Re: [meteorite-list] Tangible assets
On Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:48:12 -0500, you wrote: As rare as they are, the intrinsic value is only as great as the number of people that place a great esoteric value in them. That number dwindles when mortgages and savings crash. Reminds me of an article on the stock market from yesterday: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,436435,00.html It's in people's minds, Shiller explains. We're just recording a measure of what people think the stock market is worth. What the people who are willing to trade today who are very, very few people are actually trading at. So we're just extrapolating that and thinking, well, maybe that's what everyone thinks it's worth. Works the same way for meteorites, I'd say. __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Tangible assets
This is true that meteorites might be low priority during hard times, however, a tangible asset is any object which can be held, enjoyed, and money can buy. I can see someone enjoying a rare artifact or meteorite a lot more than holding a wad of cash, not something you can look at and wonder about. Of course, if the world falls into utter chaos, then meteorites will be of low interest, however, that won't happen, and rare objects will always hold a value. I tell you this, and all of you would likely agree, I have a large pallasite sitting on my desk, valued at over $25,000. I sure enjoy it, hold it, behold it, and wonder about it. Try that with a $25,000 papar that says you own 1000 shares of XYZ Wall Street financial company. Those can now be used as toilet paper, not much else. This meteorite will be here long after I am gone, in a musuem, or another private collection. It will always be something of interest. Hard times come and they go. Imagine if you had bought a Pasamonte stone in 1935 or so, that was during the dust bowl, and great depression, and people likely thought Nininger was a nut, paying money for black rocks! Well, those same stones now are worth thousands or tens of thousands each. My money is one space rocks to outperform the DOW for the next 10 years or so. Now, if I had millions to spare.. There are some beaten down stocks, but too risky these days. Michael Farmer --- On Sun, 10/12/08, bill kies [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: bill kies [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [meteorite-list] Tangible assets To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Date: Sunday, October 12, 2008, 11:48 PM I don't see meteorites as a tangible asset. Tangible of course. Asset, iffy. Maybe it's because I don't have an enormous investment in them. As rare as they are, the intrinsic value is only as great as the number of people that place a great esoteric value in them. That number dwindles when mortgages and savings crash. A commodity dedicated to the dedicated but never a safe harbor. Have fun and buy smart. _ Want to do more with Windows Live? Learn “10 hidden secrets” from Jamie. http://windowslive.com/connect/post/jamiethomson.spaces.live.com-Blog-cns!550F681DAD532637!5295.entry?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_domore_092008 __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] AD Zag
Hello I decide to low my price of Zag to 1$/g. Zag - 2665 grams, about 45% of very fresh fusion crust (one side have flow lines). Great visible breccioation. From geological point of view it is really interesting piece, showing clearly two system of fracture (visible slickensiedes and linear minerals on his surface). Photos : http://picasaweb.google.com/illaenus/Zag2665Grams It is great change to buy such big, fresh pieces of Zag. Please write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Kind Regards Tomasz Jakubowski IMCA #2321 -- Free Tibet 13-17 października 2008 - Wirtualne Targi Pracy Do wyboru masz 114 pracodawców z 20 branż oraz 56 czatów Wejdź na http://klik.wp.pl/?adr=http%3A%2F%2Ftargi.pracuj.plsid=515 i poznaj Twojego przyszłego pracodawcę! __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Kevin Kichinka's report - The Economy and the Price of Meteorites - Do You Really Want to Know?
Hi all, You can read a review of Kevin's report (mentioned below) in my column in the current METEORITE TIMES or directly via: http://www.michaelbloodmeteorites.com/MMT.html Best wishes, Michael on 10/12/08 7:52 PM, Kevin Kichinka at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: There's a thread today concerning meteorite prices, the economy and the present meteorite market. In September I offered here my Global Meteorite Price Report - 2008. I've sold quite a few, they've gone out to people in twenty-seven different countries, and many were to collectors who purchased the first report in February, 2007. I assume that means that they found the report useful or they wouldn't have purchased it again. A few dealers have also purchased and/or re-purchased the report, and these are people who I consider to be very serious about selling meteorites. They probably would prefer that you DON'T KNOW the price of meteorites. As for the rest of those dealing mets, if you don't know what the competition is asking for a meteorite, there's a good chance you are too high (and losing sales), or to low (and losing money.) Realistically, few dealers have the time to keep up with the price trend of every rock in their inventory. I offer here that service. Quite frankly, the meteorite market is so confused, and always has been, endless opportunities exist for collectors to locate and purchase bargain material of all kinds. In the process of compiling and creating this report, I located historic falls, Mars and rare lithologies that were grossly under priced. Wouldn't you want to know about this? I trade stocks these days, and I need all the information I can harvest. In equities and bonds, there are endless sources. For today's meteorite prices, I humbly assert that I am your only qualified, unbiased, experienced source. No one else is doing what I have done, and it is a massive project sold inexpensively to benefit all. Additionally, ten percent goes toward my charitable donation to astronomers in La Paz, Bolivia. Here's the advertisement I submitted a couple of weeks ago. The Global Meteorite Price Report - 2008 might be the best $11 you spend this month. - K ** Dear List Members: Every year since 1995 I have prepared a report to estimate the value of each meteorite in my collection. This is done by painstakingly visiting every legitimate dealer website. The results of these surveys have become a true snapshot of each year's market prices. Last year, I realized that this type of information might interest other collectors and dealers. After adding value by identifying and interpreting price trends, I shared the data by selling it inexpensively on the Internet. The 2007 Global Meteorite Price Report was limited to the eight-five meteorites within my collection, but was instantly popular and the feedback I received was very supportive. This year, to better serve the meteorite community I have expanded the report to include many other popular meteorites beyond those held in my personal collection. There are now 121 different meteorites (plus a few of their permutations). I would have included more, but at least one hundred historic or well-known meteorites that were on my search list are not currently being offered for sale rare birds indeed. This fourteen-page document contains three years worth of price data, July, 2005, February, 2007 and September, 2008, so that price trends among the meteorites you own can be identified. Actually, I do it for you. My methodology is explained, and following the price list comparisons, there is my State of the Market Report with Market News, Impact of Dealer Competition, Individual Meteorites of Note and I introduce a new concept to meteorites called Tiered Pricing. Breaking up the prose are many color photos of meteorites and related items never or rarely seen before and select meteorite microscopy works by the vanguard in this field, Tom Phillips. But there's more. Did you ever wonder if you shared first names with a meteorite? As a fun addition, I have included a two-page list of meteorite names compiled from Monica Grady's latest version of The Catalogue of Meteorites that are also people names. Anyone named Mike in the audience? You have a meteorite. Anyone owning my book (see www.theartofcollectingmeteorites.com) that enjoys my writing style will want this report. Anyone trying to understand the effects of the world's slowing economy on their collection's value will want this report. Any dealer wondering how his prices stack up against the competition will want this report. The price is $11 payable on PAYPAL by visiting MARSROX at gmail.com The lucky eleventh dollar will be used to enhance my charitable
