what do you collect? (or keep)

[Al Tahan]

If I’m at a new location I collect almost everything I find and slowly up my specimen quality. The more trips you go on you will notice that you might not keep as much as you did before. However, I still find myself collecting partial Eldregeops trilobites even though I have complete specimens......fossil collecting comes with its impulses lol

[Bradley Flynn]

52 minutes ago, Bobby Rico said:

Love your work really strong stuff. Fantastic displays too. 

Thank you

[erose]

Like others here I try to collect entire faunas. I go thru phases where I’ll concentrate on echinoids or crustaceans for a while, but generally I am looking for all the flora or fauna that a formation produces. Next to actually collecting fossils my second favorite thing is researching and collecting reference material. I often create my own checklists of “known” species for the strata I hunt.  I’ve shared my massive Cincinnatian list with a few of you. 
 

I am now much more picky about what I bring home. I look for better specimens and will high grade my collection to keep it from being so overwhelming. I only collect quantities when the species is truly abundant and a larger sampling may be of value. On occasion I collect larger numbers for our club’s outreach efforts. Sadly I have experienced sites being cleaned out by someone who either didn’t have any regard for others or was looking to sell them. 
 

 

[Naples Beth]

Some of my collections... Not all self-found, but I love them all! And I love creating!

[LabRatKing]

 In the wild, I collect just a few specimens for my private collection. I freely admit that I actually enjoy planning the excursions and exploring the sites almost as much as the actual fossils themselves. I really enjoy preparing specimens too. Pay-to-Play sites, well, I get my money's worth. I enjoy it as each find is a permanent key to all the related memories-camping, driving all over, chasing scorpions and lizards...cool sunrises....milky Way with the naked eye....coyotes singing... the ocassional visit by big kitties or junkfood addicted bear....etc, etc, etc.

 

But I also collect insects, and bags of dirt for dordango and ceramics, and odd bits of ephemera. I really enjoy finding stuff and "seeding it on the surface when I see see families and kids hunting in the same spots.

 

However, part of my job is collecting and preparing pretty much everything, but generally excursions for the Uni are kept separate from personal collecting.

 

My wife says its like being married to a 12 year old...and my house is starting to look like an adventure museum.

 

All totally worth it.

[butchndad]

49 minutes ago, LabRatKing said:

 In the wild, I collect just a few specimens for my private collection. I freely admit that I actually enjoy planning the excursions and exploring the sites almost as much as the actual fossils themselves. I really enjoy preparing specimens too. Pay-to-Play sites, well, I get my money's worth. I enjoy it as each find is a permanent key to all the related memories-camping, driving all over, chasing scorpions and lizards...cool sunrises....milky Way with the naked eye....coyotes singing... the ocassional visit by big kitties or junkfood addicted bear....etc, etc, etc.

 

But I also collect insects, and bags of dirt for dordango and ceramics, and odd bits of ephemera. I really enjoy finding stuff and "seeding it on the surface when I see see families and kids hunting in the same spots.

 

However, part of my job is collecting and preparing pretty much everything, but generally excursions for the Uni are kept separate from personal collecting.

 

My wife says its like being married to a 12 year old...and my house is starting to look like an adventure museum.

 

All totally worth it.

"My wife says its like being married to a 12 year old..."  My wife says the same thing (and although not intended as such, at my age i take it as a compliment)