----- Original Message ----- From: "Adam Hupe" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Steve Schoner" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2003 11:35 PM Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] eBay Likes and Dislikes
> Hello Steve and List, > > You are correct when you say those who are in it just for the money won't be > around very long. My post was not directed at you, it was a general > audience post. I know meteorites are an avocation for you and money is not > your priority. You have made great contributions and your love for > meteoritics goes way beyond the monetary aspect as everybody knows. I just > cannot see any problem that eBay presents to meteoritics as a whole. We are > the same as we have yet to show a profit. We spend far more building our > collection than what we sell on eBay. If we were in it just for the cash we > would create a super web-site to supplement our eBay sales. Our web-site is > an informational site not a sales site. The sales we have made on eBay pays > thousands a dollars a month in laboratory fees. This prevents us and > anybody else interesting in what we sell from having to wait years for > classifications. > > All the Best, > > Adam > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Steve Schoner" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Adam Hupe" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2003 11:30 PM > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] eBay Likes and Dislikes > > > > --- Adam Hupe <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Dear List Members, > > > > > > Since eBay is here to stay as far as meteorites and > > > every other type of collecting goes I will offer an > > > analogy. > > > > > > When Wal-Mart moved into town about half of the > > > small business owners complained saying they would > > > have to close down because they could not compete > > > with Wal-Mart's prices. The more informed shop > > > owners looked at more than just pricing and did not > > > worry much realizing that Wal-Mart could not > > > possibly give the one-to-one service a small > > > business that specializes can. Only the storefronts > > > that were in it for a quick buck, no real customer > > > support and a lack of product knowledge died off. > > > Wal-Mart did the town a favor by weeding out all of > > > the cheesy dealers with no long term business plan > > > or solid customer support. I am not calling anybody > > > in meteorites cheesy so do not take offense, > > > thankfully Wal-Mart does not sell meteorites! > > > > > > Business is survival of the fittest and eBay > > > represents a part of every successful dealer's > > > portfolio whether it be coins or cars. Dealers who > > > do not embrace technology will be left in the dust > > > complaining about it. The days of huge profit > > > making in meteorites for dealers is over for good. > > > Several auction houses like eBay serve to regulate > > > and keep profits in check. If a product is priced > > > too high it simply will not sell. The days of a > > > captive market are thankfully over. If it were not > > > for the help of eBay in clearing out 2000 Kilos of > > > ordinary chondrites that came out of Northwest > > > Africa to a huge audience there would be no sense in > > > looking for them in the first place, there would > > > simply be too much material to move any other way. > > > > > > We recieved a few emails from two dealers > > > complaining to us about our auctions on eBay telling > > > us to get married or something becuase we had too > > > much time on our hands and we are helping to destroy > > > a lucrative market. Lucrative is a realtive term. > > > When we were manufacturing thousands of interent > > > appliances and servers, 11% was considered an > > > awesome gross profit margin. > > > > > > There are dust makers and dust eaters. We certainly > > > do not want to be left in the dust! > > > > > > > > > Wishing everybody well, > > > > > > Adam > > > > > > > > > Adam, > > > > Meteorites have never been a "lucrative market" for > > me. When I first started almost 45 years ago, it was > > a hobby, albeit a very strange hobby, and until well > > after a man went to the moon, there was very little > > interest in meteorites, other than those interested in > > academic institutions, and or positions. > > > > There are times I make money at it, and there are > > times I don't. > > > > But I keep it up because it is still and always be a > > hobby for me. > > > > I do not, nor have I ever considered it a true > > business, nor will it ever be, so my interest in > > meteorites will remain regardless of whether dealers > > new or old catch on to modern (Ebay) technology, or as > > you say "bite the dust." > > > > I almost "bit the dust" recently, for physical reasons > > other than Ebay's impact on the meteorite business, > > and what I went through has impressed me with the fact > > that meteorites are not as important as I once > > thought. > > > > But they are and always will be my main hobby, in > > addition to whatever job I do for a living, which is > > up in the air for now. > > > > And you know what? > > > > Lord willing, and if he so allows, I will still be > > around collecting meteorites or thin sections of such > > long after all those dealers, who feel Ebay's pinch to > > their so called "lucrative meteorite market," bite the > > dust. > > > > If one is really in it for money, then they might as > > well find another thing to make money with (if they > > feel the pinch and perceive that their "profits" are > > down). > > > > It is the collectors, the hobbyists that keep it > > alive. > > And if Ebay does not perpetuate the trend to reduce > > samples to ever smaller samples and ever greater > > prices for these samples... down to dust, then > > collector-hobbyists stand to really enhance their > > collections with fine pieces when the "meteorite > > market" really falls hard, and those dealers that are > > in it for money alone, do as you say, "bite the dust." > > > > > > Steve Schoner/ams > > > > __________________________________ > > Do you Yahoo!? > > SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! > > http://sbc.yahoo.com > ______________________________________________ Meteorite-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
