It is interesting to see everyone's first shelling experiences.
 
I was fortunate to live in Jamaica for two years (1975-77)and took up scuba diving.  I found this a fascinating hobby, and soon began to see the shells.  They were so varied and beautiful that I started collecting them, with no particular long term interest in mind.  However, I found that I had accumulated over 200 different species from the island.
 
When I returned home to England I thought it would be fun to combine two hobbies.  Like many young children I once collected stamps, and decided to look into shells on stamps.  At that time there were virtually no lists of shells stamps available (Tom Rice's lists and the American Topical Association booklets were helpful), but it was mainly a question of trawling through catalogues.  I now have accumulated a huge collection of shell stamps, and also try to obtain at least one example of all the shells that are shown on stamps.
 
This hobby has expanded beyond my wildest dreams, and my listing "Collect Shells on Stamps" has been published by Stanley Gibbons on England.  My introduction to the Internet almost two years ago has led to many new contacts with similar interests, and the shell listings are growing every day as I hear about more stamps with shells somewhere on them, albeit very small or stylised.
 
So if there are any Conch-Lers who also collect stamps with shells, do get in touch with me.  It is a great way to learn more about shells, and not too expensive to purchase the great majority of the many thousands of stamps that show some kind of mollusc (yes, there are many nudibranchs, octopus and squid on stamps, not just the animals with hard shells).
 
Tom Walker
Reading, England (I agree that it is a great idea that the origin of members is quoted).