Dear Andrew, dear others,
 
From our ourself-collected material we always donate about 50 %
to the natural history department of the Tiroler Landesmuseum
Ferdinandeum, as we are responsible for this collection in every
view. So I trade this collection as nearly our own collection, but I
know every time this collection belongs to the museum.
And I try to get every time also material by friends, other collectors,
scientists around the world in form of donation for the museums collection. I am still living for this collection and I want to have material,
when it's not too late.
 
with best greetings
Helmut Nisters
 
----------
>
> Patty Jansen wrote,
> "One thing I  haven't heard in this discussion, is for collectors to
> volunteer in a museum to curate their own collection. Then at least,
> everyone knows what those cryptic labels mean."
>
> One example that comes to mind is Bryan Cooney, a Texas bandmaster and
> fossil collector who retired, moved to Colorado, and volunteered to work on
> the collections of the Department of Geology at the Colorado School of
> Mines. After a couple of years, they valued his services so well that he
> was hired as a part-time Assistant Curator. He hasn't stopped collecting (I
> hosted him on an Alabama collecting trip awhile back), but the specimens go
> directly into the Mines collections these days.
>
> But I think Patty's right. Most people tend to hang onto their collections
> until it's too late.
>
> Incidentally, I don't see anything wrong with private collectors selling
> their collections. I do think that museums are the best place for unique
> material, especially type specimens.
>
> Andrew K. Rindsberg
> Geological Survey of Alabama
>