Dear all,
 
I am not a shell dealer, but a shell book dealer, but did deal in shells
for a little while. I can understand how people become shell dealers. It
starts off as a hobby and then just grows. I don't think too many go in for
the money (there isn't any in shells anyway), but most go in so that they
can spend all their time with shells, and there's the freedom, too. Being
able to go on trips, and mess around with boats. But then there's the
boring jobs, too. Such as labelling the shells, and packing them.
 
There are two reasons why I don't want to deal in shells anymore. The first
is the ethical thing I won't waste any more cyberspace on.
 
The second reason is that  it's up to you to set the price of a shell.
Which is usually determined by what you paid for it. However, with shells
there is also the question of quality, which is hardly an objective one. of
course, when a shell has an obvious fault and it's normally flawless, but
what about a shell that is from deep water and never comes up in gem
condition?
 
That's why I went into books. The publisher sets the price, and you follow
it. it's neat, clean and books don't stink.
 
Patty
WWW: http://www.capricornica.com
 
Capricornica Publications               on-line natural history bookshop
P.O. Box 345
Lindfield NSW 2070
 
phone/fax: 02 9415 8098 international: +61 2 9415 8098
 
E-mail: [log in to unmask]