[meteorite-list] Labeling specimens

From: Galactic Stone & Ironworks <meteoritemike_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat, 27 Feb 2010 08:59:21 -0500
Message-ID: <e51421551002270559k63444f8ch2474a95fe894e885_at_mail.gmail.com>

Hi Michael, Steve and group,

I have to agree with Michael here. The investment value of a specimen
is secondary (or tertiary) to my other reasons for collecting. As for
the IMCA - any statement of authenticity would only be worth the paper
it's on. Certificates of authenticity have been discussed in the past
and the general consensus is that they are not worth the paper they
are printed on. (they are mostly a gimmick) As for actual
"verification" of a sample, that verification is changed every time
the specimen changes hands, especially for rare falls. The chain of
provenance is key here.

Best regards and happy huntings,

MikeG




On 2/27/10, msgmeteorites at googlemail.com <msgmeteorites at googlemail.com> wrote:
> Hi Steve,
>
> I have to say that I disagree in relation to 'slabbing' meteorites as is
> done in coin market. For me as a collector I collect for the variety and
> difference in specimens and would definitely not want a display cabinet
> filled with identical sized specimens lined up like dominoes. That would
> hold no interest for me whatsoever. I don't primarily collect for
> investment, I obviously know the value of specimens but for me its the
> science and history and aesthetics of individual specimens that attract me.
> In all honesty if meteorites were traded like silver or gold it would put me
> off the hobby. Each to their own though and your opinion is appreciated
>
> Cheers
>
> Martin
> Sent using BlackBerry? from Orange
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steve Dunklee <steve.dunklee at yahoo.com>
> Date: Sat, 27 Feb 2010 02:28:17
> To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>; martin
> goff<msgmeteorites at googlemail.com>
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Labeling specimens
>
> I have said this before and I am saying it again! The meteorite comunnity
> needs to take some lessons from the rare coin dealers and start sellling
> specimens in packages with standards. Hermatically sealed specimens of
> standard size and provanance, sealed in thin collector sized cases. To
> create an investor market we need to sell 1 cm square slices 4mm thick in
> sealed dessicated containers that are tamper proof and graded like collector
> coins. this would be a lot better than the current method of selling
> irregular chunks sent in a baggy with a business card. by establishing a
> standard of grading for collector meteorites we will create a larger market
> of collector specimins with a higher value which will allow them to be
> traded like gold or silver on the commodities market. and dramitically
> increase the vALUE OF METEORITES FOR EVERYONE ON THE LIST. I may have
> problems trying to figure out if a meteorite is a 4 or a 5 but if its in a
> dime sized container
> graded and authenticated by the imca. it would be a win win situation
> cheers
> Steve Dunklee
>
> --- On Sat, 2/27/10, martin goff <msgmeteorites at googlemail.com> wrote:
>
>> From: martin goff <msgmeteorites at googlemail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Labeling specimens
>> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>> Date: Saturday, February 27, 2010, 8:50 AM
>> All,
>>
>> Thanks for your all your comments on and off list, most
>> interesting. I
>> think i am being steered
>> away from directly labelling my stones unless they are NWA
>> or
>> unclassified. However it seems a bit of a double standard
>> that if i
>> were to label my specimens myself it would be somehow
>> frowned upon yet
>> we as collectors value specimens with Nininger/Huss numbers
>> etc. If
>> for example a specimen was obtained say from the Manchester
>> museum
>> with one of their recently applied labels on would any of
>> us remove the
>> label? I very much doubt it, we would prize that specimen
>> as showing
>> provenance from that collection, that would match their
>> catalogue etc.
>> etc. In 50 or 100 or however many years that specimen would
>> only get
>> more and more historical and that label have more and more
>> importance
>> attached to it.
>>
>> I suppose my point is that would we now have the same
>> number of
>> Nininger/Huss etc.labelled stones if they didn't have
>> numbers written
>> directly on them? If say they had been displayed/sold in a
>> bag or box
>> with a label but no markings on, over time would some have
>> have been
>> separated from their boxes/bags and labels? I would hazard
>> a guess
>> that quite a few would have suffered this fate and now we
>> would be
>> left with some unidentifiable stones.
>>
>> Although by saying this i am placing no importance
>> whatsoever on me as
>> an individual collector or my own numbers as being valuable
>> other than
>> to avoid the situation of misidentified or unidentified
>> specimens in
>> the future. As only temporary custodians of our collections
>> surely
>> making sure that our collections can easily be passed on
>> without any
>> missing info is of prime importance?
>>
>> Numbering specimens directly is surely the most foolproof
>> method of
>> achieving this? All the labels on boxes/bags and display
>> stands etc.
>> are meaningless when the specimen is removed. All the
>> photos of the
>> specimen stored either in hard copy or digital form are
>> subject to
>> being lost or destroyed. I know these are all extreme
>> circumstances
>> and most of the time these steps that we take will be
>> absolutely fine
>> as specimens stay with their displays/cards etc. but if
>> there is a
>> possibility, however small of accidents happening should we
>> not do
>> more?
>>
>> As an example of the situation i want to avoid see the
>> photo of the
>> orphaned stone in the article on a recent visit to the
>> Manchester
>> museum (http://www.bimsociety.org/article-manchester.shtml) If
>> this
>> had an original number on it it probably would not be in
>> the situation
>> its in now. Its more than a distinct possibility that this
>> is stone
>> from a historical fall and yet we may never know........
>>
>> Anyway, some food for thought!
>>
>> Cheers
>>
>>
>> Martin
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>
>
>
>
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-- 
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Mike Gilmer - Galactic Stone & Ironworks Meteorites
http://www.galactic-stone.com
http://www.facebook.com/galacticstone
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Received on Sat 27 Feb 2010 08:59:21 AM PST