Tuesday 24 February 2015

Blaine Reed Meteorites For Sale- List 168 - after Tucson stuff

Blaine Reed Meteorites For Sale- List 168 - after Tucson stuff

Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
…………………………………………………………….LIST 168

February 24, 2015

Dear Collectors,

Here is the first of possibly many offerings of stuff from collections I have had and some I recently picked up. There were two main collections. One was from a collector that lived here in Colorado and sold his collection a bit over a year ago. I had taken it to a number of shows and offered it as the “cigar box collection” as it was neatly stored/displayed in two cigar boxes. As usual with a “collection lot” people looked it over and saw things they wanted, things that they didn’t and so on. The result is that no one wanted the entire lot, so I have broken it up for listing here (and future lists). Another collection came to me just days before I left for Tucson. It contained something over 50 specimens. I sold a few in Tucson but brought quite a few back as well. Anyway, these collections (when I am done cataloging and typing them up) , along with a few miscellaneous things picked up at the show, will likely make up most of my e-mail offerings for the next few months (though one, likely late April or early May will be the e-mail version of my mailed list, once I figure out just what I’ll put on that. No clue at the moment though).

ADMIRE, Kansas: (Pallasite). Found 1881.
Here is one of the Robert Haag original offering pieces of this meteorite (this specimen still has its original Robert Haag information card with it). I remember when Robert got this thing (from Glenn Huss – well, he was the in between person anyway). I also remember the “excitement” not long after. This stuff is probably the prettiest meteorite in the world, and Robert’s piece was no exception. However, this meteorite is also among the very most rust prone and, again, Robert’s piece was no exception. This is a part slice from those early days (the previous owner bought it from Robert in 1986). It still has the slice shape (it did NOT turn into an orange goo like I some pieces do) and has lots of olivine crystals visible. In this particular case, the story and original label are probably the most important parts of this specimen.
38 gram oxidized part slice – 52mm x 30mm x 6mm - $50 -SOLD

CANYON DIABLO, Arizona: Coarse octahedrite (IAB).
Here is an end piece that actually looks like a wire brushed block that had an end cut off. I etched this one myself (some years ago) and am sorry to say that it just didn’t turn out deep enough. For some reason, I just don’t get the vibrant deep etch others seem to be able to get (I end up with a dark gray mess when I have tried to use stronger acid solution or a bunch more time). I use the methods that Glenn Huss showed me close to 30 years ago. I guess I need to go back to school for etching. Anyway, nothing exciting about this piece at all. Just a decent paperweight with an etched face for a price that is hard to beat.
548.1 gram etched end piece – 48mm x 45mm x 42mm - $400

DALGARANGA, Australia: (Mesosiderite). Found 1923. Tkw = 10+ kilograms.
This is a specimen the previous owner got form me back in January of 1994. This is a complete, natural flat little piece that is clearly an internally fresh specimen (I know there were a good number of oxidized pieces of this meteorite floating around years ago). If someone where really skilled or brave, they probably cut this into two nice fresh mesosiderite end pieces (I think a wire saw would be required though). Nice and rare piece.
2.95 gram natural individual – 20mm x 17mm x 3mm - $75

GIBEON, Namibia: Fine octahedrite (IVA). Found 1836.
This is a piece I sold the previous owner a long time ago. I think it was one of the very earliest pieces I had to offer. The piece is fairly thick by today’s standards and is only etched on one side (the back side still shows saw marks). It is a nice piece none the less. It has a neat sculpted shape, the etch is nice and the natural edge (over ½ of the edge) was only lightly brushed so it has a pleasing dark brown color to it. This still has my original sticker label on the piece and comes with its original (now folded) info card.
40.1 gram etched part slice – 50mm x 27mm x 5mm - $75

INDOCHINITE, Thailand.
This is a nice but fairly typical specimen. It shows pitting on one side and a single large thumb-print on the other. Not sure where the previous owner picked this up originally as I don’t recognize the information card that comes with it.
23.3 gram individual – 37mm x 30mm x 15mm - $5

JUANCHENGE, China: (H5). Fell February 15, 1997. Tkw = about 100 kilograms.
This is a technically complete individual I sold the previous owner probably not long after this stuff started showing up. I say technically complete as it has an area (20mm x 12mm) that looks broken. Closer inspection though shows that it is clearly a late atmospheric break. There is a little roll-over effect to the crust around this “broken” areas edge that could have only formed if this piece was still falling fast enough to be forming crust. The broken area shows a little slickenside and has its high points crusted as well. This does show a little browning to the crust so it was not an immediate recovery or was one that got soaked in water to bring up the weight being sold to the buyers (simply soaking a stone meteorite in water will substantially increase its weight. I don’t recommend this as an increasing sales results tactic though).
12.4 gram complete individual – 25mm x 20mm x 12mm - $70

SIKHOTE-ALIN, Russia: Coarsest Octahedrite (IIAB). Fell February 12, 1947.
This beautiful specimen is a consigned item that get left with me at the show. I almost sold it a couple times. It does seem expensive but it is well priced considering today’s Sikhote-Alin market. This is a really nice completely thumb-printed oriented specimen (though its orientation is not super obvious). This has had some light cleaning work at some point in the past, but not much. Most of this retains its original crust color and texture. A museum quality piece (yep, a museum was, and may still be considering this piece when they saw it at the show).

3978.65 gram complete crusted individual – 120mm x 110mm x 80mm - $8500