Re: [meteorite-list] Tangible assets
Hi again, ALL investments are iffy - with one And only one exception: gold. Gold is the oldest currency throughout History of most cultures. In fact, money generally Has no meaning whatsoever except as it relates to Gold - how much gold will a dollar/peso/yen/ruple/pound, etc Buy? The bottom line is, gold, itself, never changes value - Currencies change value in relationship to gold. That being said, I would never, ever buy gold during A depression or even a recession. The time to buy gold is When the value of the dollar (or whatever currency) is strong (relative to gold). Then sell it when the nit wits Panic and the price of gold is through the ceiling. (of Course, ideally, one has enough $ to always keep about 20% of all one's wealth in gold in case the whole damned Racket goes to hell. However, as we can now see around the world, the world's governments are just going to print more Monopoly money until solvency is reached. These days, gold is not used exclusively, rather a cartel of bankers daily decide What each currency is worth relative to each of the other World currencies for that day. Weird. Tricky Dicky (Nixon For you younger readers) was key in propelling this system To its current level when he stopped backing US dollars with Gold. Terribly ironic is the fact that that may now serve to Keep this all from turning into Mad Max. It is their monopoly game, so, they will just make sure it all keeps going. A depression doesn't make anyone richer - even the filthy rich and titans of the oil industries (who have more sway than any country). They now play a role as powerful As the Church from the Dark Ages well into the age of Exploration. Likewise, now is a TERRIBLE time to sell most stocks. Now is the time to BUY most stock - when it is cheap. A great Many millionaires made their money doing just that. I have a friend that has hundreds of millions of dollars Of Microsoft Shares. Many years back one of his son's called Him and said, Gee, dad, I am really sorry about how much You lost last week. He said, What are you talking about? And his son told him his stock had fallen 195 million dollars The previous week. He responded, Son, I didn't loose one penny. You only loose if you sell when the stock is down. I am not worried, It will be back up whether it is a few weeks, a few months or a Few years doesn't matter. I have no intention of selling when it Is down. Interesting lesson I learned that day. Anyway, just a couple of points of interest. Best wishes, Michael on 10/12/08 10:48 PM, bill kies at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I don't see meteorites as a tangible asset. Tangible of course. Asset, iffy. Maybe it's because I don't have an enormous investment in them. As rare as they are, the intrinsic value is only as great as the number of people that place a great esoteric value in them. That number dwindles when mortgages and savings crash. A commodity dedicated to the dedicated but never a safe harbor. Have fun and buy smart. _ Want to do more with Windows Live? Learn ³10 hidden secrets² from Jamie. http://windowslive.com/connect/post/jamiethomson.spaces.live.com-Blog-cns!550F 681DAD532637!5295.entry?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_domore_092008 __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list Totally Green by Twenty Eighteen! Info on Govnt. Spending (BEFORE current Bail Out): http://www.michaelbloodmeteorites.com/GvntSpending.htm __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] AD: Ebay auctions ending
Hello List, I have some nice ebay auctions starting to end from tomorrow for the next few days. 1. VERY BIG Dar al Gani 400 (ALUN-A) slice, 2.439 g: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=200261513370 2. Big, museum size slice of Ozernoe (L6) 1122 g: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=190257723925 3. Very nice Moldavite from Hlum, Czech Republic 12.3g: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=200261462383 4. Etched 48.5g end cut of Mundrabilla: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=190257914260 5. Divnoe (ACUNGR) - 0.32g: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=200261462414 6. Verkhnyi Saltov (IIIAB) 20.4 g: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=190257922581 7. Yurtuk (AHOW) - 1.34g: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=190257945020 8. Lance (CO3.5) - 0.214 g: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=200261513318 9. Elenovka (L5) - 1.42 g: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=200261513347 10. Arroyo Aguiar (H5) - 4.12 g: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=190257948539 11. Vyatka (H4) - 52.5 g: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=190257955844 12. Koltsovo (H4) - 12.94 g: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=190257955860 13. Historical Tennasilm (L4) - 1.30g: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=190258195292 14. Historical Kernouve (H6) - 0.285g: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=190258195316 Old rare Russian book Meteorites. Krinov E.L. 1948: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=200261494710 All items: http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/svassiliev Thanks! Sergey - Sergey Vasiliev U Dalnice 839, Prague 5, 15500 Czech Republic -- http://www.sv-meteorites.com http://impactites.net http://systematic-mineralogy.com __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Tangible assets
I guess I will consider the source on that one. FAUX newz? Don Rawlings --- On Mon, 10/13/08, Darren Garrison [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: Darren Garrison [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Tangible assets To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Date: Monday, October 13, 2008, 2:01 AM On Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:48:12 -0500, you wrote: As rare as they are, the intrinsic value is only as great as the number of people that place a great esoteric value in them. That number dwindles when mortgages and savings crash. Reminds me of an article on the stock market from yesterday: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,436435,00.html It's in people's minds, Shiller explains. We're just recording a measure of what people think the stock market is worth. What the people who are willing to trade today — who are very, very few people — are actually trading at. So we're just extrapolating that and thinking, well, maybe that's what everyone thinks it's worth. Works the same way for meteorites, I'd say. __ 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
Re: [meteorite-list] Meteorite sales falling with the stock market?
