Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Meteorite Collector Allen Yu Talks about His Hobby in the Philippines

Renowned meteorite collector in the Philippines, Allen Yu, talks to Macrocosm Magbook about his fascinating hobby.

How did you become interested in meteorites?
It was mid-2005 when I read an article in Astronomy magazine regarding the hobby of collecting meteorites. The author enticed readers to try owning a piece or two, and feel the excitement of holding a piece of space in their own hands. Astronomy has its generations of visual followers, but a meteorite owner incorporates the sense of touch with a sense of awe. I was fascinated by this thought.

I recall browsing through some meteorite articles before that but did not give any serious considerations about them. Initially, I was worried about the price, but after reading more I found out there are affordable specimens to choose from, and that was nice. The article mentioned a website: www.meteoritemarket.com, and later I thought that could be the coolest thing I’ve ever checked out. A marketplace! It’s like a supermarket where I get to pick something [a meteorite] I like and it will be shipped to me!

I’ve been a good client of Amazon.com for some time now, so ordering from overseas through the Internet was not new to me. I already had a unique sense of collecting outrageous things—preferably from out of this world, and was happy to begin serving my astronomical interests with this new stuff. Meteorites fit the shoe perfectly, and while it had rung bells in my head, or at least raised an eyebrow, I believe it should ring bells for everyone else, too—for the sheer joy of owning and showing them off!

When did you start collecting meteorites?
So it was June 2005 when I ordered my first two pieces, a Sikhote-Alin individual specimen (left) and a Gibeon slice showing the classic Widmanstatten pattern unique only to celestial irons. Irons are an enigma, in a sense that meteorites should be heavy and dense, and the thought that iron rains from the sky had baffled my mind to no end. I counted days, then weeks, then almost a month—no meteorite in my mail! The dealer forgot to ship it! It was a good thing the dealer added a few baby Sikhote individuals to my order to pacify my restless heart and brewing temper.

To release myself of the stress of waiting, I ordered the Encyclopedia of Meteorites from Amazon, which arrived even before the meteorites themselves. After three weeks and five days, a notice from the post office came to confirm that my registered parcel had arrived. It was perhaps the most exciting moment in my amateur astronomy career—I finally had in my hands a genuine iron meteorite! My imagination flew and I saw it in its journey in space, to its spectacular fall in Russia. I recalled pictures in the pages of astronomy books and magazines, and then there it was—a real piece for me to keep!

To feed my new desire for meteorites, I needed to own some more. It’s an urge that continued to grow. But reality always kicks in, and I realized that owning becomes collecting, and collecting equates to sky’s-the-limit-spending! I made a pact with myself to stabilize my bank accounts and vowed only to order only 2 pieces every two months, to make a mere 12-piece-collection in one year. But it was to no avail. Since then, I’ve been hopelessly bitten by the meteorite bug.

What is your most prized item in your meteorite collection?
Goes without saying, that in every collecting hobby, you want the best your money can afford. You want to progress and upgrade. If you are a stamp collector, a Penny Black would be your centerpiece. Fossil collectors would die to own a T-rex tooth. I thought that after owning a piece of Mars named Zagami, I would be damned happy and stop the illusion of owning more, for I’ve reached the pinnacle of my interest.

“Zagamis” carry a tag of US$1,000/gram, far outrunning gold in value. Buying two grams of the Zagami meteorite was a big decision to make; it’s what separates a meteorite connoisseur from the casual astronomer. Owning a Zagami piece was my turning point, unfortunately [sic], to go big time! The price is, with no question, a big burden for any minimum wage earner and it took a huge chunk off my life savings. Recouping the “investment” is almost out of question, but I feel a good sense of pride in owning a piece of Mars! It is far better than having the more common Php90,000 sleeping in my bank account.

Any limit as to how much you would pay for rare meteorites?
The benchmark I’ve set in my vocabulary is the limit of US$1,000/gram for a rare, scientifically-important meteorite. No higher—to think that some commercial meteorites are “just stones” picked from the ground and relentlessly hyped to be given a ridiculous price tag and this does not necessarily reflect scientific value. The Sylacauga meteorite commands a whooping US$10,000/gram as it is the only meteorite known to have hit and severely bruised a woman on the hips. It is popular, yes, but it is of the ordinary type.

Meteorites are important only to the informed, sad to say. The market limits itself to the more-informed few. That includes a number of crazy, stone-worshipping people. All that would add up to only about 10,000 to 20,000 collectors around the world. I personally would prefer to settle with common specimens enjoying a stable market price that had their own share of history.

