[meteorite-list] AD - Ridiculously Low Prices - Rare Material

From: W&S Schroer <schroer_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2013 14:38:03 +0930
Message-ID: <0C5AB3EEF3D148F2A6E3C4FF19A643D7_at_WernerPC>

Hello fellow listoids,
I've been receiving an invalid pension for almost 20 years and it was a
crazy idea to start collecting meteorites some years ago. I don't smoke and
I don't drink and that's the reason why I can afford this wonderful hobby.
Since I have plenty of time, I spend hours every day on the internet chasing
the bargains wherever I can find them.

The results of auctions on ebay make up around 80% of my collection of some
300 specimens and without ebay I would have probably lost interest in
collecting since I simply didn't (and still don't) have the money to pay for
most of the 'Buy Now' prices or pay - with a few exemptions - the prices
sellers ask on their websites. Does that make me a scammer, Michael? Don't
you shop around and try to get the best price for whatever you might want to
buy, including meteorites? Good on you if you don't have to, but what you
call crumbs and junk might be the 'stepping stones' for someone who just
starts collecting, maybe even kid who can't afford your expensive stuff. I
own a few specimens that have cost me 4-digit figures and they all came from
sellers who have also sold me crumbs and junk. They might still be sitting
on their more costly stones if they were not happy with selling cheap
specimens to poor (like me) or little collectors.

>From my collector's point of view ebay auctions were good to me. I think the
way to go is to have a few auctions every week so that bargain hunters check
them out and see also the 'Buy Now' items and they might get tempted to buy
one of those. I've done that and so will most other collectors.

As always, where you have winners you also have losers, but it is the big
picture that counts and it seems to me that some sellers have found the
right balance.

Cheers
Werner Schroer
Australia


-----Original Message-----
From: Adam Hupe
Sent: Wednesday, July 24, 2013 7:10 AM
To: Adam
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] AD - Ridiculously Low Prices - Rare Material

I agree with both of you. EBay sure isn't what it used to be. I remember
when there were less then 50 meteorites being offered at any given time on
eBay in 1998 and Yahoo had a better auction site. I like the excitement of
letting the buyer determine the price through bidding but eBay is not very
viable anymore when rare material is selling for less than what the
Moroccans or other wholesalers are asking for it. I cannot replace the
material for what price is being realized on eBay. That is why I have been
focusing on fixed priced artifacts which have a much larger audience. I
have been doing well since I took the time to have nearly everything of
value papered. Artifact collectors appreciate the extra effort put into
having items papered and serialized.


No self-pairing or piggy-backing going on in artifacts, just "artifackers"
which are pounded on the instant they try. In this very poor economy,
genuine dealers will not put up with idiots selling fakes. They will mop
the floor with them instantly!

Too bad, it looks like I may have to start another website and move away
from auction style sells on eBay. It used to be fun but I am tired of items
being drowned out along with 8,000 other "meteorites?", some of which are
not meteorites at all. Too much publicity isn't always a good thing!


Adam






so clogged full



----- Original Message -----
From: Michael Farmer <mike at meteoriteguy.com>
To: Jim Strope <faq4q at yahoo.com>
Cc: Adam Hupe <raremeteorites at yahoo.com>; Adam
<meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 23, 2013 2:17 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] AD - Ridiculously Low Prices - Rare Material

I've been fixed price for 3 years, no more crumbs and junk to waste my time
and drive me crazy with scammers. Fixed price takes longer to sell but there
seems to be no downside.
I get what I want for them sooner or later.
Michael Farmer

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 23, 2013, at 1:57 PM, Jim Strope <faq4q at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Fixed price is the only way I list on eBay now. I start auction style
> listings at my minimum desired price. Prices on good meteorites are
> rising anyway. So, there is no reason to give things away just because
> bidding is light.
>
> Jim Strope
> 421 4th Street
> Glen Dale, WV. 26038
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> On Jul 23, 2013, at 4:14 PM, Adam Hupe <raremeteorites at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> Dear List Members,
>>
>> There are going to be some super bargains this week judging from the lack
>> of bidding! Many items worth hundreds of dollars are still at the
>> opening bid of just 99 cents and are due to end in a few hours! Auction
>> style listings on eBay are now a rarity. Most dealers have gone to fixed
>> pricing asking three times the amount that I have been realizing at
>> auction lately so you may want to take advantage of these super low
>> prices while they last.
>>
>>
>> Link to all auctions:
>> http://shop.ebay.com/raremeteorites!/m.html
>>
>>
>>
>> Thank you for looking,
>>
>> Adam
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Received on Wed 24 Jul 2013 01:08:03 AM PDT