Dear Edward, I went round and round for a while on getting a NWA myself due to the same concerns that you have asked. If you would like to have a nice looking meteorite that weights a few pounds and you don't want to spend more than a few hundred dollars then the NWA's have a place. Yes, they are no-name-orphan-step-children....BUT, I bought a one pounder for $17 at the Michael Blood auction. Makes a very affordable and fun gift for a cousin with a couple dozen young future meteorite hunters to play with...who know's maybe "uncle" Dave may have a whole troop of good eyes and legs hunting meteorites for him.....that and in a display case, the NWA's look a whole bunch like a meteorite should to any non meteorite collector....they look collected. Besides, how you going to teach a man with a dozen wives and 100 camels how to use a GPS before he can sell his "black like the desert night" rocks that can have value, like more camels and wives? Best, Dave F.
Edward Hodges wrote: > While at Tucson I noticed a huge number of unclassified NWA's for > sale. Some lots were going for as little as $0.35 a gram. I noticed > many people buying unclassified specimens. To me an unclassified > meteorite is just a rock, basicilly worthless. Of course it is a > meteorite, and it might even be a fairly rare one at that. Still, it > is of no scientific importance yet. Meteorite values are determined by > weight, classification,fusion crust,orientation, and special > circumstances (e.g. one killed a dog, or cow), sometimes the odd shape > may up the value, etc..What does an unclassified meteorite's have > going for it other than fusion crust and weight? So, should I assume > that the starting prices for an UNWA with complete crust is $0.35? > Doesn't buying one of these help science, or hurt it? After all, we > all know that they are haphazardly collected by poor nomads, probably > their only source of income. Still more are collected by greedy > westerners with dollar signs in their eyes. Almost no data is > available on these rocks (e.g. locality, TKW, how many stones were > found, etc.), most pairings are lost, and the strewnfields will never > be studied. This for me defeats the whole purpose of collecting and > studying meteorites. The data tells the story of the rock, which is > the one of the most interesting parts. Am I the only one who thinks > this? Does anyone else agree that by buying UNWA's that you are > contributing to the dumbing down of the science involved, and feeding > the ego's of greedy Westerners who are only interested in your dollar? > I can already hear the responses this email will get. Just remember > that is is better to appear a fool, than open one's mouth and remove > all doubt. This is a serious topic that will eventually affect the > whole science, and market of meteorites. If you want to slam what I > have to say, that is your right. Just as it is you right to act civil, > and stop to think for a moment.- Edward R. Hodges > > _________________________________________________________________ > Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com > > > ______________________________________________ > Meteorite-list mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > > ______________________________________________ Meteorite-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
