She Collects Seashells by the Seashore (and Sometimes on EBay)

An Essential Guide to Collecting Seashells

Summertime means the beach. And we all know what most people go to the beach to look at, right? Of course, seashells! Collecting seashells can be not only fun, but lucrative. Of course, it certainly helps if you live near the ocean, but it’s not exactly required. After all, collecting seashells couldn’t be lucrative if there wasn’t somebody somewhere who bought them. Having lived near the water all my life, I really don’t understand the appeal of the beach. I’m sure those who’ve lived in the mountains all their lives feel exactly the same way about the mountains. It’s always amazed me how much people are willing to pay for shells that they can get for free just by walking along the coastline. But then again, they don’t live near the coastline year round. Of course, ideally when you begin collecting seashells you should start off with the ones that appeal to you. There are many different kinds of seashells and not everybody finds the same shells equally attractive. Of course, as with any collectible item, there are superstars.

The number one star in the world of collecting seashells are the conches and other conical shells. For one thing, when these kinds of shells are undamaged, they tend to be extraordinary, almost as if they were hand painted with their magnificent colors. Perfect specimens of cone shells have sold to collectors for—get ready—thousands of dollars! Don’t get too excited, however. A shell that once sold for a record 2500 bucks was resold years later at loss for just 700 dollars.

Another very popular shell for collectors are the cowries. These are egg-shaped shells that are home to marine snails. Cowries are popular for a number of reasons, but mostly because they have a hard, smooth shell that gives off a polished glow. In fact, these shells are often thought to be so shiny as a result of human intervention; sometimes they are lacquered to give them an extra sheen, but usually that’s the way they come. Another reason for their popularity is that they have striking an unusual patterns that really catch the eye.