On Wed, 8 Sep 2004 at 15:59:00, Andy Rindsberg wrote:

> Dear Shellers,
> What kinds of shells take your breath away?

Hi,

No general rule here but surely appreciate ingenuine design more than nice
color&pattern. Many tiny heavily
sculptured "Cyclostrematidae",Coralliophilinae, some "Trichotropidae", most
Neptunea, Tibia, "Turridae"...outmatch Cones, Cyps, Olives, Pectens.
Cyps are particulary boring; like in the deceased East Germany where only one
(Ok, maybe two) type of car could be seen on the road. These cars differed
only by color, like  Cypraea spp. "What kind of car do you
drive?". "Yellow". "Oh , mine is red".  Interesting? Don’t think so…

When nice shape is combined with great color&pattern so much the better.
Yellow Bolma girgyllus with black blotches, or vine-red Angaria sphaerula-
pure delight!

Rarity plays an important role. Some shells I like only because they are rare,
but it shouldn't be this way: Cypraea fultoni attracts people ONLY because it
is expensive. Once it will be available in thousands for 10$ each it will no
longer be a favourite. It will become a Cypraea like any other. A ***real
beauty***, like Thatcheria mirabilis, will always be an eye-catcher, rare or
not. Attractivness should not depend on scarcity.

I like "abnormal" shells= sinistral & hyperstrophic freaks and hybrids. These
will never be found in thousands (like so many spp that used to be rare)and
can be considered as true rarities.

Habitat (data) can make a favourite of a shell: Any ugly hydrothermal vent
snail is a breath-taker.

Top breath takers: Dentarene sarcina, Bathyliotina glassi, Bolma girgyllus,
Angaria sphaerula, Tibia fusus, Aforia magnifica, Amaea magnifica, Separatista
blainvilleana, Akibumia orientalis, Mipus vicdani............

  > Do you spend more time collecting and caring for shells, or just looking at
> them?

Probably later.

>
> Do you display your shells?

No. Only those that are to large to fit into drawers.

> Do you collect books about shells?

Normally buy only those books that I need (=don't collect them) altought like
to leaf through an old book with nice drawings. I afforded a couple of 19th
century classic works on fossil mollusca and brachiopoda.

>
> Do you talk much about them to other people, or is it a private activity?

Private. Shell-talk only to people whom I'll probably never meet (e-mail).

> Is a living mollusk more beautiful, or a cleaned shell?

Depends; "fleshy" families like cold water buccinids look beter when cleaned
while living Cyps (patterned mantle!) look much better than dead ones.
Nautilus proppeling itself through the water must look terrific.

Generaly speaking, cleaned shell is more attractive to me-no flesh, barnacles,
bryozoan encrustations...

>
> Are self-collected specimens more precious, or those that cost a lot of
> money?

Self collected or purchased makes no difference. I want a shell, not a story
that might be hiden behind.

Regards, Milan




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