At 12:42 PM 1/17/98 EST, you wrote:
>The fact that poorer quality specimens still have much scientific value
cannot
>be denied.  And, such specimens would be a good deal for folks who wanted
>them, since they would undoubtedly be priced substantially lower than
fine+ or
>gem specimens.  And yet, realizing this, most dealers still will not offer
>such material to their customers.  Why?  In a word, pride.  For a dealer,
>every specimen he/she sends out, with personalized label attached, is an
>advertisement, positive or negative, for himself as a dealer.  I have this
>recurrent vision of John visiting Jane and viewing her collection.  A
chipped,
>faded specimen attracts his attention, since most of Jane's shells are very
>nice quality.  He turns over the data slip, and it is - mine! (shiver).  And
>John immediately forms an impression of the kind of material I send to
>customers - even though that may have been the only poor specimen I ever
>shipped - and maybe passes that impression along to a few other people.  That
>is a major reason why I don't offer second-rate material, even with the up-
>front understanding that it is inferior material at a reduced price.  I
figure
>that others, viewing the material later, may not be aware of that pre-sale
>agreement.   Maybe I'm just a bit psychotic about this, but that's how I
feel.
>
>Paul M.
 
 
Paul's point is well taken, but I believe the overriding reason for a
dealer to stock and sell only the best quality shells is that it is what
the majority of the shell buying collectors want.  If you are willing to
pay less for a lesser-grade, or flawed shell, ask you favorite shell
dealer.  All dealers receive occasionally "seconds" that comes in with
larger lots, that are either trashed, or  given away, etc.    I'm sure that
many would be willing to hold a "second" or lesser-quality shell for a
collector who desires such a shell (that would not generally be offered to
their customers) at a lesser price, since it is a loss to them anyway.  I
often save a box with the occasional "seconds" and give them to my
daughter.  Some donate the flawed shells to a school for exhibits or
hands-on learning.  Why not make these shells available to collectors who
are willing to purchase a lesser-grade shell so that it can fill a niche in
their collections or add to a geographical series.  The locality and
habitat data is still accurate.   But then, that is personal preference on
the part of the buyer and seller.   The bottom line is that my customers
still demand the highest quality shells, so that is what I and I'm sure
others make available to collectors.
 
A dealer's reputation for selling quality shells is based on the majority
of the shells that they sell, and should not be judged on a handful of
lesser-grade specimens.  If a handful of shells are sold as "seconds" to
those who would prefer the lesser-quality at a lesser price, then it should
not reflect on the dealer's track record for selling quality shells (as
long as the occasional "second" is offered and sold as a "second".)   And
any shell dealer who claims not to be able to offer an occasional
lesser-grade shell that they get stuck with because they never receive such
shells is ... well, in a word ... fibbing.
 
This all comes full circle.  There is no right or wrong way to build a
collection.  If your interests are strictly aesthetic -- great.  If you are
a scientific collector or a "check-list collector" -- great too!  If you
only self collect your shells or only exchange with those who self collect
-- equally good.  If all you collect are flawless shells, but are less
concerned about detailed data -- fine.  If you are less concerned about
quality, but demand absolutely pinpoint accurate locality data -- also
fine.  Have it your way.
 
If you intend to eventually donate your collection to a museum, just be
aware that a well documented collection with as much data as possible will
increase the likelihood that a museum will accept it for incorporation into
their larger collection.  If your intention is to have your collection sold
off intact, or even piecemeal, quality is primarily the important factor.
 
Dealers will continue to make available a wide variety of shells to satisfy
the interests of their customers.  Not every shell will be flawless, and
not every shell will have data with GPS-accurate coordinates.  Just let
your favorite dealer know of your interests and they can better serve you
(the ideal customer?).
 
Enjoy the hobby in whatever way you pursue it.  Do not feel guilty because
you amass your collection differently than John or Jane.  Conchology allows
us to educate and be educated, appreciate the beauty of nature, travel to
exotic locales to explore the reefs and rain forests, and pursue it with
widely diverse motives, while amassing collections that reflect our
personal interests.  Philatelists -- eat your hearts out!
 
Rich
 
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Richard L. Goldberg
Worldwide Specimen Shells
P.O. Box 6088, Columbia, MD 21046-6088
phone/fax:  (410) 379-6583
email:  [log in to unmask]
homepage:  http://www.erols.com/worldwide
Many new shell images available for viewing
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