[meteorite-list] European/US market comparison

From: Martin Altmann <altmann_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2008 17:53:52 +0200
Message-ID: <002801c89a59$e93153b0$177f2a59_at_name86d88d87e2>

Hi E.P.

In Europe is going on more than you would expect!
It only isn't noticed that much here on the US-list.

I can speak only for Germany and there happened a lot in the very recent
times, bringing meteorites to a broader attention.

List member Dieter Heinlein designed and equipped a meteorite exhibition
with accompanying booklet, which is on tour through museums and larger
planetaria (planetariums?).

Stephan Decker, dealer and collector, made last year also an exhibition.

Famous meteorite hunter Haberer is travelling around with power point and
slide shows about meteorites and his expeditions in Oman.

Currently there is a special exhibition at the Planetarium/Observatory
Berlin.

Last year there was a larger thematic exhibition, 3d-show ect about Planet
Mars at the planetarium/observatory Laupheim, also exhibiting Mars
Meteorites.

The meteorite section in the Nat.Hist.Museum of Berlin was restored and
newly arranged.

The Senckenberg-Museum in Frankfurt inherited the collections of the IMP
Mainz/Heidelberg and will install a permanent meteorite exhibition.
(Anyone involved here? When will it be ready?).

We have the specialized meteorite fair in Gifhorn each year,

and Ensisheim is only within a stone's throw from the boarder.

The Munich show, as the largest fair in Europe is a meeting point for
meteorites too.

Last year at the Dortmund mineral show the principal topic was meteorites.

With the Ries Crater Museum we have a museum, specialized in meteorites and
craters only.

The mighty curators and classifcators give talks and popular lectures about
meteorites at popular observatories.

Two new meteorite books were published,
one a cool anthology of texts from all millennia and cultures related to
meteorites - edited by list member Matthias Baermann.
Second is a collection of various texts illuminating meteorites from
different angles to come to a more philosophical and cultural view.

A public internet forum was installed, and is still growing.

The iron now found in Antarctica was introduced with a press conference,
it was in all news, on tv, on radio, in the newspaper.
Soon it will be on display in a museum in Munich here, accompanied by
lectured, where the scientists will report about their experiences on the
Antarctic hunt.

In a few weeks, a course of popular lectures will be held by several
meteoriticists in the Ries Crater, also with excursion to the crater
formations.

And a lot of museums, popular observatories and planetaria do have
meteorites on display.

A few years ago, the fall of Neuschwanstein was huge event, occupying the
media for many months - and also later, when the additional pieces were
found (and recently, when the lawsuit about the 3rd stone took place).
Villalbeto was reported in media too, Carancas of course.
Whenever a promising fireball as now over Switzerland and South-West Germany
appears, Thomas Grau is making wind in regional newspaper to get as much
eye-witnesses as possible.
And finally almost no week, where there isn't any documentation in TV about
meteorites, comets, impacts.

In Austria list member Herbert Raab and the Austrian crew made an exhibition
last year, and at present list member Klaus Tschernschitz is planning one.

>>My guess would be museum sales of inexpensive slices

But happened already, is happening all the time.
Many gift shops of natural history museums or technical museums are offering
here small Canyons, 869ers, Campos, as well as some planetarium shops,
science centers and smaller and larger observatories too.

But one special German problem we have, that most of those places with the
highest visitor numbers don't run their shops by their own,
but lease them to extern firms - often firms which run shops in several
museums. (they aren't so clever here like in other countries, where the
shops and an own marketing bring good money for the museums).
And the people in these firms have a background as accountants and as
booksellers. - But you can't run a store of a Nat.Hist.Museum like a store
of an arts museum. - They have indeed no clues about scientific stuff, the
assortments in such shops are uniform - and it costs a lot of stamina to
convince them to try some meteorites. (If they finally take them, they see
that they are working well and selling).
Not so regional and smaller museums, astronomy clubs ect...
So these small, inexpensive meteorites for "meteoritical laymen" are in
Germany already available in many places.
And not only small irons, or Campos/Nantans, which will rust away, so that
the buyer never will want to have to do with meteorites again for the rest
of his life,
no meanwhile also Moon and Mars for a few bucks is available to them!

