[meteorite-list] sale of scorpion bight main mass by http://qmig.org

[Bob WALKER]

Listoids

I'm slightly overwhelmed by the replies on my proposal to sell a limited 
edition numbered micro of Australia's most ferocious meteorite (and possibly 
the world's most ferocious meteorite)...

I am still in the throes of a wrestling match to obtain export approval but 
hopefully there is light at the end of the tunnel... at least I can claim 
the moral high ground...

I would still like a thread on the most ferocious named meteorites - one 
listoid has come up to bat with Dingo Pup Donga and says but he has lost my 
illusions to ever be able to get a micro of it.

I'm damn sure that there are many other ferocious names out there - I'd love 
a thread on the names of ferocious meteorites without having to sit for 
hours reading each page of the blue book... over to youse

I need to unwind and vent a bit about why I have to sell a few of my prized 
finds...

Rewind the clock twenty years or so when a young Robert H**G visited 
Australia and rewarded our fair country by raping pillaging and looting and 
illegally exporting many Australian chondrites...

Much of this of course has long ago been onsold and most listoids were never 
aware that this happened but indeed many advanced collectors hold specimens 
of dubious provenance but this is perhaps part and parcel of our hobby...

He wasn't the first and certainly not the last to rape loot pillage and 
illegally export was he Blaine...

And where do we stand today... to bring back much of our heritage we have to 
wait until these specimens are disposed from private collections and sold on 
the open market...

The main masses by now are no more and all that are (mostly) available are 
slices thereof indeed if you look hard enough there are oodles of illegally 
exported Queensland chondrites for sale by tthe doyens of the meteorite 
community aren't there Mike (not Michael or Mike F)

And it still happens today with Tenham any many more and I won't bore you 
with who else or what chondrites...

But the majority of stolen chondrites reside largely with the rich and 
famous who simply must have with no thought of what is best for the 
collecting community or the musem and university community but that is a 
rant for another day... our hobby can only survive in a co-operative 
approach with the museum and university community otherwise we are doomed as 
collectors by the encroaching legislation which slowly overtakes us every 
day simply by acts of a few who simply must hop on the first plane to have 
something whether it is legal or not...

And do we have an over-reaching professional association that has the best 
wishes of the collecting community at heart - perhaps not - unfortunately I 
feel that the alleged guardian of our community has a dealers first attitude 
and covers up for the sins of its members (who are mostly dealers) - perhaps 
it is why so many do not wish to register or join  any professional 
organisation

I'm happy to receive any flak for the above - its time someone shouted it 
out... but all is not well in our community... for me to have to sell my 
prized finds to raise the funds to recover stolen chondrites is an overt 
symptom tha all is not well in our little community

And you may ask what does our government do - phuckall - it isnt cost 
effective or successful to pursue the crimes of long long ago

Over to youse but I stand firm on what I have written

Ta