[meteorite-list] A Survey for Collectors

From: Michael Gilmer <meteoritemike_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2011 12:42:20 -0500
Message-ID: <AANLkTinCr3jcB91Q=uymsx9MzqNezaMP9-FNVirVMBTw_at_mail.gmail.com>

Hi Kevin,

I'll take a stab at a couple of these -

#2 - the buyer. Meteorites are unregulated and there is no widely
accepted valuation system in place like there is with other rare
materials. So a meteorite is worth what someone will pay for it.
Secondarily, from a dealer's perspective, it depends on how long you
can afford to sit on a specimen that is being offered for sale. If
one is in no hurry to sell, the sky is the limit when it comes to
asking price. Eventually, someone will come along and buy it, and
thus that meteorite is worth the price to the buyer. It doesn't mean
the "market value" of that specimen is whatever price is paid, but
without any official methodology to valuate meteorites, the buyer is
setting the "value".

#3 - Tatahouine. I am always surprised at how cheap this gorgeous,
unique, and important meteorite is. I see people charging (and
paying) a hundred dollars a gram for ordinary chondrites that fell in
the USA, but here is a witnessed fall Vestan of distinctive beauty,
and one can buy it for less than $10/g.

Best regards and good luck on the article,

MikeG


On 2/21/11, Kevin Kichinka <marsrox at gmail.com> wrote:
> Discovering my sale of "The 2011 Global Meteorite Price Report" on
> eBay, a journalist for a major international magazine now seeks my
> opinion of how we value the specimens in our collections. I think
> there are many other folks on the m-list who could help me clarify my
> thoughts before I respond. Please feel free to respond as succinctly
> and in as few words as possible to any or all of the questions below.
> If you do not want your name, rank and serial number to appear
> attached to your opinion please indicate so in your response to the
> m-list (or privately to me), otherwise you may end up with your name
> in an international periodical. Thanks to all for their thoughtful
> responses. - Kevin
>
> 1. What are the most important factors in terms of collectability for
> a given specimen? Would you emphasize the rarity, the science, the
> history, the freshness, the aesthetics, or...?
>
> 2. Who or what establishes market value? Are meteorite prices being
> established at auction, in Tucson, on dealer websites, in Morocco, on
> eBay, in private trades...?
>
> 3. What are the most undervalued meteorites or categories of
> meteorite? In what categories do you see the most potential for
> growth?
>
> 4. Do you believe that meteorites are undervalued or overvalued
> overall, in comparison to other collectibles such as fossils or coins
> or wristwatches or contemporary art?
>
> 5. What long-term meteorite market developments would you be willing
> to forecast?
>
> Kevin Kichinka
> Tambor de Alajuela
> www.theartofcollectingmeteorites.com
> www.LaQ-CostaRica.com
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Mike Gilmer - Galactic Stone & Ironworks Meteorites
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Received on Mon 21 Feb 2011 12:42:20 PM PST