Our notorious Moon and Mars boxes one can buy already in several museums,
also large ones, planetaria, observatories in Germany (and in a dozen of
other countries too),
and we are very pleased with the sales figures so far.
And therefore we see, that in principle there is a large potential of
demand, and that people can be fascinated by astronomical themes and by
meteorites, to own a piece from space, to hold even a Moon or a Mars in ones
very hand! - That haptical component is so often forgotten today, where
science centers, museums and so on are going the way of edutainment, more or
less virtual shows ect. - the people need something to take home, from the
visit from the show! (and then they will return with family&friends).

Excellent opportunity to advertise our Moon and Mars boxes, hehe.
Well, don't have to introduce them, they are all around on web.
I only can invite those list members, who are involved in such institutions
like planetaria, observatories, museums with public access, visitors and
selling possibilities to ask us for wholesale prices (you'll be surprised).
But we will answer only to serious requests (because several list members do
have the boxes in their assortments).
They seem to work better than small meteorite samples, because for laymen
Moon and Mars have a different meaning, of course.
Btw. also suitable for astronomy clubs to wash some money into the cash box.
Available in English, German, Spanish language, others can be made too.
Don't be afraid, transaction is very smooth - ask those, where you find them
offered about their experiences.

But now back from that shameless commercialism to the topic.

E.P., you don't have to forget, that Europe has the richer tradition in
meteorites than America. Look the Smithonian, New York, Chicago, they all
came later than the European collections.
And also in more modern times - the first hunters in Sahara and Oman were
the Europeans and Russians (and still are the predominant hunters there -
aside of the local hunters in Maghreb of course).
And our Haags were e.g. a Zeitschel, a Carion and others.

Well and that there are less collectors in Germany than in USA...
USA is somewhat larger :-) (and I have the impression, that meteorite
collecting in East-Germany wasn't practiced that much.).

The ratio of small pieces and high-end pieces of the purchases from the
German collectors are from my experience not very different from these of
American collectors.

And I'm sure, that especially the ebay-sellers will confirm you, that
Europeans are buying also a lot of medium and small pieces too.

Well, that are my observations of the German collectorship,
but there seems to be also a very vivid collector's scene in France,
naturally - they are closer to Sahara and the language isn't a problem for
them. Maybe Frederic, Laurent and Mr.Pel? could report us?
Also the Polish scene is remarkable, Poland has a long history in
meteorites, and Pilski, Mazurek, Meck, Kurz, Cimala, Pacer, Wozniak and and
and are very active! (Meetings, exhibition, books..)

Best!
martin

PS: What really urgently is missed here:
A Norton, a Kichinka, a Killgore in German languague.
We have at present only 2-3 popular books, small pocket books
(Schl?ter/Aumann-Ryeti/and Heide 984.edition)
The last really good one, was that from Buehler, dating back into the 80ies
and not available anymore.


-----Urspr?ngliche Nachricht-----
Von: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
[mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] Im Auftrag von E.P.
Grondine
Gesendet: Mittwoch, 9. April 2008 07:14
An: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
Betreff: [meteorite-list] European/US market comparison

Hi all -

>From what I can make of it from your comments, the
European collectors seem to buy high end specimens,
and Europe does not have the broad general market seen
here in the U.S.

Perhaps this may be ascribed to Barringer Crater and
Nininger's work there, supplemented with Bob Haag's
and other's more recent efforts.

What might lead to a broader European market? My guess
would be museum sales of inexpensive slices, and the
development of the existing craters in Europe as
tourist stops (Kali Jar in Estonia?).

good hunting all,
with hopes for more peaceful and prosperous times
ahead,
E.P. Grondine
Man and Impact in the Americas






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Received on Wed 09 Apr 2008 11:53:52 AM PDT