Russian Meteorite Fragments Are Selling Like Hotcakes

A tiny chunk of meteorite is equal to a tidy profit for some enterprising Russians. Last week’s big fireball event has had an interesting side effect, as amateur treasure hunters have headed out into the wilderness hoping to pick up a meteorite or five and sell the pieces for a large sum on the Internet.

Scientists have noted that there are plenty of meteorite pieces near Chelyabinsk, Russia that need to be found. In the days since, “chunks of meteorite” have shown up on outlets like eBay, but according to the Toronto Star, now is not a good time to buy and most serious collectors are staying away. You would think that with an influx of meteorite chunks from the big explosion, now would be a hot time to buy, but there are several reasons why buying now is for suckers.

The biggest problem is that many of the rocks posted are fakes. Sometimes people accidentally post fakes thinking they are real and sometimes the intent is more malicious; either way, that’s no good. Secondly, while a meteorite is cool, the Russian meteorite has been found to be made of chondrite, which is the most common type of meteorite, thus making it less valuable. Perhaps the historical value of the pieces of meteorite will keep the cost high, but more than likely, the numbers will be down at some point.

Still, whether the pieces of meteorite are real or faux, they are currently selling like hotcakes. A recent, sample-sized piece sold for $200 on eBay. So, if you’re up for spending outrageous prices for a piece of history, go for it, I guess.