[meteorite-list] Meteorites Money Morocco

[Matthias Bärmann]

Well spoken, Martin - I agree!

Matthias

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Martin Altmann" <altmann at meteorite-martin.de>
To: <Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Friday, November 13, 2009 10:54 PM
Subject: [meteorite-list] Meteorites Money Morocco



> Good Evening,

>

> maybe I should tell our experiences with our Moroccan colleagues,

> as NWA is our main field of our occupation and Stefan was in Morocco from

> beginning on of the NWA-period.

> Because some of the assertions made here are in our eyes not acceptable.

>

> First of all we all have to bring to our minds to whome all this wealth of

> new meteorites that we have today is due to.

> I'm old enough to remember the days before the NWA-rush, where dealers,

> collectors and scientists traded forth and back always the same few 

> stones.

> Nowadays we got in roughly 10 years more new meteorites than 40 years of

> Antarctic hunts will yield, we have all the rare types, where we could 

> only

> dream of the hundred years before. And we have them at prices, that 

> finally

> each and every collector can take part in that fascinating world.

> We got from Morocco stones, of which no scientist could divine, that

> something like that could exist at all.

> NWA was the historical boost for science, for the collectors and partially

> also for the meteorite trade.

>

> And who made this all possible?

>

> The Moroccan people and the people of Maghreb.  Full stop.

>

>

> We hear here on the list so often rants and words of haughtiness about the

> Moroccan dealers, hunters, colleagues, experts.

> What I never will understand, how people could speak so bad about them;

> people, who built up their wealth and their reputation, they pride

> themselves today, with the stones the Moroccans delivered to them.

>

> Why they then weren't going searching for meteorites by their own in the

> deserts, if their business partners were so lousy as they tell?

> Ask the US-hunters, ask the Oman-hunters, how many stones you have to pick

> up, until you have a mediocre eucrite or a CV3, those stones, we all take

> for granted.

>

> The people in Sahara are doing an incredible job.

>

> Yes of course, there are also black sheeps in Morocco - but those we do 

> have

> also among the Western dealers.

> And of course down there is simply not the infrastructure, that one would

> get each stone perfectly and readily classified and that the weights and 

> the

> find data would be known.

> But that is a hundred times balanced, by the often lower prices there and 

> by

> the circumstance that one gets there such great stones at all!

> Of course it can be here and there risky for a private collector, because

> they often can't know the dealer yet, but why shall professional dealers

> complain about the Moroccans? It is plain & simply part of their job, to

> recognize the stones there, to recognize pairings, to buy them in Morocco

> and to bring them to classification. If they don't want to do that, then

> they shall sell classic and historic meteorites.

>

> And some of the recent posts here on the list ignore the positive

> developments, the Moroccans made. First of all you find a lot of true

> experts there, who know their stones very well. Partially they started to

> send samples to classification. Note also, that we started to integrate 

> the

> Moroccans into IMCA.

>

> And that sweeping blow, condemning all Moroccans - we can't confirm that

> perspective in no way.

> Our experience is rather, that our partners, if a stone turns out to be a

> pratfall, often are exerted to limit the damage, in taking back stones or 

> in

> balancing it with the next deal.

>

> And why?

>

> Because there exist a very simple rule. Not only for Morocco, but for 

> life:

>

> Treat your partner with respect and fairness

> and he will treat you the same way too.

>

>

> Our opinion.

> Good night!

> Martin

>

>

>

>

>

> ______________________________________________

> http://www.meteoritecentral.com

> Meteorite-list mailing list

> Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com

> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list