Why not just slice them up, flood the market with large slices to drive the price down, that way we can ALL afford a huge slice, and give them their 25%?? If there are that many stones floating around would that not be an option?? That way people that have always wanted a nice big slice could afford one. I have always been told it "was better to make a fast nickel than a slow dime". I am sure if the price was down around .25 to .50/gr people would be buying them like crazy.
Stuart McD ---- Jason Utas <[email protected]> wrote: > Wouldn't the signed contracts dictate that Steve only return 25% of > what was found? Since the agreement was 25/75 (mentioned in the > video), the issue, it seems, could be entirely settled if Steve turned > 25% of the finds over to the landowners. If the money's not there, it > seems to me like that would be the quickest and easiest means of > settling the dispute. > Unless there's some reason for Steve to hold on to it all even though > he can't sell it at present...that would seem to be the easiest > solution. I see no reason not to do that, aside from the fact that > the farmers wouldn't necessarily be getting money for their rocks. > But since it doesn't look like they're getting any anyway, at least > they'd have less reason to think they'd been cheated, which is clearly > the case given what was said in the video. > Jason > > > > On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 8:38 AM, <[email protected]> wrote: > > Bill, Phil, list, > > It sounds like you and Phil are saying the same thing. Albeit in totally > > diligent ways. I hate to say this but many of us agree with both of you. > > Since Picasso, tiffany's and Lindsay Lohan are not too likely to become > > partners in this venture. The venture may indeed turn out to be a flop. > > I said it earlier that I know Steve has tried marketing these space gems. > > But, it sounds like what I am hearing is that time is ticking and since the > > de Beers had two things lacking here. Mega bucks and a monopoly on > > virtually all of the worlds diamond caches. > > This seems to NOT be the case with Steve and his cartel. > > By Steve's own admission the money is tight. Others are already competing > > for sales of these gems that they possess. And nobody is buying them. > > Who could blame them? The potential for fake stones is uncontrollable. > > Everything on the planet is being faked today and when you can fake > > something with as little as a piece of paper. Well, this is simply to easy > > to fake. With trust now at the forefront, how do we know these stones came > > from meteorites? Please. I trust Steve and know him to be honest but, you > > cannot depend on that in the real world. > > I feel for this whole group because as I said before they are all good > > people but, unless De Beers bails them out or they change the game plan and > > sell meteorites. Nothing short of a miracle is going to save this venture. > > They say in Hollywood that any press is good press so. this may be good for > > the show but looking at the big picture. IMHO this should end as quickly as > > possible. > > Carl > > Carl or Debbie Esparza > > Meteoritemax > > > > > > ---- bill kies <[email protected]> wrote: > >> > >> Steve, > >> > >> If I'm correct, you're saying the deal was a flop and everyone has to take > >> a gig. Disclaimers like this might help divert blame in the business world > >> but where does this leave humble collectors with no agenda other than the > >> desire to pick up a few space rocks when the rare opportunity presents > >> itself? Surely you remember those days, even though you aren't a > >> collector, as they were not all that long ago. > >> > >> Maybe you should return all the material you can. Try to make these people > >> happy and live up to the respect you convinced them you were worthy of. > >> > >> Bill > >> > >> > >> > To: [email protected]; > >> > [email protected]; > >> > [email protected] > >> > From: [email protected] > >> > Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2011 04:26:35 +0000 > >> > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] The Trials and Tribulations in Dealing > >> > withLando wners > >> > > >> > Hello List, > >> > > >> > Wow, what an outpouring of comments today. > >> > > >> > Let me bring all of you up to speed on this. > >> > > >> > Five years ago, I partnered with around 10 or so friends and they > >> > combined some money, and I offered up some time and we started hunting > >> > for meteorites together. We choose to go to a certain location in Kansas > >> > where pallasites had been found in the past. > >> > > >> > We chose this location after I had my success locating some pallasite > >> > meteorites at the Brenham strewnfield. > >> > We got land leases to hunt, without any promise of any big money, no > >> > talk of Millions, or