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Fw: Meteorite "worth"


Steve Schoner has asked for me to forward his message to the list for him:

>>>>
>>>><< ......becoming aware as to what dealers sell meteorites  for-- not
what
>>>>they are actually worth. >>
>>>>
>>>>I am unclear what this means.  Isn't a meteorite "worth" what someone
will
>>>>pay for it?
>>
>>I think Steve is refering to the excessive inflation brought on by
>>ill-informed finders.
>>
>>Yes, someday meteorites might go bust, but in the meantime, a meteorite
>>collecting organization could help slow down the inflation.
>>
>
>Right, that is exactly what I mean.  What is the "worth" of an ounce of
>gold?  Some mines can produce at under $200 per/ounce (Homestake) but most,
>including those in South Africa cannot produce for under $270 per/ounce.
>
>Therefor the "price of gold", its "worth" if you will is not so much
>defined by "demand" but by how much it costs to extract-- therefore
>its intrinsic value.  (BTW-- Gold is an excellent buy at today's prices,
>which are close to production)
>
>Meteorites, on the other hand are valued differently.  Mostly by rarity,
>and demand.
>
>And "worth" with regards to them is purely subjective-- there is no
>intrinsic value to a meteorite, no matter how rare it is.
>
>Diamonds?  They are rare, and there is a cost to extracting them from the
>ground.  But you can buy a grade A+ raw diamond crystal for a few hundred
>dollars, but its real value comes about when *work* is expended on it to
>produce a gem that someone would prize and wear.
>
>Meteorites-- not so.
>
>You can say that a meteorite is worth "whatever a person will pay"...
>but I can say this too... a shrewd salesman can sell worthless "snake oil"
>too, but that does not make that "snake oil" worth the price.
>
>Portales Valley-- $25 plus per/gram-- I won't pay that.  EVER!
>
>That meteorite is not *worth* that price to me.
>
>But I know, if I keep up my search skills I will eventually come across
>something that someone will value enough to trade me a piece for.
>
>So the *worth* of the meteorites in the deal is defined by me not in
>terms of $$$ but in terms of effort.  So I walked X number of miles in
>a certain place before I found a nice meteorite.  I then trade a piece of
>it for another piece of meteorite from another place.
>
>The end result is as if I walked there and found the meteorite that I
>desired in the trade.
>
>That is how I define the *worth* of a meteorite.  And if I sell one that
>I found, I price them according to what I think is fair for the enjoyable
>hiking, camping, and exploring that I did.
>
>Don't get me wrong, it is nice to have a fistful of cash on occasion.  A
>nice windfall for the efforts.  But for me, I turn it back into new
>equipment, fixing up the car so that I can go out again, whatever is
>needed for the hunt.
>
>And when I find that big one, and I get some case, I will sometimes buy
>nice meteorites, when I feel that they are *worth* it.  But that sense
>of *worth* is a subjective thing.
>
>One thing I can say... If I do not think a meteorite is *worth* what
>the other dealers are asking, I will lean on my subjective judgement,
>and not buy it--- even if everyone else is in the "feeding frenzy" mode.
>
>If everyone just sat back for a while everytime a new meteorite crops up,
>then perhaps the true *worth* of that meteorite will be better established.
>
>To tell you the truth, the whole issue of money and meteorites makes me--
>
>SICK ! ! !
>
>
>Steve Schoner
>AMS
>
>
>
>>This will be vital during the next big fall in a free nation...
>>
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>

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