merv(at)perthshells.com http://www.perthshells.com
Uznawany jest za pioniera ?rynku muszlowego? w Australii.
Merv Cooper ? człowiek wielu zainteresowań i jednej pasji: konchistyki.
Przy tym, człowiek z żyłką do interesów, wszak: „MCA Printings”, „Perth Shell Distributors”, ?Crazy Crabs TM? ? to Jego dzieła.
Merv Cooper
?Conchologists ? Diver?
Kiedy rozpoczęliśmy korespondencję, stwierdził, że nie lubi pisać o sobie?Co innego, coś opowiedzieć. Wreszcie doszliśmy do ugody?Merv Cooper przesłał mi najnowszy (23.07.2008 r.) wywiad dla ?Sound Telegraph?, spisany ręką p. Monique Mannile.
Oto wybrane fragmenty, rysujące postać p. Cooper?a.
?He describes himself as an ocean ? loving thrill ? seeker with no intentions of slowing down any time soon ? but his friends describe him as Uncle Mac, a laidback man who ?would be dead by now if he was a cat?.
Merv Cooper, 64, of Safety Bay is a conchologist diver, or, for the less scientifically minded, a person who collects shells.
The grandfather ? of ? seven loves racing cars, scuba diving, motorbike and siedecar racing and still enjoys taking tourists on safaris up north on the hunt for shells.
He laughed as he recalled how his interest in sea shells was sparked.
?I was married at 17 and started playing night tennis ? this married couple who played tennis used to collect sea shells and the old boy was too scared to get into the water,?
Mr Cooper said.
The young diver found himself diving for rare shells ? and these days he has his own business, dealing with shell dealer and collectors all over the world.
But his learning about shells did not come from books or a university degree.
For him it was a matter of experience and a process of elimination.
?It?s about finding the right depth, sponges, or reef?, he said.
His love of shells led him into another successful business foray ? in 1979, Mr Cooper introduced Crazy Crabs, native Australian land hermit crabs, to the Australian pet marketplace.
?When I was up in One Arm Point collecting shells, I realized there were so many hermit crabs?, he said.
We now supply more than 300 pet shops throughout Australia?.
But while others his age might be eyeing off retirement, slowing down is far from an option for this man. Later this month he is heading to Texas for a shell convention and there era more safaris up north planned.
All said, it sounds as if Merv Cooper still has his full nine lives up his sleeve.?
I jeszcze, aby stało się zadość komercyjnej grzeczności ? firmowa reklamówka.
