We had a discussion awhile back on what to call the person who collects
shells without having a degree or license to do so. They aren't
'professional malacologists' and they aren't 'shell dealers'. We used to
call them 'amateur collectors' but for some reason that term is going out of
favor these days. 'Hobbyist' is inadequate to describe some of these people,
who may be extremely knowledgeable and sometimes have very large
collections. 'Conchologist' may be uncomfortably formal for collectors at
the other end of the spectrum, who may be very un-knowledgeable and have no
desire to study (ology) their shells (conch). 'Non-professional' is negative
and sounds like an insult ('unprofessional').

Paleontologist Earl Manning (Tulane University) suggests the phrase 'private
collector' as a generic term. That is apt, since there are private art
collectors, and they buy and sell art occasionally like most shell
collectors without losing their 'amateur' status. Once in a long while,
indeed, an art collector is admiringly called an 'amaTEUR' with the
cultivated French pronunciation emphasizing the original meaning, 'lover (of
the arts)', but no one considers this an insult. Flattery, perhaps.

So, how about it, Conchlers? Would you like to be called 'private
collectors', and occasionally, if you're really good at it, 'amaTEURS'?

Andrew K. Rindsberg
Geological Survey of Alabama