by Michael Blood of Michael Blood Meteorites

This month I would like to talk about a trend in the Meteorite Market that has become a growing concern: Meteorwrongs offered as meteorites.

This "market" ranges from the innocuous Tektite offered as a meteorite (which, in at least some instances, is to get it listed in the "meteorite" category rather than out of ignorance or intent to deceive) and extends to the ignorant finder of an igneous rock who mistakes the surface irregularities for regmaglypts or the finder of a piece off metal slag who is absolutely convinced he has found an invaluable nickel-iron meteorite.

ALL meteorites are worth hundreds if not thousands of dollars per gram, you know. These people who are convinced their "find" will make them rich are some of the most interesting of the lot. In many, if not most, instances absolutely nothing on earth will convince them they have a meteorwrong.

Among the most tenacious of them, I have seen individuals flat out state that the experts running institutional meteorite testing labs are "mistaken" – or, in at least two instances, are engaged in a "conspiracy" against the finder!

Last, but not least, we have the truly fraudulently motivated seller who consciously misrepresents material or, if not purposefully perpetrating a fraud, when confronted with the facts of the situation fails to acknowledge the mistaken misrepresentation.

An example of this is illustrated by a friend of mine who recently bid on and won a lot of "Canyon Diablo Meteorites." These turned out to be CD shale (the leftovers from meteoritic material that has completely transformed to pure rust). This material has little if ANY "value" – and certainly not to a meteorite dealer who purchases lots in order to sell individuals at a profit. When confronted with these facts, the seller denied the shale pieces were not meteorites and refused to refund the dealer’s money.

This leaves legitimate meteorite sellers in a somewhat awkward position. At one point, the International Meteorite Collectors Association was formed, initially, in large part, to combat this fraudulent trend in auctions. However, so far, the IMCA has been willing only to insure its members in good standing guarantee authenticity of the material they sell – but nothing beyond that point.

However, I feel this fraudulence is a real threat to the meteorite market. It sets a particularly poor tone for the beginning collector. What could more discourage a beginner than to spend hard earned money on trash?

In an attempt to combat this very negative trend in the meteorite market, I am going to include the following statement in the "description" portion of all my future auction meteorite sales:

"I am a member in good standing in the IMCA. All IMCA members have a money back guarantee of authenticity. I encourage all collectors to buy only from individuals willing to guarantee their material."

This statement leaves the door open for any honest seller who is not an IMCA member, as well. All they have to do is guarantee they are not acting fraudulently. Not too much to ask of ANY seller.

I am a staunch believer in individuality, freedom of speech, an open market, etc. However, if all meteorite sellers would include a similar (or the same) statement as the one above, I believe this would act to dramatically heighten the awareness of buyers, particularly those new to meteorite collecting, that there are sellers who, mistakenly or otherwise, ARE offering material as meteoritic that is, in fact, not meteoritic.

Furthermore, while I encourage people to join the IMCA, this statement in no way implies all "honest" sellers are members of same – only that any honest seller will be willing to guarantee authenticity.

This would, in my opinion, go a long way toward impeding, if not ending, a very negative trend in the meteorite market.