Hi Maureen,
My collecting also started at an early age. After a while I realized that I
needed storage that would allow access for study or simply viewing the
shells.
Most museums use metal cabinets with sliding trays for their specimens.
These are generally very expensive.
For smaller shells, two inches or less in height, architectural flat files
work well. These come in several sizes
There are several discount companies on line that have prices that are much
more reasonable than office depot and staples.
If this option will work well for you, you may contact me at my private
email for the company information where I buy my cabinets:
[log in to unmask]
Larry Strange and Sanibel Seashell Industries are also very good friends who
have provided me with some of my best specimens.
Best wishes,
Dennis Sargent
-----Original Message-----
From: Conchologists List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Maureen Keefe
Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2014 9:13 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [CONCH-L] Shell storage drawer ideas?
Hello Shell Enthusiasts,
I've been looking for some sort of storage unit with drawers for my shell
collection for awhile now. It currently resides in 12 tote boxes with
bubble-wrap as protection from layers and I want something better for them.
The shells are in either small cardboard, or plastic boxes & small ziplock
bags. I've been collecting since I was 8 (my grandparents on the west coast
in Washington state had sent me two cowries and I was hooked ever since).
Over the years I'd buy shells whenever I was on vacation in Florida or the
Caribbean.
I turned 50 last summer and celebrated the milestone (goodness how time
flies) in Sanibel. Loved it and now am planning on an annual trip there. But
that vacation sparked my thirst for shell collecting again, and is why I
searched online for any shell clubs I could join and promptly became a
member of COA.
I still consider myself a hobbyist. I realized after joining this club and
reading the newsletters and archived Conch-L items that there is so much to
learn. I wish I could have a do-over for the last 42 yrs!! I'd have kept
better records where I bought the shells, how much they were, & I'd have
learned the Latin names rather than the common ones (as someone here had
remarked as "meaningless"). So much to learn!!
I've never dived or dredged for my own shells (and hopefully some day I can
realize this dream especially after reading some the articles in the
newsletters). My shells are all from either beach-combing (gasp!) or buying
from shell shops or online so I realize my collection is probably not
valuable by any means, but to me, each and every shell is wonderful and
priceless and I just love collecting them.
I was looking at tall dressers but their drawers are so deep it's not
practical layering shells on top of each other and wondered if any of you
can share any information on what you store your collections in. I wasn't
looking for display type cases, just something to house them in so they are
protected, easily gotten to when I acquire a new specimen in the same family
and better than the current umpteen tote boxes. It's a small collection
compared to most of you I'm sure (only 416 different identified different
ones although most have at least two specimens for comparison sake). I'd
read that "oak" wood drawers are not good for shells so any advice or
guidance you can give me would be so appreciated.
I have a basket full of shells I'm still trying to identify and am planning
my next trip to Sanibel Florida this summer to beach comb and visit the
Seashell Industries Shell shop again!!
Thanks for any storage info or advice anyone can give me.
Kindest Regards,
Maureen Keefe
Sent from my iPad
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