This offer is about a natural seashell, please take your time and read the entire text below in full length: you will find a short INTRODUCTION, a full DESCRIPTION of the item for sale, and TECHNICALITIES about myself as well as what is called the red tape, that is CONDITIONS of sale. If in doubt about any details, please contact me. Please refer to the title for size and identification, the item is being sold as is, nature has produced this shell, I can't make it any larger or better.
Introduction:
Seashells
have always been closely connected with human civilisation, we find
them in prehistoric sites around the world, sometimes merely utilitarian
(they make great cups and spoons) and quite often used as ornaments for
the living as well as the dead such as demonstrated in Mesoamerican
cultures. We equally meet them in Classical Mythology maybe best known
representing the Birth of Venus (a bivalve of course) as in modern
culture making testament to their enduring interest right to present
times, the Delta of Venus I mean, and that is indeed a powerful image of
which the connoisseur knows that a gastropod is being referred to. I am
spanning millennia but there is much to say about curio cabinets filled
by the rich and powerful with valuable naturalia like those still
preserved in public collections housing treasures from Wittelsbach
family, and we know that Nautilus cups have been fashionable drinking
vessels adorning the tables at the most exuberant festivities the Medici
family have ever hosted. And of course there are the Dutch famous for
their trade and wealth and good taste, they became notorious for the
tulip fever paying staggering prices for these plants, but there also
was what I may call a Shell Fever in those times when beautiful exotic
species like Thatcheria mirabilis would fetch easily amounts that
by today would be more than enough to acquire an apartment with Central
Park View. I mention all this to say that you are indeed dignified as a
collector dedicating your interest to seashells, but there is more to
it and now I want to make my point: after all we are dealing here with
natural resources produced by living animals and that puts us in
responsability. My answer is simple, Yes, I do love shells, and Yes, I
want to keep a low impact in the environment, making an active effort to
preserve and protect the Sea, and study the ecosystem giving us more
knowledge and better understanding of life under water. Myself, call me
Andrew, coming from a family of three generations passionately dedicated
to shell collecting, now want to share the immense wealth of well
preserved and meticulously documented material by announcing them here
at ebay in two different places called gisela-gastropods and gisela-bivalves
thus complying with highest professional standards. All shells listed
are preowned, old collection as we say, acquiring them makes no impact
on nature, and you can silence any critics by pointing to this fact. In
addition, sparkling the interest in seashells makes us knowledgeable
guardians of the Seas, and we want to see healthy populations in
undisturbed natural habitat.
Description:
Certificate M408-B01-A5/r31
1. Identification: Argonauta nodosa (Lightfoot, 1786), near Port Alfred, South Africa, in 70m depth, ex coll. Pastor, live taken specimen shell.
2. Description: Edward Weston made the Nautilus immortal back in 1927, I honestly don't aspire to equal him, but I would say the Argonaut is a shell that easily equals the Nautilus for beauty. Incredibly long wings make this an outstanding shell and maybe this one should be called 'ssp. alata' for showing this feature to perfection. Wings are only rarely preserved on these extremely fragile shells, and a specimen like that is literally a catch one in a million. Probably no conchologist can resist the urge to add a few Nautilus and Argonauts to his collection, an unrelated subject of course by their very nature, but does it help? Here is a delightful piece from South Africa which is a priced specimen for its beauty which includes glossy surface with crisp detail, this is definitely a live taken beauty from medium depth in costal waters, and my piece was formerly in the famous Pastor collection; impossible to obtain from this location any more. A beauty even by the highest standards, this is a fantastic specimen, indeed. I will provide an extra strong container box to guarantee safe shipping, this counts for the extra postage expenses; in my opinion well worth the additional effort, and as you know, box and packing is free of course and I only charge part of the actual shipping expenses.
I have already prepared an extra strong container box to guarantee safe shipping. PLEASE UNPACK WITH UTMOST DELICACY, THE ARGONAUTA IS AS THIN AS A SHEET OF PAPER AND EXTREMELY FRAGILE.
