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Junkyard Owner Saves Lunar Rover Prototype (vice.com)
An anonymous reader writes: On Tuesday, Slashdot users learned that a man in Alabama sold a lunar rover prototype for scrap metal. We now learn that the junkyard owner has saved this important piece of scientific history. The man claims that, upon receiving the prototype at his scrap facility, he set it aside because he knew exactly what it was.
it's OK - they had to wait until Tuesday to collectively mock all the people who live in Alabama. Now that they've realized that a junkyard owner there knows more about space history than they do, they can take the whole day Friday to reflect on how much the experience has caused them to grow as individuals.
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
The Junk dealers is ALWAYS going to know how much it's really worth (and if he's not sure he'll put it aside until he does know) and I highly doubt he's going to voluntarily hand it over without receiving a check for how much it's worth.
One of the prime profit opportunities in the junk business is to receive items that aren't junk. Dealers are always on the lookout for special non-junk items they can make a bundle on because some ignorant dumbass sold it to them for a few cents a pound. It's not that much different than the pawn business where they are always on the lookout for antiques and other items they know are worth far more than the owner believes.
When I heard this story I was at first incredulus that the guy didn't walk across the street and tell the neighbor what it was. Then I realized that the chances the Junk dealer wouldn't put it aside and determine the worth before melting it down was near zero. Then I realized the guy that didn't walk across the street basically screwed over the neighbor by not telling him how much it was worth with the side realization that he may have cut a side deal with the junk dealer by tipping him off.
More like:
Junk Yard: You can have it for $FAIRLY_LARGE_SUM, or I'll sell it to the highest bidder. But out of deference, I'm willing to give you first access without bidding.
NASA: Give it to us for free, or we will use legal acton (which is why junkyard owner brought in lawyers and kept silent).
NASA probably lied to try and cast doubt on the authenticity of what he had to reduce the selling price so they could get it cheaper. Far more believable than your absurd fantasy of the junk yard owner threatening to melt down a priceless artifact.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Weren't you recently complaining in another thread about people posting sexist/racist comments?
If you're going to go around making bigoted and stereotypical remarks yourself, perhaps you shouldn't whine when other people do it.
It really destroys Progressive thought when it claims to be tolerant and openminded and then non-ironically makes dated, stereotype-based hate posts.
And if you're going to criticize Alabama, it has one of the highest rates of black people in the nation, so you're a racist as well.
Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
This is only true when the people working the counter or the scales or other forms of receiving have a financial stake in the company. When they do, they're willing to bend company procedures. Sometimes it's because they know something is actually worth more than its scrap value or because it has real sentimental value and should be preserved rather than junked, and sometimes it's because the owner or partner actually has a heart and is willing to take less than the completely-parted-out value for something in order to sell it whole to someone that wants the whole thing.
My experience is mostly with automotive wrecking yards. The big recyclers aren't much fun to deal with, the staff doesn't care and just goes through the motions. The small private wrecking yards usually have the owner right there in the office, and sometimes one can buy whole cars with title for much less than he'd get if he's willing to sit on it for a couple of years to part it out, as he likes cars too and actually does restore them and values others that do the same.
Unfortunately there are less and less owner-operator types anymore.
As for this particular man, I don't have a problem with him making some real money selling the rover back to NASA or some other government agency. He's arguably the first person to care about it for quite some time, and it's not his problem that NASA and the other intermediate owners didn't value it at the time as much as he does now. If I were in his shoes I'd be tempted to restore it myself, just to be able to claim that I did, if no one was willing to come to a price I was willing to agree to.
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
Are you implying that the internet has people who reflect, grow, and learn from their own mistakes? Besides, Friday is the day we rant about social justice folks. I don't think we'll have time for introspection and personal growth. We've got howler monkey screeching and poop flinging to do, ain't nobody got time for self-improvement on Fridays.
"So long and thanks for all the fish."