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

From: Michael Farmer <mike_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 14 May 2013 16:29:04 -0700
Message-ID: <95879FBE-954F-4ED3-8396-84643A971417_at_meteoriteguy.com>

Personally business is as good as it ever has been, better actually. The economy is challenge, one to adapt to and overcome. Those who don't change have fallen by the wayside.
Moroccan meteorites are now laughably expensive at the source. I get daily offers for rare things but the price is now double retail. Anyone trying to make
Money Moroccan material is now upside down like many homeowners.
I refuse to pay these prices and am doing much better with other parts of the world.
Again, you must know and cultivate your clients. eBay just doesn't cut it anymore. I have abandoned that waste of time. Of course to make money you must hustle hard. Just to buy some NWA's and chop them up does not cut it these days.
I have been to Asia 3 times in the last 6 weeks. That is hustling my ass off to get the goodies and get them fast and to my customers personally, like the kind of customers you hand deliver to:)
They are out there, but they are smart enough to buy from serious sellers.
Michael Farmer



Sent from my iPhone

On May 14, 2013, at 4:05 PM, "Martin Altmann" <altmann at meteorite-martin.de> wrote:

> 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 07:29:04 PM PDT