[meteorite-list] Langs' Auction - I Hope This Is The Last Time

From: Michael Farmer <meteoriteguy_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2007 13:27:28 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <434439.52269.qm_at_web33110.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

Sorry Geoff, but I beg to differ. you imply that I
"made up" the fact that AL told myself, many people in
the room, and Achim that his pieces were stolen. HE
TOLD ME THAT. I never said that Al reported it to the
list, indeed, I did that. I am pissed off that I was
lied to, and Achim was lied to. You also left out that
fact that Al went off on Achim for having the gaul to
demand the pieces he won. Al did not just nicely tell
Achim the pieces were stolen, he had a huge fight with
Achim.
I know that you are close to the Langs, but please do
not try to imply that all this is one big
misunderstanding. It is not, we were lied to.
Trying to pretend that al and Iris are the nicest
people in the world and bad'ol Farmer, Hupe, Achim,
and others are "ganging up" on them is not correct
Geoff. I suggest you ask Steve Arnold about a similar
situation about 9 years ago when Steve was working
hand in hand with Michael and Cathy Casper, he said
the same thing to me, that they were the nicest and
best people in the world, until they SCREWED him over
and I believe you as well? Steve apologized to me
later that I was right.
Al and Iris got caught. I have a great many private
emails from other buyers confirming that. Now I have
other things to do than worry about something that
actually did not affect me or my pocketbook, so I also
will drop all this unless I am called names again like
Charlie Devine and now Nelson Oaks did.
I will leave the rest to those who were wronged to
deal with it now.
Michael Farmer

--- Notkin <geoking at notkin.net> wrote:

> Dear Michael, Mike, Greg, Charlie, Ryan and others:
>
> Please be advised that Iris Lang is seriously ill
> and had to be
> hospitalized following the auction. She is with her
> doctors in Florida
> at the moment. I spoke with her two days ago and
> advised her to rest
> and to try and not worry about all this hubbub.
>
> I consider you all friends, and anyone who knows me
> also knows that the
> Langs are close friends of mine and we've worked
> together for many
> years. That being said, I hope you will consider the
> following comments
> to be accurate and impartial. I really don't want to
> waste more of the
> List's time, but somebody has to step up and put all
> this nonsense to
> rest.
>
> I was a volunteer (non-paid) helper at the Langs'
> auction. The auction
> is a fun event and I like to help my friends. I
> bought the champagne. I
> invited my friend Lisa Marie to be the hostess. I
> helped describe some
> of the lots, and assisted with spotting bids. I was
> also there long
> before the auction started and was still there long
> after it closed.
>
> Here's what happened.
>
> Mike Farmer: YOU posted to the List and said those
> three meteorites had
> been stolen, not Al. I know other meteorites were
> stolen during the
> Tucson show and you were only trying to help, but Al
> had said they
> "could not be accounted for."
>
> A silly and embarrassing error was made during the
> auction. I'll try to
> explain it simply and clearly:
>
> - Some absentee bids were not shouted out during the
> live auction. It
> was crowded, people were drinking, there was a lot
> of excitement --
> including a TV cameraman filming in the room for
> K-OLD Tucson news --
> and a very few bids just plain got missed. Only a
> small number of lots
> were affected. Embarrassing mistake but not "fraud"
> or a "rip-off."
>
> - There was only one master list of final bids. The
> evening following
> the auction, Iris took that list and sent out email
> notifications to
> all the top bidders. On that list were absentee bids
> for some of
> Achim's lots that were higher than Achim's actual
> in-room bids. Iris
> just automatically contacted every highest bidder,
> not realizing some
> of those bids hadn't been shouted out at the
> Auction. Embarrassing
> mistake but not "fraud" or a "rip-off."
>
> - When the lots were packed up and taken home by
> bidders, Al noticed
> that three were missing. They were all lots that had
> been won by Achim.
> At that point, Mike Farmer -- trying to help his
> colleague -- posted to
> the List that they'd been stolen.
>
> - Achim didn't come by to pick up his winnings UNTIL
> THE NEXT DAY.
> Nobody realized an error had been made until then.
> The three pieces
> couldn't be found but Iris had -- the day before --
> already
> accidentally notified absentee bidders that they had
> won those lots.
> Embarrassing mistake but not "fraud" or a "rip-off."
>
> - Later, the three lots turned up in a box in the
> kitchen and they are
> now ON THEIR WAY TO ACHIM. Allan telephoned the
> people who had made
> higher absentee bids on those lots, apologized,
> explained what had
> happened and everything is cool with everyone.
>
> People, listen up: Allan is not going to risk
> ruining his business
> relationship with Achim or other serious collectors
> for fifty bucks, or
> whatever the total discrepancy was.
>
> Now please, read the above again carefully, and hear
> what I'm saying.
> There was nothing shady going on at the auction. I
> know you guys are
> all perfect and have never made a mistake with math,
> but please show a
> little charity for those who have : )
>
> I apologize to the 750 people on this List who were
> not at the auction
> and don't care about any of this. Al has to
> personally contact just one
> more high bidder and then everyone is happy except
> Mike and Greg, and
> Greg you weren't even at the auction, and Mike I
> know you have a strong
> sense of justice, but this whole thing has been
> blown WAY out of
> proportion.
>
> I am really busy following the Tucson show, so can
> we PLEASE avoid
> another long drawn-out discussion about every detail
> in this post. I am
> really fed up with auctions and would like to take
> some nice
> Sikhote-Alin photos for Michael Johnson's Pic of the
> Day.
>
> Thanks for listening.
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Geoff N.
> Aerolite Meteorites
> Tucson, AZ
>
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Received on Thu 15 Feb 2007 04:27:28 PM PST