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I recently purchased a rather large ammonite via auction from a seller in Singapore. It got held up in customs and I just received a notice of detention asking for documentation to prove it is legal. I wasn't aware that there is any law prohibiting import of fossils of extinct species from that region. Am I mistaken, or does customs just not know what they're doing?

I know most likely some of you have bought something from another country & have it shipped to yourself in the USA. Any information would be appreciated. I'm hoping to get tracking on the package & shipped by a main carrier. My main question is - Customs. I don't want it lost in limbo or taken away. Is there extra fees or a certain dollar amount that import personal items is not taxed ? Just questions.

Hello all I recently saw a cool tooth on an American website. It's pretty expensive so I don't want to take too much risks. When I look up how much shipping and import costs to Europe would be it would be as much as half the price of the tooth itself. Is this normal or did I do something wrong? Anyone has any experience with this? The fossil is not illegal or anything, it comes from a perfectly legal location. I just think it's weird to pay like 1,5 times the price for a tooth. Looking forward to your answers and help. Greetings and thanks already.

I will be purchasing a few legal fossils with a combined value of a little over $5,000 US from an international dealer and having them shipped to New York. What do I have to expect in regards to customs and taxes? I had heard that fossils are considered antiques by US customs and therefor there are no taxes on importing. Anyone with any experience on this? The fossils will be for my own collection, not for resale.

I've read a lot about collectors with finds from Scotland, Canada, Morocco, Mexico and other places. I would like to know: 1) which countries are the most "fossil friendly" in terms of allowing people like us to go there and collect - and more important - to legally bring back some finds? 2) what are the procedures and legalities we need to be aware of when bringing back specimens from specific countries? We all know about the ban on fossil exports in China - what other countries do we need to be aware of in terms of restrictions and which countries have clear policies that allow us to go there, collect, and bring stuff back? 3) what hassles can we expect from U.S. customs upon return and what documents should we have? This is especially important for those of us who take annual trips to Canada, Mexico, etc. and may want to visit a fossil site during our vacation. We had never considered including fossiling in our vacation plans until recently when we got involved in this hobby, and we would like to know what we need to be aware of, plan for, and what to worry about.