Getthesalt Posted August 10, 2020 Share Posted August 10, 2020 Hi all! I'm very new to fossil collecting, (I haven't even got my first fossil yet!) and I'm hoping to learn more about fakes so I can make an informed decision by myself. What are some good rules of thumb you experts go by? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted August 10, 2020 Share Posted August 10, 2020 If you are planning on buying fossils for your collection, I'd suggest: 1) Do a lot of comparisons to see how the one you are thinking of buying compares with others offered in terms of price and quality. If the price is too good to be true it likely is. 2) Try to purchase from reputable dealers. Someone who is selling fossils for years and has their own website displaying their offerings is likely (though not guaranteed) to be more reputable than relatively anonymous sellers on online auction sites. 3) Post photos of a fossil you are thinking of purchasing here BEFORE buying. Our members may be able to spot warning signs that a fossil is fake, composite, or otherwise not what it seems. We cannot discuss the reputation of dealers on this forum (legal liability that we wish to steer clear of) so do not include information about the seller--only images of the potential purchase. We can discuss the merits of the fossil itself but not the seller. Cheers. -Ken 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted August 10, 2020 Share Posted August 10, 2020 I'll just add another point to Ken's great list above. Ask questions of the seller in terms of the provenance of the specimen. Where was it found? When? Of course, some sellers will not have that information if the specimen has traded a lot of hands and the information was lost. Also feel free to request more images if you are unsure, to see the specimen at different angles that can focus on some diagnostic morphological feature, or even to determine if there has been restoration performed. Never feel reluctant to ask sellers these kinds of questions because it is your money, and if they wish to make the sale they ought to oblige. 4 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett Breakin' Rocks Posted August 10, 2020 Share Posted August 10, 2020 6 hours ago, Getthesalt said: What are some good rules of thumb you experts go by? Eventually, if you follow the advice above, you will start to see patterns in commonly faked or replicated or enhanced fossils. For myself finding guides for trilobites was my go-to to educate myself about what is and is not expected. Chinese fossil discussion also from Paleo-Direct https://www.paleodirect.com/fake-chinese-fossils-fossil-forgery-from-china/ I love this guide from paleo-direct because they deconstruct the forgeries. ie. cut them in half, use great visual guides, close-up images and diagrams. https://www.paleodirect.com/fake-trilobites-how-to-identify/ More discussions, specifically targeting trilobites but there are guides out there like this for quite a few fossil types. https://www.trilobiti.com/post/a-quick-guide-to-identifying-fake-trilobites https://www.trilobiti.com/post/are-trilobites-rare-or-common-fossils Good Luck ! Brett 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 It all depends out the type of fossil you are purchasing every group/locality has a different red flag. Fakes/Composites are a major concern when buying Moroccan fossils like trilobites. Enhancements and fakes are often seen with Chinese material. Small shark teeth are never faked however the more expensive larger teeth might be but more often its restoration that you need to concern yourself with. Dinosaur material is rarely faked the biggest issue there is misidentification, restoration and with Moroccan items it includes composites. So its a hodgepodge of concerns depending on where your interest fall. Lots of different items to be worried about not just fakes. Lots of sellers even trusted reputable ones are not experts on identification on everything they sell or on seeing restoration so you need to be careful. Unfortunately my advice to all, after +25 years of collecting, is dont trust what you see from ANY sellers, get everything checked out until you can become an expert. I suggest what others have said post your interest here before you buy, we have experts in most types of fossils. Have fun its a great hobby. Quite a few members here are from Singapore get involved with them and learn. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Getthesalt Posted August 20, 2020 Author Share Posted August 20, 2020 Thanks everyone for their input! It's been really great learning about the different ways I can identify fossils and what to look out for before buying. To be completely honest, I've no clue how you guys spot enhancements or repairs, but I hope to reach that standard some day! Again, thanks for all the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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