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

From: Mark <mafer_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2008 20:04:22 -0500
Message-ID: <040801c87d93$b18d6f80$01fea8c0_at_maf>

Hi Don
I learned the same way, only trying to put them in the gem jar and they
would slide to the side, so carefully, I remove the top, and it's like
there's some obscure law of Captain Murphy's that says the smaller it item,
the further it will travel.
Now, I also collect diamonds when I find a cheap supply, and break out my
fluorescent lamp to look for those that glow. Let me tell you, those little
buggers can move so fast as you exhale (we're talking 1/2-1 point size
crystals here and basically industrial quality) cause you don't realize how
close you really are with optivisors on.
And my meteorite specks are the same way. I now use a white plastic tray and
a much smaller white plastic tray inside that when I sort out specks of
anything! And, I have a rare earth magnet in a zip lock bag for any of my
meteorite specks that try to get out of that.

Mark Ferguson

----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Merchant" <dmerchan at rochester.rr.com>
To: <Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Cc: <dmerchan at rochester.rr.com>
Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 7:42 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Speck Issues - Reply to this subject


> Hi List. My thoughts on specks with a little funny story about them. I
> realize not every collector out that has unlimited funds and so many
> collectors with budgets and families alike have just so much to spend on
> their treasured specimens. Lets face it meteorite collecting can be very
> addicting and can get many collectors in a financial bind if not careful,
> much like the out of control compulsive gambler so to speak. With so many
> available meteorites to choose from and in many different sizes and
> weights as well as new finds every year, this can make any collector
> especially the novice, feel like a kid walking into a candy store for the
> first time! I think it is fantastic that dealers like Mike Farmer, Greg
> Hupe, Mike Cottingham, Dean Bessy and others can offer small milligram
> size meteorites for what I feel is the majority of collectors with budgets
> out there. I take my hat off to these men as they have open up a new world
> to meteorites and collecting that 10 years or so ago was unheard of.
> Specks......I agree with others that to own a piece of a super rare hard
> to acquire meteorite especially under a budget that sometimes that speck
> in one's collection can look like a boulder! Is that Speck really the type
> of meteorite that was said it is? I always felt that buying from top name
> dealers was the safest way to go because as Mike Farmer said money is not
> the issue. When your at that level of the game as a dealer, selling false
> type specks is not even in ones vocabulary. There will always be cutting
> losses when cutting meteorites Period. So why not sell those cutting
> losses to collectors who can't afford say the 1/4-3/4 gram of ultra rare
> sub type of whatever meteorite. Not everyone can own a 1943 copper penny
> but give me a steel 1943 penny to put in my collection and I'm happy. I
> have made a habit over the years of only buying from a certain group of
> dealers and if I run into something that catches my eye from a non-regular
> dealer I will do my homework before I buy. Most specks will never get that
> huge price tag. It is true in meteorites that bigger is better or simply
> put you get what you pay for. I prefer to say I buy what I can reasonably
> afford. Forgive me List but I always look at a piece of meteorite I buy as
> what I would be able to get back on it for resale. I say this because of
> my last statement "bigger is better" and maybe I cannot afford that 1/2
> gram of rare meteorite today but I will buy a 1/4 gram of it and then
> later catch a deal on that 1/2 gram and sell my 1/4 gram to "step up" so
> to speak. Ok I'm rambling on. My speck story.....I remember years ago when
> I started out collecting meteorites and of course with family and all, I
> was under a microscope watched eye budget by my wife! I really wanted a
> Martian meteorite so I could brag to myself and friends that I had an
> actual piece of stone from the Planet Mars. I'll never forget when my
> speck came in the mail, of course bought from a famous well known dealer
> (I did my homework) and I could hardly contain my self as I opened up the
> package! I don't know about many of you List members out there but I have
> this habit of removing the specimen from the gem case into my own brand
> new gem case, gem jar whatever you want to call it and then into my
> collection cabinet. Well, I am in my office and all ready to make this
> delicate surgeon type transfer. I have gone to great lengths to make sure
> all goes smoothly. No FANS are on, door in office is closed, 1,000,000
> candle light of light power is on! My first though looking into the gem
> jar was, DAMN that sure is a speck!! I have to admit I was somewhat
> disappointed BUT, I had a piece of MARS right in front of me and so I'm
> easily pleased! I continue on to making the transfer by ever so gently
> opening up the gem jar cap. BOING!!!!!!!!!!!! That #%$!&%#$#%!#^!%$# speck
> sprung out of that DAMN gem jar like a Martian on a Mission back to MARS!
> The fibers on the felt pad actually acted as a spring board when I
> relieved the pressure of the gem case cap! The speck fell on the thick
> carpet below (I think) which was my next problem and mistake. I searched
> for that DAMN speck for over an hour! It NEVER made it to my collection! I
> couldn't believe that I could be more disappointed then when I first saw
> the speck in the gem jar as I was on my hands and knees searching for it
> on/in the carpet, but I was! That's when I knew I loved meteorite
> collecting and never looked back or for that matter never looked for that
> speck again. Since then I have my own scale of size minimum for meteorite
> purchases. I remember using a pencil to part the carpet fibers looking for
> this speck. I was using the eraser end. The eraser fell out of the pencil
> and I had no problem finding the eraser. So I never buy anything smaller
> then an eraser size meteorite specimen, no matter how rare. I will save up
> till I can. I have never forgotten the feeling of loss that day, even for
> a speck. That speck taught me something that day! It taught me to get rid
> of my wife because I could of avoided that DAMN disappointing day if I had
> spent more on a bigger piece!!
> Sincerely
> Don Merchant
> IMCA #0960
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Received on Mon 03 Mar 2008 08:04:22 PM PST