[meteorite-list] Ebay heads up - Tissint/Scarborough

[Brian Cox]

  Hi Don and list,

Don I fully agree with you regarding the fact that All collectors and 
dealers should keep every single piece of provenance from the past history 
of who owned and sold the meteorite and I'm sure any Meteorite Dealer in 
good conscious would agree with you that provenance is very important and 
that we should all keep the paperwork, card or just a slip of paper or 
receipt from the previous seller for historical reasons and a good paper 
trail.

I've bought many meteorites over the past 12 or so years that I've been 
collecting that I wish they had the original paperwork and bought many that 
had a copy of a card or label from a museum in Europe or America that was 30 
or 40 years old or a new copy of the old card when I wished they had given 
me that old original card. Many I've purchased from a previous dealer had 
their card and the previous piece of paper, but many have only had a new 
card from the person that sold it to me with their card or laminated card.

My best story to go along with your thoughts and mine too was a rare 
meteorite I purchased, small, but expensive that I purchased many years ago, 
then sold to a well known person, then they sold it to another well known 
dealer who sold it to another well known dealer and then I bought this same 
exact meteorite back and only got the card from the previous dealer. I 
thought it would have been wonderful and very nice if I had gotten back even 
my card and some of the old paperwork, but I assume that in our fast paced 
time and this age that most are trying to get their names out there and only 
want us to buy from them so that is why they are selling it with their new 
card so that we remember them and buy from them again and then if we pass it 
along then that next person will see their card and contact them for other 
meteorites instead of the previous sellers.

I appreciate you bringing this up Don because now and in the future down the 
line I am going to try and concentrate more and more on asking any dealer 
for the previous paperwork for provenance of the sellers before them. I hope 
your post allows all collectors and dealers to hold onto all of the old 
paperwork because I think many of us collectors will be looking for old 
provenance down the road, and I know that I certainly will be demanding it.

Have a great day and may a wonderful rare meteorite fall in your yard and 
all of our fellow collector's yards.

Brian Cox





Message: 9
Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:22:08 -0500
From: "Don Merchant" <dmerchan at rochester.rr.com>
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Ebay heads up - Tissint/Scarborough
To: "Count Deiro" <countdeiro at earthlink.net>, "jason utas"
<jasonutas at gmail.com>, "Meteorite-list"
<meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Cc: Don Merchant <dmerchan at rochester.rr.com>
Message-ID: <000301cceb34$cd2ce500$6501a8c0 at donaldmerchant>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original

Hi Count and Kudos' to you! You bring up some very real and serious points.
I hope I don't upset anyone with this post. I have this huge pet peeve of
those that sell meteorites without listing, mentioning and or providing a
Provenance on meteorites whether it be on eBay or their Websites.You don't
go out and purchase a used car without asking for a car fax or asking
questions before purchasing it, and so the same should also be done when
interested in purchasing a meteorite from anyone, be it eBay or Dealer
Website or any other form of Auctions. I refuse to purchase any meteorite
from anyone without this provenance or at the lease asking the Seller on a
meteorites history. As I have said before, meteorites don't grow on trees!
They arrived in the Sellers possession from somewhere and or from someone
other then those meteorites that have been found. Those meteorites found
would most likely and better have been sent to a lab for testing and
verification so as to start some form of provenance. I highly recommend to
ALL Sellers/Collectors and Dealers to inquire the validity of meteorites
they intend to purchase. SAVE this provenance label or paper of history so
the next future buyer can have a copy of it for his or her records. I find
it sloppy professionalism to those who can not provide provenance time and
time again on meteorites they sell. Though an ID card helps...the truth is
anyone can make up an ID card. A provenance can be traced to the former
owner and more questions can then be brought up on the specimens validity.
Consider it a blood line so to speak or family tree! Hope I did not offend
anyone with my views. I am just trying to protect all of you and your
collections including mine by enacting professional organized record keeping
practices.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Count Deiro" <countdeiro at earthlink.net>
To: "jason utas" <jasonutas at gmail.com>; "Meteorite-list"
<meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2012 10:47 AM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Ebay heads up - Tissint/Scarborough