[meteorite-list] Current and future meteorite market

From: Martin Altmann <altmann_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:45:50 +0100
Message-ID: <00c001c888fe$61764230$177f2a59_at_name86d88d87e2>

Well, overseas here.

My observations and conjectural conclusions:

- more turn-over as the years before.
 
So better situation, despite the loss of USD
(today 1 USD = 0.63 Euro; 18 months ago 1 USD = 0.80 Euro)

- many more new collectors, who started with meteorites, than ever.

- more sales to U.S.

- but especially a larger demand from the European collectors

- and there the strong fraction of the German collectors is back, after some
years of a psychologically not so favourable economical internal climate.

- a remarkable increase of sales to buyers beyond the specialized meteorite
scene.

Supply:
Desert: is more and more difficult to get and costs higher buying prices.
Meteorite with names: Same as always. Some locales are dwindling others are
getting better/more cheaply available.
Furthermore one circumstance had a larger influence on prices of some very
popular locales,
the relative inactivity of the Russian suppliers. Hope they will be back
soon.

Observations:

- larger and/or aesthetic specimens are again asked, after a little slump in
price and demand.

- rare type desert started all in all to be paid higher than before.

- quality isn't paid anylonger the same way as average, but generates higher
prices by weight.

- some forced hypes and fashions lead to funny results (hammer stones, irons
with "craters" e.g.) and were suddenly paid with a multiple price than the
years before.

- More locales with "names" were raising in price than felt in price.

- Only the fairs and shows were poorer than in 2006.

- new observed falls, with the exception of African ones, were paid on a
record-breaking level, indeed 2 world records among them. Never a new
eucrite fall was paid so highly like La Mancha, never before an ordinary
chondrite like Cali.

- The appearance of meteoritic topics in mass media, the activities with
popularizing effects like special exhibitions, lectures, auctions ect. is on
such a high level, as I can't remember to have seen the decades before.

Speculations:

Meteorites with names will all in all continue to steadily and slowly
increase in price.
There is a limited volume available, but the number of collectors and
"laypeople" interested in, seems to grow a little bit more accelerated than
before.

I expect the desert meteorites getting more expensive during the next years,
with the exception of the weathered OC material.
Because of the supply situation getting worse, the falling USD and the
increasing number of collectors.

That development could be a little bit decelerated by the economic problems
currently in USA, but not stopped.


Supposed reasons:

The popularization of meteorites experienced a nice swing.
The demand from Europe strongly increased because of the falling USD.
The more experienced collectors assume, that the desert prices will raise in
future and start to buy more material, to fill the gaps in their collection,
and to acquire some material to finance their collections in future, in
consideration of trade material or material for later sales.
The number of newcomers is higher than the years before.
The overhang of material from the culmination of the desert rush continues
to be reduced.

Well only my speculations.
Depending on the point of view one could say either, the conditions for the
collectors begin to be a little less favourable - or, the "market" starts to
normalize after the desert crash.

Anyway, I see no reason for panic.
That what I recommend to my collectors without having remorse is only,
that if their collection is designed to represent a complete systematics by
type, then it would be not the worst thing to try to accomplish that task
these days and in the nearer future.
+ of course, that as always they should care for the individual time frames
of availability of the meteorites "with names" and to take their specimens
of these, which are especially well available at the moment and hence very
cheap (and not to forget to care a little bit for quality).

Only my personal view, no warrantee that I'm right...
Martin






-----Urspr?ngliche Nachricht-----
Von: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
[mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] Im Auftrag von Bob
Evans
Gesendet: Dienstag, 18. M?rz 2008 03:40
An: Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
Betreff: [meteorite-list] Current and future meteorite market

Hello List,

I don't believe that this is discussed nearly as much as it should be
discussed. I'm primarily a collector , occasionally a dealer and I'm curious

where my meteorite investments currently are and where they are headed.
I don't sell nearly enough volume or to a large enough market to have a good

grasp on the current conditions and future expectations of the meteorite
market.
I'm curious to hear from the dealers overseas just as well.
Is your clientele expanding? exponentially ? How are sales? Supply? Trends
?You get the picture.

It would behoove us all that are investing substantial amounts of money to
periodically examine the market.

BTW- I know Michael Blood does a fine job with his " Meteorite Market Trends

" article, but I would like to get more than his perspective.

Any comments ?

Thanks,
Bob

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Received on Tue 18 Mar 2008 09:45:50 AM PDT