Have you ever gone out on meteorite hunting trips?
So far, not yet. I had plans to visit the Bondoc recovery site in the Bondoc peninsula [in Southern Luzon, Philippines], but my colleagues and I still could not pinpoint the exact location of the find, and we still do not have good logistics for the trip. We want to be in contact with the people who were present during, or were witnesses to when the big mesosiderite was plucked out of the jungle to be shipped to Dr. Harvey Nininger (1959).

Are there any meteorite impact sites in the Philippines you have seen?
None yet. The vegetation discourages good identification of impact sites in our country.

What is your opinion on local research being done on Philippine tektites?
As far as I am concerned, the research stopped when Henry Otley Beyer published his books on the study of tektites. Occasionally, there are Internet links to tektites but most are written by casual hobbyists who are just happy to own a tektite and write something about it. Still, I’ve known foreign collectors who adore Philippine tektites and have written more technical content. But the theories are still generalized and knowledge of these black, glassy rocks come more from research abroad rather than from local ones.

The fact that tektites are still referred to as “meteorites” by local dealers betrays the amount of understanding we had. Our National Museum does not present enough from its collection, but I know of a local dealer who has had field days selling absolute beauties that completely blew me away. This dealer had sold tens or hundreds of kilos of tektites to the tune of at least Php1.5M (US$31,250), to just one foreign collector. I know the good stuff are going out of the country by sacks, perhaps even by the ton, and their exportation is not even regulated.

FYI: meteorites are not listed in the Customs Handbook, and there is no basis to apply duties/taxes on them. But the recovery story of the Bondoc meteorite had reportedly involved red-taped negotiations between the local government and the shipper.

What is your own hypothesis on the origin of the Australasian tektites?
I am not qualified to comment on this, since tektites are not my specialty. I have very little interest on tektites, since they are abundant here, and it is very easy to take them for granted. My interest and studies are biased towards meteorites.

What advice can you give to people who would wish to collect and trade meteorites?
Research, study, and look for the seal of authenticity. You can browse through the Internet to know the most popular and credible dealers. Subscribe to forums. The meteorite collecting fraternity is a small community worldwide, and once you get the knack of it, you will know you are in the right place. Avoid ebayers with questionable ratings. Ask questions, and look behind the curtain of the dealer you intend to buy from.

There is an international organization that caters to the honest and authentic trading of meteorites: the International Meteorite Collectors Association (IMCA), of which I am a member. It has also become the authority of authenticity and confidence in the trade of meteorites, which means you can be assured that you are buying genuine stuff from its members. Most specimens, if not all, are simply circulating around this small community worldwide.

Meteorites are not produced, they are simply bought, kept in collection, and when the owner can’t stand the sight of it in his/her collection any longer, sells it back into the market. Bigger or rarer specimens may be cut to serve a wider audience. If possible, seek provenance up to the 3rd degree. IMCA dealers usually offer their personalized specimen card for every item they sell. This alone would suffice. IMCA members are honest. They do not sell fakes or specimens intended to mislead or fool the buyer.

How can a fascination for meteorites help in promoting interest in science?
It opens up the universe to us, literally. Each specimen carries a story from space down to earth. If the specimen’s fall is well documented, we can recount its former orbit by studying its trajectory. To talk about meteorites you have to retell the story of the specimen, and that is a great educational tool wherever you go. Sure we can talk about dinosaurs, their sizes, their habitats and habits, but if I show you now a Spinosaurus tooth and say that this carnivore is bigger and more terrifying than the T-rex, would that not spice up the discussion even more?

The specimen at hand is the key for better science appreciation. Nobody wants a replica. Geology is the most qualified course we have in our country where you can directly get involved in the study of meteorites. I remember seeing a geology teacher gape in awe at the sight of my meteorite books/magazines and specimens, and I knew very well she appreciated them very much. I would encourage geology students to give the same respect to meteorites the way they study earth rocks. Through the study of meteorites, geologists can reconstruct the story on how they formed; determine the minerals they contain—all of which point to the formation of the planets in our Solar System.

If astronomers study things from afar without holding them, meteorites land a piece of what they study into your own microscope. How would you prefer it?

ANNOUNCEMENT by ALLEN YU:
I'll be having a meteorite display at the Manila Planetarium come June opening of classes [2009]. There you will find the biggest Sikhote-Alin and Canyon Diablo specimens in my collection. Also included are lovely desert meteorites with black fusion crusts from the Sahara.

