[meteorite-list] European/US market comparison

From: Mark Ford <mark.ford_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:14:41 +0100
Message-ID: <29A9DB45B84970458190D7D39BD42C492C1EBF_at_gamma.ssl.atw>

Hi Graham,

The Meteorite day will take place on Sunday, October 12th at the Cambridge Institute of Astronomy, Maddingly Road, Cambridge (uk), there will be a combination of short talks/lectures and stalls etc.

Best Regards,
Mark F.

-----Original Message-----
From: ensoramanda [mailto:ensoramanda at ntlworld.com]
Sent: 10 April 2008 10:36
To: Mark Ford
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] European/US market comparison

Hi Mark,

So where is the meteorite festival this year? Any details yet?

Graham Ensor, Nr Barwell

Mark Ford wrote:

>Well put ... And ... don't forget in the UK we have The British and Irish Meteorite Society too, with well over a hundred members (both collectors and researchers). Additionally our members are always putting on exhibitions, as well as donating rocks to planetariums and museums. Many members give lectures and talks all the time. We also are holding a meteorite festival later in the year.
>
>Best
>Mark Ford
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com [mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] On Behalf Of Martin Altmann
>Sent: 09 April 2008 16:54
>To: Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] European/US market comparison
>
>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 Thu 10 Apr 2008 09:14:41 AM PDT