[meteorite-list] Speck Issues - Reply to this subject

[Frank Cressy]

Hi Mike,

I don't disagree with you and I'd trust both Blaine
and you 100% to be selling what you say you are, but
unfortunately, not all dealers are the same. The
following is from another dealers site talking about a
0.62g, 0.60g and 1.12g thin part slices of Barbotan.
he wrote:

"NOTE: these are the prices ONLY until one sells. Then
there will be a 50% increase. When the
second one sells, the third will be broken up and the
price more than trippled. These are literally 
irrepalcable. March2, 2008 a piece of this sold on
eBay for over $5,000.00 per gram. These are 
listed at bargain prices:"

I have no question that these aren't Barbotan, just
hate seeing historical meteorites ending up as specks.
 It is kind of ironic that he should say "These
[pieces] are literally irreplacable" and then proceed
to pull out a hammer!

I think the biggest potential for fraud would be for
some non dealer on ebay selling (HYPOTHECIAL CASE): 
Have to sell my 20mg fragment of Mokoia, purchased a
year ago from Mike Farmer, comes with his collection
card".  

All the best,
Frank


--- Michael Farmer <meteoriteguy at yahoo.com> wrote:


> Guys, there is no problem here. You know, as a

> dealer

> who cuts and messes with thousands of meteorites per

> year, you end up with plenty of crumbs, dust, and

> specks. Please don't think that we are smashing

> these

> things with hammers in order to maximize profit!

> Specks are a byproduct of making a large piece into

> multiple pieces, not taking a .2 gram meteorite

> piece

> and turning it into 20 pieces, at least not on

> purpose.

> As far as buying these specks on ebay, you must

> indeed

> trust your dealer, someone like Blaine or myself, we

> make enough money not to need to waste time scamming

> people. If I say it is Mokoia, you can rest assured

> that it is not Allende fragments. If you buy from

> just

> anyone on ebay just because they say they have

> something, well, buyer beware.

> Michael Farmer

> --- Walter Branch <waltbranch at bellsouth.net> wrote:

> 

> > Hi Frank,

> > 

> > I could not agree more with you.  Every word,

> every

> > line.

> > 

> > Remember when Blaine Reed brought out DAG 262? 

> > There

> > were a few who looked at the specks and balked but

> > because it

> > was Blaine who was selling it, the pedigree was

> > beyond reproach.

> > 

> > This is not meant to be an indictment of Blaine. 

> > Quite the opposite.

> > 

> > I understand the economic pressures of ever

> smaller

> > pieces of

> > meteorite selling for ever higher prices, but it

> > seems the price-to-weight

> > graph is almost "U" shaped, with more and more

> > material ending up

> > as smaller and smaller fragments.

> > 

> > Where is Steve Schoner?  I'd always liked to hear

> > his comments on this.  :-)

> > 

> > -Walter Branch

> > (From sunny and beautiful Savannah.  What the heck

> > am I doing

> > indoors.  Oh, that's right - I have a job!)

> >

>

-----------------------------------------------------

> > ----- Original Message ----- 

> > From: "Frank Cressy" <fcressy at prodigy.net>

> > To: "Meteorite List"

> > <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>

> > Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 3:41 PM

> > Subject: [meteorite-list] Speck Issues - Reply to

> > this subject

> > 

> > 

> > > Hello all,

> > >

> > > This is a resend of a previous post.  I meant to

> > > change the subject line but in my fever muddled

> > state

> > > I forgot.  Sorry about that.  Please reply to

> this

> > > post to avoid confusion.

> > >

> > > Frank

> > >

> > > --- Frank Cressy <fcressy at prodigy.net> wrote:

> > >

> > >> Hi Michael and all,

> > >>

> > >> The Barboton you mentioned was a 9mg speck and

> > went

> > >> for $46.67.  Many people shopping ebay don't

> > blink

> > >> until the price reaches a $100 or more. So

> > >> price/gram

> > >> on a speck means nothing.  The problem I see is

> > that

> > >> this and other hammer specks and rare and

> > historical

> > >> specks can never be verified.  Barbotan is an

> H5

> > >> veined chondrite...see any veining?  On the

> above

> > >> example, Peter M was the seller and I have 100%

> > >> confidence that this was indeed Barbotan,  Now

> > what

> > >> if

> > >> the winner "1randombid" with a "private"

> feedback

> > >> profile finds a larger Barbotan speck next

> week,

> > and

> > >> decides to sell this one, maybe even using

> > Peter's

> > >> original box and card.  Still 100% sure of

> it???

> > >> Unless you know the complete collection history

> > of

> > >> the

> > >> piece with everyone involved, can a buyer have

> > even

> > >> a

> > >> shred of confidence that the speck is what it

> is

> > >> described to be.  At least the Bessey Specks of

> > 10

> > >> years ago were either Nakhla and Zagami, and

> with

> > a

> > >> good lens or microscope one could be quite

> > certain

> > >> as

> > >> to what he/she had.  A little more difficult

> with

> > an

> > >> H5 or an L6 to say the least.

> > >>

> > >> Michael, I also have 100% confidence that your

> > >> material is what you say it is, but then I also

> > >> wouldn't bet the farm on it.  I also know if

> > >> something

> > >> were to be found in error, you'd stand behind

> it

> > as

> > >> would most dealers.  However, with the prices

> > >> raising

> > >> crazily it's might be too tempting for someone

> to

> > >> sell

> > >> a bogus speck maybe just once in a while.  We

> > like

> > >> to

> > >> think that the people on the list are above all

> > >> those

> > >> things, but wasn't "the one who still remains

> > >> nameless" who got caught with a rock in his

> shoe,

> > >> once

> > >> a member of the list.

> > >>

> > >> For you dealers the rising prices are great,

> but

> > >> hopefully is isn't a house of cards and won't

> end

> > up

> > >> like the housing and credit debaucle, built,

> > >> founded,

> > >> fueled, and distroyed by Greed.  The speck

> value

> > is

> > >> only based on trust, and should a couple bad

> > apples

> > >> ever show up, I think it could collapse.

> > >>

> > >> Just my ramblings on another fun filled day

> with

> > the

> > >> flu,  Hope you didn't take this personally,

> just

> > my

> > >> views on specks.  Also seeing historical

> > specimens

> > >> broken into smaller and smaller pieces upsets

> me

> > >> too,

> > >> but that's another story.

> > >>

> > >> All the best,

> > >> Frank

> > >>

> > >> --- Michael L Blood <mlblood at cox.net> wrote:

> > >>

> > >> > I noted with interest a small piece of

> Barbotan

> > on

> > >> > eBay. I left a reasonable

> > >> > Bid on it and just checked it out.....

> > >> >         It had sold for over $5,000.00 per

> > gram.

> > >> >         I have what I believe are the last 3

> > >> > specimens available in the

> > >> > world on my hammer site (if anyone knows

> where

> > I

> > >> can

> > >> > get more, please

> > >> > Contact me off list - reward!)

> > >> >         I will hold this price until the

> first

> 

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