At 04:26 PM 2/6/98 EST, you wrote:
>I had a phone call from a lady yesterday who heard about our shell club...she
>said she had lots of shells she and her husband had gotten in Panama back in
>the '60's.  She described a few shells that I recognized, and then asked if we
>would like to have them.  She said she didn't want to sell them.
>
>I told her we often have auctions, and also fill lamps with the profits going
>to our scholarship fund.  (I was so excited to get these Panamic shells!!!!)
>
>We've made plans to meet tomorrow and she'll give us the shells.  Before she
>hung up, she said, "I don't know if this makes any difference or not, but we
>varnished the shells."  (There went my balloon!)
>
>If there are any really good shells in this donation, is there any way the
>varnish can be removed without ruining the shells?  (I'm assuming it was clear
>varnish.)
>
>Carol
>
Carol - I don't know for sure, but i don't know of any component of a good
varnish remover that would harm shells.  You might pick one or two of the
lesser  desirable shells and try some.
Horatio