Ed: Can't agree with you more.  I believe I signed a bourse agreement
saying I was a member of COA and had a FL Tx #.
 
If he gets a table at the bourse (not a member of COA) this is
definitely wrong.
 
We have club members that got postcards of a sale of Len's shells on
Saturday before the convention.  Do you know about this.
 
I'm afraid orlando will have a lot of upset dealers...
 
Glad you had such a great time in Spain.  See you at the convention.
 
Bobbi
 
Edward T. Schelling wrote:
>
> Dear COA Friends and Dealers,
>         I just returned from a wonderful vacation in Spain without a worry in
> the world and got back on Conch-L only to start reading about the "Len Hill"
> mess.  I had already planned on personally boycotting the "Sale" [even though
> I would love to buy some of Len's material, there are some things more
> important than making a "buck"].  I felt that Mr. Paul was ethically wrong in
> attaching his sale on to the coat tails of the COA Convention and taking away
> from the COA auction...I could care less about his taking away any business
> from my bourse sales, as I am 99% a mail order dealer and use the bourse to
> visit with old friends and possible meet new customers!  Now, to learn that
> there is talk about letting him combine his sale with the bourse is just
> totally unbelievable!!!   We all knew Len and I always felt that Len was a
> very ethical individual and I had a high respect for him...I personally really
> do not believe that even Len would approve of this!   Rules are made to be
> respected and not used when it is convenient!   For those of you who know me,
> you know that I use to "fume and fuss" about the rule of shell dealers having
> to sign a statement that they wouldn't shell shells out of their hotel rooms
> at the convention, etc.  To me, a signed statement was my "bond" and to break
> this rule was a gross violation of my word or bond.  I have no idea how many
> thousands of dollars I lost to "hotel room" sales because of my respecting
> this rule.  There were many other ethical dealers who also respected this rule
> and suffered losses to those dealers that felt the "buck" was more important
> than their word!   Well, enough of my soapbox...I personally feel that to
> allow Mr. Paul to combine his sale of Len's shells with the COA auction or
> bourse would be ethically wrong and would set a very bad precedence in the
> future.  I hope other members of the COA and other dealers will support me in
> this feeling.  What is right, is right!
>        Sincerely,
>         Edward T. Schelling [Worldwide Specimen Shells]
 
--
Jim & Bobbi Cordy
Specializing in Self-Collected
Caribbean & Florida Shells