thousands or even hundreds of dollars to anyone. We > >> > just started hunting and we started finding meteorites. Some of my > >> > friends, at least 8 of us in the group, were very connected meteorite > >> > dealers and we decided to try to sell some of our finds, we tried and we > >> > tried and we tried, and we sold one meteorite. We contacted virtually > >> > all the institutions with notable meteorite collections and none of them > >> > wanted to either buy or to trade for any of our specimens. The one sale > >> > was made, and the land owner from where this meteorite came from got his > >> > contracted percentage royalty, and he was VERY pleased. It was truly > >> > money from heaven for him. > >> > > >> > The meteorites from this particular location have the reputation of > >> > being the worst rusting meteorites known to man. Far worse than Campo, > >> > Nantan, Brenham or any other "ruster" one can think of. So we could > >> > understand why no one wanted to buy any more of this meteorite. It was > >> > just too big of a risk for people to take. > >> > > >> > As we kept finding more and more meteorites, we were challenged with the > >> > supply and demand issue. Much supply, virtually no demand. Not a good > >> > outlook. > >> > > >> > Then one of the dealers in the group reminded us of the high quality > >> > gemstones that had been faceted from the peridot in this meteorite. So > >> > we took the specimen in the worst condition out of our inventory and > >> > practiced trying to free up some of the olivine that was in it, and sure > >> > enough, there were some amazing gemstones produced. > >> > > >> > A year and a half ago, we went to all the land owners where we had found > >> > meteorites and told them that if we would liquidate all the meteorites > >> > we found, we probably would only get $0.10 or $0.15 per gram. But we > >> > felt that as gemstones, we could make more money for everyone. > >> > > >> > We decided to incorporate our partnership as Palladot Inc, a Kansas > >> > corporation, that focused on selling meteorites, mostly in gemstone > >> > format. > >> > I am the President, and Jason Phillips is our C.E.O.. We hired Charles > >> > Ellias, who is a graduate gemologist with 25 years of experience in the > >> > color gemstone market, to manage our operations, including overseeing > >> > the faceting, grading and pricing and marketing of the gemstones. > >> > > >> > Our original contract only promised the landowners that they would earn > >> > their royalty on the "wholesale" sale of the meteorites. We told all the > >> > land owners we wanted to pursue the gemstone market as there was very > >> > little demand in the meteorite world for the specimens as meteorites. It > >> > was one of the landowners that actually suggested "pooling" all of the > >> > royalties together, so we wouldn't have to melt down every meteorite, > >> > and this way all the landowners could still share proportionately by > >> > their contribution in the profits. > >> > > >> > It was at that point, that in the spirit of full discloser, we explained > >> > how the gemstone market gave us the best up-side potential for earnings. > >> > If a market could be built for these most amazing and rare gemstones > >> > with a fascinating story, then we would have the supply to fill the > >> > demand created. And yes, IF there would be millions of dollars of demand > >> > created, we would have millions of dollars of gems. > >> > > >> > All of the land owners, except for one, agreed to pool their royalty > >> > interest together and join us in the gem market. > >> > The one landowner that didn't want to go to the gem business with us, > >> > was happy to take his portion "in kind" and we gave him his meteorites. > >> > All the others signed a new agreement that pooled their royalties > >> > together. > >> > > >> > One year ago this month, we started selling Palldot Pallasitic Peridot > >> > gemstones at the Tucson show (specificially at the Pueblo Show at the > >> > Executive Inn.) It seems we chose the worst year, economically speaking, > >> > since the Great Depression to start a business...not to mention, a > >> > business in the luxury jewelry market. > >> > But we still made some sales, and our business is growing. > >> > > >> > Now, back a year and a half ago, the deal we made was that we would > >> > share the royalty to the landowners based on the retail profits rather > >> > than on the wholesale sales. The landowner who was featured in this > >> > local TV story we are all talking about, actually had his attorney look > >> > over the new pooling agreement. In fact, his attorney made some > >> > suggestions to alter it, and we agreed to his suggested changes. > >> > > >> > There NEVER was any promise of "getting rich quick." Never. Getting rich > >> > over time...maybe, if