From my perspective, since early this summer, sales of small items have been down. Large sales have been up, more than compensating in the drop of small sale volume. Many sales can not be tracked or put into a nice little analysis of prices by third parties. For example, we had NWA 2995 lunar sliced last year. I have NEVER advertised a full slice for sale on my website, only stating that they were available and to email me. (see bottom of page: http://www.catchafallingstar.com/nwa2995/nwa2995sale.htm for example) However, I have sold 9 complete slices since we had the meteorite cut roughly 14 months ago. No third party was aware of these sales for tracking. In fact the latest full slice was sold the end of September, right in the middle of this Stock Market meltdown, at full retail I might add. Over the years I have sold many LARGE items out of my collection without advertising them for sale just because someone saw a photo in my gallery of meteorites on my website and made an offer I could not refuse. Again, sales under the radar. I think that the sellers of smaller items will see a disproportionate reduction in sales. The lower $ meteorite buyer is getting hurt the most in this financial crisis, the rich will always be rich because they have the inside track in protecting their investments, (hedging, short selling etc.). The poor working guy just puts his money in a mutual fund and lets it ride with out complicated investment protection tools. I have been 100% out of the stock market since summer of 2007, thank goodness. You just had to know the end was near when TV shows like Flip this House were popular.Some 20 something buys a fixer upper in California for half a million $ puts in a hundred grand of improvements and sells it for 800 grand a couple months later to some poor slob that got a loan with no down payment'? Someone was bound to be holding the bag sooner or later. Give me HIGH QUALITY tangible assets any day, antiques, collectables, GOLD, etc (of course meteorites too) -- Jim Strope 421 Fourth Street Glen Dale, WV 26038 Catch a Falling Star Meteorites http://www.catchafallingstar.com __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] donation sale
hi all ! as we really need this money for our help project, please give a bid !! i will sell for good prices, still avaiable : - NWA4925, shergottite, 1.956g, partslice - Dhofar 310, lunar, 0.352g - NWA4483, lunar, 5.612g, endcut - NWA4483 lunar, 2.559g, partslice Chiang Khan 63.4g, oriented 100% crust, individual is SOLD Chiang Khan 27.5g is SOLD see these specimens here http://fotocenter.aol.de/galleries/zneutronz/ regards, oliver AOL eMail auf Ihrem Handy! Ab sofort können Sie auch unterwegs Ihre AOL email abrufen. Registrieren Sie sich jetzt kostenlos. __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Tangible assets
On Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:32:05 -0700 (PDT), you wrote: I guess I will consider the source on that one. FAUX newz? Okay, here's a link directly to the same article on it's original source, The Associated Press. That change the article any? http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gl-1AKGRHw1u8slb3HtUWrc9P16AD93ODGF00 __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] Micrograph Talk
Hi list, Last week I offered a micrograph in full size to any one who wanted it. It was a beauty of NWA 969 (LL7)and was about 3 mb in size. Since then, with the help of Paul Harris (Meteorite Times) and Jeff Krosschell, I have changed cameras to a Nikon CoolPix 8mp and have learned about mega pixels and mega bytes. (It's not that the learning curve is so steep, it's that I'm so dense) I would appreciate any one who is interested in this stuff or just curious to let me know what they think. I have an image taken of the same feature (for comparison) with this new set up. I can send it embedded in an email, (the image size will be reduced). I also have a 7.3 mb JPEG file or a 12.7 mb PNG file. If you are interested, let me know which you would like. Most attempts to send the PNG file have resulted in the returned email notice due to the size being to big but that depends on your Internet account. On a side note, Jeff Krosschell might not sound familiar to some of you. He is a meteorite collector and dealer. In addition to his own inventory he and his wife Malia are handling Adam Hupe's inventory. The thin sections I have been working on were sent to me by Jeff and are out of Adam's stock. I have examined 5 of these thin sections and I can say the quality is superb (believe me, I have seen good and bad!). Jeff will be selling these thin sections. He can be reached at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks, Tom Phillips **New MapQuest Local shows what's happening at your destination. Dining, Movies, Events, News more. Try it out (http://local.mapquest.com/?ncid=emlcntnew0002) __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] Meteorite sales falling with the stock
Hey Captain Blood, Is the Bush fiasco you refer to the one started by the Democrats with their Community Reinvestment Act, aka the Lending Standards Reduction Act, or the one caused by the budgets that were passed by Congress, that august body that has half the approval rating of the President? Paul Swartz Hi Michael and all, No, you are not the only one. Aside from some outstanding Mali specimens at rock bottom prices (pun intended), my sales Are zero since the Bush fiasco has begun. More in the Nov. Meteorite Market Trends (howsabout others???) Best wishes, Michael [Blood] __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] Wanted: Antique Thin-Sections
Good Morning List, I am looking to purchase original antique meteorite thin-sections (pre-20th century) that are in good condition and well labeled. I am not looking for new thin sections of old meteorites. If you have some available, please contact me privately. Thanks you! Mike Bandli __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Meteorite sales falling with the stock
We can point finger in all directions and blame a whole basket full of politicians, business leaders and everyone and anyone else. One thing we need to address ( in my uneducated opinion) is the over spending by the regular folks on Main street. It used to be people saved up enough money until they had a 20% down payment for a house and only used credit for other items like a vehicle (not two or three) and education. These days, many of us citizens make purchases on credit that we really can't afford. after all, why do we put thing on our credit cards? Because we don't have the cash. Optimistically, we always believe our financial outlook will be brighter in the future and we'll be able to pay off the credit card quickly. Sadly, it's that's usually not the case. Those of you who are my age (56) or older might remember the lay away plan that many department stores used to have. You went into the store every week or two and paid five or tens bucks on an item they were holding for you. When you paid for the item in full, they handed it to you and you had a brand new thing - a washer, dryer or bike for one of your kids. Nowdays, we put the thing on a credit card and by the time most of us get it paid off the thing is worn out or dead and gone. It's time for all of us to take a hard look at our spending habits...along with who we vote into office and how we use our money. Sure, we're in a big mess. But if everyone learns from this mistake we can all be doing better down the road weither it's in one year or five years. Best, John Gwilliam On Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 9:32 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hey Captain Blood, Is the Bush fiasco you refer to the one started by the Democrats with their Community Reinvestment Act, aka the Lending Standards Reduction Act, or the one caused by the budgets that were passed by Congress, that august body that has half the approval rating of the President? Paul Swartz Hi Michael and all, No, you are not the only one. Aside from some outstanding Mali specimens at rock bottom prices (pun intended), my sales Are zero since the Bush fiasco has begun. More in the Nov. Meteorite Market Trends (howsabout others???) Best wishes, Michael [Blood] __ 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
Re: [meteorite-list] Meteorite sales falling with the stock market?
