-Andy- Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 A new "T-Rex" tooth just showed up on our favorite site. It is not a Tyrannosaurus rex tooth however but a more common and far cheaper Carch tooth. We know this because of its more blade-like morphology, its slender profile, its shape, its smaller denticles and the sand on the base I already notice multiple bids on it and I have no doubt the price would escalate as many hopeful collectors would try their hands on getting a cheap T-Rex tooth for themselves. For anyone looking to buy a true T. rex tooth, there are several factors to take note of: 1) Thickness - T. rex had crushing teeth, hence the teeth are thick. They are meant to crunch through bone 2) Locality - T. rex teeth in the market commonly comes from the Hell Creek Formation and Lance Formation. These two formations are found in Montana, Dakota and Wyoming. If a tooth originates from Africa or Morocco, it cannot be a T. rex tooth 3) Price - T. rex teeth command a premium price. Even a small tooth an inch long may cost 500 USD or more. A 2.5 inch tooth would easily be 2k USD. While exceptions do occur, if a deal seems too good to be true, then you should be extremely wary 4) Source - Make sure you get your T. rex tooth from a reputable source. By that, I don't mean a seller with a high feedback score or someone who prints you a "cert of authenticity". I mean a seller who has a history of collecting or selling Hell Creek/Lance Formation material. Better yet, get it from someone who digs there 5) Morphology - Educate yourself on the differences between T. rex, Carch, Spino, Daspletosaurus and other large theropod teeth. That way, you can immediately spot inconsistencies such as serrations or colors that does not match a T. rex tooth 6) Cross section - If all else fails, look at the cross section. If the tooth has red sandy matrix or sand, it is most likely not T. rex but is more likely from Morocco Here, I will show an example of a red T. rex tooth that superficially resembles the Carch tooth above. Take a look at the thickness and cross section though and you would quickly realize both teeth have very different morphologies Getting an authentic T. rex tooth isn't cheap, nor will it be easy. But it will be worth it in the end when you finally obtain one. Good luck in your hunt and always feel free to ask TFF if you are unsure of an upcoming purchase 20 Looking forward to meeting my fellow Singaporean collectors! Do PM me if you are a Singaporean, or an overseas fossil-collector coming here for a holiday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 Great advice! Definitely a must-read for members seeking to purchase a real T-rex tooth. 1 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thecosmilia Trichitoma Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 Although for the price of some Trex teeth, you might as well go on your own vacation to the Hell Creek formation and find one yourself.. A google search brings up ones that cost 5,000 to 10,000 dollars! 1 It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt -Mark Twain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Praefectus Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 Thanks for posting this Andy. I saw this too and was dismayed by the amount of attention the mislabeled tooth was receiving. Beautiful tooth, by the way. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Andy- Posted February 2, 2021 Author Share Posted February 2, 2021 On 01/02/2021 at 7:50 AM, Praefectus said: Thanks for posting this Andy. I saw this too and was dismayed by the amount of attention the mislabeled tooth was receiving. Beautiful tooth, by the way. Yeah I hope it stays within the range of a Carch tooth Thank you. It's my first and my favorite Looking forward to meeting my fellow Singaporean collectors! Do PM me if you are a Singaporean, or an overseas fossil-collector coming here for a holiday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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