For Scott and others interested in the travails of a shell dealer:
 
The travels themselves are interesting to me, and I, too, am following
with some interest, however...
 
I have no real interest in the dealings of conchological Capitalists.
I know, I know,... there are SOME fine people who are shell dealers...
and there are some fine people who are bankers, but they are both
interested in similar ends.
 
The desire to possess shells gives rise to 'dealers'... who give rise
to 'finders'... who do what they have to in order to fill orders...
 
And many fine specimens do come ashore that might otherwise have been
left to decay. But the vast majority of these have, at best, marginal
data quality, because it's not about information, it's about money.
 
Now, perhaps I'm jaded by recently having been unceremoniously fired
by a company that didn't want their "trick" to making money threatened
by someone who had both an understanding of the task AND a shred of
compunction left for the people paying for the supposed 'service'
being rendered. Maybe... (Guess why I have all this time to write...)
 
But the real rub goes back to the lost information. Often the shells
could 'speak' for themselves but they are sucked into the 'black hole'
of jealous collectors' cabinets. And the desire to 'throw' bits of
information away because someone will throw money back at you doesn't
seem -- to me -- to be a service to increasing our comprehension of
Nature.
 
So don't be too keen to defend a shell dealer's lifestyle. Some of us
have been on the nasty end of their "schtik" and didn't care for it.
Still, I'm open to reading the tales offered to us and expect more
to be forthcoming.
 
Let's all sit back and enjoy the ride.
 
Aloha,
 
Bob Dayle (a.k.a. makuabob)