Hello List, I have to agree with Mike in regards to the planetary material because they span well beyond the meteorite collecting community and spill over into the general public who thinks it is just cool to have a piece of the Moon or Mars. I also feel that the grouping we are going to miss very soon is the pallasites. We went for a few years with having several at prices that are less per gram than a pack of gum and now there is no great abundance of them for sale. We have really been blessed over the past several years. Take Care, Jason Rocks from Heaven www.rocksfromheaven.com - Original Message - From: Michael Farmer [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: 'al mitterling' [EMAIL PROTECTED]; 'Michael L Blood' [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; 'Meteorite List' meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com; Mike Bandli [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, October 12, 2008 10:39 PM Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Meteorite sales falling with the stock market? Hello everyone. My take. Prices are up, business is way up for me, this has been my best year yet. I disagree on the planetary material, my prices have been up and sales increasing. Supply is down, rare stuff (NON-NWA) is scarce, and you are right, we are hoarding stuff. My safe is full of flats of falls, Bassikounou, Chergach, Thuathe etc, I will not sell them, just keep them for much later. Meteorites are a better place for your money than the market! The insane collapse of the world markets prove once again that owning tangible assets always pays better than worthless paper. Michael Farmer --- On Sun, 10/12/08, Mike Bandli [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: Mike Bandli [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Meteorite sales falling with the stock market? To: 'al mitterling' [EMAIL PROTECTED], 'Michael L Blood' [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], 'Meteorite List' meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Date: Sunday, October 12, 2008, 4:24 PM At this point in time, my view is that the economic crisis has had little immediate effect on the meteorite market. My observation has been that historical and older witnessed falls continue to rise and sell quickly (especially from the Old-World). More and more rare/historical falls are reaching the $100+ a gram price, whereas a few years ago they were 'only' $50/g. I believe there are several reasons for this: 1. Less museums and institutions are exchanging historical material. 2. More historical material is being sectioned down into smaller pieces and macros making them more expensive (and larger pieces difficult to find). 3. I believe that more and more collectors are aspiring to collect historical falls. 4. Hard Provenance. Provenance can add exceptional value to a piece and more and more dealers are providing it pre-sale. (copies of old museum or collector labels, chain of ownership, etc.). On the other hand Dessert Finds, USA finds, and planetaries are cheap and seem to be on a small decline. I believe there are several reasons for this as well: 1. Dessert Finds: Many collectors have filled their type-collections making otherwise rare types a little less desirable. Exceptions would be extremely fresh material, new sub-types, or aesthetic pieces. Look how cheap CV3's are! 2. USA Finds: There seems to have been a flood of this material over the last few years - supply/demand. Exceptions would include ultra-rare irons, rare localities, or old labels/provenance. 3. Planetaries: I'm not entirely sure what is happening here, but Lunars and Martians could be purchased very cheap (in bulk) in Tucson. Perhaps supply has overgrown demand. $1000/g planetaries are, for now, a thing of the past. I believe that they will re-bound in several years, however, making them a smart buy now. These three groups may also suffer more as a result of the long-term economic crisis as collectors begin prioritizing their collections. I have been keeping a pretty close eye on this and it seems that eBay, for the most part, is not the place to sell right now. The upside is that eBay has some great bargains for buyers. As a result, I predict that more sellers will discontinue the .99 cent selling format and begin using fixed prices on eBay. I also get the sense that some dealers are hoarding and/or are on selling freezes. I haven't purchased much in the last few months only because there is little for sale that suits my collection requirements. It will be interesting to see where things are in February at Tucson. Just my opinion and personal observations... Others' may be different and I look forward to more posts on this topic. Regards, Mike Bandli -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of al mitterling Sent: Sunday, October 12, 2008 2:09 PM To: Michael L Blood; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Meteorite List Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Meteorite sales falling with the stock market? Hi Michael, Michael, Matt and all, My sells have been very good this year even a good
[meteorite-list] Rare Thin Sections - AD
Dear List Members, In our ever-evolving collections, Adam and I make available to collectors rare and hard to get specimens. Today's 'focus' is on a selection of thin sections from some of the rarest meteorites known. These are on a first come basis, or highest offers may be considered if the asking price is not realized. Slides measure 47mm x 27mm. Specimen measurements are of actual meteorite material mounted to slide. These are very generous sizes considering the rarity of the material. * NWA 482 #1 Lunar - $1,000.00 21mm x 16mm http://www.lunarrock.com/ebay/thinsections/nwa482-1.jpg * NWA 482 #2 Lunar - $1,000.00 21mm x 16mm http://www.lunarrock.com/ebay/thinsections/nwa482-2.jpg NWA 516 Winoniate - $300.00 8mm x 11mm http://www.lunarrock.com/ebay/thinsections/nwa516.jpg NWA 998 Martian Nakhlite - $600.00 8mm x 9mm http://www.lunarrock.com/ebay/thinsections/nwa998.jpg NWA 2058 Pseudotachylite (carbon coated) - $100.00 23mm x 10mm http://www.lunarrock.com/ebay/thinsections/nwa2058.jpg Grein 004 Ungrouped - $500.00 10mm x 8mm http://www.lunarrock.com/ebay/thinsections/grein.jpg Itqiy Ungrouped Primitive Enstatite - $500.00 13mm x 7mm http://www.lunarrock.com/ebay/thinsections/itqiy.jpg Zag(b) Ungrouped - $500.00 15mm x 9mm http://www.lunarrock.com/ebay/thinsections/zag(b).jpg NWA 3151 Brachinite - $250.00 28mm x 16mm http://www.lunarrock.com/ebay/thinsections/nwa3151.jpg * Both NWA 482 thin section slides are covered - for protection, removable whereas the rest are uncovered. Please email me off list if you are interested in any of these extraordinarily scarce thin sections. Best regards, and Thank You for considering these! Greg Greg Hupe The Hupe Collection NaturesVault (eBay) [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.LunarRock.com IMCA 3163 Click here for my current eBay auctions: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZnaturesvault __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] Asteroid Blast May Have Thwarted Life on Mars
