Hi Don
I learned the same way, only trying to put them in the gem jar and they
would slide to the side, so carefully, I remove the top, and it's like
there's some obscure law of Captain Murphy's that says the smaller it item,
the further it will travel.
Now, I also collect diamonds when I find a cheap supply, and break out my
fluorescent lamp to look for those that glow. Let me tell you, those little
buggers can move so fast as you exhale (we're talking 1/2-1 point size
crystals here and basically industrial quality) cause you don't realize how
close you really are with optivisors on.
And my meteorite specks are the same way. I now use a white plastic tray and
a much smaller white plastic tray inside that when I sort out specks of
anything! And, I have a rare earth magnet in a zip lock bag for any of my
meteorite specks that try to get out of that.
Mark Ferguson
----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Merchant" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com>
Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 7:42 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Speck Issues - Reply to this subject
Hi List. My thoughts on specks with a little funny story about them. I
realize not every collector out that has unlimited funds and so many
collectors with budgets and families alike have just so much to spend on
their treasured specimens. Lets face it meteorite collecting can be very
addicting and can get many collectors in a financial bind if not careful,
much like the out of control compulsive gambler so to speak. With so many
available meteorites to choose from and in many different sizes and
weights as well as new finds every year, this can make any collector
especially the novice, feel like a kid walking into a candy store for the
first time! I think it is fantastic that dealers like Mike Farmer, Greg
Hupe, Mike Cottingham, Dean Bessy and others can offer small milligram
size meteorites for what I feel is the majority of collectors with budgets
out there. I take my hat off to these men as they have open up a new world
to meteorites and collecting that 10 years or so ago was unheard of.
Specks......I agree with others that to own a piece of a super rare hard
to acquire meteorite especially under a budget that sometimes that speck
in one's collection can look like a boulder! Is that Speck really the type
of meteorite that was said it is? I always felt that buying from top name
dealers was the safest way to go because as Mike Farmer said money is not
the issue. When your at that level of the game as a dealer, selling false
type specks is not even in ones vocabulary. There will always be cutting
losses when cutting meteorites Period. So why not sell those cutting
losses to collectors who can't afford say the 1/4-3/4 gram of ultra rare
sub type of whatever meteorite. Not everyone can own a 1943 copper penny
but give me a steel 1943 penny to put in my collection and I'm happy. I
have made a habit over the years of only buying from a certain group of
dealers and if I run into something that catches my eye from a non-regular
dealer I will do my homework before I buy. Most specks will never get that
huge price tag. It is true in meteorites that bigger is better or simply
put you get what you pay for. I prefer to say I buy what I can reasonably
afford. Forgive me List but I always look at a piece of meteorite I buy as
what I would be able to get back on it for resale. I say this because of
my last statement "bigger is better" and maybe I cannot afford that 1/2
gram of rare meteorite today but I will buy a 1/4 gram of it and then
later catch a deal on that 1/2 gram and sell my 1/4 gram to "step up" so
to speak. Ok I'm rambling on. My speck story.....I remember years ago when
I started out collecting meteorites and of course with family and all, I
was under a microscope watched eye budget by my wife! I really wanted a
Martian meteorite so I could brag to myself and friends that I had an
actual piece of stone from the Planet Mars. I'll never forget when my
speck came in the mail, of course bought from a famous well known dealer
(I did my homework) and I could hardly contain my self as I opened up the
package! I don't know about many of you List members out there but I have
this habit of removing the specimen from the gem case into my own brand
new gem case, gem jar whatever you want to call it and then into my
collection cabinet. Well, I am in my office and all ready to make this
delicate surgeon type transfer. I have gone to great lengths to make sure
all goes smoothly. No FANS are on, door in office is closed, 1,000,000
candle light of light power is on! My first though looking into the gem
jar was, DAMN that sure is a speck!! I have to admit I was somewhat
disappointed BUT, I had a piece of MARS right in front of me and so I'm
easily pleased! I continue on to making the transfer by ever so gently
opening up the gem jar cap. BOING!!!!!!!!!!!! That #%$!&%#$#%!#^!%$# speck
sprung out of that DAMN gem jar like a Martian on a Mission back to MARS!
The fibers on the felt pad actually acted as a spring board when I
relieved the pressure of the gem case cap! The speck fell on the thick
carpet below (I think) which was my next problem and mistake. I searched
for that DAMN speck for over an hour! It NEVER made it to my collection! I
couldn't believe that I could be more disappointed then when I first saw
the speck in the gem jar as I was on my hands and knees searching for it
on/in the carpet, but I was! That's when I knew I loved meteorite
collecting and never looked back or for that matter never looked for that
speck again. Since then I have my own scale of size minimum for meteorite
purchases. I remember using a pencil to part the carpet fibers looking for
this speck. I was using the eraser end. The eraser fell out of the pencil
and I had no problem finding the eraser. So I never buy anything smaller
then an eraser size meteorite specimen, no matter how rare. I will save up
till I can. I have never forgotten the feeling of loss that day, even for
a speck. That speck taught me something that day! It taught me to get rid
of my wife because I could of avoided that DAMN disappointing day if I had
spent more on a bigger piece!!
Sincerely
Don Merchant
IMCA #0960
______________________________________________
http://www.meteoritecentral.com
Meteorite-list mailing list
Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com
http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
______________________________________________
http://www.meteoritecentral.com
Meteorite-list mailing list
Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com
http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
