Kevin:
There are two 19th century Arnolds from upstate New York listed in Tucker
Abbott's American Malacologists, but it would be hard to tell if either
was the person in question.  There is very little perceived market for
U.S. unionids (and probably less for freshwater gastropods) as most
dealers are not interested because the potential market is limited.  I
think (and some dealers admit) they are afraid of inadvertently listing
for sale a protected species.  It is easy for any shell dealer to know
what the protected landshell Papuina pulcherrima looks like and not to
sell it, but few would be able to separate a Lampsilis higginsii from a
L. ventricosa if  they got a lot of freshwater shells to sell without a
correct label (or outdated synonym).  Old collections are often dirty
specimens without much of the luster of fresh shells and that would also
lessen their desirability to general shell collectors.  Also,  I honestly
think the folks in the U.S. who actively collect freshwaters number in
the dozens (excluding those associated with a university or museum who
may have a small reference collection)  instead of the thousands who
collect marine shells   Most estate sales of collections of shells being
usually have few, if any, freshwaters.  One Miami individual who makes
his living buying and selling old collections told me: "I wish I had know
you collect Unionids, I have been throwing them away."  The meaning was
clear, he saw no commercial value to those shells.  I bought a few
freshwater Unio's from old collections (such as shells from H.C. Higgins
who died in 1939 and the shells were bought by a gentleman who wrapped
them in 1945 newspapers and did not look at them subsequently), some
California unios from Stanford wrapped in 1917 newspaper and the wrapping
fell to dust when unwrapped, and a few other examples like that,
including some old shells that once belonged to Dr. Mudd, who was an
early contemporary of Issac Lea, and I never knew what would be a "fair"
value.  Mostly, the value is entire scientific and very little
commercial, and even the scientific value is problematic, as these old
collections have the shells without data, or single valves.  I would hope
your caller would be willing to donate the collection to an appropriate
museum or university for the tax write off.

Alan Gettleman
Merritt Island, Florida

"Kevin S. Cummings" wrote:

> Dear Listers,
>
> I received a call today from a woman who has a collection of "1000
> species of freshwater mollusks and numerous individuals of each from
> the late 1800's." She stated that she thought that they were from a
> private collection of one Dr. Arnold of New Hartford, New York. That
> name doesn't ring any bells with me.  Anyone? She is wanting to part
> with it but has no idea as to it's value.  It is my (perhaps
> mistaken) experience that most collections sold are marine or
> landsnail collections.  Is there anyone out there that has experience
> in estimating the value of such a freshwater collection?  I told her
> that is does have value from a scientific standpoint but I was unable
> to give her much info on the monetary side of things.  I know museums
> used to buy collections in the past, but I didn't think that in these
> times of fiscal restraint (=insanity) that much of that went on these
> days.  Perhaps I am mistaken here as well.  Any pointers from the
> group would be most welcomed.
>
> Kevin
> --
> Kevin S. Cummings
> Illinois Natural History Survey
> 607 E. Peabody Drive
> Champaign, IL 61820
> [log in to unmask]
> http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/collections/mollusk.html
>
> Join the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society Today!
> http://ellipse.inhs.uiuc.edu/fmcs/