[meteorite-list] 1996-2016 meteorite collectors / dealers

From: almitt2 at localnet.com <almitt2_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2015 21:04:50 -0500
Message-ID: <20151228210450.18thmlkjxios0g8k_at_webmail.localnet.com>

  Greetings,

  Great Topic John!!

  I technically started my collection in the mid 1960's with a visit
to Meteor(ite) Crater. I was hoping to buy an actual iron meteorite.
You could only buy shale, so I bought several on a square card that
had a purplish/red color with a fireball trail and meteorite shale in
the center of the card. However I don't think I can count that as when
I started to seriously collect.

  Later went back to Meteor Crater as an adult and wanted to buy an
actual iron meteorite. Still couldn't but bought a larger piece of
shale. This was in 1979. After Reading Nininger's book Find a Falling
Star in 1985, that inspired me to want to collect meteorites. I bought
three specimens from Robert Haag (The Meteorite Man) a iron Canyon
Diablo, an Imilac stony iron, and a Allende CV3. Not bad for my first
chondrite!

  I joined a group from England called the Meteorite Filies
(spelling) who talked, swapped and had the original journal for
amateur collecting. How ever it went defunct due to an accident by
it's main member. I still have three or four of the magazines. Back
then you had to get your hands on reading material as there wasn't any
real internet to communicate on the subject. There was only 6 or 7 new
specimens coming out each year and at best 10 or 12 dealers (world
wide). There were very few actual collectors.

  After buying meteorites from one of Ron F. sellers and finding out
he was charging 3 times more than I could buy them myself I started
into the dealer arena to offer competition. This was in 1988 or about
27 years ago. I originally collected three specimens but after reading
about some of the falls in Nininger's Book, collected 13 more
specimens. thinking this was all that I would ever need. That was
roughly 500 specimens ago (personal collection) and tens of thousands
of meteorites bought and sold.

  During the Compuserve era (early 1990's for me) Joesph Murakami and
I started a meteorite list on the AstroForum which we engaged in the
discussion of meteorites with other members.

  Best!

  --AL Mitterling

  Mitterling Meteorites Quoting J Sinclair via Meteorite-list
<meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>:

> Hello All,
>
> 20 years.
>
> I noticed while looking at Matt Morgan's web site, he writes
> "established in 1996"
> The Meteorite Exchange site says "Impacting the Meteorite World
Since 1996"
>
> Did anyone else start collecting in '96. If not then... when? and
why?
> Many dealers and collectors were active before '96 and many more
after.
>
> In August 1996 I read on the front page of the local NC (Greensboro
> Daily News) newspaper that NASA had found a possible life form in a
> Martian meteorite found in Antarctica - Allan Hills 84001. This was
> announcing there was life elsewhere in the Universe.
>
> I figured people would want meteorites. I was already selling gems
and
> minerals at shows and had seen meteorites for sale in Tucson and
> Denver. I had meteorites before the end of the year. The fist ones
> were mailed from a dealer in Mexico - Tolucas, then Gibeon from the
> S.African dealers Karl and Clive. Next was Esquel from Bob Haag. I
> nearly sold out the first show I offered meteorites.
>
> It was ALH 84001 that started it for me. How about the rest of you?
>
> See you in Tucson.
>
> John
Received on Mon 28 Dec 2015 09:04:50 PM PST