincing arguments that could be had about preserving
> meteorites, I feel there is even more argument for allowing the collecting
> community to continue what it has been doing - collecting metorites.
>
> Why should collectors and dealers alike patronize a facility that thinks
> they shouldnt have the very stones the facility is classifying for them? It
> seems like a case of not just letting the wolf guard the hen house, but
> giving him a bib, knife, fork, bottle of BBQ sauce and a rotisserie cooker
> to boot!
>
>
>
>
>
>> I am just wondering how you can "disagree" with a statement
>> that something MAY be available to people and the suggestion that
>> they check it out for themselves?
>> It doesn't sound like you have called Dr. Lauretta at the number
>> I posted.
>> Jeez, Mark - it seems like you must have something going on other
>> than what is on the surface of this information.
>> I'll give Dr. Lauretta a call myself and let y'all know what he
>> has
>> to say.
>> Best wishes, Michael
>
>

--
The greater a person's sense of guilt, the greater his or her need to cast
blame on others.
     Anon.
--
"Is our children learning?"
"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully."
"More and more of our imports come from overseas."
"The very act of spending money can be expensive."
    George W. Bush

Received on Wed 12 Jul 2006 04:20:51 PM PDT