[meteorite-list] Park Forest

[Michael Farmer]

More information. I had dinner and drinks tonight with Steve Witt, Al Lang, Adam Hupe, Al Mitterling and Steve Arnold, (NOT Chicago:).  We are all outraged at what has happened here. Ill explain more. The fact is that yesterday morning several pieces were sold for $1 gram, not an unfair price in the field, low but no big deal. Then the newspapers and news told everyone that the value is $500 per ounce! The Chicago Field Museum curator was telling the police that the people had to sell to them and not to any collectors. So now many people are going to the Field Museum tomorrow to sell their pieces to the museum. They are under the assumption that they must sell them there as that is what the local police is passing on. The prices here are now not under $10 gram, and the people whose homes were hit are at $50 gram plus. Completely out of the realm of reality considering that many homes were hit here. If it were one, I could understand. Another note, the strewnfield is NOT 80 miles long, many people started reporting slag and asphalt everywhere. There are 30 to 40 kilos known, more likely but press coverage is extreme and everyone knows because the TV told them that it is $500 an ounce. So, it looks like if it isn't snowing tomorrow, that ill hunt all day and leave here Sunday. There is nothing more to be gained trying to bargain with the locals. Maybe later they will sell some, but it will NOT be cheap, I don't see how it could. I have a few fragments that hit a house, and with photos and pieces of plastic siding broken off the wall. This was from the impact on Winslow Street. If anyone wants a piece or partslice of these fragments, let me know, ill make a list, figure the price when I get home, and see which orders I can fill. It would be best if you told me the exact amount you want to spend.  This is all Ill have for sale. Mike Farmer PS. Portales was a fun but stressful hunt, this one blows Portales to hell, people are very very unfriendly here, not all of course, but the Museum did dealers and collectors very wrong here with what they said, Ill be rethinking and dealings from now on with this type of bad press. I have donated over $100,000 in meteorites to museums, and now to have them telling people that all the dealers are here to rip them off really chaps my $%#$#$