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

[Mark]

Hi Don
I learned the same way, only trying to put them in the gem jar and they 
would slide to the side, so carefully, I remove the top, and it's like 
there's some obscure law of Captain Murphy's that says the smaller it item, 
the further it will travel.
Now, I also collect diamonds when I find a cheap supply, and break out my 
fluorescent lamp to look for those that glow. Let me tell you, those little 
buggers can move so fast as you exhale (we're talking 1/2-1 point size 
crystals here and basically industrial quality) cause you don't realize how 
close you really are with optivisors on.
And my meteorite specks are the same way. I now use a white plastic tray and 
a much smaller white plastic tray inside that when I sort out specks of 
anything! And, I have a rare earth magnet in a zip lock bag for any of my 
meteorite specks that try to get out of that.

Mark Ferguson

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Don Merchant" <dmerchan at rochester.rr.com>
To: <Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Cc: <dmerchan at rochester.rr.com>
Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 7:42 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Speck Issues - Reply to this subject



> Hi List. My thoughts on specks with a little funny story about them. I 

> realize not every collector out that has unlimited funds and so many 

> collectors with budgets and families alike have just so much to spend on 

> their treasured specimens. Lets face it meteorite collecting can be very 

> addicting and can get many collectors in a financial bind if not careful, 

> much like the out of control compulsive gambler so to speak. With so many 

> available meteorites to choose from and in many different sizes and 

> weights as well as new finds every year, this can make any collector 

> especially the novice, feel like a kid walking into a candy store for the 

> first time! I think it is fantastic that dealers like Mike Farmer, Greg 

> Hupe, Mike Cottingham, Dean Bessy and others can offer small milligram 

> size meteorites for what I feel is the majority of collectors with budgets 

> out there. I take my hat off to these men as they have open up a new world 

> to meteorites and collecting that 10 years or so ago was unheard of. 

> Specks......I agree with others that to own a piece of a super rare hard 

> to acquire meteorite especially under a budget that sometimes that speck 

> in one's collection can look like a boulder! Is that Speck really the type 

> of meteorite that was said it is? I always felt that buying from top name 

> dealers was the safest way to go because as Mike Farmer said money is not 

> the issue. When your at that level of the game as a dealer, selling false 

> type specks is not even in ones vocabulary. There will always be cutting 

> losses when cutting meteorites Period. So why not sell those cutting 

> losses to collectors who can't afford say the 1/4-3/4 gram of ultra rare 

> sub type of whatever meteorite. Not everyone can own a 1943 copper penny 

> but give me a steel 1943 penny to put in my collection and I'm happy. I 

> have made a habit over the years of only buying from a certain group of 

> dealers and if I run into something that catches my eye from a non-regular 

> dealer I will do my homework before I buy. Most specks will never get that 

> huge price tag. It is true in meteorites that bigger is better or simply 

> put you get what you pay for. I prefer to say I buy what I can reasonably 

> afford. Forgive me List but I always look at a piece of meteorite I buy as 

> what I would be able to get back on it for resale. I say this because of 

> my last statement "bigger is better" and maybe I cannot afford that 1/2 

> gram of rare meteorite today but I will buy a 1/4 gram of it and then 

> later catch a deal on that 1/2 gram and sell my 1/4 gram to "step up" so 

> to speak. Ok I'm rambling on. My speck story.....I remember years ago when 

> I started out collecting meteorites and of course with family and all, I 

> was under a microscope watched eye budget by my wife! I really wanted a 

> Martian meteorite so I could brag to myself and friends that I had an 

> actual piece of stone from the Planet Mars. I'll never forget when my 

> speck came in the mail, of course bought from a famous well known dealer 

> (I did my homework) and I could hardly contain my self as I opened up the 

> package! I don't know about many of you List members out there but I have 

> this habit of removing the specimen from the gem case into my own brand 

> new gem case, gem jar whatever you want to call it and then into my 

> collection cabinet. Well, I am in my office and all ready to make this 

> delicate surgeon type transfer. I have gone to great lengths to make sure 

> all goes smoothly. No FANS are on, door in office is closed, 1,000,000 

> candle light of light power is on! My first though looking into the gem 

> jar was, DAMN that sure is a speck!! I have to admit I was somewhat 

> disappointed BUT, I had a piece of MARS right in front of me and so I'm 

> easily pleased! I continue on to making the transfer by ever so gently 

> opening up the gem jar cap. BOING!!!!!!!!!!!! That #%$!&%#$#%!#^!%$# speck 

> sprung out of that DAMN gem jar like a Martian on a Mission back to MARS! 

> The fibers on the felt pad actually acted as a spring board when I 

> relieved the pressure of the gem case cap! The speck fell on the thick 

> carpet below (I think) which was my next problem and mistake. I searched 

> for that DAMN speck for over an hour! It NEVER made it to my collection! I 

> couldn't believe that I could be more disappointed then when I first saw 

> the speck in the gem jar as I was on my hands and knees searching for it 

> on/in the carpet, but I was! That's when I knew I loved meteorite 

> collecting and never looked back or for that matter never looked for that 

> speck again. Since then I have my own scale of size minimum for meteorite 

> purchases. I remember using a pencil to part the carpet fibers looking for 

> this speck. I was using the eraser end. The eraser fell out of the pencil 

> and I had no problem finding the eraser. So I never buy anything smaller 

> then an eraser size meteorite specimen, no matter how rare. I will save up 

> till I can. I have never forgotten the feeling of loss that day, even for 

> a speck. That speck taught me something that day! It taught me to get rid 

> of my wife because I could of avoided that DAMN disappointing day if I had 

> spent more on a bigger piece!!

> Sincerely

> Don Merchant

> IMCA #0960

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