Patty Jansen wrote, "One thing I haven't heard in this discussion, is for collectors to volunteer in a museum to curate their own collection. Then at least, everyone knows what those cryptic labels mean." One example that comes to mind is Bryan Cooney, a Texas bandmaster and fossil collector who retired, moved to Colorado, and volunteered to work on the collections of the Department of Geology at the Colorado School of Mines. After a couple of years, they valued his services so well that he was hired as a part-time Assistant Curator. He hasn't stopped collecting (I hosted him on an Alabama collecting trip awhile back), but the specimens go directly into the Mines collections these days. But I think Patty's right. Most people tend to hang onto their collections until it's too late. Incidentally, I don't see anything wrong with private collectors selling their collections. I do think that museums are the best place for unique material, especially type specimens. Andrew K. Rindsberg Geological Survey of Alabama