One other aspect that was discussed at the COA Round-table that
should also be mentioned here.  Museums must substantiate with U.S.
Fish & Wildlife, the source of CITES listed species; in other words
that the shells were collected with legal collecting permits, or the
acquisition pre-dates the CITES listing for the species.  In many
cases this cannot be done with any certainty, and as such, those
shells may have to be deleted from the total collection
donation.  This is a complex topic that needs input from museum
personnel who can better address the current rules and regulations
for accepting (or not) endangered species.

At 04:48 PM 10/28/2010, you wrote:
>Great discussion.
>
>One area of the topic that still seems a bit unclear is how to determine
>"fair market value" of a shell collection.  Since thresholds of value ($500,
>$5,000, etc.) are important, is there a simple way to take this first step?
>
>While internet auctions, lists, and mailed dealer lists will have offers for
>some shells, there are many species that have not been recently offered for
>sale.   How are these priced?  Yes, some species have dropped dramatically
>in value - but other species found in old collections (e.g. found in areas
>now protected or depleted) seem to be no longer available on the market.  Is
>there a fair way to price these?
>
>Tom Rice used to publish a guide to dealers prices asked for shells.  It had
>many problems, but it was widely recognized among collectors and dealers as
>a source of pricing information.  This is no longer being produced.  Does
>anyone know if another individual or group is planning to publish a
>replacement for "Rice's prices"?
>
>If not, are there any other tools available for collectors and heirs who
>want to do a "self-appraisal" of a shell collection?
>
>Bill Fenzan
>Norfolk, VA
>
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