Technicalities:
Your satisfaction is my top priority: adding a new shell to your collection is not just pressing the 'Buy It Now' bottom, if it were that easy anybody could do it. In the first place a knowledgable collector studies any interesting offer in full depth, that includes revising the status of the taxon name (you might have the very same species already under a synonym), checking size and quality (it's a good idea to have a calliper on hand and see how large it is) and of course contrast any intended purchase against shells published in reference books and online collections and other offers you may find on the internet. Doing this in depth might be a lengthy process but I assure you it is the most rewarding way you can spend your time, and here I am to assist you. First of all I publish each shell with the actual label and a total of 12 photos taken from all angles. I use a digital camera, natural daylight and a very soft flash which helps to bring out surface details which otherwise might be unnoticeable: I never use AI or any enhancing, you get the picture just as it comes from the camera, and that puts you in a privileged position when judging the quality of any piece on offer. In addition I do a short description of each shell which sometimes includes subjects like provenance and actual health of populations as well as data from personal travels and other bits of shell talk that come to mind and which I hope you find interesting or at least worth reading. If you eventually decide on a purchase then I guarantee to send exactly the piece as illustrated in the corresponding offer, I will never switch or substitute shells, and I will do extremely safe packing which includes a foam box, very lightweight, extremely resistant albeit a bit costly but in this case safety first in international shipping. I will entrust all parcels within 48 hours of payment confirmed to post office and I use registered airmail with tracking number. All this I consider a 5***** service and after that its up to you: make sure to check the registration number and be available for signing on receipt, unpack carefully and check your purchase against your ebay invoice, and of course ENJOY your new treasure. Please do contact me about anything concerning shells via ebay message and do not hesitate to ask for more information, additional photos or any problem concerning shells, I will always be available to assist you individually and in full detail. Taking all these steps and precautions I am confident you will be satisfied with your purchase and place your confidence with me again in the future, and that would be my reward, placing my shells in your hands to be enjoyed by a new generation of collectors.
Citado
de EBAY: POLÍTICA SOBRE CANCELACIÓN DE PEDIDOS
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Usted
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El/los
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Información
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https://www.ebay.es/help/buying/buyers-can-cancel-order/buyers-can-cancel-order?id=4004
DERECHO
DE DESISTIMIENTO
Usted
puede cancelar su compra en cualquier momento dentro de un plazo de
14 días sin necesidad de justificación, siempre que el/los
artículo(s) se devuelve(n) sin haber sufrido desperfectos de una
manipulación incorrecta por su parte. El requisito previo para una
devolución es que el producto esté intacto.
La
devolución de(l)/los artículo(s) se realizará utilizando la misma
embalaje en la que el/los artículo(s) ha(n) sido entregado(s).
Pido
que usted tomen contacto conmigo, SIEMPRE mediante la mensajería
interna de Ebay, antes de realizar la devolución.
Usted
debe devolver el/los artículo(s) intacto en un plazo de 14 días a
partir de la fecha del desistimiento.
Se
reembolsará el pago recibido, portes incluidos.
POLÍTICA
DE PRIVACIDAD
Ebay
me comunicará su dirección postal, incluido su número de teléfono,
para poder enviarle el/los artículo(s) que usted, el COMPRADOR, ha
adquirido.
El
requisito previo para el envío del artículo comprado es la
dirección postal del COMPRADOR. Por lo tanto, tan pronto como usted
haya pagado el/los artículo(s), Ebay me comunicará su dirección
postal, incluido su número de teléfono, para poder enviarle el/los
artículo(s) que usted, el COMPRADOR, ha adquirido. El/los
artículo(s) que ha comprado siempre se le enviarán con un número
de seguimiento; para ello, su dirección postal, incluido su número
de teléfono, deberá estar registrada en el albarán de entrega de
la empresa de transporte autorizada. Por la presente, usted acepta
esto. Aparte de su dirección postal, incluido su número de
teléfono, Ebay no me proporciona ningún otro dato personal suyo.
En
ningún caso (salvo el uso descrito anteriormente para crear el
albarán de entrega con la empresa de transporte autorizada) pondré
a disposición de otros terceros su dirección postal o su número de
teléfono ni facilitaré información sobre el/los artículo(s) que
usted ha adquirido.
Plazos
de conservación:
De
acuerdo con la normativa vigente, su dirección postal, incluido su
número de teléfono, así como información sobre el/los artículo(s)
que usted ha comprado, debo archivarlos de forma segura dentro del
plazo legalmente requerido como parte de mis obligaciones contables.
Por la presente, usted acepta esto.