Posting Sources
Posted April 18th, 2008 by Admin
Matt wrote >>Why not just ask the dealer where the material came from? This has worked for over a decade for my business. Personally, I always will tell a customer if the ask, but only if that source wants the information given. Posting the info for all to see, poses a problem for the privacy of that source and yes, I do not want others finding that source.
Dave wrote >>Matt & List, This is the opinion of only one collector, but your suggestion is something that would work (and has worked) perfectly fine for me. Martin's dilemma is a good point, however, and it may be mitigated but not completely disappear under your format. Most sophisticated industries -- which this one is not yet -- operate under wholesale and retail pricing strategies, but the high level of dealer-to-dealer trading in this business as it exists today may present some initial challenges. A good bit of trading takes place in the world of meteorites whereby a dealer's reputation stands as evidence enough to back up a purchase decision, and with the benefit of hindsight I've acquired pieces with only this information in some cases. Nothing of significance, however, and that will continue to be the case going forward.
This should produce an interesting thread as well...
Jim wrote >>Sounds like a good solution Matt. I would not want my name published on a website that I provide consignments if I did that sort of thing. If I was a buyer and saw that dealer A had a specimen acquired from dealer B, I would just contact dealer B and see if they had any more and eliminate dealer A's mark up.
Would anyone expect Marting to reveal his source for his new Martian Meteorite? Or Adam for NWA 5000? I would bet that they will not reveal their planetary sources any quicker than I will.
Provenance, in my opinion, exists where old labels accompany the specimen, or it came from a museum or famous old collector of yesteryear.
Tom wrote >>I agree with Jim and would like to add an observation. People buying meteorites fall into three categories.
1. Buying from a dealer who is trusted to know what he is doing and has a track record of happy customers.
2. Knowing the material (and who is selling what) well enough to buy with confidence based on the buyer's expertise. I watched Martin Horejsi buy some expensive historical meteorites and he just knew the material so well.
3. Bargain shopping. Taking a gamble. Many buyers are happy with this and I would agree it is not right for every one.
Most of us have been in all three situations. I don't want to start a name dropping contest but Jim made the comment. As a buyer, simply the fact that it came from Jim Strope is good enough for me and I would be confident that fact would be good enough for other buyers should I decide to resell the item. Jim would not need to tell me where he got it to win me over!
John wrote >>I agree. There were a few times several years ago when someone demanded provenance on items I was selling only to have them contact my source directly and attempt to take me out of the middle of the deal. If buyers aren't sure that they can trust a dealer to sell them exactly what is claimed, they should probably take there business elsewhere.
I was on the other side of this situation years ago.
Several years ago, a well known dealer called me on the phone and said he had a fantastic deal for me - 0.10 grams of Governador Valadares for $1,000. I said I wasn't interested but he pressed me. When I asked about provenance, he balked but said that I could always send it to a lab and have it tested. Hmmmm, destroy the specimen to prove whether or not it is the Real McCoy. Kind of like dunking women in 17th century New England - if they floated they were witches, if they sank (and drowned) they were innocent. The dealer is still making a full court press telling me how fantastic ( he always described his specimens in the superlative form) this piece was. But, as we talked, a few more tidbits came to the surface. In fact, there were several "conditions" that came with the purchase of the specimen. One - I couldn't tell anyone where I got it from. In fact, it was best if I didn't tell anyone that I even had it. Two - I couldn't ask for provenance, the source wanted to remain incognito. Three - I had to buy it "right now" or the deal was off. I saw red flags waving at me and I still held my ground about not wanting the specimen. "You must be crazy," says the well known dealer, " You could turn around and sell it for three grand easily."
Some of you, I'm sure, know what my next question to Mr. Pushy was. When I asked him why HE didn't sell it for three grand there was a very pregnant pause. Finally, his reply was the often used tactics of those whose business practices aren't always on the up-and-up. "It's starting to sound like you don't trust me," he stammered. Well, to make a long story short, I hung up the phone and added the dealer to my "black list".
Be careful about who you do business with. Don't let your emotions overrule common sense.
Walter wrote >>Hi John,
"Be careful about who you do business with. Don't let your emotions overrule common sense"
Sounds like good advice to me!
Greg wrote >>Hello List, I wouldn´t want to offer up my suppliers because I have spent a tremendous amount of time, money and stress to build and nurture my contacts. Granted, most are Moroccans, and most of them are offering material to everyone on the planet anyway.