It is man's inborn nature to collect, whether it be rocks, shells, coins, stamps, cars, or baseball cards. We all collect. We always have. It's part of being human. We find procuring, sorting, identifying, cataloguing, and trading of items we find dear to us, and quite satisfying.

There are almost as many reasons for collecting shells as there people collecting them: many people simply admire the endless beauty and variety of shells (a large collection can have up to 30,000 species!), while others collect more for scientific reasons - there is still a great deal to learn from and about the shells of the world, and well-documented collections are of great value to science, even today! The collection and study of shells, whether by amateurs or professionals, is called Conchology.

Note There are many good guides to shell collecting at on the WWW...If you have other questions, you can contact me and I will get you in touch with a reputable shell person in your country if possible. You may also want to visit my Links Page on Shell Collecting.