[meteorite-list] Meteorites Money Morocco

From: Matthias Bärmann <majbaermann_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:03:35 +0100
Message-ID: <0BD560B0F3164F6784E72292A408A2D3_at_thinkcentre>

Well spoken, Martin - I agree!

Matthias

----- Original Message -----
From: "Martin Altmann" <altmann at meteorite-martin.de>
To: <Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Friday, November 13, 2009 10:54 PM
Subject: [meteorite-list] Meteorites Money Morocco


> Good Evening,
>
> maybe I should tell our experiences with our Moroccan colleagues,
> as NWA is our main field of our occupation and Stefan was in Morocco from
> beginning on of the NWA-period.
> Because some of the assertions made here are in our eyes not acceptable.
>
> First of all we all have to bring to our minds to whome all this wealth of
> new meteorites that we have today is due to.
> I'm old enough to remember the days before the NWA-rush, where dealers,
> collectors and scientists traded forth and back always the same few
> stones.
> Nowadays we got in roughly 10 years more new meteorites than 40 years of
> Antarctic hunts will yield, we have all the rare types, where we could
> only
> dream of the hundred years before. And we have them at prices, that
> finally
> each and every collector can take part in that fascinating world.
> We got from Morocco stones, of which no scientist could divine, that
> something like that could exist at all.
> NWA was the historical boost for science, for the collectors and partially
> also for the meteorite trade.
>
> And who made this all possible?
>
> The Moroccan people and the people of Maghreb. Full stop.
>
>
> We hear here on the list so often rants and words of haughtiness about the
> Moroccan dealers, hunters, colleagues, experts.
> What I never will understand, how people could speak so bad about them;
> people, who built up their wealth and their reputation, they pride
> themselves today, with the stones the Moroccans delivered to them.
>
> Why they then weren't going searching for meteorites by their own in the
> deserts, if their business partners were so lousy as they tell?
> Ask the US-hunters, ask the Oman-hunters, how many stones you have to pick
> up, until you have a mediocre eucrite or a CV3, those stones, we all take
> for granted.
>
> The people in Sahara are doing an incredible job.
>
> Yes of course, there are also black sheeps in Morocco - but those we do
> have
> also among the Western dealers.
> And of course down there is simply not the infrastructure, that one would
> get each stone perfectly and readily classified and that the weights and
> the
> find data would be known.
> But that is a hundred times balanced, by the often lower prices there and
> by
> the circumstance that one gets there such great stones at all!
> Of course it can be here and there risky for a private collector, because
> they often can't know the dealer yet, but why shall professional dealers
> complain about the Moroccans? It is plain & simply part of their job, to
> recognize the stones there, to recognize pairings, to buy them in Morocco
> and to bring them to classification. If they don't want to do that, then
> they shall sell classic and historic meteorites.
>
> And some of the recent posts here on the list ignore the positive
> developments, the Moroccans made. First of all you find a lot of true
> experts there, who know their stones very well. Partially they started to
> send samples to classification. Note also, that we started to integrate
> the
> Moroccans into IMCA.
>
> And that sweeping blow, condemning all Moroccans - we can't confirm that
> perspective in no way.
> Our experience is rather, that our partners, if a stone turns out to be a
> pratfall, often are exerted to limit the damage, in taking back stones or
> in
> balancing it with the next deal.
>
> And why?
>
> Because there exist a very simple rule. Not only for Morocco, but for
> life:
>
> Treat your partner with respect and fairness
> and he will treat you the same way too.
>
>
> Our opinion.
> Good night!
> Martin
>
>
>
>
>
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Received on Fri 13 Nov 2009 05:03:35 PM PST