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Post by bobw on Dec 2, 2017 23:24:31 GMT
At that time (pre-CITES remember) PNG and the Solomons were mainly former British colonies and quite well collected. The Arfak mountains were little explored so the main colonies of rothschildi had not been discovered.
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Post by nomad on Dec 3, 2017 10:38:24 GMT
I remember a catalogue that I was sent to me by Saruman museum in the late 1970s, it had 2 A.S. Meek O. alexandrae males £100 each, A.S. Meek O. paradisea male £100 and an O. goliath male £180. O. rothschildi was for many years, only known by its type series and this was the situation with O aesacus . Smith's notes with this specimen are " A fine male of O. victoriae regis was bought from John Meredith, Formby, Lanc for 7/6d in 1963". Those was the days of shillings and pence.
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Post by nomad on Dec 3, 2017 11:13:07 GMT
A drawer of Frank's Smith Birdwings. Smith's note added to the O. victoriae epiphanes mentioned " was discovered by R. Straatman in 1965 and this pair was offered to me in November 1971 by Mrs R.H. Morgan at the attractive price of £10, compared to the £40 I had noticed Worldwide Butterflies were asking."
Smith's Ornithoptera priamus euphorion are of interest, his label reads " are both labelled Kuranda, North Queensland, 1903 and at that date there can be no doubt they are classic Frederick P. Dodd specimens. He was famously known as Australia's butterfly man. I bought them for 6/- each from John Meredith in 1963."
Before plastazote all cabinet drawers were lined with paper, this yellowed with age, pin holes showed, stains appeared etc.
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mothman55
New Aurelian
Posts: 33
Country: Canada
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Post by mothman55 on Dec 23, 2017 5:22:02 GMT
A question about the trading of O. alexandrae. Obviously they are protected as endangered and collecting strictly prohibited, but there must be hundreds of them in private collections around the world, as indicated they were not that expensive back in the 1960's. So are the owners of this butterfly not permitted to sell them? Obviously they would fetch a high price and as some collectors may need to cash in for whatever reason, can they not do so, providing they can prove their specimen predates the CITES protection. I know we in Canada are not permitted to import alexandrae other than for scientific study, but couldn't it be sold to someone in the same country, not crossing any borders? I can't imagine they are all being donated to museums. But I don't recall ever seeing them listed for sale anywhere. Just wondering.
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Post by nomad on Dec 23, 2017 10:08:34 GMT
I am often being told that the owners of pre CITES birdwings need permits to have them in their collection. I have recently been told that this is simply not true by several different museum staff who have to know the legal status of specimens. As long as they were collected pre CITES you do not need a permit to own them, however you do need permits to sell them and this includes those species under CITES two, and where you obtain them from I do not know. As for the limited amount of historical O. alexandrae on the market perhaps its because people like to hold onto them, imagine they need permits to own them, and are thus afraid of inquiring after permits to sell them, besides there is a large black market for these birdwings where the more unscrupulous collector can buy them from nefarious dealers.
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Post by exoticimports on Dec 23, 2017 20:32:56 GMT
I remember a Saruman (Paul Smart) catalogue from the 70s. I can't remember the exact prices but I'm pretty sure that O. alexandrae was £98 per pair and all victoriae ssps were about £25 per pair. Conversely, O. croesus lydius and rothschildi were about £750 per pair! Wow! Really...rothschildi cheaper than alexandrae ? Pricing changes. My mentor paid $25 for brookiana in the 1960s. I’ve paid as low as fifty cents and that was retail.
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