1- Quality indicators of shells included in my trade lists
I´m not too demanding with the quality of shells I like to receive in my shells trades. In fact, I´m not in favor of giving a grade or quality value (the famous F+/F++ o G) to my shells. Nevertheless, I´m aware of ascribing a quality value to shells is very useful when you need to get an idea about the characteristics of that shell that somebody is offering you.
I have used in the trade lists that you will find in this Web, the worldwide standard indicators of quality. Nevertheless since the interpretation of such quality categories is subject to a certain degree of subjectivity, I think I must clarify what I want to say through them. So you will have a much clearer view of the specimens that I can send you when we make a trade. First of all, I defend the idea that having a little damaged shell is always rather than not to have it. I don´t like to reject a shell due to it has been beach-collected. I save nearly all the specimens which I find although I always inform about all the quality conditions before possible exchanges. I hate somebody feels disappointed in me because of the shells I sent were poorer than expectations. These are "my" quality categories:
G - Gem shell; F++ - Shell with a hardly noticeable defect; F+ - Shell with a very little significant damage; F - Shell with a more or less marked damage (lip nicks, predation holes, broken or eroded apexes ...); Good - Shell with some clearly perceptible damages, so it only can be considered as a representative example of the species; Beach (before whichever of the former categories)- Beach-collected shell, commonly dead and/or eroded; W/O- With operculum.
2- Material I can offer you for trading
When we agree about the terms of a shells trade, all species you have asked for are inmediately saved for you and so, they are removed from my trade lists in order to they are not available for further simultaneous trades. Then I´d send you as soon as possible a parcel containing the requested specimens and a detailed description of the data collection of each species (collector, place and date of collection and ecology). Except for some species which I only have one available specimen of, I´ll send you at least 2 specimens of each requested shell if you don´t suggest something different (you will find the number of available specimens for each of my duplicated shells in the right column of the Web trade lists).
I usually exchange "one per one", that is to say, if you want to receive 30 species from my trade list, I´ll ask you for other 30 species from yours. Sometimes we may try to achieve an equilibrium for the trade through the number of specimens of each species. For example: you want to receive 100 specimens coming from 30 different species, and I only want 20 species from your trade lists; well, you can send me 100 specimens of those 20 species.
Although I don´t like to assign an economical value to my shells, we may carry out a different method of exchange but only as an exception by giving prices to our shells. So, if you ask me for 100 euros´ worth of shells (20 specimens x 5 euros each, for example), I could ask you for 100 euros´ worth of shells too (50 specimens x 2 euros each, for example). Nevertheless, I have to insist that I think it´s even immoral to "value" shells, therefore I suggest we make our trade avoiding any kind of valuations.
3- Material I´d like to receive
As I told you before, I´m not specially demanding with the quality of requested shells although fine shells are always the best, Arent´t you?. However, I like to be previously informed about all shell conditions I´m going to receive, so If I decide to ask you for an eroded or beached shell, I´ll do it deliberately because I have been previously informed. I like to receive at least 2 specimens of each requested in order to have some extra shells for further trades, even more if they are available. For very polymorphous species (Neritidae, Chlamys, Conus, Chrysallis........), it´s always nice to receive as many shape and colour patterns as possible. For species with sexual dymorphism, I also like to have both the male and the female forms.
Since my collection has been designed over a scientific basis, I appreciate a lot that all received species are accompanied by a detailed description about their collection (collector, place and date of collection and ecology).
To sum up, the material that you will send me should meet some of the following requirements (all if possible):
- to contain some extra specimens for further trades
- to indicate the quality of shells, and
- to enclose the full data description of the shells
