Sanibel Island’s Shell Maven
Anne Joffe is known by enthusiasts around the world
She’s been selling seashells by the seashore for more than 43 years on Sanibel. Along the way, Anne Joffe has earned a reputation as one of the shelling world’s top judges—of both scientific and artistic entries.
“I’ve been very lucky that my hobby of shell collecting became my lifelong business,” says Joffe, who is still as enthused about mollusks as when she first vacationed on Sanibel in 1973. “I’ll never stop learning more about shells,” she adds. With recent trips to New Caledonia, Mozambique, India and Samoa, Joffe isn’t slowing down in her global quest to find amazing specimens and to be inspired to craft new creations.
VACATION LED TO THE BUSINESS
A cock-a-poo that jumped in her lap on Blind Pass Beach during her first island vacation led to the purchase of a vacation home in Dinkin’s Bayou. The dog’s owner was moving to New Zealand and needed someone to take on his dog and buy his home.
“I picked up a lot of shells on vacations and made everyone at Bridge Club shell gifts, which led to opening my first She Sells Sea Shells in Louisville, Kentucky,” says Joffe, who grew up in Boston. “It was my brother’s idea to call the shop that— he and I used to dig clamshells and sell them to our neighbors during summers we spent on the Cape Cod seashore.”
By 1975, she and her husband, David, moved their five children, dogs and cat to Sanibel to live full time. And, she opened her first island shell shop.
“I met a lot of people picking up shells on the beach and joined the Sanibel Shell Club at the Community House. I think it was my third meeting when I became president of the club the first time,” she recalls, adding that she went on to serve 10 terms.
Joffe has a degree in microbiology—and a deep scientific interest in mollusks. She was appointed by Sanibel’s first mayor, Porter Goss, to a Conservation Committee to bring in experts to consider whether live shells should be collected.
“Anne is a longtime islander who has been a valuable resource for community understanding and awareness of our famous shelling treasure. She’s generous and involved,” says Goss, one of the island’s most well-known residents. Joffe was also an early supporter when The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum was established on the island.
COMMUNITY LEADER EXTRAORDINAIRE
Over the years, Joffe has served as chair of the Sanibel Shell Show, president of the Sanibel-Captiva Chamber of Commerce and as a founding member of the American Business Women’s Association’s island chapter. Through her business, she
“Anne is a longtime islander who has been a valuable resource for community understanding and awareness of our famous shelling treasure.
She’s generous and involved.” —Porter Goss
continues to donate to such island causes as FISH of San-Cap, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, and the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, among others.
Joyce Matthys is co-chair of the 83rd Annual Sanibel Shell Show that runs March 5-7, 2020. She is a member of the Oregon Shell Club and the SanibelCaptiva Shell Club, and considered to be a real hard-core enthusiast in the shelling world. Matthys met Joffe when she joined the Sanibel Shell Club in 1994.
“Anne Joffe has probably done more for the hobby of shell collecting in Southwest Florida than any other person,” notes Matthys. “The success of the Sanibel Shell Show is, in part, due to her enthusiasm and dedication to make it what it has become—the best shell show in the United States and most likely in the world.”
SHELL HOBBIES STILL GOING STRONG
Joffe is known for her outstanding exhibits in the Scientific Division of shell shows, having won the coveted du Pont Award and top scientific entry in the 2019 Sanibel Shell Show. She is also known for her knowledge of shell art. Her shop is filled with a wild array of crafts—employing three full-time shell crafters to keep up with demand for her clever creations. She’s written two books on shell crafting, sharing her love of the art form.
Known by shell enthusiasts and shell dealers around the world, Joffe laments that shell clubs are dying out across the country: “Ten years ago, there were 36 shell clubs all over the U.S. Now there are only 11. Naples, Fort Myers, Miami and West Palm Beach have all lost their shell clubs. I hope it doesn’t die out here, too, but it doesn’t seem like people want to go to the beach and pick up shells like they used to.”