[meteorite-list] AD; wisconsin slices - was $60 per gram AD

From: Jason Utas <meteoritekid_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2010 20:59:44 -0700
Message-ID: <m2r93aaac891004292059xb2d851ectad55b2197956782b_at_mail.gmail.com>

Hello Joe,
I'm sorry - I'm not offended by it, but...to be frank, I don't
understand why a collector would cut up a beautiful stone.
If I needed cash and wanted to chase down a fall, I would still go
with the knowledge that my finds would be off-limits.
Worst came to worst, I would try to sell it intact...and I don't know
what offers you got, if any, but...to turn around so quickly and cut
it simply isn't something I understand.
But that's just me.
I know that if I had a family, I might have to think differently,
but...I hope I never have to make that choice.

I just don't understand your use of "$60/g" and "priceless" in
sequential emails.

It's that sort of talk that's almost...well, it's marketing. So it seems.

I understand that you're thinking differently than at least some
dealers now, but...chasing down falls for the money of it has been
such a common theme recently that I felt as though I should say
something. I can remember the days when a select few dealers would
hunt a fall down, and collectors would never sell the prized
individuals that they managed to purchase (and if a collector managed
to *find* a stone...good luck prying it from their cold, dead
fingers). And yet, with Ash Creek and this new fall, so many hunters
have gone only to find a small stone or two - and they turn around and
sell them before they've even dried them off...

It just seems as though very few people are doing it for the love of
it anymore. It's a completely new market dynamic, and I'm not sure I
like it, for what it says about how all of these new folks value these
rocks from space.

I know, I know. There are easier ways to make money, and the fact
that many people *choose* to do so by selling meteorites just goes to
show the degree to which they love them.

There are also ways to make money that don't involve cutting up
beautiful meteorites. And there are other things that people can
collect without having as destructive an influence on the things that
they profess to love...

Regards,
Jason

>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jason Utas <meteoritekid at gmail.com>
> Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2010 9:53 PM
> To: Meteorite-list <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] AD; wisconsin slices - was $60 per gram AD
>
> Hello Greg, All,
>
> First-off, congrats to Joe - hell of a find.
>
> But I really don't understand what you bring up, Greg. ?If it's your
> dream to find one, and you finally do, you don't cut it up and sell it
> three days later.
>
> The story reminds me of quite a few, to be honest: dealer chases down
> new fall/find, finds it, cuts it up, sells it.
>
> So, I agree - spectacular find, but...well, it *was* a pretty stone.
> Now it's a pile of slices waiting to be shipped. ?It was his dream to
> go and find a stone, and then to cut it up and sell it all to make a
> few thousand dollars?
> If I owned a slice (and I'm not planning on buying one), I wouldn't
> look down at it thinking "this is a piece of the realization of one's
> man dream," because all it got him in the end was $60/g.
>
> I don't know about you, but I consider my dreams to be worth more than
> that, and it would cost a hell of a lot more for you to get me to sell
> them.
>
> You're treating it like it's a business. ?Calling it something else
> seems strange -- and calling it priceless...all this sentimental talk
> from someone who just sliced up a beautiful stone strikes me as a
> little funny.
>
> I'll take it quietly while a dealer dices with no pretext [to make
> money], but this....this annoys me significantly more.
>
> Is it really the dream of most people out there to simply find a new
> fall for the cash in it? ?Are meteorite enthusiasts on the whole
> really coming to that?
>
> I feel as though this message might give the wrong impression - I
> can't begin to convey how happy I am for Joe and his truly spectacular
> find, but what I'm seeing is the exact opposite of what I would expect
> from someone who just found the meteorite of his or her dreams...and
> it's beyond disappointing to me if this is really what meteorite
> hunters hope to do with their 'dream finds...'
>
> Jason
>
> On Thu, Apr 29, 2010 at 7:15 PM, Greg Catterton
> <star_wars_collector at yahoo.com> wrote:
>> Hi to all, an update to my AD.
>> All samples I had available have been sold or are on hold.
>>
>> Joe's stone is an awesome find.
>> Since I have known Joe, he has been wanting and wishing for a local fall he could go to.
>> He got his wish with the WI fall. This was for him as the Whetstone was for Jack.
>> It was meant to be.
>> Joe had his kids with him and together, his wish came true.
>> That alone is enough of a story make his find worth more then any hammer, or any other stone found from this fall.
>> "The Kerchner Stone" is a sample to be had for any collection as it is shows as an example that wishes do come true.
>> I will be getting one, even though I have some already... just for the story behind it.
>>
>> Hope everyone is good!
>>
>>
>> Greg Catterton
>> www.wanderingstarmeteorites.com
>> IMCA member 4682
>> On Ebay: http://stores.shop.ebay.com/wanderingstarmeteorites
>>
>>
>> --- On Thu, 4/29/10, Joe Kerchner <skyrockmeteorites at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>> From: Joe Kerchner <skyrockmeteorites at yahoo.com>
>>> Subject: [meteorite-list] AD; wisconsin slices
>>> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>>> Date: Thursday, April 29, 2010, 9:27 PM
>>> Im takin orders for slices from the
>>> 332 gram "kerchner stone".
>>>
>>> If you are looking for a specific sized slice or part
>>> slice, you can put in you request now. Slices will be from
>>> .5g -20g slices0 they will be very thin and most part slices
>>> over 2g will have crust.? If you want an end piece I
>>> will have 2 available. Contact me off list for prices, it
>>> will be the lowest I have seen offered. You can request
>>> slices larger than 20 if you want.
>>> I have had many people promised slices already so hurry if
>>> you want one.
>>> Pieces will be mailed out first thing monday morning.
>>> Best wishes
>>> Joe kerchner
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>>
>>
>>
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Received on Thu 29 Apr 2010 11:59:44 PM PDT