Marsha,

Welcome to the group.  We have a group made up of over 300 great folks and a
couple of ole sore-heads.  Watch out for the flying pigs and try to make the
COA 2000 convention in Houston -- it's the best.  As for getting shells from
dealers, my collection is also largely a dealer supplied collection and my
hats are off to each and every one of them.  In spite of the hassles of
mis-identified shells; dirty and broken shells; shells returned for no real
reason; complaints about price; complaints about nicks, scars, mars, and
marks; and constant requests for gifts -- they hang in there and enable
landlocked folks like you and I to develop respectable collections.  As for
the few who hold to "If it isn't self-collected, I just won't have it in my
"real" collection."  Ignore them.  Some of my favorite shells can be traced
through the hands of five different people from original collector, to a
friend, to a dealer, to another collector, etc.  It's great!

Again, welcome.

Thomas Eichhorst
4528 Quartz Dr. N.E.
Rio Rancho, NM 87124-4908
USA