[meteorite-list] "Weston" on e-bay

From: JoshuaTreeMuseum <joshuatreemuseum_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 17:30:21 -0500
Message-ID: <2B28269BCFE442B998D583D8E880B549_at_ET>

Hi Eric,
It's right there in the first line of the auction: Item specifics 2003
Material: Iron, 2002 Meteorite Material: Iron

It took me less than 10 seconds to go to the Meteoritical Database and
determine that Weston was an H4. It took another 10 seconds to check and
compare real Weston as sold by a reputable dealer like Michael Cottingham
and to determine that it's price is $37.50 for .15 grams, not a dollar a
gram. If you don't have 20 seconds before blowing $242 on hematite, then
you're pretty darn dumb in my book.

Phil Whitmer

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http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390261289839&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&autorefresh=true



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I'm sorry, did I miss where the seller said it was an iron? I didn't
read that anywhere in the auction... :o\

Maybe you're talking about the "appearance" of these?
http://cgi.ebay.com/1807-Western-CT-Weston-17-Meteorites-total-66-grams_W0QQitemZ390261301841

Also, saying someone is dumb for not knowing Weston is not an iron is
not really fair to them in my opinion because it assumes that the person
buying "should" know everything about all meteorites and doesn't account
for new meteorite collectors. Yes people should be prudent, and research
what you're buying when you don't know much about it. But we must admit
we don't all do that either...

This particular seller is selling all sorts of things and has *1518*
Feedback, all 100% Positive. Meteorites are obviously not their regular
inventory...

This tells me there's a chance this seller was scammed by someone
else... Maybe the seller doesn't know, and is selling these pieces
unknowingly as Weston meteorite because that's what he/she were told.

It says in the auction "...I have a few dozen pieces that I am moving
from a private collection..."

It doesn't say he/she found it. Just that it's from a private
collection. Did the seller buy these for resale, and if so from whom?

I would ask who or what the original source was for these rocks...

Eric
Received on Thu 18 Nov 2010 05:30:21 PM PST