[meteorite-list] Speck Issues - Reply to this subject

From: Frank Cressy <fcressy_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2008 14:23:05 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <743451.5536.qm_at_web80212.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

Hi Mike,

I don't disagree with you and I'd trust both Blaine
and you 100% to be selling what you say you are, but
unfortunately, not all dealers are the same. The
following is from another dealers site talking about a
0.62g, 0.60g and 1.12g thin part slices of Barbotan.
he wrote:

"NOTE: these are the prices ONLY until one sells. Then
there will be a 50% increase. When the
second one sells, the third will be broken up and the
price more than trippled. These are literally
irrepalcable. March2, 2008 a piece of this sold on
eBay for over $5,000.00 per gram. These are
listed at bargain prices:"

I have no question that these aren't Barbotan, just
hate seeing historical meteorites ending up as specks.
 It is kind of ironic that he should say "These
[pieces] are literally irreplacable" and then proceed
to pull out a hammer!

I think the biggest potential for fraud would be for
some non dealer on ebay selling (HYPOTHECIAL CASE):
Have to sell my 20mg fragment of Mokoia, purchased a
year ago from Mike Farmer, comes with his collection
card".

All the best,
Frank


--- Michael Farmer <meteoriteguy at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Guys, there is no problem here. You know, as a
> dealer
> who cuts and messes with thousands of meteorites per
> year, you end up with plenty of crumbs, dust, and
> specks. Please don't think that we are smashing
> these
> things with hammers in order to maximize profit!
> Specks are a byproduct of making a large piece into
> multiple pieces, not taking a .2 gram meteorite
> piece
> and turning it into 20 pieces, at least not on
> purpose.
> As far as buying these specks on ebay, you must
> indeed
> trust your dealer, someone like Blaine or myself, we
> make enough money not to need to waste time scamming
> people. If I say it is Mokoia, you can rest assured
> that it is not Allende fragments. If you buy from
> just
> anyone on ebay just because they say they have
> something, well, buyer beware.
> Michael Farmer
> --- Walter Branch <waltbranch at bellsouth.net> wrote:
>
> > Hi Frank,
> >
> > I could not agree more with you. Every word,
> every
> > line.
> >
> > Remember when Blaine Reed brought out DAG 262?
> > There
> > were a few who looked at the specks and balked but
> > because it
> > was Blaine who was selling it, the pedigree was
> > beyond reproach.
> >
> > This is not meant to be an indictment of Blaine.
> > Quite the opposite.
> >
> > I understand the economic pressures of ever
> smaller
> > pieces of
> > meteorite selling for ever higher prices, but it
> > seems the price-to-weight
> > graph is almost "U" shaped, with more and more
> > material ending up
> > as smaller and smaller fragments.
> >
> > Where is Steve Schoner? I'd always liked to hear
> > his comments on this. :-)
> >
> > -Walter Branch
> > (From sunny and beautiful Savannah. What the heck
> > am I doing
> > indoors. Oh, that's right - I have a job!)
> >
>
-----------------------------------------------------
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Frank Cressy" <fcressy at prodigy.net>
> > To: "Meteorite List"
> > <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> > Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 3:41 PM
> > Subject: [meteorite-list] Speck Issues - Reply to
> > this subject
> >
> >
> > > Hello all,
> > >
> > > This is a resend of a previous post. I meant to
> > > change the subject line but in my fever muddled
> > state
> > > I forgot. Sorry about that. Please reply to
> this
> > > post to avoid confusion.
> > >
> > > Frank
> > >
> > > --- Frank Cressy <fcressy at prodigy.net> wrote:
> > >
> > >> Hi Michael and all,
> > >>
> > >> The Barboton you mentioned was a 9mg speck and
> > went
> > >> for $46.67. Many people shopping ebay don't
> > blink
> > >> until the price reaches a $100 or more. So
> > >> price/gram
> > >> on a speck means nothing. The problem I see is
> > that
> > >> this and other hammer specks and rare and
> > historical
> > >> specks can never be verified. Barbotan is an
> H5
> > >> veined chondrite...see any veining? On the
> above
> > >> example, Peter M was the seller and I have 100%
> > >> confidence that this was indeed Barbotan, Now
> > what
> > >> if
> > >> the winner "1randombid" with a "private"
> feedback
> > >> profile finds a larger Barbotan speck next
> week,
> > and
> > >> decides to sell this one, maybe even using
> > Peter's
> > >> original box and card. Still 100% sure of
> it???
> > >> Unless you know the complete collection history
> > of
> > >> the
> > >> piece with everyone involved, can a buyer have
> > even
> > >> a
> > >> shred of confidence that the speck is what it
> is
> > >> described to be. At least the Bessey Specks of
> > 10
> > >> years ago were either Nakhla and Zagami, and
> with
> > a
> > >> good lens or microscope one could be quite
> > certain
> > >> as
> > >> to what he/she had. A little more difficult
> with
> > an
> > >> H5 or an L6 to say the least.
> > >>
> > >> Michael, I also have 100% confidence that your
> > >> material is what you say it is, but then I also
> > >> wouldn't bet the farm on it. I also know if
> > >> something
> > >> were to be found in error, you'd stand behind
> it
> > as
> > >> would most dealers. However, with the prices
> > >> raising
> > >> crazily it's might be too tempting for someone
> to
> > >> sell
> > >> a bogus speck maybe just once in a while. We
> > like
> > >> to
> > >> think that the people on the list are above all
> > >> those
> > >> things, but wasn't "the one who still remains
> > >> nameless" who got caught with a rock in his
> shoe,
> > >> once
> > >> a member of the list.
> > >>
> > >> For you dealers the rising prices are great,
> but
> > >> hopefully is isn't a house of cards and won't
> end
> > up
> > >> like the housing and credit debaucle, built,
> > >> founded,
> > >> fueled, and distroyed by Greed. The speck
> value
> > is
> > >> only based on trust, and should a couple bad
> > apples
> > >> ever show up, I think it could collapse.
> > >>
> > >> Just my ramblings on another fun filled day
> with
> > the
> > >> flu, Hope you didn't take this personally,
> just
> > my
> > >> views on specks. Also seeing historical
> > specimens
> > >> broken into smaller and smaller pieces upsets
> me
> > >> too,
> > >> but that's another story.
> > >>
> > >> All the best,
> > >> Frank
> > >>
> > >> --- Michael L Blood <mlblood at cox.net> wrote:
> > >>
> > >> > I noted with interest a small piece of
> Barbotan
> > on
> > >> > eBay. I left a reasonable
> > >> > Bid on it and just checked it out.....
> > >> > It had sold for over $5,000.00 per
> > gram.
> > >> > I have what I believe are the last 3
> > >> > specimens available in the
> > >> > world on my hammer site (if anyone knows
> where
> > I
> > >> can
> > >> > get more, please
> > >> > Contact me off list - reward!)
> > >> > I will hold this price until the
> first
>
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Received on Mon 03 Mar 2008 05:23:05 PM PST