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article4882708.ece Asteroid blast may have thwarted life on Mars Jonathan Leake The Sunday Times (United Kingdom) October 5, 2008 A giant asteroid could have destroyed Mars' chances of evolving into an Earth-like blue planet by punching a hole in its crust so large that it damaged the red planet's magnetic field, scientists have found. Earth's magnetic field, generated by molten iron moving in its core, deflects radiation that would otherwise blast its atmosphere into space. Scientists have long been puzzled why Mars lacks a similar field, but measurements from an orbiting spacecraft may have provided an answer. They have found intense magnetic anomalies affecting surface rocks all over Mars' southern hemisphere. These appear to be remnants of a field that once embraced the whole planet. Such anomalies are absent from the northern hemisphere, suggesting something happened to change the planet's magnetic field in the distant past. This fits with another Mars oddity, that the rocks are much thinner in the northern hemisphere than in the south, a phenomenon known as the crustal dichotomy. The evidence suggests that a giant impact early in the planet's history could have disrupted the molten core, changing the circulation and affecting the magnetic field, said Sabine Stanley, assistant professor of physics at the University of Toronto, whose research was just published. Mars is believed to have formed, along with Earth and the rest of the solar system, about 4.6 billion years ago from the clumping together of rocks and other debris left over from the formation of the sun. As the embryonic planets grew larger, the rocks at their cores melted and fused, allowing heavier elements, especially iron, to sink to the centre. The iron, kept molten by radioactive elements, began to move, generating magnetic fields around both planets. It had been thought that Mars' core cooled down simply because the red planet is only half the size of Earth, but this was undermined by the recent discovery that Mercury, the innermost planet which is even smaller, has a molten core and magnetic field. We know Mars had a magnetic field which disappeared about 4 billion years ago and that this happened around the same time that the crustal dichotomy appeared, which is a possible link to an asteroid impact, Stanley said. Perhaps the biggest question is what might have happened had Mars retained its magnetic field - and whether it might have evolved life. Monica Grady, professor of planetary and space sciences at the Open University, said: Mars once had a much thicker atmosphere along with standing water and a magnetic field, so it would have been a very different place to the dry barren planet we see today.' https://www.advertising.newsint.co.uk/webAdvertising/private/adManager __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] I don't think you would like to be sitting here...
How come the Germans get all the clever ads? http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/12/insurance-from-the-skies/ Best! Tracy Latimer _ Want to do more with Windows Live? Learn “10 hidden secrets” from Jamie. http://windowslive.com/connect/post/jamiethomson.spaces.live.com-Blog-cns!550F681DAD532637!5295.entry?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_domore_092008 __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Meteorite sales falling with the stock market?
I havent seen the usual september jump in ebay and internet sales this year but I have been busy with the shop and havent listed much stuff so I cant complain and sales have been good. There are plenty of new meteorite collectors driving the market and I dont see a slowdown in sales and everything is OK here. I do see some longer term (So called serious) collectors still with their head in the sand believing that all this talk about the desert being hunted out and fewer meteorites being found is nothing more than marketing by dealers. This even though if you look on ebay prices are up and quality way down and there has been much much fewer meteorites at denver, tucson, munich and st marie for 3 years now. No moroccans go to these shows with huge tables of meteorites anymore and they are slowly going back to concentrating on fossil sales because they cant get enough meteorites to have much of a display. New better items are notable absent. 6 years ago new achondrites and Cs were almost a weekly occurance. Everything from the low grade junk to top of the line achondrites are in short supply nowadays. I still think that prices cant go lower and that the smart buyers are buying for investment right now. The only exception is that I still think that lunars and martians and other expensive meteorites are overpriced and have room to fall. However, I have been saying that for 3 years now and the increased quantities necessary hasnt materialized and only a small trickle of the better achondrites are not keeping up with demand and if I have figured out how the moroccans operate there dont seem to be quantities stashed away in morocco. I wasnt offered much more after buying 300 grams of the shergotite two years ago for example. So maybe the lunars and martians have bottomed out in price also. I dont see floods anyway and if institutions pick up the buying pace there will be a massive shortage of these types of meteorites. So I dont see a real drop off in sales recently and (For me anyway) finding stuff to buy is a more difficult job than finding customers to buy my meteorites. Sincerely DEAN www.meteoriteshop.com __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Tangible assets
I guess its all how you define tangible assets. If you are a bank with subprime mortgages selling them might be an issue right now. If you have meteorites though there is a good market - even if you have to take a bit of a loss if you have to sell quickly. As most of you know I sell a lot of other stuff (Stamps, coins, pearls, gemstones, rocks, jewlery fossils ect) so I see a lot of collectibles. Any old time stamp dealer will tell you that recessions is the best type of economy for stamp dealers (Except maybe those trying to sell stamps as investments) so recessions dont necessarily mean people stop feeding their hobbies. On the contrary, they may have more time or might want something that makes them happy. Remember to that this economic downturn is caused predominately by people buying houses that they could not afford to pay for - partly because banks gave people low interest teaser rates for the first year and based their ability to pay on these lower interest rates. If you have been following the market (I used to be a stockbroker and have been missing the market the past few weeks) you will notice that interest rates have been massively slashed - probably down to or at least close to those earlier teaser interest rates. Eventually , when people pay more in interest than they do for their houses - people can afford to buy those houses again. That along with a massive room for oil to fall further and I dont see a 1930s style depression like some pundents are almost gleefully predicting. A recession likely and a lot of wealthy stock investors taking a huge hit but this dont seem like the sky is falling. Anybody remember the 1980s and the savings and loan crises? Probably not as it was a non issue for the most part. However, during the time the so called S L crises supposedly risked instigating a new depression and relegating the united states economy to third world status. Lots of people make money forcasting the end of the world (Makes better news than everybody being all happy). Remember James Dale Davidson and Sir William Rees-Mogg? I dont see people stop buying meteorites. Especially with all of the space exploration going on creating interest in space I see no slowdown in the large numbers of new collectors currently getting into the meteorite market. I am pretty confident that one day in the (Not to) distant future people will be talking about how cheap meteorites were in the early 2000s and how good of an investemt they would have been at that time. Of course that just my opinion. Lots of old time collectors have their head buried in the sand and believe that all this talk of drop in meteorite supply is just marketing by us meteorite dealers. Maybe they will eventually be proven right instead of me (Personally I cant see it happening though) Cheers DEAN www.meteoriteshop.com www.earthlytreasures.co.nz __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Meteorite sales falling with the stock
