[meteorite-list] Term Main Mass

[star-bits at comcast.net]

Adam wrote:
<There will be a meeting in Tucson with a well-known committee person before
the Peoples Auction to discuss subjects just like this so I am gathering a
consensus. So far I have not hear what collectors think.>

Since you are collecting opinions I'll give you 2 of them, my 2 cents worth so a penny each.

First the cynical one - Buyers like to own main masses, sellers like to sell things.  The looser the defination of main mass the more there are to sell.  Buyers are happy, sellers are happy.

Second my personal defination.  If a stone isn't at least 1/2 the total mass recovered from the fall it isn't a main mass.  Since the total mass recovered from the fall is unknown for NWA meteorites none of them qualify.   That defination eliminates 98% of the so called main masses, Norton County being one of the few qualifiers.   Buyers won't like that defination because it makes main masses virtually impossible to own.  Sellers won't like it because it removes a sexy selling label.   But it makes it easy for me to put together sales pages.   I have never owned a main mass by my defination and have therefore never listed a meteorite as a "main mass" at my web site.  It is my personal defination which I don't expect to see adopted in the meteorite community, but it suffices for me.

--
Eric Olson
ELKK Meteorites
http://www.star-bits.com