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

From: Greg Hupe <gmhupe_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2007 21:57:13 -0500
Message-ID: <025901c75176$29538a40$5148b848_at_Gregor>

Hello Geoff,

First, I consider you a friend and respect your personal opinions and
feeling for your long time clients (Allan and Iris). I may not have been at
the Lang's auction personally but was brought in to this discussion by
people who were.

Yes, I am affected, as YOU very well know, by how the Lang's perform their
business practices against their partners and clients. They are willing to
ruin their reputation for an extra buck, I have seen it first hand! They do
not act in a fair manner and change agreements mid-stream to suit their own
financial desires, thus, "Ripping Off" or attempting to rip-off their
business partners. There are many people who have come forward privately but
do not wish to go public, for several reasons. I have tried to settle with
the Lang's for nearly four years, but have always been jerked around, lied
to and at one point settle than have them go sideways and decide they want
more, then more and always more... They are NOT the honorable and ethical
professionals you and a couple others talk about (maybe you and those are
lucky?). They do not honor agreements, they interfere with other's business
affairs and, in my opinion, should not be trusted. They seem to think that
if they ignore or sugar coat their self-made problems, they will just
magically go away. Not this time! It seems the "mistakes" have been mounting
over the years, not just during their auction. Embarrassing "mistakes"
indeed!

As I stated before, dirty or not, it is time to clean the laundry! This is
not going away until the dirt is gone and the laundry is clean.

Best regards,
Greg


----- Original Message -----
From: "Notkin" <geoking at notkin.net>
To: "Meteorite List" <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2007 3:59 PM
Subject: [meteorite-list] Langs' Auction - I Hope This Is The Last Time


> 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 09:57:13 PM PST