Well said John! Probably one of the best summaries of why there is a credit problem. A few months ago a news item came out that said the average credit card balance was ~ $8000+. Add that to a car payment and the mortgage and it is a no-brainer to understand Main Street's credit problem, which of course led to the greed of lending institutions. There is no cure for stupidity. I went into Wal Mart yesterday for a flu shot and asked the stabber if she had a vaccine for stupid and she said no, but wished she did we could make billions. Ted Bunch On 10/13/08 10:15 AM, John Gwilliam [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: We can point finger in all directions and blame a whole basket full of politicians, business leaders and everyone and anyone else. One thing we need to address ( in my uneducated opinion) is the over spending by the regular folks on Main street. It used to be people saved up enough money until they had a 20% down payment for a house and only used credit for other items like a vehicle (not two or three) and education. These days, many of us citizens make purchases on credit that we really can't afford. after all, why do we put thing on our credit cards? Because we don't have the cash. Optimistically, we always believe our financial outlook will be brighter in the future and we'll be able to pay off the credit card quickly. Sadly, it's that's usually not the case. Those of you who are my age (56) or older might remember the lay away plan that many department stores used to have. You went into the store every week or two and paid five or tens bucks on an item they were holding for you. When you paid for the item in full, they handed it to you and you had a brand new thing - a washer, dryer or bike for one of your kids. Nowdays, we put the thing on a credit card and by the time most of us get it paid off the thing is worn out or dead and gone. It's time for all of us to take a hard look at our spending habits...along with who we vote into office and how we use our money. Sure, we're in a big mess. But if everyone learns from this mistake we can all be doing better down the road weither it's in one year or five years. Best, John Gwilliam On Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 9:32 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] Very interesting NASA link for meteorites
Hi folks! Please forgive me if this was posted already. NASA unveiled this site back in July of this year and I have become hooked on it. It's a searchable archive of NASA's media works - photos, video, etc. Only recently did I use it to search for meteorites and the results are 149 NASA images involving meteorites. http://www.nasaimages.org Go to the above link. In the upper right hand corner of the page is a search box. Type meteorite into the box and enjoy the eye-candy results! :) Regards and clear skies, MikeG . Michael Gilmer (Louisiana, USA) Member of the Meteoritical Society. Member of the Bayou Region Stargazers Network. Websites - http://www.galactic-stone.com and http://www.glassthrower.com MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/fine_meteorites_4_sale .. __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Tangible assets
Hello Dean, thank you for your remarks on the market situation - these are always welcome, as I have learned over all those years that, besides you being a dealer, you are also a very good observer! As well as some other insider friends of mine are, who did not yet raise their finger here. Of course that just my opinion. Lots of old time collectors have their head buried in the sand and believe that all this talk of drop in meteorite supply is just marketing by us meteorite dealers. Maybe they will eventually be proven right instead of me (Personally I cant see it happening though) I gladly admit I am one of those oldtimers, but I have no problems with this, why should I? I have a nice collection at hands, as many of my old time friends have, and no worries, other than may be this or that observation about new distributors of the rare stuff that come along, and pricing affairs: just let´s wait and see how things will evolve down the line, as time goes by - in the long run. No hurries! Our meteorites don´t care, so why should we? This economical crisis is BAD to almost everyone (...me included, btw!), at least in the world of the more privileged persons, who are lucky enough to have a job and an income - the other ones on the planet have much worse problems! Then why not look at it from a more leisurely global perspective of ever changing events in space and time, knowing we are given only one, our life... Alex Berlin/Germany __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] NASA's Spitzer Gets Sneak Peak Inside Comet Holmes
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/features.cfm?feature=1901 NASA's Spitzer Gets Sneak Peak Inside Comet Holmes Jet Propulsion Laboratory October 13, 2008 When comet Holmes unexpectedly erupted in 2007, professional and amateur astronomers around the world turned their telescopes toward the spectacular event. Their quest was to find out why the comet had suddenly exploded. Observations taken of the comet after the explosion by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope deepen the mystery, showing oddly behaving streamers in the shell of dust surrounding the nucleus of the comet. The data also offer a rare look at the material liberated from within the nucleus, and confirm previous findings from NASA's Stardust and Deep Impact missions. The data we got from Spitzer do not look like anything we typically see when looking at comets, said Bill Reach of NASA's Spitzer Science Center at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif. Reach is lead investigator of the Spitzer observations. The comet Holmes explosion gave us a rare glimpse at the inside of a comet nucleus. The findings were presented at the 40th meeting of the Division of Planetary Sciences in Ithaca, N.Y. Every six years, comet 17P/Holmes speeds away from Jupiter and heads inward toward the sun, traveling the same route typically without incident. However, twice in the last 116 years, in November 1892 and October 2007, comet Holmes exploded as it approached the asteroid belt, and brightened a million-fold overnight. In an attempt to understand these odd occurrences, astronomers pointed NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope at the comet in November 2007 and March 2008. By using Spitzer's infrared spectrograph instrument, Reach was able to gain valuable insights