BOOKS!
  Start with anything written by R. Tucker Abbott. --his Compendium of Seashells written with Peter Dance is pretty much a must. His Little Golden Book of Seashells is nice small, carryable and is a helpful aid while scanning a beach.
  My own work: SHELLSHOCKED (note the use of capitals) is a pleasant view of what the hobby is all about.
Many shell dealers also have books for sale. be patient.
   Art
>
> From: Erin White <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: 2003/08/17 Sun PM 10:19:05 EDT
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Introduction and Greetings from Long Island, NY
>
> Art, sir:
>
> You certainly sound ominous, and I thoroughly
> believe in Archy, I do (said with appropriately
> somber and respectful demeanor).  The thing I love
> most in life is to try and make room for yet *more*
> books in my little house - I swear, they reproduce
> while my back is turned.  At the risk of listening
> to you, what shell books do you recommend?  I swear
> to adhere to the culture of this list and ignore
> you, I promise.
>
> Tink *~*~*   :-)
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Sunday, August 17, 2003 9:38 pm
> Subject: Re: Introduction and Greetings from Long
> Island, NY
>
> > My dear "Tink";-
> >   You have received some very good advice from
> some very
> > knowledgeable people.
> >   My own advice would be: do NOT buy
> shells---until you have
> > purchased BOOKS. A decent shell library is as
> necessary as an
> > olive in a martini, a cherry in a manhatten, or a
> pointed splinter
> > in a shish ka bob.
> >   The other thing you must learn is that I am the
> one person in
> > this shell community that you should never listen
> to. I lie,
> > invent, misrepresent, and fantacize. For instance:
> just today, I
> > had to go into the basement and inform Archy
> Toothless, my pet
> > giant squid, that people didn't believe in him.
> Tch, tch.
> >   Welcome to the web.
> >     Art
> > >
> > > From: Erin White <[log in to unmask]>
> > > Date: 2003/08/16 Sat PM 08:59:29 EDT
> > > To: [log in to unmask]
> > > Subject: Introduction and Greetings from Long
> Island, NY
> > >
> > > Hello to all at CONCH-L!  I'm very glad to have
> found this list.
> > >
> > > My name is Erin, but my friends call me Tink.  I
> am a fairly
> > newbie shell collector who hails from Long Island,
> New York.  I
> > enjoy the act of shelling because I find it
> soothing and relaxing,
> > and because there is some beautiful stuff to be
> found.  The joy of
> > the hunt can be exhilirating.
> > >
> > > You'd think coming from an Island, I'd have
> found lots of shells
> > here at home, but that is not the case.  The bay
> beaches can yield
> > some snails around the jetties or maybe some clam
> halves, but
> > that's about it here.  I've been going to Sanibel
> the past three
> > summers, and even though it is "off season" for
> shells in the
> > summer, I still find some treasures.
> > >
> > > I'm going to poke in the archives here for a
> while to see what I
> > can learn, but I've got two questions right off
> the bat:
> > >
> > > 1.  I've only ever taken empty shells found on
> the beach, on
> > sand bars, or in the shallows.  I understand from
> reading on the
> > internet that some people will take a live shell.
>  I'm not sure
> > what I think of this.  First, there is the "ick"
> factor of having
> > to pull the animal out of the shell.  Second, I'm
> not sure if it
> > quite sits right with me to kill something just
> because you want
> > it's shell.  Somehow, it just doesn't seem fair.
> I've even seen
> > comments around the internet that would indicate
> to me that it is
> > more of a "find" if the animal is still inside and
> still alive
> > when the shell is found.  So I wanted to ask, what
> does everyone
> > here think, from an ethical point of view, about
> collectors taking
> > live shells?
> > >
> > > 2.  I've noticed that everyone here uses the
> Latin names for
> > shells.  Can anyone reccomend a good internet
> source to look up
> > the Latin names and see pictures?  It's hard to
> know what you are
> > talking about or learn the names myself without
> some sort of
> > reference guide or index to look things up.  What
> is everyone's
> > favorite internet reference, preferably searchable?
> > >
> > > I'm hoping to learn a lot here about my
> relatively new interest
> > in shells.
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > > Tink *~*~*
> > >
> >
> > PLEASE NOTE: My new, long-term, and correct email
> address is:
> > [log in to unmask] Please update your records!
> >
>

PLEASE NOTE: My new, long-term, and correct email address is: [log in to unmask] Please update your records!