[meteorite-list] Retail & Auction Price Guides

From: Richard Kowalski <damoclid_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2011 12:22:14 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <376852.13982.qm_at_web113614.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>

--- On Fri, 2/25/11, mail at mhmeteorites.com <mail at mhmeteorites.com> wrote:

> Hi Richard
> Seems we just completely disagree.? I won't reiterate
> my points again, but we have survived in this hobby for
> several decades since the first large dealers began without
> a price guide and survived quite well. If there is a place
> for a guide then why hasn't one stuck over that time period?
> There have been several attempts before Kevin, with no
> success.? Again the collecting market can determine the
> need for a guide.

Matt
Something I can't answer. I could guess that part of the reason could be that so few dealers and more importantly so few COLLECTORS existed during those times. Things are changing a bit. We all know about the popular TV show and love or hate the hosts, there is no doubt they are bringing fresh faces and cash into the collector market. Many of these newbies will be looking for something to guide them on what to pay. A historic volume, say every lot and price realized would be of historical interest as are the posts here of what long time collectors paid for material before I was a teenager, so lists of Nininger prices or Ward's. I guess I don't see anywhere near as much downside as you do but that's fine.


>
> Why not do your own pricing? Kevin admits he doesn't use
> auctions ad doesn't know what the dealers SOLD items
> for.? To me a guide like that is not useful. REALIZED
> prices may be ok, but good luck getting those data from
> dealers.
>
>
> Matt


I'm in agreement with you here. Anyone can surf websites to get general prices. In coin terms and maybe elsewhere that is the "Buy" price. What the material typically is purchase by a dealer from a collector is the "Bid" price. Since this market is so thin, I tend to agree with you that dealers may not be willing to share too much information, but that shouldn't be a reason not to try (again).

As for your suggestion about doing my own pricing, for appropriate material I certainly do do this. For instance, when I was buying Lunars for my collection, I plotted weight vs price per gram realized. Did you know a certain lunar can be had retail at ~$500 per gram in a certain size range all day long? At least it could be had for that when I was buying. I'm keeping that information to myself, so don't ask, but I know there are more like this out there.

Like that esoteric coin segment I mentioned in my first post, there are amazing deals to be had for the collector. I think a guide might be a big help to the community, and especially for the newest members who have just gotten that spark.

Cheers

--
Richard Kowalski
Full Moon Photography
IMCA #1081
      

Received on Fri 25 Feb 2011 03:22:14 PM PST