into the composition of Holmes' solid interior. Like a prism spreading visible-light into a rainbow, the spectrograph breaks up infrared light from the comet into its component parts, revealing the fingerprints of various chemicals. In November of 2007, Reach noticed a lot of fine silicate dust, or crystallized grains smaller than sand, like crushed gems. He noted that this particular observation revealed materials similar to those seen around other comets where grains have been treated violently, including NASA's Deep Impact mission, which smashed a projectile into comet Tempel 1; NASA's Stardust mission, which swept particles from comet Wild 2 into a collector at 13,000 miles per hour (21,000 kilometers per hour), and the outburst of comet Hale-Bopp in 1995. Comet dust is very sensitive, meaning that the grains are very easily destroyed, said Reach. We think the fine silicates are produced in these violent events by the destruction of larger particles originating inside the comet nucleus. When Spitzer observed the same portion of the comet again in March 2008, the fine-grained silicate dust was gone and only larger particles were present. The March observation tells us that there is a very small window for studying composition of comet dust after a violent event like comet Holmes' outburst, said Reach. Comet Holmes not only has unusual dusty components, it also does not look like a typical comet. According to Jeremie Vaubaillon, a colleague of Reach's at Caltech, pictures snapped from the ground shortly after the outburst revealed streamers in the shell of dust surrounding the comet. Scientists suspect they were produced after the explosion by fragments escaping the comet's nucleus. In November 2007, the streamers pointed away from the sun, which seemed natural because scientists believed that radiation from the sun was pushing these fragments straight back. However, when Spitzer imaged the same streamers in March 2008, they were surprised to find them still pointing in the same direction as five months before, even though the comet had moved and sunlight was arriving from a different location. We have never seen anything like this in a comet before. The extended shape still needs to be fully understood, said Vaubaillon. He notes that the shell surrounding the comet also acts peculiarly. The shape of the shell did not change as expected from November 2007 to March 2008. Vaubaillon said this is because the dust grains seen in March 2008 are relatively large, approximately one millimeter in size, and thus harder to move. If the shell was comprised of smaller dust grains, it would have changed as the orientation of the sun changes with time, said Vaubaillon. This Spitzer image is very unique. No other telescope has seen comet Holmes in this much detail, five months after the explosion. Like people, all comets are a little different. We've been studying comets for hundreds of years â 116 years in the case of comet Holmes â but still do not really understand them, said Reach. However, with the Spitzer observations and data from other telescopes, we are getting closer. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the Spitzer Space Telescope mission for NASA's Science Mission
[meteorite-list] Martin Altman
Martin, can you contact me off-list please. Michael Farmer __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Tangible assets
I agree. Meteorites are tangible and the market will recover at some point. Whatever their value in $/£/Y/Euro/etc following the recovery, meteorites will retain their market value. A £1000 piece of moon rock will be worth its equivalent, whether that is $10 or $100,000 following the recovery in much the same way gold would, I believe. If I'd invested heavily in stocks and shares, I'd be pretty worried right now but my cash is in hard rock and while I wouldn't expect to be able to sell it right now I've been prudent enough (spending within my means) not to need to. I personally think that they're a good investment when it comes to retaining value. Rob McC --- On Mon, 10/13/08, Michael Farmer [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: Michael Farmer [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Tangible assets To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com, bill kies [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Monday, October 13, 2008, 7:30 AM This is true that meteorites might be low priority during hard times, however, a tangible asset is any object which can be held, enjoyed, and money can buy. I can see someone enjoying a rare artifact or meteorite a lot more than holding a wad of cash, not something you can look at and wonder about. Of course, if the world falls into utter chaos, then meteorites will be of low interest, however, that won't happen, and rare objects will always hold a value. I tell you this, and all of you would likely agree, I have a large pallasite sitting on my desk, valued at over $25,000. I sure enjoy it, hold it, behold it, and wonder about it. Try that with a $25,000 papar that says you own 1000 shares of XYZ Wall Street financial company. Those can now be used as toilet paper, not much else. This meteorite will be here long after I am gone, in a musuem, or another private collection. It will always be something of interest. Hard times come and they go. Imagine if you had bought a Pasamonte stone in 1935 or so, that was during the dust bowl, and great depression, and people likely thought Nininger was a nut, paying money for black rocks! Well, those same stones now are worth thousands or tens of thousands each. My money is one space rocks to outperform the DOW for the next 10 years or so. Now, if I had millions to spare.. There are some beaten down stocks, but too risky these days. Michael Farmer --- On Sun, 10/12/08, bill kies [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: bill kies [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [meteorite-list] Tangible assets To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Date: Sunday, October 12, 2008, 11:48 PM I don't see meteorites as a tangible asset. Tangible of course. Asset, iffy. Maybe it's because I don't have an enormous investment in them. As rare as they are, the intrinsic value is only as great as the number of people that place a great esoteric value in them. That number dwindles when mortgages and savings crash. A commodity dedicated to the dedicated but never a safe harbor. Have fun and buy smart. _ Want to do more with Windows Live? Learn “10 hidden secrets” from Jamie. http://windowslive.com/connect/post/jamiethomson.spaces.live.com-Blog-cns!550F681DAD532637!5295.entry?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_domore_092008 __ 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 __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Tangible assets
