To all,
 
I found a very interesting web site tonight that I wanted to share with all on
the list.  I don't know how long the site will remain on the web so I am not
adding it to my shell related web site list.  But it is a lot of fun and I
think most will enjoy it.  The site is a tribute to "The Sea," a store in San
Pedro, California that is now closed.  Unfortunately, I never visited "The Sea"
and I know I would have loved the place.  I am a true shell store junkie and
saved from utter ruin only because I live thousands of miles from such places.
I know some of you deplore the "tourist shell" trade.  Well, it got me and I'll
bet many others started in this hobby and I still have some nice shells from a
bin at such a place.  In fact I bought some "bin shells' not long ago for some
youngsters.  Data tags can only say P.I. in most cases.  But like them or not
(and I love them), visiting this site is sure to gin up a memory or two.
 
I found "The Sea" because I caught on to some xenophora (a big weakness of
mine) for sale on the web.  I believe I asked Yvette and Dick Williams what
they had and they said they had this and that but that I had better hurry as
they were closing down their store.  Well, I ordered a few and dug into their
story a bit.  I have never met either one except through e-mail but I'm here to
tell you they are great folks.  Most of the store inventory was sold in bulk
and the large whale skeletons and such went to a local museum.  So they are now
retired (with an open invitation for a great New Mexican dinner at my place)
and the store lives only in memories and a few photographs.  So take a look at
the site.  It is image intensive so it takes a while to load for folks like me
with an old 14,400 modem.  There are still fine stores with shells to be found
(I have a few listed on my web page list) but it may be getting tougher for
these folks to make a go of it.  We all saw Pisor's place go and when I was in
Oregon this September, one of the shell stores I visited was on the way out.
So, if you have a moment to go strolling down memory lane, try to imagine
hitting this place as a 10 year old!
 
Tom Eichhorst in New Mexico, USA
 
http://www.the-sea.net/