[meteorite-list] ANSWER - whole stone concerns

[Walter Branch]

Anne-

>Does that help?

No problem,  thus nothing to "help."

>and Proof of provenance is not always all that easy

Which was the point of my post.

-Walter

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Impactika at aol.com>
To: <waltbranch at bellsouth.net>; <mlblood at cox.net>; 
<meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Sunday, May 08, 2011 10:14 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] ANSWER - whole stone concerns


> Well, Walter,
>
> I cannot speak for Matt, but I have found that getting complete provenance
> and Proof of provenance is not always all that easy.
> I just discussed with a collector who has been collecting for many years,
> but has moved several times in his life; he could tell me exactly what 
> each
> piece was and who he had bought it from (and some were from Matt) but he 
> has
> lost most of the paperwork.
> And 2 years ago I bought a whole collection (some 200 pieces) that had 
> been
> boxed and stored in a closet for at least ten years. Again, some of the
> labels and receipts were there but not all of them, some were missing, 
> some he
> just had little pieces of paper that he had handwritten and stuffed in the
> boxes. Since he had stopped collecting some ten years prior, much before
> meteorites got popular, I decided to take his word for it, but I had some 
> of the
> pieces verified. So I believe I have the right stuff, but you will have to
> take my word for it, and you will only get my label.
> In other words, it is the same old story: know your dealer, and deal only
> with dealers you trust.
>
> Does that help?
>
> Anne M. Black
> _www.IMPACTIKA.com_ (http://www.IMPACTIKA.com)
> _IMPACTIKA at aol.com_ (mailto:IMPACTIKA at aol.com)
> President of IMCA
> _www.IMCA.cc_ (http://www.IMCA.cc)
>
>
> In a message dated 5/8/2011 6:27:18 PM Mountain Daylight Time,
> waltbranch at bellsouth.net writes:
> Hello Michael,
>
> It really is not that easy.  As this example illustrates, even honest
> dealers can be duped.  I purchase meteorites from a very small list of
> dealers.  Very small.  I have done business with some for 15 years; two I
> started buying from this year.  All have earned my complete trust.
>
> However...
>
> While I trust these dealer to not intentionally dupe me, how do I know 
> they
> trust their sources and they have done their due diligence in the same way
> I
> have?
>
> As an example, I applaud Anne Black for setting the example of providing
> provenance for her meteorites but how am I assured the person who sold a
> given specimen it to Anne did what Anne and I would have done?  BTW, I
> trust
> Anne.
>
> I sold some meteorites recently.  I listed the dealers I purchased the
> meteorites from.  I sold one last week that I obtained from Matt Morgan. 
> I
> told the purchaser I got it from Matt.  Did Matt vett his source, as I 
> have
> done Matt?  I don't know.   Did the person before them?  I don't know.
> BTW,
> I trust Matt.
>
> Remember the, what was it, sandstone dinosaur egg incident?
>
> As we can see, the chain of custody can become quite complicated.
>
> I have been concerned for a long time now about this sort of thing
> happening.  The surprising thing to me is that it did not happen sooner.
>
> This whole incident is really getting to me. I have had it on my mind all
> day.
>
> -Walter Branch
>
>