NYTimes.com article paints a poor picture of our hobby.

[Hoss]

This is so sad because it seems this one Jerk digging in a State Park has people looking at all hobbyists like we are looters.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/02/us...nder.html?_r=0

[2ndoldman]

Bad apples can cause an awful lot of greaf for honest collectors.
Metal detecting gets a similar black eye from idiots like that who refuse to follow the rules.
Fortunately for us we have the ability to create good news stories by returning some of our finds to the original owners.

[gregszybala]

And no place to reply unless I over looked it. Articles like that disturb me to no end. One sided narrow report missing out on the bigger ignored picture of what has happened in the U.S since the white man showed up. What is one person, one, picking up artifacts illegally, on state park land no less compared to our wanton waste and destruction of sites. But, He may even be a meth head! He is looting to sell them for profit! He is plundering ( to take the goods by force, possibly using force?) this sacred site! Nevermind that the site is usually underwater in a reservoir that white man created long ago. Nevermind that the highway to get there, the McDonald's and Walmart along the way and possibly even the State park headquarters or other buildings on the site were built on top of or through ancient sites. Possibly looted heavily in the early years of the 20th century by so called archaeologist of their time,
One man, who is breaking the law and sensationalised into a tv story for local news and a one sided biased article in the NY Times no less. We are such a one sided narrow focused society.

[CMD]

The NY Times did the very same thing to meteorite collection. Wrote an article describing the "black market" in meteorites. There was only one big problem with their narrative. There is no black market. No such thing exists. No such thing ever existed. There is instead a healthy symbiotic relationship among meteorite hunters, dealers, collectors, scientists, and institutional collections. Science actually depends on meteorite hunters/dealers to provide them with new samples. It is a symbiotic relationship. The NY Times completely invented the claim that meteorites were distributed via a black market!! It was, in other words, a complete lie!! Caused a firestorm among collectors and replies in print.

[CMD]

Here's the NY Times hatchet job about meteorite collectors:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/05/sc...meteorite.html

And a reply correcting their misconceptions:

http://imca.cc/insights/2011/IMCA-Insights04.htm

"Yes, Collectors take, but they also give, and give a lot.
So, in conclusion, no, the Meteorite Market is not a black or illegal market, it is wide-open, highly publicized and thoroughly legal. Of course, as in any segment of the economy there are a few rotten apples in the mix, but it is also self-policed by an association that, I hope, will keep on growing. And it is a market that is not simply accepted by the scientific community, but is very much welcomed."

Anne M. Black
President, IMCA Inc.
------------------------------------------------------------
They are clearly irresponsible when they publish stories like this that at times paint a broad picture that lumps everyone together, as with the artifact "looter", or when they invent problems that don't really exist, as with the meteorite article. I take exception to what some of those scientists said to the Times reporter. Other then Antarctica, a cold desert meteorite gold mine, collected only by scientists, the layman hunter/collector mostly collect the rest. And they must provide a scientific lab with a percentage of the find when getting a meteorite classified. The science of Meteoritics benefits greatly because people collect meteorites.

[JoshinMO]

What I don't understand is why some stories are made to look so negative while others they make to look or have a positive story. Maybe it's an age thing, like if you are under 16 it's great and if over you should be locked up. How about the stories of the kids finding clovis points along beach coast's?

[lukecreekwalker]

Great point Josh. As with everything else in this great world....I believe $$$$$ is what is behind this. A kid finds something...great..he isn't going to be selling it on the black market. Adults should "know better". I think this "preserving history" garbage is just a front for the true reason Johnny Law is cracking down...and that is MONEY. Just my opinion. Its 2015...take offense like everyone else does haha.

[Havenhunter]

Unfortunately this will become an issue all over the West as water levels decline either due to drought or water drawdown.

[BabaORiley]

That's the liberal media focusing on the negative aspects of every story. They do the same thing to hunters as they refer to many poachers as hunters which they are not. Same goes for these idiots. They are not collectors they are criminals/thieves.

[gregszybala]

Let's keep the politics out.
Save that for other forums.

[JoshinMO]

Greg, so it's like "awe that's so cute". He's doing something an adult should know better not to do. Let's put it in the paper or news!

It's funny how the parks and such belong to everyone, so everyone can't remove anything. Same with flowers. What a drag lol.

[JoshinMO]

Nah, not asking you why the parents decided to allow that as you can't answer that. Just speaking to everyone.

[JoshinMO]

And you know what else? LOL, The campgrounds really get you on the firewood, ha. Not supposed to bring any or pick it up off the ground. Just able to buy at same spot you pay camping fee. Hmmm, maybe it is all about money.

But i understand some folks go to archaeological sites and remove the historical artifacts, kind of destroying local history and not only that they do not give everyone the artifacts or money, so that is selfish greed so i get that part.