Dear Andrew and other Conchlers,

as it seems that I can't reach conch-l specially for you and the other conchlers. Please distribute
this message. Thanks
It seems that I can connect conch-l right now. So I send it again this e-mail.

I didn't sell our private collection, this was only an April-fool which we are used to do in Austria.
This is an old use and we are glad to practise it.
There is no conflict between our private collection and the museums collection as I didn't enrich
my collection with the material of the museum. Instead I donated lot of my material to the museum
and for tradings of shells, which went to the museums collection, I used our private collection
not to make the museums collection smaller. That what you can ask also Dr. Tarmann, the
collecting manager or curator (or which term you use in America) of the natural history department
of the Tiroler Landesmuseum. In our private collection we only keep self collected material from
our excursions or that material, we've traded for us. But also from this material shells are going
to the museum. I don't think commercially, so I would never sell our collection. This material is
later going to the museum, but not yet, as we have full of pleasure with it.
I hope that nobody feel that I will enrich me myself, all this I am doing for the museum.
with best shelling greetings and hope to hear from you again as soon as possible
Helmut from Innsbruck

Helmut Nisters wrote,

"after having counted my totallity of specimens (about 2300 species in 160
000 specimens) and
after having revised the database of our private shell collection (European
inland-shells and
Mediterranea seashells) I've sold my collection todays for about $ 10
000.--.
What do you think about this.
As I am working for the museum in Innsbruck again, I'll stay further on
conch-l to have contact with you all and will do further tradings, where it
is possible to do.
with best regards. More later
Helmut from Innsbruck
Helmut "Helix" Nisters"

I'd say that Helmut has solved the conflict between curating a public
collection while building up a private collection in a novel way. Helmut,
do you plan to continue collecting on a private basis, or will you now
devote all your conchological energies to the Museum?

Andrew K. Rindsberg
Geological Survey of Alabama