[meteorite-list] ANSWER - whole stone concerns

From: Mark Grossman <markig_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 8 May 2011 22:24:00 -0400
Message-ID: <7FFEB9B2F09845AEB437FE0B60C3130B_at_QED>

It's not that easy for the collector.

There are some dealers out there who take offense when the collector asks
about the provenance of the samples. And that includes some IMCA members as
well.

Mark Grossman
Meteorite Manuscripts

----- Original Message -----
From: <Impactika at aol.com>
To: <waltbranch at bellsouth.net>; <mlblood at cox.net>;
<meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Sunday, May 08, 2011 10:14 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] ANSWER - whole stone concerns


> Well, Walter,
>
> I cannot speak for Matt, but I have found that getting complete provenance
> and Proof of provenance is not always all that easy.
> I just discussed with a collector who has been collecting for many years,
> but has moved several times in his life; he could tell me exactly what
> each
> piece was and who he had bought it from (and some were from Matt) but he
> has
> lost most of the paperwork.
> And 2 years ago I bought a whole collection (some 200 pieces) that had
> been
> boxed and stored in a closet for at least ten years. Again, some of the
> labels and receipts were there but not all of them, some were missing,
> some he
> just had little pieces of paper that he had handwritten and stuffed in the
> boxes. Since he had stopped collecting some ten years prior, much before
> meteorites got popular, I decided to take his word for it, but I had some
> of the
> pieces verified. So I believe I have the right stuff, but you will have to
> take my word for it, and you will only get my label.
> In other words, it is the same old story: know your dealer, and deal only
> with dealers you trust.
>
> Does that help?
>
> Anne M. Black
> _www.IMPACTIKA.com_ (http://www.IMPACTIKA.com)
> _IMPACTIKA at aol.com_ (mailto:IMPACTIKA at aol.com)
> President of IMCA
> _www.IMCA.cc_ (http://www.IMCA.cc)
>
>
> In a message dated 5/8/2011 6:27:18 PM Mountain Daylight Time,
> waltbranch at bellsouth.net writes:
> Hello Michael,
>
> It really is not that easy. As this example illustrates, even honest
> dealers can be duped. I purchase meteorites from a very small list of
> dealers. Very small. I have done business with some for 15 years; two I
> started buying from this year. All have earned my complete trust.
>
> However...
>
> While I trust these dealer to not intentionally dupe me, how do I know
> they
> trust their sources and they have done their due diligence in the same way
> I
> have?
>
> As an example, I applaud Anne Black for setting the example of providing
> provenance for her meteorites but how am I assured the person who sold a
> given specimen it to Anne did what Anne and I would have done? BTW, I
> trust
> Anne.
>
> I sold some meteorites recently. I listed the dealers I purchased the
> meteorites from. I sold one last week that I obtained from Matt Morgan.
> I
> told the purchaser I got it from Matt. Did Matt vett his source, as I
> have
> done Matt? I don't know. Did the person before them? I don't know.
> BTW,
> I trust Matt.
>
> Remember the, what was it, sandstone dinosaur egg incident?
>
> As we can see, the chain of custody can become quite complicated.
>
> I have been concerned for a long time now about this sort of thing
> happening. The surprising thing to me is that it did not happen sooner.
>
> This whole incident is really getting to me. I have had it on my mind all
> day.
>
> -Walter Branch
>
>
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Received on Sun 08 May 2011 10:24:00 PM PDT