On Mon, 7 Aug 2006 11:38:15 -0300, Marcus Coltro <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
>I have been receiving lots of offers from "dealers" from the Philippines,
and the only time I
>purchased a few shells from one of them last year proved they know nothing
regarding quality. Of
>course I did not pay what he asked me and sent back most shells. Now I
simply ignore all them. These
>guys were used to sell a bunch of junk to dealers coming to PI and now are
trying to sell directly
>on Internet. I suggest contacting someone used to buy from them before
purchasing any shells.
>
>Marcus
>
>
>Aloha!
>I just returned from Cebu. The problem with some species being offered for
>sale there is some are exchange material from other locations. Some local
>dealers will offer these as "Philippine" origin. I myself will exchange
>Hawaiian endemics for local caught species. Latter I hear that my large
>Haw'n Tigers over 5in are being sold as "collected from new Cebu location"
>or my Cypraea sulcidentata being slightly doctored to resemble kuroharai &
>sold for +$1,000ea! Ouch to the buyer!
>
>Most local fishermen try to earn a honest living, some don't care. Only a
>few are caught. Most get away with it. Once a Australian collector left
>Zoilas on consignment & they were being sold as Sulu Sea "range
extentions".
>Most recently a New Caledonia source traded deep-water endemic species for
>local shells & those too were being offered as Philippine caught.
>
>Nowadays there are a few local dealers & collectors from abroad that live
>full or part-time in Cebu. They can be easily contacted by email or word of
>mouth (I won't list them out of respect to their privacy here online).
>Either by library or net access most can help you out. Good Luck!
CHRIS:)
>
>
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I would also counsel great caution when buying shells from the Philippines.
The years ago, when I moved there, I bought, in bad light, a C. leucodon
for a 'bargain' price - $100. When I looked at it properly, I noticed the
varnish had run, and the filing of the deep teeth had not been done at all
well.
Even out of Cebu, it happens too. I went to Tawi-Tawi, in the Sulu Islands
(the other end of nowhere) and bought two very strange shells that I'd
never seen before in the Philippines. One turned out to be a common cone
from Florida, and the other (I forget even the common name now, but a much
larger shell) came from West Africa.
I went with a more professional buyer to Cebu, and he let the dealers come
to him. In 3 days, he saw the wares of 85 of them. Most small Cebu dealers
come from Punta Engano on Mactan Island, or Olango Island. In Punta Engano,
almost every family either fishes for, or deals in, shells.
But the Philippines also has some wonderful shells, and nice stories. I met
the discoverer of Chicoreus dodongi, a small murex from Samar. Most
Filipinos have nicknames - his was 'Dodong' - 'Boy-Boy'.
regards
Richard
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