[meteorite-list] Chelybinsk eBay price history

[Mal Bishop]

Hi Mike, Rob, and all -

Well , I for one dealt with this seller (the one Rob mentions -- i.e. 
seller name  ".a.") plus one other from whom I purchased from in the past
and have a GOOD history with, while the other was just on a 
whim/chance.  Both came through excellently ( more than once) with the 
Chelyabinsk specimens I bid or
purchased out-right.  eBay seller ".a." ( real name Michael ) and I have 
communicated numerous times and is extremely professional, friendly, and 
timely
in all our communications.  Michael ( .a. ) has evidently a very 
reliable, educated professional fellow, whom he has worked with for 
years dealing in Soviet era electronics, etc.
(so they evidently know each other very well), going around the area in 
the strewnfield purchasing pieces from locals and shipping them out 
directly to the winning bidders while Michael handles the
eBay (and money part) here in the U.S. -- specifically, California.

I was very satisfied with Michael (aka .a. ) and the other seller on 
eBay I've been dealing with.  I have purchased from 3 sources (including 
our own illustrious Michael Farmer ) and all the specimens
I've obtained look identical inside and out.  I do agree that the 
antiquated Russian postal service along with the iffy customs inspectors 
( I was told many are ex Soviet era officials, etc. -- read KGB, and so on)
make it a "sitting on pins and needles" sort of ordeal waiting for your 
parcel to arrive.  It took one of my small packets from Chelyabinsk 25 
days to arrive.  I had a tracking number, but after the almost week long
transit from Chelyabinsk to Moscow, and after it was shown to arrive at 
customs and 2 minutes later leaving customs, there were no further 
updates for 15 days.  Neither the Russian postal service website,
nor the U.S. postal service website showed any further updates until 
finally on the 24th day it "magically" appeared again on the USPS 
website showing it at our local sorting facility in Columbia, South 
Carolina --
before arriving at my local post office the next morning.

The guy in Russia working for eBay seller, ".a." does however have a 
very interesting way of hiding/camouflaging the little space rock 
treasures from potential sticky fingered customs agents and/or postal 
employees.  I will say, it is EXTREMELY clever
and smart of him.  Michael ( .a.) told me this guy has many years of 
experience shipping out of Russia and knows a thing or two regarding how 
to smuggle things out of Russia and circumvent the officials that may 
not be so much on the up and up when it comes
to performing their trusted and honored duties!  I won't mention any 
details on the list openly regarding how the rocks were hidden from 
curious, prying eyes out of respect for the seller and his partner, but 
if anyone wants to know, contact me off list and I may
tell you.  :-)

Not only do I have the rocks which were mailed directly out of Russia 
from Chelyabinsk ( with the "registered" mail packaging appropriately 
stamped and showing its point of origin), I also have the devices used 
to hide and smuggle the rocks safely out of
Mother Russia.  They are prominently displayed ( with the piece of glass 
and photos Mike Farmer sent with the VERY nice specimen I purchased from 
him) along with my several specimens of Chelyabinsk. What a story will 
be waiting for family and friends
when they ask why I have these obviously/disparate/, out of//place items 
displayed along with meteorites.

Mal
IMCA#6819


On 4/3/2013 4:10 PM, Matson, Robert D. wrote:
> True enough -- for some anecdotal evidence, I opted to test a small
> amount of money to purchase a stone from this seller back on March 19th.
> The estimated delivery date was given as April 9-25 (by which time the
> price per gram will be down to a third of what I paid).  --Rob
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Michael Farmer [mailto:mike at meteoriteguy.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, April 03, 2013 1:00 PM
> To: Matson, Robert D.
> Cc: Meteorite Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Chelybinsk eBay price history
>
> Just saw that. Not surprisingly the piece is being sold direct from
> Chelyabinsk.
> Buyers taking huge risk that it will arrive  from central Russia. I
> think that rusk depresses price and bidding pretty badly.
> Michael Farmer
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
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