Some comments from contributors to the ENTOMO-L listserver regarding
natural history (entomological) collection appraisals, fyi. Peter
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Date: Fri, 2 Sep 1994 15:24:25 -0400
From: [log in to unmask] (Robert E Lewis)
Subject: [[log in to unmask] (Robert E Lewis): Insect Appraisal]
X-Comment: Entomology Discussion List
------- Forwarded Message
Date: Fri, 02 Sep 94 10:35:46 +0200
From: [log in to unmask] (Robert E Lewis)
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Insect Appraisal
Dear Mike;
The IRS has made such a botch of things involving the donation of
natural history specimens to museums and educational institutions
that most are reluctant to get involved. As curator of the Iowa
State Insect Collection I have had occasion to do a bit of this
kind of work over the years, though I am not offering my
services. If you are dealing with insects, the scale slides
upward, depending upon the condition of the material, with
mounted, unlabeled and unidentified specimens at the bottom, and
spread or otherwise specially prepared (microscope slides, etc.)
material that has been identified by a specialist at the top.
Also, exotic material may be worth quite a bit more than local,
common species, especially if taken on expeditions, by
specialists. I work with fleas and these have to be specially
prepared and mounted before they can be identified with
certainty. This requires a lot of time by the time the labels
are printed and the slides are ready for curation. Thus, a
local, pinned, fly specimen with the minimum of collection data
may be worth only a few cents, while a paratype of a new species
of flea from Afghanistan, identified and labeled as well as
mounted, is worth a few dollars. In any case, the IRS will not
accept an appraisal from the recipient institution if the
donation is very large. I suggest that you write them and ask
for guidelines, not that they are likely to be very realistic if
they respond at all. So be it. What with the Lacey Act, natural
history specimens in general will soon be a thing of the past!
Good luck.
R. E. Lewis
Entomology - Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-3222
Voice: (515) 294 1815
Fax: As above or (515) 294 5957
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
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Date: Fri, 2 Sep 1994 16:23:22 -0400
From: "Charles V. Covell Jr." <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: [[log in to unmask] (Robert E Lewis): Insect Appraisal]
X-Comment: Entomology Discussion List
Dept. of Biology, Univ. of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292
PHONE: (502) 852-6771
This subject is an important one, since much of the important field
work in entomology is done by "advanced amateurs" and donations of
specimens to museum and other research collections provides an other-
wise unavailable source of material. I have never had any material
appraised, as donations from my old private collection have always
been under the $5K limit. I have used Howard Weems' "worksheet" and
then used the percentage of the total value down at the bottom of
the sheet to reduce that total some so it was not too generous. The
American Museum of Nat. Hist. had a form once, and may still have.
It tended to be less generous to the donor than the FSCA form, at
least when I used to get the one Dr. Fred Rindge would use. How
about others? Does the Florida form still get wide use? Charlie C.
Date: Fri, 2 Sep 1994 16:44:22 -0400
From: "Richard L. Brown" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Insect donation appraisals
X-Comment: Entomology Discussion List
I use a modified FSCA form for appaising donations, of which the
larger are spread over several years to keep under the 5K limit.
For citable (though conservative and pre-inflated) estimates for
preparation costs for
specimens, see "Guidelines for Acquisition and Management of Biological
Specimens," edited by Welton L. Lee et al (1982), Assoc. Systematics Coll.
Costs per specimen given in this reference include pinned insect
($1.20-1.50), slide ($2.50-4.50), vial with preservative ($1.50-2.50).
Any appraisal should be defendable, and there should be no problem in
defending an appraisal of $10.00 for a genitalia slide or $3.00 or more for a
labeled specimen on a double mount.
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