I have a consignment of the most popular specimens in Hobbes and Landes' 4 branches: Greenbelt 5, Greenhills Promenade, Bonifacio High Street at the Fort, and Rockwell. If you are interested on not-so-common types, do feel free to email me at allen_yu70@yahoo.com, or allen_yu70@hotmail.com



Meteorite photos courtesy of Allen Yu.

Tektites photo is from the author.

62 comments:

Anonymous said...

Allen,

What do you know about the formation
called the Cabaruan Hills?

Steve

Yoe Yamada said...

Hi Allen,

I have a meteorite and I want to sell it though I don't know what's the market value. Will you help me on this? Appreciate if you can.

Thanks,

Yoe

Yoe Yamada said...

Hi Allen,

I have a meteorite and I want to sell it though I don't know what's the market value. Will you help me on this? Appreciate if you can.

Thanks,

Yoe

Unknown said...

hi allen,
i have a few tektite collection, do you know what's the market value? i hope you could help me out. thanks..

jm from philippines

Unknown said...

Hi yoe yamada. I am looking meteorite specially bondoc. Please text me or call me.
0918 3415584
0915 7554479
I'm... Thanks

Unknown said...

Hi I have a meteorites, just contact me if you're interested.thanks

Unknown said...

Hi I have a meteorites, just contact me if you're interested.thanks

Unknown said...

I have to identify my stone but i know its meteorite..

Anonymous said...

I already tested my supected meteorite and those test passed it..with the fll.

1.density-it is heavier than earth rock..morethan 1000g
2.surface texture- color brown/dark brown/redish brown..
3.fusion crust-dark/black color in the outer layer of it.
4.magnitsm-yes it is magnetic in a magnet and magnet can pulled it.
...
With a nice shape like a SHOES ��

I called it (SHOEShape IRON METEORITE)

any interested???? Thank you

Anonymous said...

Does anybody know how to send a meteorite from Cebu to the USA?

Mary Ann Campos said...

I have a friend from turkey wants to sell meteorites and have papers analyst report that this is real... message me if your interested to nuy1

Unknown said...

Saan po pwede ibenta yun meteorite

Unknown said...

Where to test and identify my meteorites in Philippines,,

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Unknown said...

Sir....I have 7 kilos bikolite textites meteorites...

jecjec14 said...

i have more collections of meteorites..i want to sell it..pls contact me 09299557114

Unknown said...

Good day we found meteorite hit my neighboors house and some part wreckened.how do we sell were can we find buyer.pls contact me 09363236958 tnx.

Christy Mae said...

Hello ! Good Day we have a meteorite from Cagayan De Oro City Philippines , please don’t hesitate to contact me please via gmail abuzochristymae@gmail.com nor mobile # +639300827386 . -Chris

Unknown said...

Hi sir alen i have meteorite stone

The Grett Leigh said...

Hi po, meron akong bato dito malakas mag magnet at meron siyang parang bituin at marami sa loob ng bato. Hindi rin nag streak, ang bigat niya compare sa normal lang na bato. Magpatulong po sana ako kung ito ba ay totoong meteorite. Salamat from:Toledo city, Cebu

Anonymous said...

Please contact me
Grettfulamboyon0607@gmail.com

Zheeyhana said...

Hello sir allen i have a meteorites found more than 150 kilo grams pls contact me my mobile number 09972302335

Unknown said...

Good Day! we have 2 unclassified meteorites here. Please contact my mobile number 09997707673 or in my email rpamposa423@gmail.com. Thank You

Unknown said...

Sir Meron po ko kakilala mga 15-20 kls na bulalakaw mg mgkano po ba pla send me an email .asap po.

Unknown said...

09262710597 pla contact po Meron po

Unknown said...

Sir mam.. miron po ako deferen kind of suspected meteorites kaso po mahirap lang ako at wala ako pang pa test metal magnettic po sya

Unknown said...

Hello Sir i have different meteors collection.one of them is asian martian meteors.how do i sell it.i also want to know how much does it cost.where can i contact you.thank you.

Unknown said...

been trying to call you with thecp # you posted but can't reach you We do have metal stone meteirites more or less 11.5 kls.

Sea Lion TV said...

Hi Allen,

I have a meteorite and I want to sell it though I don't know what's the market value. Will you help me on this? Appreciate if you can.

