Okay, more coins for shells. My first purchase was from Eisenberg's
"Collector's Cabinet" in New York City. In fact I still have the catalog
and many prices are still the same. A Tibia fusus was $15 and an Epitonium
scalare was $10 (both pretty close to today's value) but a Cypraea hesitata
was $3 and a 7 inch Haliotis corrugata was $2 ( both a bit low compared to
today). The real kicker (because I still don't have one) was the Murex
cervicornis which was $3!!! Sarah's strawberry tops are listed at 50
cents. The catalog is dated 1971.
Tom Eichhorst in New Mexico, USA