[meteorite-list] Canadian Material for Americans has to wait

[RJP]

Perhaps I should have left out the word "Institutions". My intent was to discuss the acquisition by private collectors only, being that Institutions clearly have an unequal advantage when it comes to acquiring fresh falls. More so in Canada as opposed to the U.S., however. But when the government steps in and confiscates, thats just communistic. 


-----Original Message-----
>From: MeteorHntr at aol.com
>Sent: Dec 6, 2008 12:02 PM
>To: yellowengine at earthlink.net, meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com, mccartney at blackbearddata.com
>Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Canadian Material for Americans has to wait
>
>Ryan,
>
>I'm not sure I understand your  logic here.
>
>If you wished American Institutions would care enough to pay  a fair retail 
>price to the legal owners of new meteorites, then I think we would  all agree 
>with you.
>
>But America has the principles of freedom and  property rights that go 
>strongly against confiscation laws. I think the ACLU  would even consider stepping 
>in if such a law would be proposed. 
>
>When I  find anything that I think a museum or a research collection would 
>like, either  to purchase or to trade for, I eagerly approach them at the start. 
> But  most take so long to reply, or don't reply at all.  Some do, but 
>express  that they are not interested.  And then occasionally some do reply wanting  
>to make a trade.  But unlike in Canada, here in the States a very tiny  
>percentage of institutions will pay cash for anything.  
>
>And due to  some of the red tape that is involved with some places, I would 
>LOVE it if the  transaction could happen in less than 6 months time.  I think 
>hoping for  any bureaucracy to do anything in as little as 3 months is a bit 
>overoptimistic.  
>
>And I am not sure how if US institutions would have had first dibs on  buying 
>any and all of the Park Forest specimens found would have helped YOU get  a 
>Park Forest specimen for your collection?  
>
>In fact, during your  2-3 days in Park Forest IF you had found something, and 
>the government  confiscated it from you, and paid you $1/g or $5/g or $20/g 
>or whatever they  determined was fair, my guess is that you probably would not 
>like the idea so  much.
>
>Steve Arnold #1
>www.SteveArnoldMeteorites.com 
>
>
>In a  message dated 12/6/2008 11:34:33 A.M. Central Standard Time,  
>yellowengine at earthlink.net writes:
>I think the next time the U.S. has another  significant fall (..like Park 
>Forest), American collectors and instituntions  should have first dibs on the 
>material. You know, a good 3-6 month head start  over non-Americans. I still 
>don't have a nice piece for my collection, and I was  in Park Forest for 2-3 days!
>
>I'll bet there are plently of other  collectors who will agree with me on 
>this one. 
>
>Ryan  
>
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