Thanks,

Solomon

Torreone said...

Hellow sir allen i have meteorite here in mindanao. I dont know how old this meteorite i found this meteorite in salt water. If u want to contact me. Here it is my gmail account. Torreone241995@gmail.com

Torreone said...

Hellow sir allen i have meteorite here in mindanao. I dont know how old this meteorite i found this meteorite in salt water. If u want to contact me. Here it is my gmail account. Torreone241995@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Hi sir i saw thé meteorite fall and took it wayback 2001 or 2002. Es timated 40 kilos( 4pcs) pls contact me.09054029508/ 09267046129

Unknown said...

Hi'sir Allen mayron po ako on hand na 3.4kls. Po ang bigat ma's mabigat po sa karaniwan bato malakas po ang magnet at marami po sayang kumikislap naghahanap po q ng buyer pki contact po ako 09513989789

Unknown said...

Hi sir i have a chondrites meteorite.. you can email me or call me #09658125077

Unknown said...

shalomjames08@gmail.com is my email

Unknown said...

I have meteorite stone weighing 70 to 80kls you can call me 096639988784 for picture

Unknown said...

My contact number is 09663668784 this is the exact number thanks

Unknown said...

Hi sir i have meteorites pls contact me ds #09296875273

Unknown said...

I just read your looking the bondoc meteorite..I think I got a piece of it ..I did my research and I'm positive..pls.reply if you are interested and I'll send some photos ..actually it is posted now in FB..mesosiderite b4 ..

Unknown said...

Hi i have have meteorite stone pls contact me 09466852708 or 09562430828

Unknown said...

I send you a picture if you want

Anonymous said...

Hello Sir,
Meron akong dalawang klaseng meteorite
Saan po pwedeng ibenta?09062089750

Anonymous said...

Sir my stone like meteorites

Anonymous said...

Meron Po aq none magnitc meteorite Po....my ...09158214229 call for more datails...

Anonymous said...

Hi sir I'm a ordinary meteorite hunter citizen of the Philippines and I discovered a very important specimen of superconductors iron meteorites contains of magnetic elements superconductivity elements heavy elements hard elements and platinum elements I accidentally discovered it when I was experimenting using the methods of transmitting current electric energy and by using magnets and different type of chemical acid for acid etch test I found it accidentally from the old deep muddy crater like a lumang lubluban ng kalabaw in Filipino language and I want to sell it if you want to purchase and here is my email address caranguianvicente3@gmail.com /#09614206925

Anonymous said...

I have a meteorite
Almost 5kl
Contact me sir
09674019978

jr said...

Mayron po ako hawak meteorite dito bumagsak sa amen paano ko to e binta 09060332385

Anonymous said...

Hello sir good noon mayron akong nakitang iron meteorite..I'm Gilbert from lanao del Norte #09262912018

Anonymous said...

Want to sell meteorite...

Madz said...

Good evening. I have a meteorite stone. How can i sell it. Pls contact me on this email iceflame25@gmail.com.

Anonymous said...

Hi! I have an iron meteorite, it looks like tektikes, but not sure if it is. I can send you a pic. I’m from Cebu Philippines.You can contact me @ fairensudalgaylmaz@gmail.com. Thanks

Anonymous said...

Its density is heavier than the earth rock. It attracts magnets. Its reddish brown

Anonymous said...

1.3klg sir.. magnitic meteor stone.. pm.. if ur intrestd

Anonymous said...

Hi! Sir I'm Dennis from Laguna I found meteorite and I think this iron meteorite stone I want to sell it maybe you could help me Identify the meteorite I have here email me t m.dennisreon@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Hi sir Allen i have a meteorite black stone very heavy and magnetic pls.help me this is my contact # 09700896363

Anonymous said...

call me 09302709415

Anonymous said...

sir i have meteorite 5kl. above may be you are interested please contact me,9672662859 thank you

Anonymous said...

me too 5kl. above maybe you are interested please contact me 9692662859

Anonymous said...

Hi po isa po akong bagohang kolektor ng meoteorite nahahanap po ako ng buyer pls call contact no.09157657243 thank you po.

Anonymous said...

Hi sir I have meteorite,it was fall in my seling,a year ago,..if you are interested please call me....#09668617389,

Anonymous said...

Any one here want to purchase a unique conductive specimen of iron meteorite that can lift well to magnet and can transmit high voltage power! You can email me to Caranguianvicente3@gmail.com