[meteorite-list] meteorite the floats??

[Brian Cox]

I'm sure everyone that has looked at the "Amazing floating meteorite" 
auction has also looked at his other items up for sale. With only 3 
feedbacks he's not going to get many positive feedbacks with his prices this 
high, for soap stone carvings starting around $500 and a gold 2 1/2 dollar 
coin starting at $2,000, which he found in the Yuba River in N. California, 
plus the eagle head knife which he found also in the Yuba River. I imagine 
he's a camper/hiker or has a cabin up there and most likely prospects for 
gold since I'm only guessing, but he has an old time scale on the table 
behind him in the gold coin photo. I blew up the photo of the gold coin and 
I was trying to make out what his wedding band said, but either it's a 
design, or just chipped pretty badly. I thought it might be a Native 
American design, but it's not one that I've never seen before.

The sad thing is that at the end of all his auctions ebay gives the links to 
other auctions in that category as part of their search for the most watched 
and of course the coin gives other seller's coins, the knife gives other 
seller's knives, and the meteorite gives other meteorites auctions and 
although this is good for other sellers it kind of ties all sellers in with 
this guy.

As others have mentioned ebay is making money, and probably has no clue, and 
believe me I've called them in the past and when you say "Meteorites" all 
they say is "Really? wow, that's cool!" or "that's interesting" or "that's a 
different category I haven't had before" and there are no experts at ebay on 
much of anything. They are just your typical underpaid customer service reps 
just getting by with what barely above minimum wage amount ebay is paying.

Now, there is a thought that came to me, but it may not be popular, but I am 
just mentioning it, so don't anyone jump all over me, since I'm not about to 
argue or debate it with anyone, since I highly doubt ebay will even do it, 
at least in the near future, but if anyone wants to propose it to ebay then 
grab it and run with it to them. As with most large scale collecting fields 
they have various different categories. Let's say coins, you have to put 
your coins into the different categories of U.S. coins, Foreign coins and 
then I think maybe even different countries, but I'm not going to check all 
this now since I'm using it as an example and what I remember. You have 
either circulated or uncirculated, Proof coins, paper currency, tokens, 
commemorative coins, and then on and on and then the various years of coins, 
say from 1760-1820, 1940-1970, etc. again, I'm just guessing since I'm not 
going to spend 20 minutes going through ebay to prove this to anyone, just 
look for yourselves. There are categories for stamps, Barbie Dolls, Hot 
Wheels for example 1968-1972 or something like that and 2000 to present, 
etc. again, just going by memory.

So, my point is that if ebay actually were to try to put meteorites into 
categories, much more than just what they have today as in tektites and 
meteorites, etc. then we would all be looking for meteorites from perhaps, 
and remember this is just an example that I'm going with the flow here. U.S. 
meteorites, Russian meteorites, Moroccan meteorites, Canadian meteorites, 
French meteorites, etc. (don't anyone feel left out now if I didn't put your 
country in ;-)  )  and then got really crazy and started categories for 
falls and finds and then with or without chondrules or iron or stony irons 
or pallasites or desert glass, etc. I think you all get my drift, then they 
could always say, ok, you have to prove that this meteorite is over 1 year 
old, or 100 years old or 1 billion years old etc. and then they could also 
say category for under 1 gram, 1-5 grams 6-10 grams. I can go on forever 
with this, so, again, no criticizing me, since I'm just playing with this.

Anyhow, my point is, that some of these categories may be good since it 
could honestly cut down on the clowns putting stuff up, and make it easier 
for buyers to find meteorites or related meteorite items, etc, but then 
again it's going to be something that sellers most likely may not like, but 
then again they might.

Everyone have a wonderful day and enjoy it and life in general.

All the best to you "Good" meteorites folks all around the world and the 
universe too. Oh, and yes, can't leave out the Aliens. Just kidding, that 
was a joke you know, well, not really. ;-)   heheeheheheheee



Brian Cox

Officially an IMCA member # 6387   ;-)