[meteorite-list] Source for small display and storage cases!

[Michael Gilmer]

Hi List!

I want to thank everyone for their kind and helpful
replies.  I actually bought a bunch of display
materials today, both for my own personal collection,
and for the day when I decide to start selling
and trading to support my space rock habit! ;)

I want to share with the group the supplies I found,
thanks to some helpful hints from list members.

First, I bought a selection of clear acrylic cases
used for hockey pucks, baseballs and softballs.

The hockey puck containers are like oversized gem jars
and are perfect for those specimens which are too
big for the typical small gem jar, but too small to
justify a baseball-sized container.  I bought some
of these first :

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250214642465

Be sure to check this seller's eBay store.  He has
a good selection at good prices.

Now, gem jars all have that little piece of foam 
inside which cradles the specimen and presses it
against the lid, thus holding it in place.  These
hockey puck containers do not have that, so the
specimen will slide around inside.  Being a telescope
gear geek, I thought of something that is sold by
a great vendor and online friend of mine - Jim Henson
at ScopeStuff.  These are little round foam inserts
which go in the bottom of large eyepiece "bolt cases".
The diameter of these is a little bit too big for
the hockey puck case, but they can be trimmed down
to fit.  By stacking a few of them together, it will
have the same function as the foam in a gem jar :

Scroll down to the bottom of the page, underneath
the eyepiece bottles :

http://www.scopestuff.com/ss_cas1.htm

The ones that are closest in size are the 80mm 
diameter ones.  10 cost $2.00 and there is a minimum
order of $10, so I bought 50.

Next, I bought some of these baseball cubes for those
specimens which are too big and bulky for the
hockey puck case :

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=330210295376

Again, this vendor has some of the best prices I
could find on eBay.  I am biased towards vendors that
use PayPal - to keep the wife happy and my purchases
seperate from household money.

Finally, for a big 500 gram specimen I have (which
I am going to send a piece of to a lab Mr. Dean
Bessey recommends for classification), I bought this
softball sized case :

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=330210480990

The grand total for 12 hockey puck cases, 6 baseball
cases, 1 softball case, and 50 padded inserts was
just under $49.00 with shipping and handling.

I also want to thank the following list members who
I have made recent purchases from!  Thanks for the
great deals, quick shipping, and friendly responses :

Adam Hupe - thanks for the NWA 4880 specimen and the
nice orientated Sikhote Alin specimen!

Arizona Johnny - numerous Campo Del Cielo specimens,
New Orleans "hammer" micromount, a nice UNWA covered
in regmaglypts and a SAU 001 micromount.

Walter Branch - 4 different nice micromounts at a
great price!

Little Bits of Earth - 31 grams of nice Canyon Diablo
pieces.

And thanks to anyone else I may have forgotten!  I
have been on a buying spree lately and I have so many
micromounts coming in the mail that I forget which
come from who! LOL

BTW, I also want to mention a good cheap source for
gem jars.  Be sure to check this seller's eBay store.
The prices are about as good as you can find on
small quantities of gem jars (without buying giant
wholesale lots) and the seller ships fast :

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=310013611466

Thanks again to Jeff from Meteorite magazine for
the free back issue - my subscription order is on
the way!

I am humbled and honored to be a part of this list.

MikeG from Louisiana

PS - I have Murchison, Tagish Lake and Milliebillie
micromounts coming!  I'm excited like a kid at
Christmas everytime the mail comes! LOL

Oh wait I forgot!  I also have Brahin, Campos, and
Norton County on the way too!  Can you tell I am
addicted? LOL





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