While most people find Davenport sea glass to be beautiful, many are often surprised at the price, especially when compared to other sea glass. Many people don’t understand why it costs so much more than other sea glass, but there are legitimate reasons for this. Below are a number of contributing factors.
Not Available Year Round
At most beaches where sea glass is found, pieces can be found year round. That is not the case at Davenport. There is definitely a hunting season during a few winter months and an off season when little to no sea glass can be found. Since sea glass can’t be found year round, it’s much more difficult to find than at most beaches, which greatly reduces the amount available.
In fact, there are years when no sea glass is found even during the hunting season. In order to find pieces at Davenport, the waves and tides have to be strong enough to take out the sand on the beach to reveal the gravel. If the winter doesn’t have strong storms or tides, no gravel will be revealed and no sea glass will be found. There have been times when there hasn’t been any sea glass found for a couple of years in a row. Again, this can greatly limit the number of pieces available.
It Takes Money and Effort
At many beaches, anyone who is willing to walk along the beach is capable of finding pieces. That’s not the case at Davenport. While there are a number of different ways to find pieces, strolling along the beach and bending down to pick up pieces that wash to your feet isn’t one of them. If you are going to hunt at Davenport, it takes a bit of commitment. Whether you’re digging, scooping, or dashing into the waves, you’ll need to buy some equipment (shovels, scoops, wetsuits, etc) and make a concerted effort to find pieces. The money and effort needed means not as many people hunt for it as in other places, and this also limits the number of pieces available on the market.
It’s Dangerous
Hunting for sea glass at Davenport is dangerous. This danger keeps a lot of people from hunting on the beach. The danger increases for those who are looking for bigger pieces which are the ones that often carry high price tags. In addition, injuries sustained while hunting can keep people out for a week or more during an already short season (I missed several weeks of hunting last year due to injuries)
Pieces Are Difficult to Find
Most days, you count yourself lucky if you leave with a medium sized piece or two. Finding a few large pieces during an entire season makes it a successful one. It takes spending hours on the beach hunting in the waves, scooping and digging — along with a bit of luck — to find pieces that are in high demand.
Personal Collections
Many of the people who regularly hunt at Davenport never put their finds on the market. They hunt for their own personal collections and keep everything that they find. Since many of the pieces that are found will never be for sale, this again limits the supply available for those wanting pieces.
The Hunters Know
If you have ever hunted for sea glass at Davenport, you quickly appreciate the time, effort, costs and risks that go into hunting there. This intimate knowledge of what it takes often makes them more willing to pay a premium for Davenport pieces compared to other sea glass pieces on the market. In the same vein, those hunting are much less willing to discount pieces because they know how difficult it is to find more.
Any one of the above factors likely wouldn’t in itself cause the price of Davenport sea glass to be much more expensive than pieces found in other areas, but the combination of all the factors does cause those who are willing to sell to ask for more.