It's early April. We left Japan, where the cold days are still continuing, and traveled a long way, about 20 hours, to Modena, Italy. Even though it's morning, the temperature is already over 30°C, and we can already see people sipping cold sorbet in the shade of the trees.
The venue itself was quite ordinary: a typical community gymnasium. The indoor basketball court, where local youth would normally be practicing, was filled with the excitement of adults engrossed in their hobby on this day.
This spring festival was a unique space where the pure hearts of young boys and girls who pursue insects and the desire-filled spirit of collectors collided. Over 100 dealers set up booths.
The items for sale are diverse, including insect specimens, live animals, and even shellfish and crab specimens. Due to the country's geographical advantage as an EU member state and adjacent to the border, there are also many exhibitors from abroad, including the Czech Republic and France.
The French dealer Régis Boulanger handles a variety of beetles and always has amazing bargains, so it's a place I always stop by. 
Colorful weevils packed like sushi. Combined with the price tags haphazardly attached, it feels like you're on a treasure hunt and it's hard to stop looking. 
I couldn't miss a specimen the size of a grain of rice. I stretched my neck out like a leaf-weaver and became absorbed in my hunt for a bargain for a while.
Czech dealer Stanislav Prepsl discovered a particularly shining specimen among the rows of specimen boxes: the ultimate form of a giant flower beetle known as Goliath Placy!
Normally, the black and white markings on its back are mixed evenly, but this particular specimen is an exceptionally large specimen, with most of the black areas having disappeared and covered in a white color like a snowy field. The more white there is in an individual, the more valuable it is, and it is a coveted specimen, especially among discerning collectors in Europe.
As a specimen dealer, I have handled a variety of specimens, but I had never seen one of this size and quality, so I was shocked by this unexpected encounter.
I wonder if someone else has noticed it... or if it's actually already sold... I quietly clench my cold sweaty hands, determined to get it. Feeling the endorphins flowing through my brain like a waterfall, this moment when I can't contain my heart beating so fast feels amazing.
I successfully completed the purchase, and the PlaySy I had in my hands was shining brightly. Thank goodness, it's real. It's just as cool as I thought it would be. It's awesome.
Czech dealer Stanislav Prepsl stocks a wide variety of fascinating small insects, including jewel beetles and dung beetles from around the world, including Africa. 
Researchers from museums and universities also visit him to purchase specimens. What is striking is that each specimen is beautifully mounted on a cardboard. 
Large African beetles, including the Goliath beetle, are popular in Europe, and possessing a high-quality specimen is directly linked to the collector's status. 
Among the high-level lineup is the exquisite Goliath Beetle Zinandro
Morphs (male-female mosaic) are also available. There are no price tags, so the price is negotiable.
There is no doubt that "tabletop collecting" has its own unique charm, being a little different from collecting in nature. European specimen sales events have been cultivated for over a century. The appeal of these events, woven together with their high status and depth, is difficult to put into words.
The famous platinum beetle is a collector's item in Europe, where a vast number of species are available on the market, far more than in Japan. 
The specimen box, which can be folded into a bag when closed, is a standard item in Europe. On the back are a collection of admission stickers from past fairs.
