[meteorite-list] Michael's meteorite market trends

[MexicoDoug at aol.com]

Michael B. wrote:
>This sort of ignores the fact that I was  specifically referring to the
>practice of dealing with known criminals  and rip off artists.

Martin A. must have seen Star Wars dubbed in German if at all (Martin -  
Michael signed his article in Yodish.  That is where it started).   Dave Freeman 
vanquished Yoda by hallucinating about "good herb", now Yoda has  left...
 
Michael, I repeat Yoda's carefully addressed thoughts on your  theme of 
purchasing from SCAM ARTISTS which you clearly expressed in the  article: "Foolish 
then is it, morals they have not.  The Jedi who  heeds not the counsel of the 
Force, to the dark side he listens, yes...."  
 
Yoda is definitely not ignoring you and hopes that, "disagreement alone you  
seek not, for disagreement then find you shall...hmmmm...."  In  translating 
his Yodish, he says he agrees with you that once the dark side is  detected, 
one is a fool to deal again with a particular individual....

The objection is that in making your general SCAMMER ATTACK, with  which we 
agree completely, we noticed clearly a negative  energy and a mixing of the 
dark side with respect to the "newbe", unknowns,  even though you may have not 
intended this at all.  Yoda cautioned me  always to give a "newbe" the benefit 
of the doubt and thus create positive  energy and a greater network within the 
"hobby" and for growth.  Yoda  favors the stimulation and grooming of good 
dealers right from birth to become  good, contributing citizens of the Republic, 
and is troubled by several  statements in your article, including but not 
limited to what I will refer to as  "Michael's Mantra":
 
Michael's Mantra:
*It wasn't long ago that collectors frequently uttered the admonishment,  
"buy only from established dealers with flawless reputations." It isn't as  
though there are not enough of us to go around. Yet, now that it clearly  matters, 
it seems I haven't heard that phrase in recent times….*
 
I have problems with your logic - but not at all with you, who I  respect as 
generally a positive, contributiong member to our community.   This logic to 
me is much worse than the type that resulted in the recent Iraqi  War.  The 
fact that the mantra may be a suspicion in ONE or SOME  case(s) doesn't mean it 
is true in ALL cases, and to act this way is not without  it's negative side 
effects.  So it  is potentially a very damaging  mantra.  And of course the 
market recognizes this, though not in the  orderly fashion we can easily pin 
down...
 
A dealer who is not established, obviously has no reputation, and if  
anything, it is up to the established dealers with flawless reputations to be  
stewards of trust.  If that trust is violated, your article rings  true.  If not, it 
is a mantra that becomes for a bizarre barrier to entry  for many nice 
meteorite collectors out there and creates a stoogy community  concentrated among 
fewer.  My view is the more the merrier, and that is why  I was so quick to 
respond to Martin A's exciting post of more European friends  to make.  In Martin 
H's post he also makes a few very good points, and I  would go further and say 
rather than attempt to protect a "newbe" which might  been seen by the 
greenhorn as condescending, I would encourage him to be  conservative at first but 
most definitely purposely depart from mantra and make  new trades with new 
friends from new places.  The super dealers have  nothing to worry about.  We do 
business with them not so much as for their  reputation, as for our personal 
experiences with them.  That is why Martin  H. and Serge V. are gentle giants 
among their peers for me and one or  two BIG guys are of more questionable 
repute...No substitute for  a calculated approach to crack open the market.  
 
Regarding dealers and collectors, to me the line between "us" and "them"  
doesn't exist.  We are all dealers and collectors and trade,  sales and purchases 
are necessary for any hardworking collector to build a great  collection, 
necessitating our bending over backwards to create positive  energy.  There is 
nothing wrong with making a livelihood out of it as well,  of course, but such 
superdealers shan't overshadow the thousands more who are  working diligently 
for enough feedback to have a nice reputation, too.
 
So when we discover and sufficiently confirm dishonesty, ostracism is the  
modus operandi, but before that encouragement should be the rule.  We have  seen 
enough superdealer wars and heard what has been said to know that  no person 
walks on water, which clouds with the profit motive taking front  row.  We 
need to take small, calculated-informed risks to create a more  interesting and 
robust trade with each "newbe" that is attracted.   Otherwise we could become 
stuck with many one time sales rusting away in drawers  across the world where 
interests have moved on...
 
You article for me had one very cogent point, but some spare baggage from  
the past, that you seem to be shedding quite conservatively...If that baggage it 
 would be a pleasure to serve on Captain Blood's discrete scammer lynch  
team...
Saludos, Doug
 
 



on 6/9/05 9:32 AM, MexicoDoug at aol.com at MexicoDoug at aol.com  wrote:

> These new dealers, if fear us they do, help us they  will  not. If hate us
> they do, hunt us they will.  Think Yoda,  good is it,  yes....Encouragement
> from 
> us, this buying of  meteorites from new dealers it  is....  A positive 
network
> it  makes, hmmmm....Positive Force to the hobby  it brings....yes, expand  
does
> the force as our universe it will.    Agree with  Master Blood Yoda not, 
unless
> seen the Dark Force once, other Jedi   masters and children do, hmmmmm.
> Foolish then is it, morals they  have  not.  The Jedi who heeds not the 
counsel
> of 
> the  Force, to the dark side he  listens, yes...
> Yoda I  am.


--
"You and I do not see things as they are. We see things as  we are."
-Herb Cohen
--
If a million people  say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish  thing.

______________________________________________
Meteorite-list  mailing  list
Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list