Scot,
I have added some comment below in brackets as a contribution to the
discussion. I collect cones.
Warm regards,
Bill Fenzan
Norfolk, Virginia, USA
----- Original Message -----
From: "Scot Lewis" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2012 12:51 AM
Subject: [CONCH-L] Auctions
>I have been collecting 5 decades now, and as I try to grow my private
>collection, it seems that so
> many shells are now "auctioned" and that the prices are escalating
> astronomically. Obviously,
> someone, somewhere, is willing to pay "whatever" to get a specimen shell
> (and frequently, poor
> quality specimens at that).
[I believe that exceptional specimens have always commanded a premium price.
Back in the 18th century, rare shells sold for as much as great art works.
Now, many of the one-time rarities (e.g. Conus gloriamaris) are much easier
to obtain. Some prices are escalating temorarily on auction sites, but if
the supply is high these shell can be bought later for less when demand has
gone down.]
> My question to you all is this now the reality of collecting? Do we need
> to be "independently wealthy"
> to pursue our passion? (Are there alternatives?)
[Since I started buying shells with money earned mowing lawns and I have
never been wealthy, I have tried to find alternatives.. The best one I have
found is to learn about the shells and get to know other collectors,
dealers, and professional malacologists. As a result of learning, I have
been able to find many rare species in the shells at prices I can afford.
Information is available on the internet, at museums, and from other
collectors. At one museum I visited (with an appointment in advance) I was
offered the reprint collection of a scientist which was marked for disposal.
I was lucky, but helped the odds myself by being proactive in seeking out
others with a similar passion.]
> Many of us specialize in specific fauna (species) areas, and can collect
> physically, but for (and I am
> assuming) most of us, the days of "local collecting trips" are getting
> fewer between.
[Most of the time I have been a collector, I have lived far from the species
I like to study. As I have become more specialized, I have found it to be
much easier to buy the shells than collect them myself.]
> How do institutions deal with acquiring new species...
[Few museums send out expeditions to collect shells. A notable exception is
the Paris natural history museum, which actively collects shells. When a
musum has many recently described species, they have usually come from
donations by private collectors. Few museums have funds for purchasing
shells. Even if shells are offered to the musuem for nothing the museum is
compelled to ask for money to curate the specimen. As a consequence of this
and other factors, it is often better to study new species in private
collections. Eventually, these new species may be donated to museums who
will find the space, money, and time to curate them.]
> How much will you pay for a missing specimen?
[I spend thousands of dollars on shells missing from my collection, now. I
also pay in other ways. When offered an expensive shell, I need to enlarge
and enhance images of the shell sent with the offer so they can be compared
with photos I have of type specimens. I also look up the original
description and often other articles about the species in both scientific
and collector literature in order to determine if the identification is
accurate, the data is credible, etc. If I collected just attractive shells,
I would not need to study so hard.]
>
> I am curious as to what you think, I hope to open a broad discussion on
> this...
>
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