[meteorite-list] Fwd: How many meteorite dealers are there?

[M42protosun at aol.com]

Good evening list,

In my mind, nobody can  give a true number of meteorite dealers.

Asume that we are talking only  about professionals. Are they all meteorite 
dealers? I think no! You can sell a  meteorite only, if you have the sureness 
that the piece is a meteorite.  Otherwise you are a mineral seller (dealer).

And that is the  problem!

There is no gapless tracking information about the most (small)  items.

1. If a piece of rock contains chondrules it must  not be a  meteorite
because some complex sediments or some porphyric contain  chondrule-like 
pebbels

2. igneous rock may have a fusion crust different  in color of its interieur,

3. Haematite-Magnetite clusters can show on a  polished cut a hexagonale 
texture like Widmanstaetten

4. Regmaglypte-like  buckles can be on a piece of metal of a nade from WWII 
time

5. to be the  member of IMCA or other parties gives not the certitude for the 
buyer, that he  will buy a meteorite.

Normally, if the gapless tracking is interrupted, a  new certificate must be 
produced to start a new gapless tracking for the item.  But this is not given 
in the market.

So, if you have found a number of  meteorite dealers, devide this by the 
number of fingers you have. The result may  be an estimated value with a certain 
trueth.

After beginning collecting  meteorites, I bought a lot of rebbish stuff for 
expensive money. Now I have my  own small LAB for physical, chemical and 
petrological researches. This gives me  some sureness that the seller from whom I 
buy might be a true  METEORITE DEALER.


Uwe