[meteorite-list] Self Proclaimed Pairings Issues (SPPI)

From: Rob McCafferty <rob_mccafferty_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri May 5 16:42:50 2006
Message-ID: <20060505204236.24860.qmail_at_web50905.mail.yahoo.com>

I know better than to get involved in this discussion
but I am going to anyway

> there are no 'rules' when it comes to offering
> material for sale (other than
> not violating copyrights). The NomCom, the IMCA and
> Adam Hupe are NOT
> regulatory bodies who have the authority to police
> the hobby/industry nor
> make binding resolutions that must be followed.

That's a fair point Stan but as someone new to this
game, I appreciate there being a a body out there who
are trying to make sure the little guy isn't getting
ripped off. Now I'm not so naive to think that there
are purely altruistic reasons for this, I can think of
several hedonistic, though justifiable reasons
immediately and a couple of cynical ones too but I'm
trying to get kids interested in our hobby (livelyhood
for a lot of you) and I don't want them spending money
on junk when there is a way to be sure you're getting
the real deal and the IMCA are helping in that regard.
I don't believe anyone is objecting to this. I suspect
they are angry at some self appointed body with no
real legal authority throwing its weight around. Now
as meteorite enthusiasts, we know a lot of damage can
be done when weight is thrown around the universe.
Maybe IMCA et al have not been very delicate in the
past I really don't know as it hasn't effected me. I
occasionally wonder why some people may be angry and
suspect a lack of subtlty is to blame. Or maybe not.

> It
> should be up to the collector to decide if the
> dealer's judgement is
> sufficent guarantee as to the identity of a
> prospective purchase.

And this is the whole point of why I support Adam's
original mail. A 14 year old kid buying his first
meteorite may not have the skills or judgement to make
a properly informed decision. We can always tell them
to go to a dealer but ebay is such a convenient shop
window and I reckon I've taken a few bargains from it
which may have cost far more direct from a dealer.

Words such as "likely", "I believe", "in my opinion"
are unhelpful at best. I may not agree that terming
something as a "likely pairing" is tantamount to theft
but I'm seeing it from a different position. My home
doesn't depend on it.

I'm not taking sides, I won't get involved in one of
the petty discussions that sometimes occur when this
type of subject comes up. It's why I feel my getting
involved is against all my better judgement and if
someones going to give me abuse over my point of view
I'm going to have to take it for being stupid enough
to open my mouth.
I seldom agree with the opinions of the "bigger boys"
in the business and I wouldn't expect that I would.
However, on this occasion I feel so strongly that I
really must make a comment on behalf of the nobodies.
I dread the day one of my students comes in with a
lump of junk they bought and are so proud of what they
think is a meteorite and clearly isn't or saved up for
a Martian rock which turns out to be an ordinary
chondrite.

Thanks for taking the time to read my opinion

Rob McCafferty



--- "stan ." <laser_maniac_at_hotmail.com> wrote:

>
> >Collectors are entitled to official material or at
> the very least
> >provisional if the rules are being adhered to.
> *snip* The rules have been
> >clear
> >for the last two years and to continually violate
> them will only serve to
> >undermine collector confidence.
>
> there are no 'rules' when it comes to offering
> material for sale (other than
> not violating copyrights). The NomCom, the IMCA and
> Adam Hupe are NOT
> regulatory bodies who have the authority to police
> the hobby/industry nor
> make binding resolutions that must be followed.
>
> Collectors are entitled to DISCLOSURE. There is
> nothing wrong with saying 'I
> belive this material to be paired to xxx' because a
> dealer who says that is
> giving his customer information to use in making a
> purchasing decision. It
> should be up to the collector to decide if the
> dealer's judgement is
> sufficent guarantee as to the identity of a
> prospective purchase. If a
> collector wants to buy only 'offical' material thats
> fine, if the collector
> doesnt mind buying unofficial material that is fine
> too.
>
> To suggest otherwise is like saying any coin dealer
> who sells anything but
> pcgs slabs is out to screw his customers - in short,
> BS.
>
>
> ______________________________________________
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> Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com
>
http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
>


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Received on Fri 05 May 2006 04:42:36 PM PDT