[meteorite-list] (AD) Collector Card Series vs Chladni Casket series Pepsi vs Coke

From: Martin Altmann <altmann_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed Nov 1 07:44:32 2006
Message-ID: <03d901c6fdb3$75904400$4f41fea9_at_name86d88d87e2>

Hiho list,

the preparations for the Munich show are in full swing, first collectors and
dealers arrived.
Now I found the Hupe`s Collectors Cards advertised here and I can't
understand the grief expressed about them by some voices, nor do we join the
chorus, also we introduced 10 days ago our form of a collectors series with
planetary material.
www.chladnis-heirs.com/special.html

You have to keep in mind, that those cards, like the Hup?s produced, do not
primarily address to the meteorite collectors audience, but they are
qualified to arouse the interest of laymen, who will get so for the first
time in contact with meteorites.

Our job as dealers is not only to sell meteorites and to make money, to make
accessible new and old localities and types to the established meteorite
collectors, but also to reach people, who never heard about meteorites, to
lead and guide newbies and new collectors to that field of collecting and to
propagate and to popularize our fascinating hobby!

Why do you thing e.g. Robert Haag is a living legend? Because he collected
and sold meteorites? Certainly not, others do so too - but he was a showman,
using all opportunities to transport his enthusiasm and the breathtaking
aspect of meteorites.

So what the heck is wrong with such funny cards? They are a nice gimmick,
and it's obsolete to discuss, whether the cutting dust inside has a
scientific relevance or of which collector's value such "samples" may be.

The important thing is, that every layman, who will get such a card in his
hands, certainly won't put in the drawer as it is, but will start to learn
about meteorites and will try to find out more about the stuff,
so that such a card can be the initial ignition to be a meteorite collector!

Well, for those specialized collectors not content in receiving only some
dust and for those don't having the humour to recognize, that not the dust,
but the cards per se as curiosity are collectible items,
there exist our Chladni-Cases, where we used substantial specimens to fill
them.
They are no cards, but real display boxes, containing samples, often with
cut surfaces, which are more representative for the stone used.
In this respect they certainly address not only to laymen, but also to
meteorite collectors - and they'll offer the opportunity for the low and
lowest budget collectors - and many of them lament, that meteorite
collecting is an expensive passion - to assemble not only "names" and
"numbers" squired by a few molecules of that find or fall, but to own at
least a piece, wherefore they don't need a microscope to enjoy it,
- to say it more simple: They are macroscopic micromounts.

For laymen they are more attractive, cause with the different pictoral
motives they're designed more eye-catching than bare membrane boxes or small
gem cases - the sizes are standardized, so that the collector hasn't the
problem to cope with boxes of different sizes and appearances and specimen-
and description cards flying all around, but will be able to display his
collection nicely and neatly.
(We will offer later trays, into which one can stick the boxes and where one
can store them easily or one can hang the trays on the walls for display).
And depending on the success and the acceptance of that idea, we may issue
collector's albums containing information about those meteorites or booklets
with texts and pictures about those localities. Hey, that's fun!
Thus a new and educative and inexpensive form of meteorite collecting is
born.
Additionally in collecting those Chladni-Cases of course one will have the
extra-kick of all the typical mechanism of collecting, in keeping the
collection complete, in filling the gaps, in trading and swapping ect.

Now of course the moaners will jump out of the bushes and will scream and
blame us to destroy the most beautiful specimens, pieces ect for the only
purpose to satisfy our commercial greed.
To those I have to say, that we are competent enough to preserve those
specimens worthy to be preserved - and by the way those always being the
first in pointing with the fingers on sellers of micromounts, are often
exactly those, who, if one offer large sized slices or whole stones, will
shrug their shoulders and never will buy, telling, oh it's to large for me
or will suggest prices far below a dealer's buying price - as meteorite
dealers would have the ethical obligation to work for no pay as Mothers
Theresae.

Anyway - the Hupes told you the amount of time and money to produce such
nice little items - our boxes are handcrafted too, the boxes, the designed
inlays do cost, to produce them is a job of enthusiasts and not of
calculating economists. - Which you'll easily able to relate to, if you
check the prices and the weights of the boxed samples.
Btw that's the reason, why we don't have to fear plagiarism, cause producing
such boxes isn't directly profitable.
Money we make with larger pieces, to offer such sized and designed
meteoritical collectibles is our service to the small collector, whose
enthusiasm for meteorites is in no way inferior to the addiction of the big
collectors - (often because they aren't spoiled with material they are by
far not so blunted than the latter, but really enjoy each of their pieces,
as small it may be compared to the museum-size-collectors. Keep the fire
burning!).

Now our first series of 2 lunaites are issued, we chose an Apollo-design,
the first orders and requests prove, that we hit the nail right on the head,
dealers from other branches asked to buy large quantities. Tomorrow we'll
start to offer them on the Munich fair and we're thrilled to see the
reactions of those people, who never heard about meteorites and lunaites.

Of course we won't throw our fine full- and partslice in the shredder to
satisfy the demand, the edition is limited.
(If you still want a box, you've to tell asap, for us putting one aside on
the show for you and be patient, it can take a while until you hear back, as
we're all on the show now).
More series, not only of planetary material, but also of historic falls ect.
will follow.

I still have to remind you, that the naming competition hasn't finished yet.
Find a name for those boxes and win a lunar box size M, S, XS!
Decision we will make after the show on Monday.

And here they are!
www.chladnis-heirs.com/special.html


All the Best!
Martin



-----Urspr?ngliche Nachricht-----
Von: meteorite-list-bounces_at_meteoritecentral.com
[mailto:meteorite-list-bounces_at_meteoritecentral.com] Im Auftrag von Adam
Hupe
Gesendet: Mittwoch, 1. November 2006 06:32
An: meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com
Betreff: [meteorite-list] New Collector Card Series

Thanks Ed,

Stonehenge was selected as an icon because it is a well-known ancient
observatory where both the Lunar and Maritain cycles were witnessed among
other celestial bodies. As a matter of fact, the table stone in the center
of Stonehenge is used to track the Moon.

I have had outside interest in mass producing a similar series but this
simply isn't possible. There is no automated way of depositing the aliquot
in the sample bay due to variability so this was done manually, a very time
consuming process. Also, the scarcity of planetary material available to
such a project would not allow for mass production. I priced all of the
cards the same although my costs exceeded that of production in a few cases.

The Artwork alone added a considerable amount to my costs. The nice thing
is that I got a new logo out of the deal.

I only produced 50 of each to see what happens. In all honesty, any revenue

generated by this project will come no where near close to offsetting the
costs of cutting loses. I just thought it would be a fun project and a good
way to distribute small fragments/cutting dust in a presentable package. It
took me over 5 years to collect sterile cutting dust or small fragments from

12 different planetary meteorites. It is the least expensive way for many to

actually own a piece of the Moon or Mars, assemble an SNC set or own a piece

of both the Highlands and Mare regions of the Moon plus I think they are
cool!

Take Care,

Adam
 


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Received on Wed 01 Nov 2006 07:44:22 AM PST