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Re: (meteorobs) More meteorite [About Park Forest Value]



On Mon, Mar 31, 2003 at 03:18:34PM +0000, Robert Warren wrote about the
recent Park Forrest meteorite fall: 

> Now if you should read the meteorite list pages, than you would also know 
> about how the authorities in Park Forest, Illinois, almost arrested a guy on 
> Friday, because he was offering only $1.00 per gram.  That was more than 
> what this meteorite, if it is an LL6, would be worth.

I disagree. Show me an LL6 fall a collector can get for that price. Perhaps,
that is probably all a dealer wants to, and even should pay, due to marketing
expenses, travel, and profits, but $1.00 per gram is not more than what this 
meteorite is worth. The other recent LL6 fall in Kilabo Nigeria, which fell 
last year, is being sold by daalers for about $7 per gram! I doubt if the 
dealers gave the local natives even $1.00 per gram for Kilabo. Don't tell me 
about the poor blood sucking dealers who don't make enough profit. Although I
must say that most meteorite dealers make only a fair profit, and collectors
should be grateful for that. [Do I detect a love hate relationship here :-) ?]

> I was in the Park Forest public Library, and heard a librarian tell someone 
> who had just walked in off the street that the value quoted in the papers 
> that day of $500 per gram had gone up to $2000 per gram.  Now that is 
> stupid.  But others also heard it.  So the authorities, the professionals, 
> and some know it all types have distorted, inflated and aggravated the 
> entire situation.

Now here I agree. These are rediculous inflated prices. I also agree that if
dealers pay less, than collectors and researchers will pay less. I am not
against the wholesale price being more than $1.00 per gram, but paying too 
much is bad for everyone, except the seller. 

GWG

> Bob Warren
> Obsevatory for Cometary Studies
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