[meteorite-list] Surface Area or Weight

From: tett <tett_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2011 20:58:13 -0500
Message-ID: <4D55E935.6060208_at_rogers.com>

Count,

Thank you for your comprehensive list. I do think you forgot one
element. Aesthetics.

Gujba, as well as being a fall and of a rare class, is also extremely
beautiful. My small slice is one of the crown jewels in my collection.
My slice of Abee is also one of my treasures for similar reasons. I
have turned down some rare types (not thrilled with brachinites)
because, although rare and hard to get, are just not pretty enough at
the prices being asked. For me, some prices are too high for material
that doesn't sparkle or show off neat features and interesting colours.

I still believe Gujba is one of the best buys out there. Also,
fortunately, there are some wonderful buys in OC's which show of
gorgeous chondrules. Aesthetics may not play a significant roll for
many but it is high on my list of what I value in meteorites.

My selection criteria list would be slightly different than yours and
the order can change a little. Here it is.

Weight of the specimen.
Historic
Aesthetics
Provenance.
Total weight and rarity of the classification.
A fall.
An oriented crusted individual.
A crusted individual.
A polished crusted endcut.
A polished crusted full slice. (depending on size, this may move up even above an individual. Who wants a Gujba individual over a slice?)
A polished crusted partial slice.
A frag.
A bessie spec, or micro.

Cheers!

Mike Tettenborn



  On 11/02/2011 8:19 PM, Count Deiro wrote:
> Greg and List,
>
> I make the following assumptions as to Fair Market Value if we are dealing with a representative, equal weight, specimen of the same classification.
>
> Ranking in order of desireability and value to an average collector. Not a specialist in analysis, or classification, or other defined, non collecting, motivation.
>
> Total weight and rarity of the classification.
> Weight of the specimen.
> Provenance.
> Historic
> A hammer.
> A fall.
> An oriented crusted individual.
> A crusted individual.
> A polished crusted endcut.
> A polished crusted full slice.
> A polished crusted partial slice.
> A frag.
> A bessie spec, or micro.
>
> Thin sections are a world of their own and can be of more value in weight than an individual.
> Preparation in cut, etch and polishing materially affect value.
> Higher ratios of field to dimension increase value in slices.
> Mounting, info cards and packaging affect value of all specimens.
> The current availability is always an up and down factor.
> Stone meteorites tend to bring more money per gram than mesosiderites, or irons, all things considered. particularly in the rarer classifications.
>
> These are my off the top of my head assumptions based on the past two years of blowing my entire spendable income of meteorites. Go ahead! Tear it apart!
>
> Count Deiro
> IMCA 3536 MetSoc
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Thunder Stone<stanleygregr at hotmail.com>
>> Sent: Feb 11, 2011 2:51 PM
>> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>> Subject: [meteorite-list] Surface Area or Weight
>>
>>
>>
>> All:
>>
>> I think this may have been discussed on the list in the past, but I'm not sure.
>>
>> When it comes to meteorite?s value (especially rare types) is the value based solely on the weight of the specimen? Or can the total surface area be a factor?
>>
>> Take this as an example:
>>
>> Say you have 1 gram specimen of a rare type (perhaps planetary) which is cubed shaped and relatively small, and the second is 0.50 grams and is cut very thin, so it has a very large surface area and is very visually esthetic; how would they compare in value?
>>
>> I know complete stones may be more, and specimens with nice fusion crusts are also more, so there are cases where the same weight may have different values.
>>
>> I'm just curious,
>>
>> Greg S.
>>
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Received on Fri 11 Feb 2011 08:58:13 PM PST