Newbie Checks In

[Cap'n Rob]

Ahoy,

My name is Rob

And . . .

I'm a Conch Pearl-aholic. (ok, I feel better now).

It all started 'bout 7 years ago, when I saw and purchased my very first one in Treasure Cay. I've been buyin them up from local fishermen, ever since.

Ya see . . .

Most folks call me Cap'n Rob 'cause I've been winter sailin the Caribbean over the past 6 years.

Problem is . . .

I don't know that much about pearls. Only that I lust after em.

My wife of 30 + years "the golden-haired-goddess", says I gotta sell off some of em. (somethin to do with our kid's tuition and living expeses, I 'spect. So, a couple weeks ago I sold my first one on ebay. (I put it into a ring first).

Been reading your forum for a couple months now and figured I'd join up.

You guys can teach me alot and I promise to give you some thoughtful reflection before posting.

I'll be a "landlubber" this season (family illness prevented this winter's crossing) so I'll be 'round awhile.

I've got a few rings and pendants on ebay now and will try to post a couple shots of pearls on this site. (I'm gonna put a $200 per ct reserve on them when I auction them off).

Anyways . . .

Thanks for allowing me membership to your site.

And . . .

Best to ya's,

Cap'n Rob
Porgybay.com

 

[Valeria101]

Hi & Welcome!

Good to know about the sale, but... I believe you have way more learning to share on this mostly informational forum then an ad

Fort starters, how about the size an origin of the conch pearls you are familiar with? You wrote on your website that most such pearl are '3mm or less' ... Does this apply to a certain area and circumstances in which these pearls are found? The conch pearls that make-it into jewelry are rarely so small... I had no idea tiny ones are even being harvested at all

Perhaps the most important things to know about the origin of conch pearl are those I don't know to ask for! So feel free to digress, by all means

 

[Cap'n Rob]

The favor of your reply

The favor of your reply

Hi Valeria!

Thanks for noticing me enter your B&G.

The info I quoted on my web site, wasn't sumthin I made up. I did a bit of studyin on it.

After visiting the islands for 7 years (last 5 in my own boat), the GHG and I have met many of the locals. (Bahamas, Virgins, Turks and even Cuba). All the pearls on my web site were purchased from fishermen in the Caribbean.

The good news is - Many (as in several) were offered to me these past 2 years.

The bad news is - The conch fishermen I bargain with, are finding less conchs and as a result, far fewer new pearls.

The big one "Snow White" on porgybay.com, I just picked up a couple months ago as payment for a past due debt. With fuel prices rising and tourism down . . . as Cheech & Chong told us, "things are tough - allover"!

Now . . .

Since you're a senior expert at this stuff, can you tell me this?

How do I remove a330 epoxy from pearls and settings and my nose, after it's hardened? (could be worse. I've already progressed passed elmers and super-glue)

Best to ya dear,

Cap'n Rob

 

[Valeria101]

Now . . .

Since you're a senior expert at this stuff, can you tell me this?

How do I remove a330 epoxy ...

NOO! The words blow the tag line on this forum are... for fun. They depend on how long one has been posting here.

If you look, almost every poster is labeled a 'pearl expert' - some are, but that's not the point. I'm not.

Now, there has been a bunch of discussion already about removing pearls from settings and various types of epoxy glues. If nothing of the existing Q&A helps, I sure hope the question gets noticed.

 

[Caitlin]

Hi Rob
This post got by me when it went up.

Are these your conch pearls? http://search.ebay.fr/_W0QQsassZtrysttri

Do you have a more English page?

And pardon my askin' but wazz wit da dialog? It sounds like a persona you are cultivating.

As Valeria101 said earlier, just telling us stories about each of your conch pearls and putting up some pictures would greatly enhance the conch section of our website. Not to mention make a permanent record of your treasures for the future to see- and your stories would be here for your grandkids- so to speak.......

No need to sell out loud; a lot of people will see everything you write and will contact you on their own.

 

[Cap'n Rob]

Ebay Listing

Ebay Listing

Hi Caitlin,

Yep, the link you posted was to some of my pearls. "Tryst" is the name of our trimaran.

Although I have a web site with pictures and information on it porgybay.com is a small harbor in Bimini), I'll tell you a story here, that you won't find on the web site - to keep from sounding so much like a salesman.

Four years back when we were cruising the Abaco islands and visiting with the natives, my wife and I met an interesting chap we named "hole-in-the-boat man".

We called him that because his 6 foot boat had a hole in it. He would paddle out to the banks and dive for conchs and lobster, bailing as he went. We bought 2 pearls from him on two different trips. (I try to train them locals to hang onto any pearls they can find - until my twice yearly visits).

Well anyways . . .

One day while we were at the docks of the Blue Water Marina, he paddled up to the T-head with a very large sea turtle, in the boat with him.

Turtles are highly prised for their meat and shell. Although illeagle to hunt in many areas, I've never seen it affect any of the local's, fishing habits.

He was offering to sell the turtle to the people (locals and cruisers) at the marina. I was down below in my boat trying to fix something (spend lots of time doing that stuff) when my wife of 30 years (the golden-haired-goddess), rushed over to offer me her plea.

"Give me 50 bucks, quick!" she demanded. As I handed her the cash, I asked her what it was for. She then told me 'bout the turtle. It was still alive, laying on it's back.

I told her, "ain't no problem with the money honey, but this doesn't sound like something you'd usually do. You'd usually try to bargain with him!"

So, my ghg ran down to hole-in-the-boat man's boat, with 30 bucks in her hand and a 20 tucked into her swim suit. After a bit of pleading and persistant negotiation, the deal was made. 30 bucks!

When hole-in-the-boat-man asked, "what do you want me to do with the turtle"? GHG responded, "Throw it over the side"!

