Some questions by a beginner...

[dave r]

Hi Crisboo, welcome to the forum. I will attempt to answer some of your questions.
1/ Yes it is possible but you would have to find a place where they were spawning to find such tiny examples.
2/ Certain families of shells are all 'micros', they are classified along with all the others. Any good local giude will have a chapter or section on the micros but it is a specialised area. There is not much call for them for sale as most people collect locally so they do not go for high prices.
3/ Pilsbryi has covered that in his answer above. But be sure to remove the operculum before you put the shell in bleach as this will dissolve thin corneous opercula.
4/ When beachcombing beware of tides and also strong sunshine, it is surprising how quickly you can get sunburnt with the aid of a sea breeze, wear a hat and tee shirt. Check the local tide tables and aim to get there when the tide is about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way out so you can follow it as it recedes, when it starts to come in again you can walk steadily ahead witout fear of being stranded. A low spring-tide is the best as it goes out farther than normal.
When I go I usually just take some plactic bags and a strong knife plus some small plastic containers. Any specimens I find go into the bags, self-sealing ones are the best, to keep the smell in! The knife is used to prize limpets or oysters off the rocks and the containers are good for puting very small shells or shell grit in, they can then be examined and identified in comfort at home. When you get live shells these are best cleaned of the occupants by boiling for about 5 minutes, this toughens up the tissue making it easier to extract the mollusc with a pin. If it is a periwinkle or mussel etc you can always eat them too! Any parts that remain in the shell will quickly start to decompose and stink to high heaven, flush them out with a jet of water as much as possible then soak in the bleach solution. Let them dry in a warm place and plug the aperture tightly as far in as you can with cotton wool, this should eliminate any smells.
I hope this has been helpful, any other questions, just ask.
Would you be interested in exchanging shells? I would love some of the Limpets etc that live in your part of the world.
Dave