Hello everyone, after a fairly tough time and many personal dificulties, I am returning to the list and life in general. In reference to the on-going discussions about dealers and such I have found that personally I would never buy a shell unless I can touch it, feel it, look at it checking for alterations and such. Having met and dealt with the Lipes I can persoanlly attest that they are the most helpful, straightforward shellers I have ever met. Not only will they provide a customer with a quality product be it a specimem or gear to collect specimens, they will give tips and help one find the most appropriate equipment for their task, not necessarily the most expensive. Spend a few minutes with them and you'll realize their love of mollusks and the hunt. Last but not least I am looking for others in the South Florida area to plan expeditions in the fall and winter to collect mollusk fossils and otherwise scour the beaches from Goodland North to the Panhandle for live specimens. I do not have reliable transportation at this time so I am looking to team up with others. Yes, I know there are very good shell clubs in Dade and Broward but I work nights and can't make regular meetings. I can plan trips in advance and I'm looking for others who want to have some fun this winter and possibly plan and create some interesting exhibits for the 2001 - 2002 shell shows. I have an idea for a live exhibit. Interested parties e-mail me at <[log in to unmask]> rather than the list. Any future visitors to the So. Fla. area please contact me for suggestions or other assistance. It's good to be back.....good tidings (pun intended) Michael Huggins, Sunrise FL ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com