Interesting. I am currently reading a book on "Tulips", a history of a
particular collecting mania. Until the last century, tulips with flame- or
feather-like bands of color commanded the highest prices and fervor among
collectors. Since it became known that these result from a viral infection
that weakens the plants, the Dutch have attempted to stamp out the disease
in their tulip beds, preferring healthy tulips of solid colors to unhealthy
tulips of variegated colors despite their stake in a profitable business. We
tend to focus on fraud and error these days, but sometimes people do the
right thing!

Andrew K. Rindsberg
Geological Survey of Alabama

-----Original Message-----
From: Conchologists List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Doug
Stemke
Sent: Monday, April 11, 2005 11:16 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Creation of 'freaks'


I have personally always been most interested in the best representatives of
a given species I can affordably aquire.  However, it is clear that there is
a large market for freaks based on the prices I've seen (some of these
shells being EXTREMELY expensive) for many relatively common species. To the
best of my knowledge this is best represented in Cypraea, but also shells
like Strombus, Lambis, Cymatium with extra digits, siphon canals, etc also
seem rather popular freaks.

Anyway, with such an active market it would seem that one could fairly
easily generate freaks with live specimens in aquariums after damaging the
mantle. I was just wondering if this is just my active imagination or if
this is actually going on.  After myself running into doctored shells
(baked, repaired, etc) I was just wondering if this practice runs into
working with the live shells themselves.

Thanks.

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