Texas Ebay Meteorwrongs

Paul bristolia at yahoo.com
Thu Aug 9 14:33:28 EDT 2007

Dear Friends,

Judging from the latest eBay listings, a complete "strewnfield" of
meteorwrongs has been found in Texas. :-) :-) :-) They can be
seen at:

A picture of the “crater”, with which they are associated can be seen at:

http://i24.ebayimg.com/04/i/000/ag/f4/bc6a_12.JPG

The specific web pages are:

1. Ear-shaped Stony Meteorite found near W. Texas Crater, Item number: 170137028903
http://cgi.ebay.com/Ear-shaped-Stony-Meteorite-found-near-W-Texas-Crater_W0QQitemZ170137028903QQihZ007QQcategoryZ3239QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://i15.ebayimg.com/01/i/000/ag/cf/1970_1.JPG

2. Stony Meteorite found near West Texas Crater, Item number: 170137060741
http://cgi.ebay.com/Stony-Meteorite-found-near-West-Texas-Crater_W0QQitemZ170137060741QQihZ007QQcategoryZ3239QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://i13.ebayimg.com/04/i/000/ag/d3/f626_1.JPG

3. Stony "Footprint" Meteorite found near W.Texas Crater, Item number: 170137061533
http://cgi.ebay.com/Stony-Footprint-Meteorite-found-near-W-Texas-Crater_W0QQitemZ170137061533QQihZ007QQcategoryZ3239QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://i8.ebayimg.com/02/i/000/ag/d4/150a_1.JPG

4. Stony Meteorite found near West Texas Crater, Item number: 170137062979
http://cgi.ebay.com/Stony-Meteorite-found-near-West-Texas-Crater_W0QQitemZ170137062979QQihZ007QQcategoryZ3239QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://i4.ebayimg.com/04/i/000/ag/d4/3899_1.JPG

5. Stony Meteorite found near West Texas Crater, Item number: 170137063877
http://cgi.ebay.com/Stony-Meteorite-found-near-West-Texas-Crater_W0QQitemZ170137063877QQihZ007QQcategoryZ3239QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://i5.ebayimg.com/04/i/000/ag/d4/74d7_1.JPG

6. Stony Meteorite found near West Texas Crater, Item number: 170137064388
http://cgi.ebay.com/Stony-Meteorite-found-near-West-Texas-Crater_W0QQitemZ170137064388QQihZ007QQcategoryZ3239QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://i5.ebayimg.com/05/i/000/ag/d4/8570_1.JPG

http://contact.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ShowAllQuestions&ShowAllQuestions=&requested=buffalogrc&iid=170137064388&redirect=0&ShowASQAlways=1&SSPageName=PageAskSellerQuestion_VI&frm=284&guest=1

Best Regards,

Paul

EBAY Slag for sale

Paul bristolia at yahoo.com
Sat Jun 30 14:52:37 EDT 2007

On Jun 28 23:19:27 EDT 2007, Bill wrote:

"Starchasers is a good one. Meteorites falling
in his general direction constantly. All new
Illinois finds too. Look at his 454 GRAM IRON
NICKEL METEORITE SPECIMEN." ...text deleted


another person wrote:

" Here's another one selling common filth as
expensive meteorites on eBay - with some victims
making bids, too:
"

Maybe someone should buy a couple of the least expensive
items being sold by this person on eBay; have them analyzed
by a couple of experts; and publish the results of the
investigations in a popular article and forward the results
to the proper authorities.

Also, if someone living in Illinois truly believes that this
or any other person living in Illinois is dealing in fake
meteorites, it seems like they need to complain to the Consumer
Protection Division of the Illinois Attorney General Office
given that he appears to reside in Illinois. The selling
multiple pieces of slag to people as meteorites for tens or
hundreds of dollars, should easily qualify as felony fraud.

The web page for the Consumer Protection Division of the
Illinois Attorney General Office can be found at:

http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/consumers/index.html

Also, there is "Submit Questions to the Office of the Illinois
Attorney General"

http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/about/email_ag.jsp

Maybe someone can ask the Illinois Attorney General Office
if they should be doing something about this bozo? Simply
griping about such people on Internet message boards is not
going to accomplish anything. Maybe if they received enough
complaints and questions about what can be done, the Illinois
Attorney General Office might decide it is time to investigate
the validity of what is being sold on eBay?

Also, it seems to me that using the mails to send people
fraudulent merchandise and selling such items also should
violate mail and wire fraud laws, including Postal Service
regulations. However, I serious doubt the authorities will
do anything unless someone takes the time and trouble to
complain. Talking the talk needs to be followed up with
walking the walk.

Best Regards,

Paul

Chinese Meteorite Fraud on eBay - Federal Mail Fraud Charges??

Paul bristolia at yahoo.com
Tue Apr 24 09:05:29 EDT 2007

It was written

"Dear Adam and List,
Still more meteorite fraud still on eBay:"

...rest of text removed...

Looking the mailing instructions, the person or persons are
using the US mail to send their "merchandise" to the auction
winners. It seems like the use of the US mail would make
them open to federal mail fraud charges if one of the winners
or someone else complained to the United States Postal Service.

Best Regards,

Paul

Iron Sulfide Concretions Selling for 6.08 Dollars a Gram (eBay)

Paul bristolia at yahoo.com
Sat Apr 21 20:38:54 EDT 2007

If a person wants to see an example of geological illiteracy, which is
on par with the worst of the meteorwrongs, which have appeared on
Ebay, they can go to the "Awesome Boji(r) Stones! Balance/Align
Chakras!", Item number: 130101485377, at;

http://cgi.ebay.com/Awesome-Boji-r-Stones-Balance-Align-Chakras_W0QQitemZ130101485377QQihZ003QQcategoryZ19268QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The eBay web page, along with the usual pseudo-scientific, mumble
jumble about healing properties normally associated with these objects
does correctly identify the "Boji(r) Stones, also known as Kansas Pop
Rocks" as being concretions. However, it incorrectly states among
many other claims, that these iron-sulfide concretions are composed
of "iron-magnetite".

Despite the fact that the items, which are being auctioned are
nothing more than ordinary iron-sulfide concretions, of which
thousands can be found eroding out of the Smoky Hill Member of
Niobrara Formation, the bidding as of 7:45 Eastern Standard Time
had reached 152.50 dollars. Given that stated weight of each
concretion is 12.5 and 12.6 grams, for a total weight of 25.1 grams,
the dollar per gram cost comes to 6.08 dollars per gram.

It shows a significant degree of geologic illiteracy that some people
are willing pay for ordinary iron-sulfide concretions, which completely
lack any scientifically documented healing properties as argued for
by personal religious beliefs and erode out of Kansas chalk by the
thousand, as much per gram as some meteorites. Looking at web
pages like this, it should not be surprising that meteorwrongs are
also a standard part of eBay sales.

It seems like anybody looking for meteorites in Kansas could make
some money by leasing their own outcrop of the Smoky Hill
Member of Niobrara Formation to mine iron sulfide concretions
from and selling them under their own trademarked name with
similar claims for them having healing powers. It seems like
iron sulfide concretions from any formation could be marketed
with the right trademarked name and suitable mumble jumble
about them having healing powers; being useful for aligning a
person metaphysically; balancing a person's energy field; and
relieving their pain and there would be no shortage of people
willing pay several dollars per gram to purchase them. Given this
type of scientific illiteracy, which pervades it, eBay would one of
many places a person could sell them with great success.

Best Regards,

Paul