The obvious place for a list of "members" who want to trade would be on the COA web site. It would be open to members to access and browse. Contacts between couple be e mail.
Fabio, do you know anyone on the COA board who could get this moving?? ;-)
Matt

---- Original message ----
>Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2012 11:50:38 -0500
>From: Fabio Moretzsohn <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: [CONCH-L] Auctions
>To: [log in to unmask]
>
>   Hi Jim and all
>   That's a great idea that someone with web design
>   skills should try: build a trading system that
>   collectors can join and offer their shells. There
>   could be a feedback system like eBay's or Amazon's
>   marketplace (where you rate the seller/dealer, but
>   trader in this case).
>   It does not sound difficult to put together a
>   system, but the problem might be how to fund the
>   system. If it were ad-based, it might be free, or
>   maybe members could pay a small fee to help pay the
>   development and maintenance costs.
>   Thanks,
>   Fabio M.
>   On Tue, Jul 24, 2012 at 11:08 AM, Jim Brunner
>   <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>     Scott,
>
>     Whatever happened to trading between collectors?
>      Thirty or forty
>     years ago this was a common and exciting way to
>     grow your collection
>     at a reasonable cost.  Today it all seems to go
>     through the dealers,
>     i.e., local collectors sell or trade with dealers
>     who then retail to
>     collectors.  While you seldom could get the
>     really rare specimens via
>     trade, the common and uncommon were usually
>     available.  And what fun
>     it was to open those boxes! Granted, there were
>     some problems with
>     unreliable individuals but with modern technology
>     and the ability to
>     transmit images via the internet I would think
>     this could once again
>     become a viable collection growth option.  As a
>     member of a club with
>     many new and younger members I'm sure they would
>     have an interest in
>     such a system.  Has anyone ever tried swapping on
>     a club to club
>     basis?  With the club's reputation on the line,
>     it should eliminate
>     "bad" swaps.
>
>     Jim Brunner
>
>     On Jul 23, 2012, at 11:51 PM, Scot Lewis wrote:
>
>       I have been collecting 5 decades now, and as I
>       try to grow my
>       private collection, it seems that so
>       many shells are now "auctioned" and that the
>       prices are escalating
>       astronomically. Obviously,
>       someone, somewhere, is willing to pay "whatever"
>       to get a specimen
>       shell (and frequently, poor
>       quality specimens at that).
>
>       My question to you all is this now the reality
>       of collecting? Do we
>       need to be "independently wealthy"
>       to pursue our passion?  (Are there
>       alternatives?)
>
>       Many of us specialize in specific fauna
>       (species) areas, and can
>       collect physically, but for (and I am
>       assuming) most of us, the days of "local
>       collecting trips" are
>       getting fewer between.
>
>       How do institutions deal with acquiring new
>       species...
>
>       How much will you pay for a missing specimen?
>
>       I am curious as to what you think, I hope to
>       open a broad discussion
>       on this...

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