Re: [meteorite-list] EBay:"one of the rarest meteorites to ever fall to earth"

[Mark Miconi]

Ken and others, I never meant for anyone to harass or otherwise badger anyone. And I can not take credit for any special detective work....that email address is in all of his listing next to his Square Trade logo.   I just thought it would be a better way to write this person if one wished to inform him that he has made an error in his listing by describing it as a one of a kind.   I recently wrote one seller and asked a very simple and straightforward question about a set of elk horns that he said were "sheds". For those that do not know the term, elk and other members of the deer family "shed" their antlers every year. People commonly find them and sell them. I wrote this seller about these antlers because the ones he had pictured were STILL ATTACHED to the top half of the elks' skull. CLEARLY not sheds unless the animal saw fit to drop part of an essential portion of its brain case. He reported me to Ebay and said I was harassing him! I explained to Ebay that the auction said "sheds" and that he pictured the antlers attached to a skull and that elk do not shed their skull.   Ebay returned my email saying that the seller had included the wrong pictures.   My point in giving an already public email was to allow someone better versed in the subject of meteorites and who uses better grammar than I to contact this seller and maybe help him amend his listing so that he might actually sell that rusting hunk.   I also contacted the seller of a recently listed "wrong" that said something about chondrules or it being a chondrite. He is mailing me a sample of the stuff he is selling for my opinion. I told him I belong to this list and some had their doubts. I also pointed him to the various sites you all have and he realized that it wasn't a chondrite. HE DID thank me profusely for helping him to better information.   I think someone referred to his chunks of Texas Chondrites as Iron concretions on this list. IF he does send a sample I would appreciate the help of anyone on this list that can help me determine what the stuff is. I told him I would be sending it to someone with more expertise than I have and he was okay with that as long as we return what is left. I am hoping to receive the sample, though it is a 50/50 chance he will follow through. I could tell he had read some of the information on the sites I pointed him to as he changed his listings that did not have bids.   I agree with others, maybe a polite email to some of these sellers would help, it seemed to in this case...maybe.   Some will never be helped.   I am rambling so I will shutup.   Thanks....Mark M.       ----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mark Miconi ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, December 29, 2001 11:46 AM Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] EBay:"one of the rarest meteorites to ever fall to earth" Mark, Good detective work. Yes, it is good to avoid ebay's eyes, where possible, however, I see nothing harassing in asking legit questions about a auction. Nor do I wish to badger someone who is determined to sell corpolite as "meteorites." But , yea, among this group one could probably find most of the "buyers" of meteorites e-mails if not many sellers but that is considered confidential info between buyer and seller. Would not be good PR to reveal such. Member# 9632 Ken Newton Mark Miconi wrote: Hey,I happened to look at this NANTAN sellers other auctions and there appears to be an email address in the ad due to his being a member of Square Trade. IT shows: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Now IF that is his email address, ANYONE/everyone on the list could send him an email WITHOUT using ebays service for contacting sellers. I know that Ebay will terminate you IF you contact a seller and harass them, HOWEVER Ebay only knows when that happens IF you click on the sellers name and ask a question as they automatically make you sign on with your Ebay User ID.Seems I have this and other email addresses that Ebay knows nothing about.....I wonder how many list members also have other email addresses not associated with Ebay? Mark M. ----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, December 28, 2001 7:55 PM Subject: [meteorite-list] EBay:"one of the rarest meteorites to ever fall to earth"  Sometimes  I don't know which is worst: meteor-wrongs or over exaggerated meteorites. Either way it is still a misrepresentation! If nothing else this is good for a chuckle:(" yes you read it correct")  http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1055245988 Member #9632