we played our cards right. > >> > > >> > But we did state that the sale of just a few gemstones could yield more > >> > money than the whole meteorite could fetch on its own. > >> > > >> > So, for the last several months, this one landowner has been trying to > >> > get Jason and me to "alter his contract." If it were just a matter of > >> > making him happy, there wouldn't be a problem. BUT there are ALL the > >> > other landowners that we are in binding contracts with. We would make > >> > the others very mad if we gave into this one man's demands at their > >> > expense. > >> > > >> > Of course, if we were in breach of contract, there would be legal > >> > remedies this man could take. But we aren't in breach of the contract so > >> > he chose to threaten us with going to the investigative reporter at a TV > >> > station with his story. We discussed some options that we could offer > >> > him, and still keep the other land owners happy, but they were not what > >> > he wanted, so he went to the reporter anyway. > >> > > >> > At the start, I think the reporter thought there was this huge story, > >> > but I spent nearly two hours of interviews with her, and when she heard > >> > my side, the only thing she had left for her story was that this one > >> > landowner was "not happy" that he hadn't seen any profits yet. > >> > > >> > Well, I am "not happy" that we haven't seen any profits either! > >> > > >> > But we are doing the best we can. > >> > > >> > We are making sales, and when there are profits, the stockholders will > >> > get dividends and the landowners will get royalties. > >> > > >> > We have invested over $100,000 and somewhere north of 3,000 man hours > >> > into this one project. This landowner has invested zero dollars, and > >> > zero hours. There are a lot of other people that have far more invested, > >> > and we ALL want to see a return. He will be entitled to his share when > >> > profits are generated just as he agreed to a year and a half ago. > >> > > >> > Now, let me also remind you that news reporters don't care about telling > >> > the whole story. They only had a few minutes for the segment, and while > >> > I share all of this with the reporter, she (and her editors) decided to > >> > run the story for ratings purposes. Because, everyone I have talked to > >> > said this really is a "non-story." Millions of people everyday are not > >> > happy with contracts they entered into in the past. It isn't news. > >> > Nowhere in the contract does it say that each landowner "has to be > >> > happy." In fact, that is why you have contracts, because, inevitably, > >> > people often become less than happy with the deals they struck over time. > >> > > >> > Meanwhile, we have an obligation to our shareholders, and to the > >> > landowners to press on and do our best to make all of us as much money > >> > as we can. It might be sad if what we are doing was hurting science, but > >> > to be honest, if there wasn't the potential for profit with the > >> > gemstones, we would have quit hunting a long time ago, and a lot of > >> > these rocks would still be underground rusting away anyway. > >> > > >> > I know this explanation won't make everyone happy, but I have learned a > >> > long time ago that it isn't my job to make everyone happy. > >> > > >> > I just do the best I can with the hand I am dealt. > >> > > >> > Feel free to contact me off the list if you have any further questions. > >> > > >> > Steve Arnold > >> > President, Palladot Inc > >> > Co-Host Meteorite Men > >> > ArnoldMeteorites.com > >> > > >> > Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry > >> > ______________________________________________ > >> > Visit the Archives at > >> > http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html > >> > Meteorite-list mailing list > >> > [email protected] > >> > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > >> ______________________________________________ > >> Visit the Archives at > >> http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html > >> Meteorite-list mailing list > >> [email protected] > >> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > > ______________________________________________ > > Visit the Archives at > > http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html > > Meteorite-list mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > > > ______________________________________________ > Visit the Archives at > http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html > Meteorite-list mailing list > [email protected] > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list -- Stuart McDaniel Lawndale, NC ______________________________________________ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list [email protected] http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
