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Re: Portalis - fall out from Monahans

FERNLEA4@aol.com wrote:
	(M, Blood wrote:)
> << Now for just what price do you think Michael
>  Farmer can AFFORD to sell the sliced material? (remember, paid 
> pay the  sawyer, as well} lost 2 weeks of work & school time, put 
>thousands of  miles on his car, payed for motel/hotel rooms, payed
> for food on the  road, ETC} Anyone who thinks he will MAKE
> money selling the material for  $15/g is nuts! >>
----
> Hi all,
> Well, that's maybe fair comment Michael, but considering that these are 
literally picked up off the ground for free, somebody somewhere (landowner?) 
must surely be making a LOT of money.
> If the finder IS the landowner, then he or she is the lucky 
>benefactor and good luck them too! The buyer must obviously 
>bear in mind all of the overheads incurred, from initial purchase
> through to finished slices, but it makes me wonder what would
> happen if the finder didn't get his asking price even after lots of 
>bartering. I'd guess that most finders have no idea what the 
>meteorites are actually worth but would still expect a good price 
>nonetheless.
---
	Well, here is the crux of the point I was attempting to make:
the farmers FOLLOW WHAT IS HAPPENING - as Mike Farmer just informed us,
some clever fellow notified the local newspaper about the Monahans
brouhaha and every farmer thought they were sitting on gold (which is,
by the way,"just picked out of the ground" - or the river).
	I actually ran into a nit wit at a gem an mineral swap meet - he had a
van with a huge "shooting star" on it and something like "American
Meteorite Recovery Teem" written on the side. I inquired after what
meteorites he had. (He looked like an over the hill biker with a HUGE
beer belly that stuck out between his belt and an undersized XXXLarge
Tee shirt - he was NOT any dealer I have ever heard of - that is a
certanty) I was astounded at his response: "Oh, I NEVER sell meteorites,
I just buy them .... I must have 80 or 100 different meteorites I've
bought from farmers all over the country." When I asked what he DID do
with them he said, "Oh, they're all in my barn." - So, yes, I do believe
these farmers would have gone to their graves with those damned
meteorites if they HADDN'T gotten close to their asking price (I said
they were smart - not wise). 
---
> How good, depends on how willing the prospective buyer is to
> walk away from the deal if the asking price is too high.....or is it a
> case of purchase at any cost?
---
	Well, I'll tell you, from what I've heard of the visual appearance of
this fall, I am sure if I'd been there I would have said to myself,
"This is a unique fall. It is not an El Hammami. This is THE "cheapest"
it is EVER going to be - gotta get AT LEAST SOME." (if only for my own
collection). 
---
> 	 As for collectors complaining about price rises etc., the
> collectors are the customers and customers tend to grumble when they are faced 
with prices such as these. For instance, I grumble
> when I see petrol prices rise, and my customers grumble at me
> when I increase my prices at work, albeit in line with
> inflation. Nobody accepts a high price or a price increase with a
> smile on their face even if it is justified. 
(Snip)
----
	Oh, I ENTIRELY agree! My point was exactly what I think you are saying
- the damned prices AT THE SOURCE are getting too high.
(Remember, my premis was that prices are NOT "jacked up" by dealers, but
are, instead, the result of many factors - particularly (but NOT
exclusively) supply and demand. Right now, what appears to be a PRIMARY
factor is NOTARIETY WHICH IS ACTUALLY BEING PROPOGATED by a "broker."
The shortsightedness of his acts is mind boggling! (this is my opinion,
of course, but it doesn't take a genius to see the ducks lined up in a
row)
---
	More importantly perhaps, if the asking price is way too high, 
>then little if any of the material is actually sold, and at best, 
>collectors end up with microscopic fragments and dust.....are there
> any winners if this happens?
---
	Well, I am quite certain SOME of it will sell, because I have to have
some for my collection - from the description of its appearance after
cutting - gotta have AT LEAST  a 20 or 30g macromount! However, it
certainly sounds like I won't be able to resell any. Too bad - but good
for Michael Farmer & the other 2 "conspiritors," as Colonal Mustard put
it.
---
> 	 I expect to get a bit of flak from some of you over this and
> that's OK....but considering that it's been very difficult for anyone
> to express opinions on the list recently without being challenged
> to a duel, how about a discussion instead of an argument?
>  Cheers!
> Rob Elliott.
---
	Dear Rob, No, indeed - no need at all for name calling or even
"perspective bashing" - a mixture of perspectives is good food for
thought. There are many ways of looking at the same thing & these
differing perspectives do NOT have to negate the validity of one
another.
	Best wishes, Michael

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