Hi Martin, Speaking for myself, I fill orders in the order I receive them, and I select the best specimen I have in stock to fill the order I am filling. Sounds simple, but of course "best specimen" is often a largely subjective matter. Sometimes I just can't decide which specimen to send because one is more colorful but another has an interesting pattern, while a third is large and has a nice shape. In the end, my final criterion is - which specimen would I most like to have in my own collection? If customers make special demands/requests regarding size, color, or other characteristics, I try to accomodate them as much as possible, but I also let them know that the largest (or most brightly colored, or spiniest) specimen I have may not be the best quality specimen overall. Paul M. Northeast Natural History Imports Rhode Island