[meteorite-list] Langs' Auction - I Hope This Is The Last Time

[Notkin]

Dear Michael, Mike, Greg, Charlie, Ryan and others:

Please be advised that Iris Lang is seriously ill and had to be 
hospitalized following the auction. She is with her doctors in Florida 
at the moment. I spoke with her two days ago and advised her to rest 
and to try and not worry about all this hubbub.

I consider you all friends, and anyone who knows me also knows that the 
Langs are close friends of mine and we've worked together for many 
years. That being said, I hope you will consider the following comments 
to be accurate and impartial. I really don't want to waste more of the 
List's time, but somebody has to step up and put all this nonsense to 
rest.

I was a volunteer (non-paid) helper at the Langs' auction. The auction 
is a fun event and I like to help my friends. I bought the champagne. I 
invited my friend Lisa Marie to be the hostess. I helped describe some 
of the lots, and assisted with spotting bids. I was also there long 
before the auction started and was still there long after it closed.

Here's what happened.

Mike Farmer: YOU posted to the List and said those three meteorites had 
been stolen, not Al. I know other meteorites were stolen during the 
Tucson show and you were only trying to help, but Al had said they 
"could not be accounted for."

A silly and embarrassing error was made during the auction. I'll try to 
explain it simply and clearly:

- Some absentee bids were not shouted out during the live auction. It 
was crowded, people were drinking, there was a lot of excitement -- 
including a TV cameraman filming in the room for K-OLD Tucson news -- 
and a very few bids just plain got missed. Only a small number of lots 
were affected. Embarrassing mistake but not "fraud" or a "rip-off."

- There was only one master list of final bids. The evening following 
the auction, Iris took that list and sent out email notifications to 
all the top bidders. On that list were absentee bids for some of 
Achim's lots that were higher than Achim's actual in-room bids. Iris 
just automatically contacted every highest bidder, not realizing some 
of those bids hadn't been shouted out at the Auction. Embarrassing 
mistake but not "fraud" or a "rip-off."

- When the lots were packed up and taken home by bidders, Al noticed 
that three were missing. They were all lots that had been won by Achim. 
At that point, Mike Farmer -- trying to help his colleague -- posted to 
the List that they'd been stolen.

- Achim didn't come by to pick up his winnings UNTIL THE NEXT DAY. 
Nobody realized an error had been made until then. The three pieces 
couldn't be found but Iris had -- the day before -- already 
accidentally notified absentee bidders that they had won those lots. 
Embarrassing mistake but not "fraud" or a "rip-off."

- Later, the three lots turned up in a box in the kitchen and they are 
now ON THEIR WAY TO ACHIM. Allan telephoned the people who had made 
higher absentee bids on those lots, apologized, explained what had 
happened and everything is cool with everyone.

People, listen up: Allan is not going to risk ruining his business 
relationship with Achim or other serious collectors for fifty bucks, or 
whatever the total discrepancy was.

Now please, read the above again carefully, and hear what I'm saying. 
There was nothing shady going on at the auction. I know you guys are 
all perfect and have never made a mistake with math, but please show a 
little charity for those who have  : )

I apologize to the 750 people on this List who were not at the auction 
and don't care about any of this. Al has to personally contact just one 
more high bidder and then everyone is happy except Mike and Greg, and 
Greg you weren't even at the auction, and Mike I know you have a strong 
sense of justice, but this whole thing has been blown WAY out of 
proportion.

I am really busy following the Tucson show, so can we PLEASE avoid 
another long drawn-out discussion about every detail in this post. I am 
really fed up with auctions and would like to take some nice 
Sikhote-Alin photos for Michael Johnson's Pic of the Day.

Thanks for listening.


Sincerely,

Geoff N.
Aerolite Meteorites
Tucson, AZ