Hello,

first of all, a shell collection with any value needed an investment of value, in
time, in work and in money. In Europe, banks don't consider any money below 12000 $.
If you are member of a football club, you are spending at least 7000 $ a year, just
for the matches, not the drinking after. So, football fan, following your club
through Italy, Germany, Belgium, France, needs an investment of at the minimum 12000
$ a year. When you enjoy the fun after it, it is 18000$ a year.
We expect of course at least this investment of somebody interested in Natural
History in the proper sense of the word.  Which means that after ten years he has
spend 180 000 $ on his collection in ten years. The time and working on it is hard to
express in money but it will at least match the money of the investment.
So, if I was a museum, then I took criteria as such: what's the work that has been
done on it, in time, in intelligent approach (up to date with the library, with what
goes on today with molluscs, labeling etc... ) and with the money gaven to it.
A well balanced approach is that a collector equivalent to a top supporter of a
football club has  given an amount of approximetely 180 000$ in ten years to his
collection, which should have at least 10 000 species, well labeled and documented in
the computer.
This is the minimum to take into consideration for tax reduction or such things.
There are thousands of football supporters in Europe, having this level of spending
in time and money. Collections should at least match this.
For the museums to make the balance.
As a dealer, I'm willing to make the evaluation of a shell collection for free if it
concerns Museums, but I need to have the list of each lot, number of specimens,
labeling etc...
If the collection is not computerised, forget about it, it's something of the past,
there are a thousand of collections around in the world, having 10000 species, and
100 000 specimens, but nobody counted...with a computer. Only the computerised
collection has criteria well established, and these can be mailed in seconds with our
techniques. I'm there, amongst others,  to do the job for free, because well
established museums are the banks  of knowledge for the future in order to serve
humanity, our children, and our future.

A pleasur to be at your service. Guido






Joan Jass wrote:

> Dear Conch-L subscribers,
>
>         Having taken to heart the many messages on the list a few months ago about
> the high value for schools and other educational groups of seashell
> collections even though they lack scientific data, I am now wondering how
> to advise such donors regarding an evaluation of their donations.
>         After determining that the shells lack data and therefore are not going to
> be part of our scientific collection, I have assisted the donors in finding
> such an educational recipient for their donation.  In this, as in many
> cases, the boxes of shells are just part of a larger amount of household
> materials or an entire estate being disposed of.  What the donor wants is
> an estimate of value that can be used for tax purposes when reporting the
> year's worth of donated items.
>         Our museum staff are not allowed to provide evaluations.  The dollar
> amount is probably not high enough to find and hire a professional shell
> dealer to do an evaluation.  Any suggestions from those of you more
> experienced in the financial aspects of the shell business as to how to
> handle such a case?
>         Thanks in advance for any advice.  Joan
>
> J.Jass, Zoology Section, Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee WI 53233