[meteorite-list] Ash Creek the most expensive ordinary chondrite?‏

[al mitt]

Hi Greg and all,

While I think there are a lot of good points on why this meteorite was 
expensive, I think there is another factor in all this as well.
The more people, meteorite hunters, collectors and so on that descend on a 
fall, the more expenses that have to be added into the cost. If you only 
have 50lbs (22.7 kilos) of material (for example) and fifty hunters, the 
cost for travel, motel, time and effort and payment to land owners will make 
that fall higher in price. If only a half dozen hunters search the area then 
the price would be substantially less. This assumes that they all find an 
average amount of material.

I realize there is no way of knowing for certain how much material survived 
passage or can be found but seems if every meteorite hunter in a two 
thousand mile radius heads out and there are more hunters than material 
we're in for an expensive fall.

I've heard some comments about fewer searchers then better chance of hunters 
price fixing but I don't think this would happen in most cases. I believe in 
the credibility of most hunters and collectors. As I have said many times 
before, ultimately it is what someone is willing to pay for an item that 
will dictate the price of material. Usually about a year after the fall is 
the best priced material. Well my two grams worth.

All my best!

--AL Mitterling


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Greg Stanley" <stanleygregr at hotmail.com>
To: <oxytropidoceras at cox.net>; <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 12:18 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Ash Creek the most expensive ordinary 
chondrite?‏



> All:
>
> I think the reason Ash Creek has a higher value is because of the 
> publicity. It was major news among the meteorite community; even outside 
> the meteorite community. Also, it was the first fall/find that occurred in 
> the US for a number of years, and was captued on video. This all created 
> the increased interest and demand, and thus increased the price. The 
> Buzzard Coulee meteorite was also much larger (TKW) and did not receive 
> the same marketing as Ash Creek.
>
> One thing that I do find odd is that there are NWA's and even OC's that 
> demand high dollars compared to others that are the same classification. 
> It just boils down to supply/demand and some good marketing and publicity. 
> I may pay hundreds of dollars for a meteorite and be satisfied, while 
> someone else may think it has little value. That's one of the things that 
> makes it such an interesting hobby.
>
> Greg S.