[meteorite-list] meteorites vs meteoritic shale and Ebay Dealer wannabes.

From: Mr EMan <mstreman53_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2008 23:38:57 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <353335.46651.qm_at_web51005.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

So as to not even broach a flame war should any of the parties be
reading ergo actual identities will not be revealed.

This broad issues are accuracy in descriptions and do we hold
"self-proclaimed dealers" to a higher standard of knowledge. The narrow
issue is when are weathered chunks of stuff meteorites and when are
they shale.

I recently bought 100+ grams of "stone meteorites" off a new dealer
wannabe on eBay only to find what I received were the 3-6mm scraps of
weathered material from the bottom of a meteorite shipping box.
Three-five of perhaps 200 pieces were identifiable as meteorites--the
rest was shale.

  The dealer got snide and attacked me personally when the difference
was brought to his attention. He did not offer to make things right nor
did he comprehend that he had not accurately described his auction.
Like so many "dealers" that want to start at the top, he thought all he
had to do was hang out an eBay shingle and talk a good talk to sit at
the adult table without taking the time to learn the nuances of
meteorite wisdom.

That said, is there a consensus of right or wrong as to the selling
meteorite shale as meteorites? This is as fundamental as asking what
constitutes a meteorite in trade and commercial terms. Was I sold
meteorites but shipped shards of meteorite shale? Was there fraud and
was there a moral obligation by the seller to know the difference if he
was a "dealer"? When one puts on the hat of dealer should they be held
to a higher standard when it comes to mistakes?

Finally, are the shards of totally weathered crumbs originally from
meteorites legitimately "meteorites" or are they meteorite shale? Or
is this on a continuum between pristine meteorites and weathered clay
of extraterrestrial origin and at what point do we call them meteorites
and at what point meteoritic shale?

Elton
Received on Tue 04 Mar 2008 02:38:57 AM PST