I was just leafing through an old shell price catalog published by
Walter Webb, circa 1950.  Since things are rather slow on Conch-L at the
moment, I thought you might like a small sampling of his price listings
. . . . . .

Cassis tenuis                 $2.50  (Cypraecassis tenuis)
Buccinum glaciale             $ .50
Neptunea decemcostata         $1.00
Murex adunca                  $1.00
Murex pecten                  $2.00
Murex plorator                $1.00
Murex regius                  $1.00
Murex troscheli               $2.50
Cassis plicata                $2.50  (Cassis fimbriata)
Conus bullatus                $5.00
Conus floccatus              $12.00
Conus orbignyi                $1.00
Conus gubernator              $1.50
Conus sieboldi                $1.50
Conus spectrum                $1.00
Conus auratus                 $3.00
Voluta musica                 $2.50
Voluta brasiliana             $3.00
Voluta musica                 $2.00
Voluta vexillum               $3.00  (Harpulina arausiaca)
Voluta lyriaeformis           $2.50
Cypraea decipiens             $3.50
Cypraea tessellata            $2.00 to $5.00
Cypraea ventriculus           $1.50
Strombus galeatus             $2.00
Megalatractus proboscidifera  $5.00 to $10.00 (Syrinx aruanus)
Vasum cassidiformis           $1.50
Xenophora pallidula           $2.50

The following are listed as "Very Rare - P.O.R.":

Voluta virescens
Cypraea leucostoma (Cypraea teulerei)
Murex clavus  (Pterynotus elongatus)
Halia priamus  (Ampulla priamus)

How times change!

Paul M.