[meteorite-list] Speck Issues - Reply to this subject

[Mark]

Hi Don
I learned the same way, only trying to put them in the gem jar and they 
would slide to the side, so carefully, I remove the top, and it's like 
there's some obscure law of Captain Murphy's that says the smaller it item, 
the further it will travel.
Now, I also collect diamonds when I find a cheap supply, and break out my 
fluorescent lamp to look for those that glow. Let me tell you, those little 
buggers can move so fast as you exhale (we're talking 1/2-1 point size 
crystals here and basically industrial quality) cause you don't realize how 
close you really are with optivisors on.
And my meteorite specks are the same way. I now use a white plastic tray and 
a much smaller white plastic tray inside that when I sort out specks of 
anything! And, I have a rare earth magnet in a zip lock bag for any of my 
meteorite specks that try to get out of that.

Mark Ferguson

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Don Merchant" <dmerchan at rochester.rr.com>
To: <Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Cc: <dmerchan at rochester.rr.com>
Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 7:42 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Speck Issues - Reply to this subject


> Hi List. My thoughts on specks with a little funny story about them. I 
> realize not every collector out that has unlimited funds and so many 
> collectors with budgets and families alike have just so much to spend on 
> their treasured specimens. Lets face it meteorite collecting can be very 
> addicting and can get many collectors in a financial bind if not careful, 
> much like the out of control compulsive gambler so to speak. With so many 
> available meteorites to choose from and in many different sizes and 
> weights as well as new finds every year, this can make any collector 
> especially the novice, feel like a kid walking into a candy store for the 
> first time! I think it is fantastic that dealers like Mike Farmer, Greg 
> Hupe, Mike Cottingham, Dean Bessy and others can offer small milligram 
> size meteorites for what I feel is the majority of collectors with budgets 
> out there. I take my hat off to these men as they have open up a new world 
> to meteorites and collecting that 10 years or so ago was unheard of. 
> Specks......I agree with others that to own a piece of a super rare hard 
> to acquire meteorite especially under a budget that sometimes that speck 
> in one's collection can look like a boulder! Is that Speck really the type 
> of meteorite that was said it is? I always felt that buying from top name 
> dealers was the safest way to go because as Mike Farmer said money is not 
> the issue. When your at that level of the game as a dealer, selling false 
> type specks is not even in ones vocabulary. There will always be cutting 
> losses when cutting meteorites Period. So why not sell those cutting 
> losses to collectors who can't afford say the 1/4-3/4 gram of ultra rare 
> sub type of whatever meteorite. Not everyone can own a 1943 copper penny 
> but give me a steel 1943 penny to put in my collection and I'm happy. I 
> have made a habit over the years of only buying from a certain group of 
> dealers and if I run into something that catches my eye from a non-regular 
> dealer I will do my homework before I buy. Most specks will never get that 
> huge price tag. It is true in meteorites that bigger is better or simply 
> put you get what you pay for. I prefer to say I buy what I can reasonably 
> afford. Forgive me List but I always look at a piece of meteorite I buy as 
> what I would be able to get back on it for resale. I say this because of 
> my last statement "bigger is better" and maybe I cannot afford that 1/2 
> gram of rare meteorite today but I will buy a 1/4 gram of it and then 
> later catch a deal on that 1/2 gram and sell my 1/4 gram to "step up" so 
> to speak. Ok I'm rambling on. My speck story.....I remember years ago when 
> I started out collecting meteorites and of course with family and all, I 
> was under a microscope watched eye budget by my wife! I really wanted a 
> Martian meteorite so I could brag to myself and friends that I had an 
> actual piece of stone from the Planet Mars. I'll never forget when my 
> speck came in the mail, of course bought from a famous well known dealer 
> (I did my homework) and I could hardly contain my self as I opened up the 
> package! I don't know about many of you List members out there but I have 
> this habit of removing the specimen from the gem case into my own brand 
> new gem case, gem jar whatever you want to call it and then into my 
> collection cabinet. Well, I am in my office and all ready to make this 
> delicate surgeon type transfer. I have gone to great lengths to make sure 
> all goes smoothly. No FANS are on, door in office is closed, 1,000,000 
> candle light of light power is on! My first though looking into the gem 
> jar was, DAMN that sure is a speck!! I have to admit I was somewhat 
> disappointed BUT, I had a piece of MARS right in front of me and so I'm 
> easily pleased! I continue on to making the transfer by ever so gently 
> opening up the gem jar cap. BOING!!!!!!!!!!!! That #%$!&%#$#%!#^!%$# speck 
> sprung out of that DAMN gem jar like a Martian on a Mission back to MARS! 
> The fibers on the felt pad actually acted as a spring board when I 
> relieved the pressure of the gem case cap! The speck fell on the thick 
> carpet below (I think) which was my next problem and mistake. I searched 
> for that DAMN speck for over an hour! It NEVER made it to my collection! I 
> couldn't believe that I could be more disappointed then when I first saw 
> the speck in the gem jar as I was on my hands and knees searching for it 
> on/in the carpet, but I was! That's when I knew I loved meteorite 
> collecting and never looked back or for that matter never looked for that 
> speck again. Since then I have my own scale of size minimum for meteorite 
> purchases. I remember using a pencil to part the carpet fibers looking for 
> this speck. I was using the eraser end. The eraser fell out of the pencil 
> and I had no problem finding the eraser. So I never buy anything smaller 
> then an eraser size meteorite specimen, no matter how rare. I will save up 
> till I can. I have never forgotten the feeling of loss that day, even for 
> a speck. That speck taught me something that day! It taught me to get rid 
> of my wife because I could of avoided that DAMN disappointing day if I had 
> spent more on a bigger piece!!
> Sincerely
> Don Merchant
> IMCA #0960
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