Hi Alex, Listees, Alex's gentlemanly statement made my day after wading through the flurry of hardcore dealer-concerned messages that have been posted. As a collector at heart, I agree 'wholeheartedly' with his thoughts. Especially the one: Our meteorites don't care, why should we? Thanks again, Alex. I am glad I have been able to exclude value as a criterion to make my space rocks more attractive to me. If I want to get my daily fix on money, it is easier just to get a live feed on the ticker of some stock markets and experience the rush on a blow by blow basis, or just do Las Vegas. For meteorites, I prefer just admiring the specimens that make me happy and ignoring all the market hype and speculation that in my opinion detracts from the healthy fundamentals of meteorite study, appreciation and collection. After all we get from them, it seems a bit much to ask for return. My meteorites are expenses, not investments ... and as such are all written off at the moment of adquisition. There is no where to go, when you start at zero investment, but up! In moderation over a long period of time, rather than short intense addictions, seems to me the way to go. Congratulations to those long time collectors that continue to be role models worth drinking to in these hard times. Thoughts from Mexico, with wishes for great health, Doug -Original Message- =0 AFrom: Alexander Seidel [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Sent: Mon, 13 Oct 2008 3:30 pm Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Tangible assets Hello Dean, thank you for your remarks on the market situation - these are always welcome, as I have learned over all those years that, besides you being a dealer, you are also a very good observer! As well as some other insider friends of mine are, who did not yet raise their finger here. Of course that just my opinion. Lots of old time collectors have their head buried in the sand and believe that all this talk of drop in meteorite supply is just marketing by us meteorite dealers. Maybe they will eventually be proven right instead of me (Personally I cant see it happening though) I gladly admit I am one of those oldtimers, but I have no problems with this, why should I? I have a nice collection at hands, as many of my old time friends have, and no worries, other than may be this or that observation about new distributors of the rare stuff that come along, and pricing affairs: just let´s wait and see how things will evolve down the line, as time goes by - in the long run. No hurries! Our meteorites don´t care, so why should we? This economical crisis is BAD to almost everyone (...me included, btw!), at least in the world of the more privileged persons, w ho are lucky enough to have a job and an income - the other ones on the planet have much worse problems! Then why not look at it from a more leisurely global perspective of ever changing events in space and time, knowing we are given only one, our life... Alex Berlin/Germany __ 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
[meteorite-list] JPL's Jon Giorgini Honored With Masursky Award
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2008-193 JPL's Jon Giorgini Honored With Masursky Award Jet Propulsion Laboratory October 13, 2008 PASADENA, Calif. -- Jon Giorgini, an engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., has received the prestigious Harold Masursky Award, presented by the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences. The Masursky Award recognizes individuals for outstanding service to planetary science and exploration through engineering, managerial, programmatic or public service activities. Giorgini runs JPL's Horizons system, an online database that can generate locations and orbits for the almost half-million known celestial bodies in our solar system. The award citation states in part: A specialist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Jon developed and implemented the on-line Horizons system that is used by the international scientific community to generate accurate ephemeris information for the 450,000 currently known objects in the solar system. This includes the sun, planets, their moons, asteroids, comets, and many spacecraft... This system is used by observers, researchers, and mission planners to plan observations and track the targets of space and ground-based telescopes, as well as spacecraft. Since its inception in October 1996, the Horizons system has responded to more than ten million requests (on average, more than 2200 per day) received from 300,000 unique locations. Giorgini, a senior engineer in JPL's Solar System Dynamics Group, was a navigator for the Magellan spacecraft during its mapping of Venus (1991-1993), developing and implementing the new navigation methodology for the first interplanetary aerobrake. He created JPL's On-Site Orbit Determination system -- software used at the Goldstone and Arecibo planetary radar sites to track and update the orbits of radar targets. He then returned to navigation for the Mars Global Surveyor aerobrake planning and interplanetary phases (1995-1997), followed by the Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous mission navigation and radio science teams (1997-2001). As a member of the asteroid radar observing team (1994-present), he is responsible for orbit analysis and predictions used to operate radar tracking systems at Goldstone and Arecibo. He has worked on more than 290 asteroid radar targets since 1994 and is co-discoverer of 27 asteroid satellites. He discovered the potential Earth impact hazard posed by the asteroid 1950 DA, and developed methods to assess dynamics and impact potential over centuries. Giorgini is author or co-author of 99 research papers and four book chapters. Giorgini's outside activities have included climbs of Mount Kilimanjaro and Vinson Massif, the highest mountains in Africa and Antarctica. He has practiced martial arts and kickboxing for the last 22 years. Giorgini's previous awards include the JPL 2007 Ed Stone Outstanding Research Paper Award, a NASA Space Act Award and a NASA Exceptional Service Medal. The International Astronomical Union named asteroid 6775 Giorgini in his honor in 1996. Giorgini has a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering from Iowa State University, Ames; and a Master of Science degree in aerospace engineering, specializing in celestial mechanics, from the University of Texas, Austin. He has worked at JPL for 17 years. For more information on JPL, visit: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov . Media contact: DC Agle 818-393-9011, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. [EMAIL PROTECTED] 2008-193 __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] South Pole Meteorite????????????
On Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:27:56 -0500, you wrote: Here is a link to a South Pole Meteorite The story sounds kinda lame to me. http://cgi.ebay.com/H-Class-Chondrite-Meteor-VERY-BIG-Found-At-South-Pole_W0QQitemZ180298547302QQihZ008QQcategoryZ3239QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZ Story is crazy, but meteorite looks nice. Whaddya think, Bassikounou? __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] 50gr. CARANCAS METEORITE SAMPLES AT 30$us/gr
Hello dear friends, I'm selling my last 100 gr. of carancas meteorite in two 50 gr. lots each at 30$us/gr. Pieces are from 1 gr. (no one less than 1 gr.)and up mostly with curst since I have keep these for the last. Much of you know me since I heve been the first one selling these meteorite over the internet worldwide as you can see on my ebay store, and in the next links. http://www.livinginperu.com/news/4857 http://www.publiplayer.com/bolivia-minerals/carancas.htm Samples are in perfect condition, if you are interested please contact me, these are my last samples , excluding the big ones on my ebay store. Best regards Erwin Rivera ebay: bolivia-minerals www.bolivia-minerals.com __ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
