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Post by exoticimports on Feb 13, 2015 11:38:17 GMT -8
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Post by timmsyrj on Feb 13, 2015 13:43:32 GMT -8
excellent video, great collection. thanks for raising the thread.
Rich
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2015 16:30:20 GMT -8
Amazing to say the least
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Post by trehopr1 on Feb 14, 2015 0:57:27 GMT -8
Nice video and well executed in its content. However, I know I'm going to sound like a pessimist when I say who did that family consult for an appraisal?? C'mon 5 to 6 million in appraisal worth? Are ya' kidding me.... Does that INCLUDE the building, all the property, AND all those wonderful "air-tight cases" everything is stored in? The video truely is geared toward John Q. Public because any true collector worth his salt would find such lofty remarks laughable. I'm looking at a great many cases exposed to the lights of goose-necked lamps ----- for decades ! ! Does fading come to mind. And how about all those countless road shows the family did over a period of MANY years. Hate to say it but, it shows in the specimens many broken and missing parts. And let's also keep in mind that easily 90 to 95 % of what's there is just common fodder these days. You could probably count the the honest to god "rarities" on your two hands and two feet AT BEST. Extinct things species-wise would probably require only one hand!
Remember that even One Million is a mighty BIG word when it comes to collections of any kind. Yes, maybe not so hard to believe if your talking about art, coins, stamps and other pricey baubles like that. But, natural history artifacts? Insects even? A renewable resource that comes around nearly every year.....
I would say it is admirable that this "labor of love" between a father and his son blossomed as it did. However, what remains of it is a WELL-USED resource now hardly worth putting any real monetary value on.
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Post by suzuki on Feb 14, 2015 3:14:50 GMT -8
An accurate summation.
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Post by politula on Feb 14, 2015 7:02:27 GMT -8
I also have to wonder how 100,000 specimens, not a very large collection, can be worth 6 million. Must include the property.
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Post by timmsyrj on Feb 14, 2015 13:05:03 GMT -8
You'll get a lot of desert for 6 million.
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Post by exoticimports on Feb 16, 2015 6:29:29 GMT -8
Interesting complaints. How can 100,000 specimens be worth $60 each? As noted, it's reasonable to assume that includes the property, which is extensive, and may reduce the value per specimen to $40 each.
From a marketing perspective, US$6million sounds pretty good. I'd rather pay $10 to see a $6million collection than one that's "only" worth $500,000!
As some of you may know, trying to insure a collection is extremely expensive. I cannot fathom what the annual cost for insurance would be on a collection valued at $5million. But the insurance company sure doesn't mind taking the money! Or maybe the family is hoping for a big payoff? Who knows.
On the other hand, what would it cost to replace my specimens? Not just the species but the correct subspecies and perhaps specific island population. Some specimens- even common- are not obtainable commercially because they don't command sufficient price and quantity. So if I had to replace just one silly lycaenid the cost could be well over US$5000. If I had to replace my small (100 drawer FIXED limit) collection, I start by adding up airfare over the last 20+ years, which is well over $500,000. Then throw in lodging, fuel, guides, shipping, licenses, etc. In short if I had to replace my entire collection it would cost over a million dollars. Is it worth a million dollars? No, probably more like $5000-$10,000. But as you can understand, replacement, if even possible, would be outrageously expensive.
From another angle, look at that 100,000 specimen collection. Let's assume it came from 40 countries with 10 shipments per country. Multiply that with the USFWS import fee ($100) and it's 40x10x100 = $40,000 in USFWS fees alone. Double that for export licenses from the source countries and it's $80,000. At this point, one couldn't build a collection like that without using retailers; and since many aren't available from retailers then the cost still stands because there would be all the USFWS fees anyway.
What is the value of an unobtainable specimen? Well, if I lost my holotypes I'd have to appeal to BMNH to give me back my donated specimens. Good luck with that! I'd have to pay someone to break into BMNH and get "my" specimens back. LOL. Or, as previously noted, return to the site of capture at a trip cost of $5000+. So is a holotype of an ugly small butterfly worth $5000?
In any event, I enjoyed how the family has cared for the collection and shared it with the public. It is not well displayed or cared for, but I've seen a lot of collections destroyed by pests, either in the attic or in some local university collection following donation.
Anyway, it was about insects and I enjoyed it.
Have a great day!
Chuck
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Post by bugboys3 on Feb 16, 2015 19:18:58 GMT -8
I enjoyed it too. I remember stopping there many years ago on a family vacation. I also remember talking to the owner at the time about collecting. Can't recall anything specific, but it was a cool place.
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Post by 58chevy on Feb 17, 2015 8:56:30 GMT -8
I have heard there was another May Museum in Florida, with the same giant hercules beetle out front. Has anyone seen it?
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Post by trehopr1 on Feb 17, 2015 9:45:17 GMT -8
The same family moved their traveling exhibition down to Weeki Wachii Springs Florida in the early 1960's. However, humidity plagued the collection constantly. John May apparently installed a de-humidifier and hosed in dry air to combat the issue ---- all to no avail. Things were still being lost to mold so the family again packed up the road show and went back to Colorado. The article I found on the Internet did not state how many YEARS in was in Florida. But, since humidity is every bit as destructive as any dermestids can be I can't imagine it stayed down their very long.
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