[meteorite-list] AD: Announcement and Meteorites for sale ( Warning: LONG)

[Mal Bishop]

Dear list members,

I would like to take this opportunity to make you all aware of a few 
specimens I have currently up for sale.

I currently have listed a 147.4g oriented Gao individual, a nice little 
98%+ crusted Zag individual, a 348.4g Canyon Diablo.
Prices and some information on each piece can be found on the sales 
page.  http://meteoritedreams.com/meteoritesales

This is still a work in progress with some rough edges no doubt.  Please 
let me know if you experience any problems ( I tested the page
using Firefox and Explorer), or if anyone cares to comment/critique.  Thank 
you in advance!

I also have for sale a nice, relatively fresh 90 - 95% crusted unclassified 
209.9g NWA individual which I haven't had time to add to my sale page as of 
yet.
If anyone is interested, upon request, I will email photos.  I'm asking 
$190 for it.

As a heads up, I will have some fresh, fairly nicely crusted Bassikounou 
fragments from 10 grams up to 490 grams listed sometime next week.
Nine or ten pieces in all.

If interested you can either email me at the email address on the sales 
page or use this address.
I can accept PayPal, checks, or money orders.

Warning: Please forgive the wanderings of a middle aged man that follow -

Thank you for indulging me monetarily as I ramble a bit.  I know many of 
you are aware of me by name if nothing
else ( for good or bad  :)  ).  I've been collecting meteorites off and on 
since I purchased my first humble pieces from
the defacto king of our passion/hobby/vocation, namely, Bob Haag, back in 
1997-- like some many of you.  I was smitten with these unearthly
visitors since I was a child (actually, I have always been intrigued and in 
awe with all things having to do with space
and all fields of science in general), but it was many, many years later 
before I actually became aware that a mere
mortal human being could even dare hold such a wonder in his own hand, let 
alone own such a treasure!  If memory
serves me correctly (BTW, its service is becoming harder to trust more and 
more), it was in the back of an issue of
Astronomy magazine that I first came upon a small unimposing ad declaring 
to anyone who cared - yes, you could
own a piece of cosmic treasure for a mere few dollars.  That ad of course 
was placed by someone I never heard of
( I even wondered for a while if it wasn't just a scam, and how did I know 
what I received - if I received anything at all -
even came from space), but today, I'm very aware of, as are many, many 
people the world round, of the name, Bob Haag!

Boy, looking at the hobby today, it is hard to even recall how insular, and 
small it was just a mere 10 years ago!  I've felt
very privileged to be a member of this list, correspond with so many 
members, as well as buy, sell, and occasionally trade with a
number of members and dealers that frequent this list.  Everyone I've 
personally dealt with in buying and selling over the years have
all been first class, professional, mature and just a real pleasure getting 
to know and deal with!  I could name so many I owe gratitude to
for bringing such excitement and joy into one man's life.  Starting with of 
course, Bob Haag, then Jim, Paul, and Michael Blood for this list,
some of the first dealers I ever had the pleasure of working with; Rob 
Elliott, Geoff Notkin, Cathy Casper, Walter Branch, Michael Farmer, Eric 
Twelker, Geoff Cintron,
Eric Olsen, John Gwilliam, Eugene & Sharon Cisneros, Ron Hartman, Dean 
Bessey, Jeff Kuyken, Mark Bostick, Roman Jirasek, Anne Black,
Andi Gren, Jim Strope, Carsten Giessler, Mike Bandli, Moritz Karl, Aziz 
Alhyane, Matt Morgan, Marcin Cimala, and others I can not recall at this 
time.  I've also enjoyed
just corresponding with the kind, sweet Maria Haas, the wonderful, kind 
gentleman, Bernd Pauli, Dirk , our man in Tokyo, and so many others
I can't possibly recall at this time.

I've been in and out of this hobby a time or two, mainly for two reasons, 
one was money, the other was
my dear late wife.  The former, we all can relate to, the latter, I 
sincerely hope and pray, none of you will know prematurely --
not until many, many happy, joyful, loving years together are shared into 
old age.

Yes, I've always loved these crazy rocks that came from another time and 
place so alien to me as to be almost unimaginable --
well, to a child's mind anyway.  Time would dictate the meandering of my 
passion versus the realities and circumstances of life here on Earth.
I would buy, sell, trade, stop, then do it all over again -- time and time 
again as reality inevitably would make its stern
presence known.  However, with some personal issues I been wrestling with 
over the past few years, along with the loss
of my wonderful bride 2 years ago, I have a wonderful 8 year old son who 
looks up to me and, much to my pleasure and pride,
shares many of my passions in life!

Therefore, due to him and in honor of him, I've decided to try and delve a 
little deeper into this fascinating addiction and slowly try getting my 
feet wet,
a tiny bit at a time, while wading into the uncertain waters of selling 
these wondrous creations.  Therefore, I would like to make those of you who
are interested at all, aware, I'm in the process of setting up a small 
website with the intention to sell not only meteorites, but hopefully 
along, some
related books, and other odds and ends that come to mind.  I presently have 
a sales page up and, hopefully, running correctly, with 3 items on it.
Like I said, I'm starting very small and slow, but like everyone doing 
something, you got to start somewhere.  I have no illusions or real aspirations
to be a large dealer.  I just want to gain some personal satisfaction and 
joy, get to know more people, and maybe get to know some of the ones
I already know, just a little better!

The full website probably won't be up and ready for several more weeks or 
months -- I'm very slow as well as anal at times.  :-)
I chose the name, "Meteorite Dreams", due to my life long day dream 
revolving around our celestial visitors.

I'm very picky about how I want it to look and since I haven't done 
anything in 9 or 10 years with web design or web publishing, it is a true 
endeavor of love as
I slowly teach myself.  I want it to be my labor, my sweat, my personality 
as rough around the edges as it may turn out to be.  With time,
it may iron itself out and mature -- only time will tell.

Thank you all so much for your very kind patience now, and your shared joy, 
enthusiasm, and friendship over the months and years in our common bond!
Honestly, I did not me for this to be so long and winded!  Please forgive 
me this time!  I truly didn't mean to sound so self-serving and 
sentimental, but my emotions got the best of me.  Again, sorry!  I promise 
not to be so long winded or self indulgent in the future!  :-)

Best to you all -
Mal