[meteorite-list] Guesstimate on number of meteorite collectors.

From: Martin Altmann <altmann_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 15 May 2013 01:05:34 +0200
Message-ID: <001201ce50f7$8cda3d20$a68eb760$_at_de>

Hi Don,

let me share, what I learned (after a couple of years as a fulltime dealer).

To answer your questions:

Number of "serious" collectors (until they will have repaired the broken
cable under the Atlantic, never got such a poor echo on unbeatable offers..)

is world-wide 12 (twelve).

Number of universities/museums interested in meteorites is: 32.

Number of wannabee and pros as offerer of meteorites is: 237.

>I just don't see how anyone can make a full time living Selling meteorites

Be a nerd. Don't expect fulfillment in life.
Nininger never was happy.

>become millionaires
Don, learn: regarding meteorites you can be more successful than ANSMET,
PRIC and NASA together - the owner of the pedicure shop on the other side of
your road will always have a better life than you.


>That irks me to no end!

Then I tell you: wrong business.
To the South of my town, there is a lake.
It has the highest real estate prices of all Germany.
There is a man, who purchased a villa and a land at 50 millions of $.
You know, he didn't find the Moon rock, mankind never had before, he didn't
managed to bring up that Martian rock, all the billion-$ missions looked on
the red planet for, he never got his hands on all Chelyabinskis found. He
made his fortune with vacuum-devices, giving males the illusion, that for a
short time, their sexual organs seemed to be bigger than they believed, they
could be.

And forget about ebay.
Hardly you can find there an ambitious specimen offered, and even more
seldomly such sold.

And repair the internet-cable under the Atlantic Ocean.
Just mailed to 20 US-collectors with unbeatable offers, got 1 response.
Hence must be broke or so. Cause so impolite, they never were, not to
answer.

>with such a bad global economy
Economy in Germany, second largest pool of collectors, for instance is
currently excellent. Though they tend to buy only the most common of the
common mainstream.

Be brave, Don, wait another 10 years and meteorite collecting will return,
just like it should be and was once before!

Martin



-----Urspr?ngliche Nachricht-----
Von: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
[mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] Im Auftrag von Don
Merchant
Gesendet: Dienstag, 14. Mai 2013 21:29
An: Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
Cc: Don Merchant
Betreff: [meteorite-list] Guesstimate on number of meteorite collectors.

Hi List. Some thoughts and questions to ponder. To me it seems like there is
an endless number of Meteorite Dealers, Wannabee Meteorite Dealers, Part
Time Sellers, Full time Sellers, One hit wonder Sellers, Mix of meteorite
and Jewelry Sellers etc. All one has to do is just go on eBay to get a
partial idea of this fiasco, let alone the many websites you come across
when searching blindly on the internet involving meteorites. It seems
everyone including my great grandmother is selling meteorites! I also know
that meteorite collecting is confined to a very small group/percentage of
people world wide as compared to other hobbies. Does anyone have any idea of
how many hard core Collectors there are in the world at one time? I am not
talking about the 1 time Buyer of a meteorite either. I see some Dealers
selling the same material every week for years! I mean it sells, but to
who!! The same type specimen every single week for years, I mean every
Collector on Earth should have a piece of it by now, and yet someone buys
another piece the following week! What are Collectors doing, double and
tripling up on the specimens! I don't get it. Anyways....I just don't see
how anyone can make a full time living Selling meteorites with such
completion out there these days and the fraud that takes place. My pet
peeves are those that sell without providing at least an ID Card or some
kind of provenance...at least something to back the specimen. That irks me
to no end! I have solved that issue long, long ago ...I don't buy from you,
period. How the heck can I resell that specimen without some form of
legitimacy. So for those of you who still continue to sell without ID Cards
or Provenance, lets get your crap in order. Another thing I noticed is that
(especially) on eBay that week after week after week specimens like Lunars,
Martians, or historical specimens (well known and famous specimens) that
which have been sold or known for years, still get high prices for the
auction. You mean that after all these years there are still Collectors that
do not have a piece of say NWA 482 or DaG 476! Once it is put up on eBay
somebody buys it. Where on Earth do these people work that they continue to
buy and buy and buy meteorites! I guess I just don't understand who is
always buying these specimens with such a bad global economy and a limited
elite group of Collectors. Where the heck do you get your money from! Maybe
inheritance? Lottery Money? Can't be from hard earned money! Just sounding
off is all to those who want to listen/read. I mean some people go to these
shows like Ensisheim or Tucson and spend tens of thousands of dollars or
more on specimens! What!! Are you serious! I know for a fact that less then
1/10th of 1% of people become millionaires starting out with nothing. The
rest were either lucky or money was handed to them by Mom and Dad or Mom and
Dad's business was given to them. I just don't get it. I have a very high
paying job and no one ever gave me a penny and I barely make ends meet, let
alone find money to purchase meteorites. This is a mystery that needs to be
on the History Channel!
Sincerely
Don Merchant
Founder-Cosmic Treasures Celestial Wonders www.ctreasurescwonders.com IMCA
#0960

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Received on Tue 14 May 2013 07:05:34 PM PDT