Hi, all,

Take a deep breath and....laugh! Shakespeare said it, "A Rose by any
other name would smell as sweet," or something to that effect! While
shell collectors are not necessarily noted for their sweet smell, we are
the greatest people on earth, whatever we call ourselves.

Charlie Glass, the editor of the COA Bulletin/American Conchologist
before me (1983 - 1986) ran a column of beautiful shells in every issue,
outstanding specimens and rare species, which he entitled, "Shells for
the Amateur."  By which Charlie, a lover of words, explained that he
meant "Shells for the Lover," because the word derives, as someone has
already said, from the Latin "amator" or lover. (From the verb amare, to
love...all those who took even a little Latin will remember it as
probably the first Latin verb we learned, Amo, amas, amat, etc...?) In
other words, one who engages in shell collecting for the love of shells
rather than for profit (though those lines can and do blur a bunch!).

Now I think that is a great word for anyone who engages in a hobby, one
who does what he does primarily for love of it. Take me...I'm an amateur
editor of sorts...I edit American Conchologist for love of COA and the
hobby, as well as my love of shells. Of course I would love to get paid
for the work I do, and wouldn't any of us like to get paid for playing
with our shells?...we could buy more shells! But that is not why I do
it,
and I won't stop because I DON'T get paid.

There's also that word "conchologist" versus the word "malacologist."
That pair make a decent dividing line too.

Now I have to get back to packing...we're off for a protracted and
meandering trip to Houston and the convention Friday and it's gonna be
great!!! Just the place for amateur shell collectors...and professional
shell folk and commercial shell folk and all of Conch-L.

Lynn Scheu
Louisville KY