I agree with Walter. It is not anyone's responsibility to police the meteorites on Ebay. If well-meaning Ebayers continue to complain to the folks at Ebay about "meteorwrongs" they might decide they aren't worth the hassle and ban all of them from Ebay. It really is one person's opinion against anothers.
Someone else mentioned previously, there are many fake items listed on Ebay. If I want to bid on some Viking artifacts or Chinese jade, it is MY responsibility to determine whether or not they are genuine. If Ebay tried to authenticate every item that was listed on their auctions they couldn't stay in business. I say let the buyer beware. If they need assistance in determining if something is authentic or not, let them do some research, ask some questions and most importantly, seek out reputable dealers. The "meteorite sheriff" and his posse were disbanded a long time ago - and for a good reason. Best, John Gwilliam At 05:24 PM 12/28/01 -0500, Walter Branch wrote: >Hello Chris, > >Robert Pearlman could do that because selling a piece of Challenger is a >federal offense. It is not a federal offense to sell something which is a >claimed to be a meteorite and maybe it is and maybe it isn't. Just because >some of us say it isn't is no legal reason for ebay to pull it. > > >I have a James Lovell autograped photo on ebay right now. If someone writes >ebay and says, "thats a fake - it's not real" and ebay terminates the aution >do you realize the trouble they could get into by engaging in such >practices? It's basically my opinion vs. someone elses (mine is correct - >it is a real Lovell :-) > >This has been discussed ad nauseum on this list. I suggest that you search >the list archives for some rather extensive discussions on this subject. > >Best wishes, > >-Walter > > >----------------------------------------------- >Walter Branch, Ph.D. >Branch Meteorites >322 Stephenson Ave., Suite B >Savannah, GA 31405 USA >www.branchmeteorites.com >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Christopher J. Faranetta" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "gheri fouts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Friday, December 28, 2001 3:13 PM >Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Roswell "meteorite" > > > > I am new to this list and much more experienced at collecting manned space > > memorabilia than meteorites although, I find meteorites more interesting. >I > > think it is very important that a qualified meteorite dealer or collector > > take it upon themselves to police Ebay for false or misleading claims > > concerning the sale of meteorites. A well known space memorabilia > > collector/dealer does the same thing for manned space items on Ebay and >his > > actions were very welcome by the Ebay staff. In fact he helped remove a > > listing that was selling pieces of the Space Shuttle Challenger which is a > > U.S. Federal offense. > > > > I hope that any person or persons with an informed and or vested interest >in > > collecting meteorites will call or email Ebay when they see an obvious > > problem. > > > > Best, > > > > Chris Faranetta > > -----Original Message----- > > From: gheri fouts <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Date: Friday, December 28, 2001 1:19 PM > > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Roswell "meteorite" > > > > > > >But should we blame Ebay? The alternative is that Ebay reject all > > meteorite > > >auctions, because they are not going to staff a specialist for meteorites > > >just to keep unscrupulous sellers away. We have a list like this and >maybe > > >an association of collectors to give a buyer every opportunity to get to > > >know the product and buy wisely. But loosing the opportunity of selling >on > > >Ebay would be a great loss, from both the buyer and seller viewpoint. > > > > > >Gheri > > > > > >"all science is either physics or stamp collecting" > > >-- Ernest (1st Baron) Rutherford > > > > > >----- Original Message ----- > > >From: Dave Harris <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >To: metlist <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >Sent: Friday, December 28, 2001 7:11 AM > > >Subject: [meteorite-list] Roswell "meteorite" > > > > > > > > >> ...and I too emailed the seller and got no reply. > > >> "Caveat Emptor" has never been more applicable. > > >> Now, having said that... > > >> I have a meteorite for sale here, now I know it LOOKS like a brick, and > > >has > > >> regmaglypts on it that say "London Brick Foundry" but that's only > > >> coincidental as my dad found it 50 years ago on a building site and he > > >> swears he got it just after it landed and was still warm.... > > >> Starting bids at $100 (low reserve, of course) > > >> > > >> ;-) > > >> > > >> Maybe we should start guerrilla auctions - put any old rubbish on eBay > > and > > >> flog it as something it obviously is not! When eBay get ratty with us >we > > >say > > >> " Ah hah! See? now you know what it's like for people who buy space >rocks > > >in > > >> good faith and then get screwed!) > > >> > > >> Ooops, my passion's rising - time to tail off. > > >> -- > > >> In gentle decay, > > >> dave > > >> > > >> http://www.meteorites.ic24.net/index.html > > >> > > >> http://www.thc.u-net.com/davethc1.htm > > >> > > >> > > >> "I have a proof that x^n+y^n=z^n never has integer solutions for n>2. > > >> However, it won't fit into my signature file...." > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> Show your support at the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund - > > > >http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/ts/my-pay-page/PKAXFNQH7EKCX/058-5084202-7 > > 1 > > >56648 > > >> _______________________________________________ > > >> Meteorite-list mailing list > > >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >> http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > > >> > > > > > > > > >Show your support at the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund - > > >http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/ts/my-pay-page/PKAXFNQH7EKCX/058-5084202-71 > > 56648 > > >_______________________________________________ > > >Meteorite-list mailing list > > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > > > > > > Show your support at the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund - >http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/ts/my-pay-page/PKAXFNQH7EKCX/058-5084202-71 >56648 > > _______________________________________________ > > Meteorite-list mailing list > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > > >Show your support at the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund - >http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/ts/my-pay-page/PKAXFNQH7EKCX/058-5084202-7 >156648 >_______________________________________________ >Meteorite-list mailing list >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list John Gwilliam Meteorites PO Box 26854 Tempe AZ 85285 http://www.meteoriteimpact.com Show your support at the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund - http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/ts/my-pay-page/PKAXFNQH7EKCX/058-5084202-7156648 _______________________________________________ Meteorite-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
