[meteorite-list] Meteorite Auction Days Numbered?

From: JoshuaTreeMuseum <joshuatreemuseum_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:19:41 -0400
Message-ID: <F6DBB518139148BC8FDE00DCEF96F5E2_at_ET>

I haven't noticed any changes in eBay policy toward international meteorite
sales. The people that are being hasseled were probably reported by someone.
It only takes one snitch "telling" on you for whatever reason to get an
auction shut down. I had a stalagmite auction closed recently because of a
person morally opposed to the selling of speleothems. They lied and said I
stole the formations from US gov't land, when I clearly stated they were
from a Chinese dealer at the Tucson Show. After I explained the situation to
eBay, they let me relist the item, but there was no refund for fees.

The tattle-tale was nutty, emailing me to say I was stealing and selling
national treasures. I sort of provoked him by saying since he was such a
moralist, he must have returned his stolen property to the nearest Native
American tribe.

Again, I have not seen any changes at all in eBay policy, except for the
email address prohibition.

Phil Whitmer
Joshua Tree Earth & Space Museum
Received on Fri 30 Sep 2011 01:19:41 PM PDT