The more you know about the shells and the animals the produce them, the more interesting they become, even the common and not so pretty ones! Allen Aigen From: "Paolo G. Albano" <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: overcollecting Date: Thu, 9 Jan 2003 19:47:40 +0100 Sorry to say this since I have some friends which are dealers too, but wouldn't it be an effective way of reducing shell harvesting to avoid buying shells? To obtain ten perfect specimens we see on dealers list probably 100 have been killed and then passed through careful selection by local and western dealers. This is especially true in third world countries. If you, careful and responsible collector, go anywhere to collect it is likely you will kill much less animals than if you buy exactly the same shells of the same quality from a dealer. I strongly support self collecting, whatever method you use most collectors will take much more care than any poor third world fisherman (or greedy "first world" diver), and I am generally annoyed by total bans even if I understand that SOMEwhere and SOMEtimes are a must. I have just finished to read the great Vermeij's book "A natural history of shells". I strongly suggest it to all of you. This book gave me another point of view about shell collecting. Not only just a group of shells put in drawers to admire their beauty and "having fun" giving them names and especially *new* names, but a great way to understand evolution mechanisms, shells distribution, shell form and molluscan behaviour. I think this makes the collector loosing interest in gem specimens and in the desperate search of rare shells, and improves its attempts to understand their life and so Nature in general. Best regards, Paolo Allen Aigen [log in to unmask]