[meteorite-list] Moroccan business meteorite is suffering

From: Michael Gilmer <meteoritemike_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 31 May 2011 14:43:39 -0400
Message-ID: <BANLkTi=Hq3ntQcXfF5h6FXr5vs-HtQLu8Q_at_mail.gmail.com>

Hi List,

Said is right about "brokers". Several of these people have appeared
on Facebook in recent months. All live in Morocco and claim to own
the stones they are offering. In fact, they do not own the stones and
they are acting as middlemen, sometimes without the permission of the
stone's owner. I have heard a few stories about bad deals that
involved these middlemen.

If someone new offers a stone to you and you are unsure about the
seller, then discretely ask around to some trusted sources. There are
many people on this list who can give you a solid lead on where to
purchase meteorites directly from Morocco - through reliable sources.
There are also several trusted Moroccan sources who are members of
this List. If a name sounds unfamiliar, just ask before wiring money
away.

A perfect storm of conditions has resulted in the current market situation :

1) political instability in Saharan Africa.
2) increasing violence - terrorist acts, civil war, border incidents, etc.
3) economic hardship (worldwide, this is a powerful motivator behind
rising prices)
4) dwindling supply (high harvest rates cannot be sustained)
5) increasing demand (new collectors, media exposure, social networking)

#3 and #5 combine to make a ripe atmosphere for scammers.

Best regards,

MikeG

PS - for more background on the Saharan meteorite market, see -
http://www.galactic-stone.com/pages/sahara

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Galactic Stone & Ironworks - Meteorites & Amber (Michael Gilmer)

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On 5/30/11, John.L.Cabassi <John at cabassi.net> wrote:
> G'Day List
> This is a very interesting subject. Some good information on both sides,
> as well as the unicorn in the middle. I hope we keep this on track and
> don't turn it into a blood fest. Sorry Michael, no pun intended ;-)
>
> Cheers
> John Cabassi
> IMCA # 2125
>
>
> Dear All,
>
> I suspect the reason the prices are higher is that supplies are drying
> up
> because of various conflicts (Political or Otherwise) affecting the
> ability
> to go find them. Border controls are tighter getting in/out, now
> affecting
> the movements of locals (Nomads/Berbers). For what it's worth, that's
> my
> take on it.
>
> Cheers
> David R Childs
> IMCA#5112
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Tomasz Jakubowski" <illaenus at wp.pl>
> To: "meteoriteguy.com" <mike at meteoriteguy.com>
> Cc: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> Sent: Monday, May 30, 2011 7:45 PM
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Moroccan business meteorite is suffering
>
>
>
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--

Received on Tue 31 May 2011 02:43:39 PM PDT