We all watched with glee, as the turtle swam quickly away from it's captor.

And that's my sea turtle story for ya.

I sometimes wonder if hole-in-the-boat-man, didn't catch and resell the turtle again after we sailed outta the harbor.

Best to ya,

Cap'n Rob

 

[Cap'n Rob]

Personas?

Personas?

Caitlin - et al

As fer developing “personas”, it ain’t somthing in the developing stage at all. It’s already been proofed and printed.

Ya see . . .

I was a stockbroker (E. F Hutton) in the early 70’s – and wore a 3 piece suit. In 1978, I started my own computer business (3 years before IBM came out with the PC) – I wore polo shirts and shorts/slacks along with occaisional ties.

After retiring at age 50, I now spend most of my time in shorts/swimtrunks and T-shirts. Today, my primary vocation is one of cruising the Caribbean and seeking out new uncharted adventures. (Swimming with dolphins and Flirting with them mermaids).

My wife, was a big time Radio Advertising Sales Rep. – wearing designer outfits and having weekly hair-cuts and manicures. Today, she is the “Golden-Haired-Goddess” and spends much of her time wearing swimming suits with cute cover-ups.

In all of us, lies many “personas”! As them reincarnation folks may have it wrong - This may be our only time up to bat!

Yep, there was a time when I was a three-piece suit guy. Another time I was MR Hi-Tech. Today I am “Cap’n Rob". But all these are personas are of the same person. And, Cap’n Rob, is my favorite, by far.

I hope you don’t feel trapped into the persona forced upon you by your job and peers. For we all have within, a secular soul, that is often hidden from those around us. As time and circumstance allows, you to can become a goddess! (or lounge singer, comedien, etc).

Cap’n Rob, is a lover of beauty, sea creatures and life. He has no pretensions or uppitiness about him and considers himself no better or worse than any of his fellow men. "Politicall Correct" is only a double-speak term, to me. By using dialogue that is both common yet colorful, I attempt to converse in an honest yet humorous fashion. (‘cause these days, If you don’t have a good sense of humor – your doing somthin wrong!)




Best to ya,

Cap’n Rob

 

[Caitlin]

Hi Rob
I looked at your eBay offerings. You really have quite a collection of conch pearls and I hope you find the perfect venue to sell them. They are worthy of every bit of effort you put into realizing those prices.

I honestly did not care for the settings, especially those with man made diamonds. I don't think any of those settings does the pearls justice for their rarity. In fact, the buyer is really just getting the pearl; the rest is staging, rather cheesy staging, in fact. (Kind of like the Cap'n dialog, eh?)

I am positive you can get better closeups of the conch pearls in better light. Selling them for the prices you want, is serious business and you really need to get one of your non-technologically challenged children (for instance) to take the pictures with their camera phones. Almost anything would be better than the picture you have now.

I also notice you forgo the Cap'n Rob dialog and persona in your eBay descriptions. That is just as well.

Now that you are in Austin, are you going for the Drugstore Cowboy persona? I am ribbing you mercilessly, but I really do care that you do a good job of marketing those pearls!

As for the (pseudo-Jungian?) philosophy, lets just say that authenticity is harder than a persona to achieve, but it is worth it.

 

[Cap'n Rob]

Is the an echo in here?

Is the an echo in here?

Caitlin,

Is there and echo in here?

I stated I took pictures that came out dark when transferred to ebay and your web site couldn?t handle the file size. I asked for suggestions. ? Your reply was that my pictures were terrible and I should use a camera phone.

On each of my ebay listings, I noted that my settings were simple and relatively cheap. I stated that they did nothing to augment the true beauty of my pearls. ? You then posted that you didn?t like my settings and they didn?t suit the pearls.

Now you keep attacking me via my ?Cap?n Rob? persona.

Well . . .

As Captain of the Boat, I?ve crossed the Atlantic twice. I?ve sailed to Cuba and logged thousands of miles sailing the Caribbean. Some of that was single handed.

The President and Head of Tourism in the Bahama?s call me Captain Rob. So does my Congressman and the US Coast Guard.

What, may I ask is ?unauthentic? about signing my name as Cap?n Rob.

My shortening of Captain to Cap?n shows my lack of pomposity regarding the title. I chuckle, when think about the B movie ?Captain Ron?. When asked how he would find his way if they got lost at sea, his reply was ?We?ll just pull over and ask someone?!

Life is much too short for all of this senseless criticism. I am surprised that my attempts at humor have resulted in your insults and attacks.

But . . .

I?ll give you another chance. A clean slate.

Now . . .

Will you be my valentine?

Best to ya,

Cap?n Rob

 

[pattye]

Hi Cap'n Rob,

I have hesitated to jump in here because I am just learning with the photos--however one can purchase a digital camera with macro feature to get close up shots for around $200. Then there is a little memory card that fits in the camera that stores the photos. I think lots of brands fall in that price range. I am not pleased with the way the colors show up on the photos I have on this forum, but it is most likely me and lighting, not the camera. I have a Pentax 7 megapixels. Of course, there are lots more expensive cameras out there. Let us know what you settle on.

Pattye
so many pearls, so little time

 

[Caitlin]

Hi Rob
Thanks for dropping the dialect. I did not criticise your pearls, you will notice. I am not that great at photos either, but if you search on this site you will find many people trying to explain it to me. how to get them. I am not selling, so it is not a crucial art for me to take great photos.

I was giving you my honest opinion about the settings. I think the pearls are worth far more than the settings are and the settings diminish them.

I wish you luck selling them and I think if you get good photos they will sell well.

Your trips are great, but we don't usually go by titles around here-either academic or royal- with one major exception.........You may address me as HRH of Uma Sabaan! (Just kidding!)