There seems to be a wide variety of opinions about the auction of Len's
collection.  I would like to interject my opinion as a dealer, but I do not
 purport to speak for all dealers -- though I would expect that others may
feel similarly.
 
I don't think that such an event (the auction of Len's shells) will
significantly reduce the amount of retail activity that is transacted
during the convention.  What is the difference if COA has 30 specimen shell
dealers selling shells during the convention week or 31.  The onus is on
the dealer to let their customers know that they will be at the convention
with X, Y & Z shells that may or may not interest them.  Collectors are not
going to blow all of their expendable income at a private auction with the
prospect of the annual Bourse and the COA auction just a few days later.
 
The COA convention is growing every year, and the COA Bourse has become the
premier event to buy shells in the U.S.  It is the collectors and dealers
who have made this happen.  Collectors know that there will be more high
quality shells in that bourse room than at any other event they can attend.
 The dealers keep upping their standards based on collector interest.  COA
as an organization has not mandated this.  COA has provided the venue, and
it has just evolved that way.
 
I think the real issue here is how this auction of Len's shells will affect
COA, not the shell dealers.  I do think that such an event will significant
reduce the numbers of people attending the opening day of the convention,
which in turn reduces the importance and impact of this annual event.  Mr.
Paul has seized the opportunity to schedule an auction long after COA has
spent considerable effort and money to promote an event which will bring
collectors into Orlando.  Opportunistic?  You make up your own mind.
 
COA also has an auction which directly benefits a scholarship fund.  COA
has given students and malacologists around the world tens-of-thousands of
dollars over the years to further malacological research.  Will the auction
of Len's collection affect the bidding at the COA auction?  Maybe; maybe
not.  None-the-less, it could dilute interest at the COA auction.  Both Mr.
Paul and COA then may suffer with reduced bidding.
 
The shell collecting world is relatively small, and many of the clubs and
national organizations try not to schedule events and meetings at the same
time out of respect for the other group.  It is obvious that both groups
will suffer in attendance when they schedule conflicting events.  And in
this case, especially when both events are located within walking distance
of each other.
 
Here in the U.S. even the malacological and conchological groups make a
concerted effort not to schedule conflicting events (sometimes it is not
possible, but that is usually due to the availability of facilities).  In
fact, they try to schedule their meetings close enough or back-to-back so
that collectors and scientists can attend both events during the same trip.
 This shows mutual respect for the other group.  There are no proprietary
attitudes about scheduling events; just the practicality of scheduling a
SUCCESSFUL event.
 
Conch-L has been a good sounding board for the wide range of opinions about
the auction controversy.  I think the over arching arguments not to have
the auction during the first day of the convention are very valid.  The
bottom line is that both Mr. Paul and COA will suffer in attendance.  No
one can stop Mr. Paul from running this auction during the convention.  He
must
live with the consequences of a lesser attended auction.
 
I knew Len as well as many of you.  I had lengthy discussions with him
about COA, the bourse, and selling shells from a dealer's point-of-view.
Yes, Len would never do anything to hurt the attendance of a COA
convention.  In fact I'm sure it would have never crossed his mind.   But
Mr. Paul is now the owner of those shells.  Mr. Paul is not a member of
COA.  So Mr. Paul's concern is not for COA.  So what can be done?
 
Everyone who received Mr. Paul's mailer could write to him and let him know
that they would like to attend both events but cannot due to this conflict.
 A suggestion of moving the auction to an adjacent time could be a possible
solution.  If Mr. Paul sticks with the scheduled auction day and time, then
there is not too much that anyone can do.  It is your right to attend or not.
 
It would be a great legacy to have Len's shells distributed among as many
collectors as possible.  I'm sure Len planned it that way.  But if Mr. Paul
does not allow everyone in Orlando at least a opportunity to bid on, and
possibly take home a piece of Len's collection due to a scheduling
conflict, then I don't think Len's vision and dream for his collection will
have been fully realized.  It just becomes a lose-lose situation.
 
Rich
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Richard L. Goldberg
Worldwide Specimen Shells
email:  [log in to unmask]
homepage:  http://www.erols.com/worldwide
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