[meteorite-list] Posting sources

From: Walter Branch <waltbranch_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:29:44 -0500
Message-ID: <00e901c89e87$6bd872e0$6601a8c0_at_DrCollman>

Hi John,

>Be careful about who you do business with. Don't let your emotions
>overrule common sense

Sounds like good advice to me!

-Walter Branch


-----------------------------------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: "JKGwilliam" <h3chondrite at cox.net>
To: "Jim Strope" <nwa482 at comcast.net>; <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Monday, April 14, 2008 12:21 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Posting sources


>I agree. There were a few times several years ago when someone demanded
>provenance on items I was selling only to have them contact my source
>directly and attempt to take me out of the middle of the deal.
> If buyers aren't sure that they can trust a dealer to sell them exactly
> what is claimed, they should probably take there business elsewhere.
>
> I was on the other side of this situation years ago.
>
> Several years ago, a well known dealer called me on the phone and said he
> had a fantastic deal for me - 0.10 grams of Governador Valadares for
> $1,000. I said I wasn't interested but he pressed me. When I asked about
> provenance, he balked but said that I could always send it to a lab and
> have it tested. Hmmmm, destroy the specimen to prove whether or not it is
> the Real McCoy. Kind of like dunking women in 17th century New England -
> if they floated they were witches, if they sank (and drowned) they were
> innocent. The dealer is still making a full court press telling me how
> fantastic ( he always described his specimens in the superlative form)
> this piece was. But, as we talked, a few more tidbits came to the
> surface. In fact, there were several "conditions" that came with the
> purchase of the specimen. One - I couldn't tell anyone where I got it
> from. In fact, it was best if I didn't tell anyone that I even had it.
> Two - I couldn't ask for provenance, the source wanted to remain
> incognito. Three - I had to buy it "right now" or the deal was off. I
> saw red flags waving at me and I still held my ground about not wanting
> the specimen. "You must be crazy," says the well known dealer, " You
> could turn around and sell it for three grand easily."
>
> Some of you, I'm sure, know what my next question to Mr. Pushy was. When
> I asked him why HE didn't sell it for three grand there was a very
> pregnant pause. Finally, his reply was the often used tactics of those
> whose business practices aren't always on the up-and-up. "It's starting to
> sound like you don't trust me," he stammered. Well, to make a long story
> short, I hung up the phone and added the dealer to my "black list".
>
> Be careful about who you do business with. Don't let your emotions
> overrule common sense.
>
> Best,
>
> John Gwilliam
>
> At 08:22 AM 4/14/2008, Jim Strope wrote:
>>Sounds like a good solution Matt.
>>
>>I would not want my name published on a website that I provide
>>consignments if I did that sort of thing. If I was a buyer and saw that
>>dealer A had a specimen acquired from dealer B, I would just contact
>>dealer B and see if they had any more and eliminate dealer A's mark up.
>>
>>Would anyone expect Marting to reveal his source for his new Martian
>>Meteorite? Or Adam for NWA 5000? I would bet that they will not reveal
>>their planetary sources any quicker than I will.
>>
>>Provenance, in my opinion, exists where old labels accompany the specimen,
>>or it came from a museum or famous old collector of yesteryear.
>>
>>Jim Strope
>>421 Fourth Street
>>Glen Dale, WV 26038
>>
>>http://www.catchafallingstar.com
>>
>>
>>----- Original Message ----- From: <mmorgan at mhmeteorites.com>
>>To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
>>Sent: Monday, April 14, 2008 9:23 AM
>>Subject: [meteorite-list] Posting sources
>>
>>
>>>Why not just ask the dealer where the material came from? This has worked
>>>for over a decade for my business. Personally, I always will tell a
>>>customer if the ask, but only if that source wants the information given.
>>>Posting the info for all to see, poses a problem for the privacy of that
>>>source and yes, I do not want others finding that source.
>>>
>>>Matt Morgan
>>>Mile High Meteorites
>>>----------------------
>>>Matt Morgan
>>>Mile High Meteorites
>>>http://www.mhmeteorites.com
>>>P.O. Box 151293
>>>Lakewood, CO 80215 USA
>>>
>>>______________________________________________
>>>http://www.meteoritecentral.com
>>>Meteorite-list mailing list
>>>Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>>>http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
>>
>>______________________________________________
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>
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Received on Mon 14 Apr 2008 07:29:44 PM PDT