[meteorite-list] Concerns for the Meteorite Dealers, Collectors and the Scientific Community

From: Notkin <geoking_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:08:07 -0700
Message-ID: <1F10EB82-9790-4BFE-8737-06455152669B_at_notkin.net>

Ken Silz posted:

"AGREED JUDGMENT IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that STEVEN ARNOLD shall pay
actual damages in the amount of $100,000.00 to Plaintiffs . . . Anyone
can "Google" Dr. Elbert King and note the first link. There you will
find the Perez Iron - Dr. Elbert King's transported Odessa meteorite
at the aerolite web site."


Ken:

The Elbert King transported Odessa, known as "The Perez Iron," is for
sale on my website, www.aerolite.org and it is a superb historic piece
accompanied by signed Elbert King letters. By asking people to "note
the first link," immediately following a quote from a legal document,
you seem to be inferring some connection between the Dr. Elbert King
estate lawsuit and my offering of this piece on "the aerolite web site."

The Elbert King Odessa/Perez Iron was, at no time, the property of the
late Dr. King, or the Elbert King estate, and has never been
associated with Steve Arnold, or the sale of meteorites from the King
estate. Dr. King identified the iron for the owner, and -- many years
later -- the owner asked me to help him find a good home for it. As
someone who presents themselves as a knowledgeable collector, I am
surprised that you are not familiar with the history of this important
and well documented meteorite:

http://www.aerolite.org/museum/elbert-king-odessa.htm

It is my understanding that the short-lived issue between the King
estate and Steve Arnold was quickly and happily settled, and Steve's
sale of the King estate meteorites generated substantial income for
Dr. King's heirs. In light of that fact, your post might be viewed as
a poorly executed smear campaign.

As previously noted on the Meteorite List, Steve Arnold was found not
guilty on all counts during the recent lawsuit filed against him by
your friend Phil Mani. As Steve's name has been cleared, it now seems
rather childish to be posting out-of-context excerpts from personal
correspondence to a public forum.


Geoff N.

www.aerolite.org
www.meteoritemen.com
www.meteoriteblog.org
Received on Tue 12 Apr 2011 06:08:07 PM PDT