Fifteen minutes of fame doesn鈥檛 always translate into big bucks. This was spectacularly true of two meteorites which, though exceptional in size, failed to fetch sky-high prices at auction on Sunday. Bidding for both rocks stalled at around one-third of their valuations, and they were withdrawn from sale at Bonhams auction house in New York.
鈥淏idding for both rocks stalled at around one-third of their valuations鈥�
The Brenham meteorite, which was found in Kansas in 2005 and is the largest of its kind, was expected to attract bids of $700,000, while a chunk of the 15.5-tonne Willamette Meteorite, which was found in Oregon in 1902, was valued at $1.3 million.
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鈥淪o few big meteorites go up for sale that no one really knows what to expect,鈥� says Derek Sears at the University of Arkansas. He feels that an increase in finds from Antarctica and from deserts may have pushed prices down, but apathy may also play a part. 鈥淪ome meteorites were last on the market in the post-war years, when public interest in space was at an all-time high.鈥� People are more blas茅 about space today, he says.
