[meteorite-list] AD: Thin Section Pre-sale & REVERSE Auction!

Sat Jun 11 00:23:49 EDT 2005

Hello Guys,

Well, here we go again. Time for another Thin Section PRE-Sale.  But this time I am going to do a little twist to it by making it a REVERSE auction. I have about 65 meteorite specimens (listed below) in epoxy butts that are ready to be made into thin sections.  

In the past I would have a whole set of thin sections made then I would get them back and try to sell them.  Typically I would sell half of them real quick at my retail asking prices, but then I would be left with about half that would just sit in my inventory.  The ones left would either get discounted or end up on ebay where a few would go for reasonable prices while some would sell low, some at well below my cost.  While this can be fun for the buyers, it isn't so much fun for me.

I would have not only my cost that I had into the specimens tied up, but the cost of making ALL the thin sections spent up front as well.  I would find much of my profit from the half that would sell at my asking price being eroded away by my losses later.  

I determined it would be more profitable for me and less costly to my customers if I would just discount the price on the wanted thin sections, and let the customers pre-pay for them.  This would allow me to only have made the thin sections I KNOW that are wanted, and pre-sold.  This takes the guess work out of it for me, and allows me to pass on some savings to others.  

Right now I am told there is about a 60 to 90 day back log on getting specimens made into thin sections.  While that can seem like a long time to wait, the discount can make the several weeks wait seem quite short, especially if these would be going into your collection forever.  Also, some of the specimens offered here may not be offered anywhere else.   

Waiting a couple of months yet KNOWING you will get what you want, can indeed be a better option that waiting for me (or someone else) to produce and offer the thin section you want, only to have someone else buy it before you do, and then you have to wait another round to hope you might get the next one.  Then you have to hope I don't run out of material and you may loose your opportunity altogether.  There is a chance the order will come back to me a little sooner or possibly later than planned, so it is important to realize that.

Some specimens I have, like Lodran, I am not aware that anyone else has ever had for sale, nor may they ever have one available in the future.  Even more "ordinary" specimens may not become available later if any dealer feels like it is not worth wasting the material and money to get more thin sections made because of lack of demand.  Some I only have room enough to make one more thin section, then the material will run out.  So I would strongly suggest that if you want some of these, grab them now.

I have decided to run this in a reverse auction format.  So I am listing these at a price that quite a few of them should sell.  At the start some are better bargains than others.  I will then start lowering the prices until many are either sold OR until they reach a price that I do not want to sell them at.  

NOTICE:  I will NOT be listing follow-up reductions on price on the meteorite-list.  So even if you do not want to buy anything on this round, but you do want to be on the list for those notices, PLEASE email me off list.  I will let a few of these get obscenely low just for the fun of it, so I invite you to keep an eye on your in-box over the next couple of days.

Thanks,
Steve Arnold
IMB, Arkansas, #1

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All of these prices are for single polished - covered thin sections.  If you would prefer doubly polished and or uncovered, please let me know and I can adjust the price up the extra it will take to have that done for you.

Again, request to be on the update list and I will get back with you on my next reduction.  If you order at least one now at these prices, you will automatically be on the update list.

Pallasites:

Admire    14 x 9mm triangle  $50
Eagle Station  7 x 5mm  $145
Ahumada  11 x 8mm  $50
Springwater 8 x 5mm  triangle $45

Mesosiderites:
Bondoc  28 x 19mm  $80
NWA 1879  25 x 21mm $75

Carbonaceous Chondrites:
Allende 20mm x 27mm  $50
NWA 1839  (3133)  CV7?  15mm x 6mm    $110
Bells Texas  CM2  5.5 x 4mm 
Colony OK  CO3.0  23 x 17   $150
Tagish Lake   2 x 1mm $30
NWA 060  CK5  13 x 12mm $65
Murchison  CM2  27 x 12mm $95
Murchison  CM2  18 x 7mm $65
DaG 023 CO3  18 x 4mm $80
NWA 852 CR2  23 x 17mm $55
Coolidge  C4  10 x 9mm $80

R Chondrites:
NWA 978   R3.8   28 x 13mm $55

Ordinary Chondrites:
NWA 1756 LL3.0/3.2  14 x 6.5mm
Dhofar 008 L3.2/3.3  17mm x11mm  $65                    
NWA 964  LL4   9 x 5mm  $40
Soko-Banja LL4   6 x 3mm  $50                        
Holbrook L/LL6  26 x18mm  $55
                        22 x18mm  $45
NWA 096  H3.8  17 x16mm  $45
                         21 x 15mm  $50
NWA 946  H3.8  30 x 14mm  $45
                         23 x13mm  $40
Gao H5   20 x10mm  $40
Smyer   31 x 19mm  $60
Grady  H (I think)  20 x 16mm $45
Parnallee  LL3.6   8 x 7mm LL3.6  $55
Julesburg L3.6   25 x 17mm  $65
Beaver
Ragland  LL3.4   18 x 14mm  $150
Richfield  LL3.7  19 x 14mm $65
Wells  LL3.3   29 x 13mm  $75
Dhofar 206  L3.7  23 x 8.5mm  $45
JaH 026  L3.1   17 x 15mm $100
NWA 815 ?  25 x 18 $60

Ensatite:
Happy Canyon  EL  21 x 14mm  $60
NWA 002 EL6  26 x14mm  $50
Dhofar ? E3   15 x15mm  $40
Abee EH  7.5 x 4.5mm   $45

Achrondites:
Eucrites:
Palo Blanco Creek   24 x 17mm  $75
Camel Donga  31 x 17mm   $95
                      16 x 8 mm  $60
                             11 x10mm  $50
Cachari  9 x8mm   $60
Millbillillie  25 x13mm  $45
NWA047  20 x13mm  $50
               22 x 14mm  $55
NWA 1109   9 x 9mm triangle $55
Dhofar 007  27 x17mm  $60
Aguolt  10 x3mm  $50
Igdi   10 x10mm  $70
Smara
NWA 1649  Euc pmb  29 x 9mm 
NWA 769  Euc ubr. 23 x 10 $45

Diogenites:
Bilanga   19 x 15mm  $45
Tatahouine  14 x10mm  $55 
                  11 x10mm  $50
Johnstown   15 x 14mm $125

Aubrites:
Pena Blaca Springs  12 x9mm  $85
Cumberland Falls  14 x 12mm $110

Howardites:
Hughes 005   11 x10mm  $55
DaG 779  5 x4mm  $55

Others;
Tenere  10 x8mm  $85
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SNC:
Zagami 4 x 3mm $55

Primitive Achondrites:
Winonaite:
NWA 516   9 x 8mm $70
Lodranite:
Lodran  4 x 2mm $200

Acapulcoites:
Tissemouine  24 x 15mm $90
Monument Draw   8 x 2mm  $60

Brachinites:
NWA595   17 x 16mm  $125