Where do seashell stores get their shells?

[paul monfils]

Some mollusks are farmed, but not the ones with the most beautiful shells, which are of most interest to collectors.  Some mollusks are collected specifically for their shells, but many others are by-products of the fishing industry.  Either they come up in nets intended to catch fish, or in many cases they are collected specifically to be eaten, and their shells are then sold.  In many parts of the world, only a few species of mollusks are usually eaten.  But in other parts of the world, just about anything that comes out of the ocean may be eaten, and the shells then sold to wholesalers, who in turn sell them to retailers, who sell them to collectors.  Live-taken shells are usually in the best condition.  Once the animal has died, and its shell has been rolled around in the ocean waves, buffeted by sand and rocks, then thrown up onto a beach where it fades in the sun, the shell is not of much interest to collectors.