[meteorite-list] Mifflin Mud Monster

From: Adam Hupe <raremeteorites_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 8 May 2011 18:58:58 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <16209.27807.qm_at_web30702.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

Hi Walter and List,
 
I understand what you are saying. There are a lot of honest people out there
just trying to make ends meet. I remember purchasing pieces from you and just
about everybody else that was around years ago and never had to worry about what
I was getting. It was nice to be naive and worry free. I can?t say this any
more.
 
This latest incident has me thinking too. I stopped chasing falls after Park
Forest where I witnessed much greed and backstabbing. I would rather quietly
pursue finds without all of the tension. Perhaps Jack Schrader had the right
idea about keeping Arizona?s most recent fall under wraps. These high-profile
chases start out well enough but end badly.
 
The last five years have been rough. Maybe the hobby has evolved to the point
where it is attracting the wrong kind of people. Self-paired stones, faked find
locations, rigged silent auctions in Tucson, shameless self-promoting at the
cost to others, broken promises to land owners, self-appointed spokespeople, bad
press and now outright fraud have all taken their toll. It takes a lot of joy
out of a once exciting avocation.

 
As the song goes, ?Everybody is searching for the next plateau.? ?You make it
the top and what do you find, a bucket and a mop and an illustrated book about
birds.?

 
This avocation needs to evolve in order to survive. Just talk to any American
Civil War collector and you will find that the fakes have brought down the
prices on legitimate artifacts. Supposedly, if you believe Carl E., now we
have a faceless, nameless phantom from Mifflin defrauding the meteorite
community. I will call this entity, "The Mifflin Mud Monster" because he has a
way of muddying up the market.

 
 
Happy Collecting,
 
Adam
Received on Sun 08 May 2011 09:58:58 PM PDT