[meteorite-list] No Further "Bessey Specks" PLEASE

From: Michael L Blood <mlblood_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed Oct 18 19:36:32 2006
Message-ID: <C15C0876.2FC66%mlblood_at_cox.net>

PLEASE let's not do a rehash of days of debate
re "preservation" vs Bessey Specks and the like.
(see archives if you are nostalgic about such an
endless debate).
        A true "Bessey Speck" comes from creating
countless dozens (if not hundreds???) of micro-minies
from a tiny crumb - a crumb that is usually the result
of cutting or breaking a specimen.
        Such a crumb is no more "scientifically valuable"
or identifiable, than the dozens and dozens of tinier
pieces that can come from it and if a child or an adult
with limited means can have a piece of the moon or
Lafayette or Yurtuk or whatever for an affordable
price and take satisfaction from it, then it is inevitable
that such a discussion comes down to pure opinion.
        One person says tomato and the other says tomato
and then two then twenty, bla, bla, quack quack.
        Again - if anyone yearns for a hot debate on this
topic, please go to the archives and read the many, many
dozens if not hundreds of emails devoted to same.
        I would never say this out loud, but the idea of a
repeat of that endless debate is ALMOST as chilling
as the thought of a two or more dealers carrying on
and on and on about this or that.
        They all be ducks if the quack.
        My stinking 2 cents.
        If such a "debate" returns I swear I will do
everything in my power to keep out of it.
        Cringing in California,
        Michael

on 10/18/06 3:46 PM, almitt at almitt_at_kconline.com wrote:

> Hi Ed and all,
>
> Why not go to the local pharmacy and buy gelatin capsules. Small items
> can be stuffed into those and placed in a small ryker mount along with a
> label and description information at a fairly reasonable cost. I've done
> this for a long time and sold to many adults, kids and so forth.
>
> As far as Bessey Specks are concern or material that is boarding on
> impossible to see, I'll address this to collectors of such items, such
> items have a limited scientific value as they can't be verified and
> trying to do so would destroy them. I am wondering how difficult such
> small items will be to sell when a collection is offered up. It's a good
> thing to try to offer up crumbs and items that break during cutting and
> polishing, it's another thing to grind up a useful specimen for this
> purpose.
> Our job should be meteorite preservation when ever possible and trying
> to do no damage to specimens that have been around for a long time.
>
> I realize that not everyone can afford nice size chunks of certain rare
> material but if such collectors were to budget then I think they would
> be happier with more realistic sizes. Our attitude of I've got to have
> it now (am I am guilty here) results in a collection with many more
> times the cost in the long run than an item that has some heft and
> doesn't need a quality microscope to see it. Just my perspective from
> selling and not trying to make anyone feel bad here.
>
> --AL Mitterling
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Received on Wed 18 Oct 2006 07:36:06 PM PDT