[meteorite-list] Collateral Damage.

From: Bob King <nightsky55_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 3 Jul 2011 11:10:42 -0500
Message-ID: <CAG5KyVnYSC3Uiic8XR7BTWp2+ZSdE0gCiUyHjS8=1j2MrdF8vQ_at_mail.gmail.com>

Thanks Bob -- and I like your idea of highlighting nice meteorites.
Perhaps Geoff and Steve could do a regular brief segment on
individuals and their collections either here or abroad. A TV version
of Meteorite Personalities like that featured on Meteorite Times.
While I devour all the articles in MT, I'd be willing to be the
'people' feature is the most popular.
Bob

On Sun, Jul 3, 2011 at 10:47 AM, Bob Loeffler <bobl at peaktopeak.com> wrote:
> Yes, very good idea, Bob K! ?And Geoff and Steve could compare the
> meteorwrongs with their best meteorites to keep met fans happy (instead of
> just showing meteorwrongs). ?I am one person who doesn't care about
> meteorwrongs, so I would want to see real mets next to the metwrongs
> (side-by-side) to keep me interested in watching. ?:-)
>
> Another idea for an episode would be a "best of meteorites", where Geoff and
> Steve could travel around the U.S. to show the viewer the best meteorite
> specimens in the U.S. ?And they could do it for each continent or
> sub-continent/region (like Europe). ?That type of episode could get
> expensive, though. ?Or maybe they could show the best of their own
> collections. ?I don't know... I?m just blabbing now. ?:-)
>
> Everybody have a great weekend (Independence Day weekend here in the U.S.)!
>
> Regards,
>
> Bob
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
> [mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] On Behalf Of Count
> Deiro
> Sent: Sunday, July 03, 2011 9:31 AM
> To: Bob King; meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Collateral Damage.
>
> Bob said "perhaps we could suggest an episode..".
>
> Outstanding idea! I believe the producers could jazz it up enough to make it
> a popular segment. It would also do a lot to shut down criticism of the boys
> and their exploits.
>
> Best to all,
>
> Count Deiro
> OMCA 3536 MetSoc
>
> -----Original Message-----
>>From: Bob King <nightsky55 at gmail.com>
>>Sent: Jul 3, 2011 8:09 AM
>>To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>>Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Collateral Damage.
>>
>>Hi everyone,
>>I don't have cable and haven't seen the Meteorite Men programs, but
>>perhaps we could suggest an episode to Steve and Geoff on how to tell
>>fake meteorites from real ones, meteorite look-alikes, learning how
>>best to tell them apart on eBay and the like. Members of the list
>>could even contribute pictures or Meteorite Men could visit the homes
>>of a couple list members who have the best meteorwrong collections. I
>>could even see them doing interviews with several people who bought
>>fake meteorites. I think the consumer would find a show like this very
>>interesting. In the long run, it would help those ignorant of
>>meteorites get a more realistic view of their rarity as well as to
>>learn to exercise some caution. Of course, maybe they've already done
>>a program like this, I don't know. Just a thought.
>>Bob
>>
>>
>>>> May I share an experience I had yesterday afternoon that saddened me and
> left me questioning the merits of sensationalizing the trade in meteorites.
>>>>
>>>> I recently began inserting a free ?announcement in a nationally read
> online list stating simply that "I BUY METEORITES". Included in the
> announcement are some simple qualifying tests that I hope will weed out most
> of the "wrongs". I advise that if it turns out that you have a meteorite I
> will charge you $25.00 for the initial examination and I will help you get
> it confirmed and classified if you wish. If the find is terrestrial I will
> not charge any fee and I will suggest you get a second opinion.
>>>>
>>>> Well, this has worked out pretty well. I've had a half dozen calls in
> the last six weeks and several of those have resulted in "finds". One
> particular 100 gram individual has already been classified as a rare type
> and I was able to secure a nice slice for my collection.
>>>>
>>>> Then this happened. I received a call from a young woman who said she
> was in a neighboring State and had traded all she had for over a hundred
> pounds of "irons" and wanted to know how much were they "going for". She
> used a few meteoritical terms to proudly describe her acquisitions, but I
> could tell she had gotten whatever she had learned from whatever source a
> bit wrong. She talked fast and excitedly saying her meteorites were "really
> heavy and magnetic". She insisted she had studied and knew they were
> meteorites. All of them.
>>>>
>>>> She went on to say that she had sold her fifth wheel trailer in
> Quartsite, Arizona and the man who bought it was a "rock dealer" and had
> suggested she trade everything in the travel trailer for these "meteorites".
> She now wanted to cash in and would I be interested. She said she would meet
> me in a few days, but low and behold she arrived the next afternoon.
>>>>
>>>> Now picture this. It was 112 degrees when she and her husband and five
> kids, ages three months to thirteen, arrive in a beat up Chevy truck with
> all their possessions stacked up in the back. And no air conditioning. After
> I dispensed bottles of water and got the tribe into the shade, she excitedly
> announced let's look at the meteorites and ordered her quiet and unassuming
> husband to lug the boxes and briefcases out from under the stroller and baby
> food into my garage.
>>>>
>>>> The instant the first of the samples were lovingly laid out on my bench
> it was apparent to me they were terrestrial rocks. She had at least fifty
> pounds of "slag" and even large and small chunks of basalt and sandstone.
> She picked up the rocks one after the other for me to admire while all the
> while chattering inanely about how they were "stony iron" or "irons" and
> pointing out features to prove her identification and get me interested.
>>>>
>>>> I finally stopped her selling pitch by recommending we cut a few. I cut
> a dozen of the best prospects which all turned out to be terrestrial. I
> decided I would have to tell her as tactfully as I could. I went and
> selected some "rights" and "wrongs" from my collection and proceeded to
> teach a little meteorite identification 101. It didn't take long for her to
> realize that she didn't have any meteorites.
>>>>
>>>> I told her how sorry I was, and that I wanted her to have meteorites,
> and would have been pleased to do business with her. But it unfortunately
> wasn't the case. She and her husband looked stricken. She said " I gave
> everything we had." I mentioned that she should not take my opinion and get
> a second opinion. I suggested some other collectors and dealers. I also gave
> her the URLs for a couple illustrated meteor identification sites.
>>>>
>>>> After we had loaded the rocks back in the bed of the pickup I asked how
> she had become aware of the desirability of meteorites and where did she get
> her "off the wall" ideas of their value. She said she had watched most of
> the episodes of "Meteorite Men".
>>>>
>>>> This little drama says something....I have my own opinion....anyone else
> like to opine?
>>>>
>>>> Count Deiro
>>>> IMCA 3536 ?MetSoc
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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Received on Sun 03 Jul 2011 12:10:42 PM PDT