[meteorite-list] [IMCA List] IMCA BoD Election 2017: Questions about Provenance for Candidates and all Members

From: Mendy Ouzillou <mendy.ouzillou_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2017 15:38:08 -0500
Message-ID: <00d501d337d0$87b9c3a0$972d4ae0$_at_gmail.com>

Hello everyone,

First and foremost, I am a collector. As such, the provenance of my specimens is as important to me as the specimens themselves. As stated previously, the main focus of the IMCA is to ensure authenticity and this is an issue the IMCA board of Directors take very seriously. So, I will respond as a collector and a candidate for the IMCA board.

I, like Anne, also stay away from specimens whose chain of custody includes collectors/dealers with a bad reputation. The importance of provenance and the chain of custody have become more and more important to me over time. I have had to learn the hard way that some mistakes made by sellers are innocent and some mistakes are not mistakes but outright fraud. In that time and especially during my transition into becoming a dealer, I have learned that it is just as important to provide my and previous owners' specimen cards to ensure a continuous chain of custody. One reason is that no laboratory will spend time testing my Ash Creek is a NWA-look alike or the real deal. Not that the labs can't perform the testing, just that the analysis results of one L6 are very often difficult to distinguish from another L6. Unfortunately, not all meteorites are as unique as Tatahouine or Gujba to make them "obvious". So, coming back to provenance and chain of custody, this is often the only guarantee we as collectors have t
hat the specimen in your collection is in fact authentic.

As my wife has (very patiently and graciously) been conducting a complete inventory of my collection and items for sale, another issue has surfaced. Specimens that I bought (when I first started collecting) being listed as classified or being a certain type that later turn out to be neither. So, always check the MetBull to make sure the item you are buying is what you think it is. Also, never be afraid to ask your dealer whatever questions you feel are appropriate to give you confidence in that purchase.

With our membership's feedback and board action, we can make improvements to the Code of Ethics to provide better guidelines that help protect buyers and sellers.

Best,

Mendy

-----Original Message-----
From: IMCA [mailto:imca-bounces at mail.imca.co] On Behalf Of Don Cracraft via IMCA
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2017 12:14 PM
To: imca at mail.imca.co; metopaster at gmx.de; imca at mail.imca.co
Subject: Re: [IMCA List] IMCA BoB Election 2017: Questions about Provenance for Candidates and all Members

Hi all!
I record the date of purchase, who I bought it from and any information regarding prevuous owners along with several other bits of information on such as the sellers descriprion of it, their IMCA member number (when possible), the picture, declared weight, TKW, etc. for every individual meteorite in my collection for the over 300 meteorites and 24 meteoritic thin sections in my collection.
The recording of every bit of information is paramount! With provenance and full documentation the value is far less than it could be! Sadly, provenance can help "clean out" your collection should information regarding a seller arise after a purchase.
Being handicapped, I am unable to go into the field to go meteorite hunting myself. Having been in document control, I believe in documenting everything about the meteorites in my collection.
Don CracraftIMCA 2650Creator of the original DMC Meteorite scale cube, the one with the "T" and the "1 CM"

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
 
  On Wed, Sep 27, 2017 at 9:45 AM, Paul Swartz via IMCA<imca at mail.imca.co> wrote: Provenance is important for many reasons - it is a chain of custody, collection cards in the chain from reputable dealers instills confidence, and it preserves the history of the specimen. I keep all collection cards I receive with a specimen and include them along with my collection card when I sell it.
 
Cheers
 
Paul Swartz
IMCA 5204
MPOD Web Master
 
 
 
 
In a message dated 9/26/2017 1:31:02 PM US Mountain Standard Time, imca at mail.imca.co writes:

 
 Dear fellow candidates and members,



our email-list is far too quiet for election time. Please remember that this time during our annual election is the time, where we can ask question to make our mind up for whom of the candidates we want to vote. This is the time to get an impression for what a candidate may stands for and if you feel confident with him on the BoD later or not.

As I have to made up my decisions too and due to the fact, that it is of general interest for me, my question is not meant for my fellow candidates only - it is for all of you. I want to ask the following:

- How important is provenance to you (today and/or in the past)?

- How many pre-owners of your collection samples do you know and do you give this information to your customers or trade partners, if a piece leaves you?


- Do you attach all labels to a piece which you have- also the one of your source or just your own one, if you give it away?



Curious to hear about from all of you,



Ingo


  
Received on Wed 27 Sep 2017 04:38:08 PM PDT