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Date: | Sat, 3 Apr 1999 22:42:51 -0700 |
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I have to side with those saying "no commercial value" is not lying. I
actually figured it was a bit risky to indicate any real value on a
package as it might cause it to go astray. I naively sent a large coin
through the mail in an envelope once. The envelope made it but of
course, no coin.
As for shells, they have only a value to a few of us. I guarantee if
you offer a nice inexpensive Lambis scorpious to a non-sheller and then
give them a choice to keep it or trade for a much rarer Gaza superba --
they will walk away with the spider conch. I have given shells to quite
a few people over the years and looks, not rarity are what count. It is
only when the shell collecting disease really strikes that a small brown
cypraea just has to be purchased, even though it is no where near as
impressive as say, a tiger cowrie. Another test of your shell values is
what you can get for them at your local hock shop. It won't be much!
So I also feel "no commercial value" is okay.
A final note on giving a shell to someone. I recently was working a
trade and had a couple large Cerithium nodulosums (knobby ceriths) on
the desk. In fact I think it was for Nora of Canadian fame. Anyway, I
was selecting the better looking of the few I had and a non-sheller
friend (my sister-in-law) mentioned she was headed for so and so's
birthday party and didn't have a clue what to give her. I handed her
the cerith I wasn't mailing off and said "Here, give her this." Well
she did just that and just tonight I received a call form this gal
asking about the shell club and wondering where she could get a good
shell book. I feel pretty good tonight. And by the way, she had no
clue what value to give the shell, she just thought it was intriguing.
Tom Eichhorst in New Mexico, USA
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