Sand exchange rules

Until further notice I do NOT exchange any sand samples!

Code of honour of the sand collectors

Collecting sand is a great and wonderful passion. Unlike any other collections, collecting sand is only based on sand exchanging, sand donating and your own personal sand collecting.

Collecting sand is never the result of whatever business or speculative activities.

Sand exchange has always been the worldwide accepted code of honor for sand collectors. Sand exchanging is what sand collectors from all around the world respect and expect as well. As a sand collector engaged in one of the various sand communities you agree upon this code. This is not only to respect this unwritten law of sand collecting activities, but also to collaborate in a genuine amicable atmosphere.

Any kind of reliability, of honesty and friendship is endangered as soon as a financial aspect comes into the focus.

So, like myself, just exchange grains of sand, tell me about your ideas, share your technical skills and your knowledge.

And what is most important, refuse to buy or sell sand!

Sand exchange rules

First of all, the exchange unit for sand, internationally accepted, is THE CONTENT OF A KODAK FILM CANISTER (30 ml). This content corresponds to the quantity 1, when 0.5 corresponds to half of this quantity.

The below rules are a good base for discussion. They can be discussed or turned by a commitment between both if your proposal is nice, else we'll keep the rules.

Number and quantity of trade sand samples Continent Number of countries Number of places of discovery Number of sand samples Quantity Africa 23 102 480 24 kg Asia 31 128 552 27.6 kg Europe 24 466 2639 131.95 kg North America 23 121 928 46.4 kg Oceania 9 26 126 6.3 kg South America 10 20 96 4.8 kg Total 120 863 4821 241.05 kg

Rule #1 - VALUE : NO FINANCIAL TRANSACTION!

The Arénophilie is THE collection, which is different from others collections by the fact that sand does not have any money value. It's made by all the gifts and donations from the family, the friends or colleagues. The only value is its infinite diversity and the importance we give to it. It's out of the question to buy or sell any sample, should it be very rare!

Rule #2 - QUANTITY

I trade always 1 against 1 and for a fully filled container (30 ml). More quantities for the same sample are possible, please contact me.

Rule #3 - SAND ORIGIN

COUNTRY against the SAME COUNTRY:

As general rule, sand from every country against sand from the same country.

HOME COUNTRY against HOME COUNTRY:

German sands against sands from the country where lives the correspondent - e.g.: I trade sands from Germany against sands from Australia with an Australian arenophile.

HOME CONTINENT against HOME CONTINENT:

European sands against sands from the continent where the correspondent lives - e.g.: Spain against New Zealand with the same Australian arenophile.

OTHER REGION against SAME OTHER REGION:

Asian sand against Asian sand or Caribbean sand against Caribbean sand - e.g.: Vietnam against Thailand with any arenophile.

INACCESSIBLE COUNTRIES or PARTICULAR SANDS against EQUIVALENT:

Some countries like Iraq, Niue, Palau, etc., with a difficult access, or some special sands are treated separately and are excluded from the previous rules.

You've to understand, that I'll not trade the sand from your garden against my double sand samples from the Antarctica, Rwanda or Niue.

Rule #4 - IDENTIFICATION

Samples have to be clearly identified with the origin country, the town and the exact name of the place of discovery (e.g. name of the beach). A sand identified with "Caribbean" brings absolutely nothing and will not be accepted to trade. If the samples are only identified with a number, this number must refer to a list with its origin.

Rule #5 - CONTRACT

The list of my double sand samples to trade is accessible on the page "Sand trade list". Everyone can make me a sand trade proposal for sand I do not have or a list of double sand samples where I can choose what interests me. Upon agreement on the quality and the quantity of sands to trade, on a trust base, we prepare both our parcel.

I try to supply my sand samples in small plastic bags ("Ziploc bags") closed and numbered rather than in the film canisters (the quantity of 30 ml is the same, of course).

Rule #6 - PARCEL

A nice, good and safe parcel! The experience teaches me that parcels are shaked about and often the canisters are open, letting sand samples mixing each other during the transportation. If you still use the cannister, please be sure they are correctly closed and taped. Then make a compact parcel and verify that there is no possibility of sand mixing inside to avoid any "accident". Avoid parcel with a weight of more than 2 kg, especially for foreign countries (cost problem). For your information, a sand sample (30 ml) weighs around 50 g.

Do not forget to place inside a paper with your name, address and/or email and the list and the origin of the sands you placed in the parcel, especially if your samples are just identified by a number.

On the parcel, for custom purposes, write the following sentence:

Mineral samples for research and study purposes, no value.

Echantillons minéraux pour études et recherches, sans valeur.



More information can be found on the site "Packing and shipping of sand".