Top Trilo Posted September 10, 2022 Share Posted September 10, 2022 Today I took a trip to the annual Denver fossil show, I really enjoyed it and it wasn’t 90+ F (32+ C) this time. There were fossils and minerals from all over the world, all though mostly minerals. I tried taking pictures of mostly different fossils, and they are not representative of what was at the show. If you do decide to go (it’s open for another week) look out for fakes and resorted and composited material there were many of those. It was fun to wander around looking at everything even if most of it is far outside my budget. 1 11 1 “If fossils are not "boggling" your mind then you are simply not doing it right” -Ken (digit) "No fossil is garbage, it´s just not completely preserved” -Franz (FranzBernhard) "With hammer in hand, the open horizon of time, and dear friends by my side, what can we not accomplish together?" -Kane (Kane) "We are in a way conquering time, reuniting members of a long lost family" -Quincy (Opabinia Blues) "I loved reading the trip reports, I loved the sharing, I loved the educational aspect, I loved the humor. It felt like home. It still does" -Mike (Pagurus) “The best deal I ever got was getting accepted as a member on The Fossil Forum. Not only got an invaluable pool of knowledge, but gained a loving family as well.” -Doren (caldigger) "it really is nice, to visit the oasis that is TFF" -Tim (fossildude19) "Life's Good! -Adam (Tidgy's Dad) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top Trilo Posted September 10, 2022 Author Share Posted September 10, 2022 A few more, 8 “If fossils are not "boggling" your mind then you are simply not doing it right” -Ken (digit) "No fossil is garbage, it´s just not completely preserved” -Franz (FranzBernhard) "With hammer in hand, the open horizon of time, and dear friends by my side, what can we not accomplish together?" -Kane (Kane) "We are in a way conquering time, reuniting members of a long lost family" -Quincy (Opabinia Blues) "I loved reading the trip reports, I loved the sharing, I loved the educational aspect, I loved the humor. It felt like home. It still does" -Mike (Pagurus) “The best deal I ever got was getting accepted as a member on The Fossil Forum. Not only got an invaluable pool of knowledge, but gained a loving family as well.” -Doren (caldigger) "it really is nice, to visit the oasis that is TFF" -Tim (fossildude19) "Life's Good! -Adam (Tidgy's Dad) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top Trilo Posted September 10, 2022 Author Share Posted September 10, 2022 Here is my report from last year, Feel free to post your experience or pictures in this thread. 1 “If fossils are not "boggling" your mind then you are simply not doing it right” -Ken (digit) "No fossil is garbage, it´s just not completely preserved” -Franz (FranzBernhard) "With hammer in hand, the open horizon of time, and dear friends by my side, what can we not accomplish together?" -Kane (Kane) "We are in a way conquering time, reuniting members of a long lost family" -Quincy (Opabinia Blues) "I loved reading the trip reports, I loved the sharing, I loved the educational aspect, I loved the humor. It felt like home. It still does" -Mike (Pagurus) “The best deal I ever got was getting accepted as a member on The Fossil Forum. Not only got an invaluable pool of knowledge, but gained a loving family as well.” -Doren (caldigger) "it really is nice, to visit the oasis that is TFF" -Tim (fossildude19) "Life's Good! -Adam (Tidgy's Dad) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meganeura Posted September 10, 2022 Share Posted September 10, 2022 Wow a lot of that looks awesome! Then you get to the second page and half of it looks like fakes... Though correct me if I'm wrong! Fossils? I dig it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top Trilo Posted September 10, 2022 Author Share Posted September 10, 2022 7 minutes ago, Meganeura said: Wow a lot of that looks awesome! Then you get to the second page and half of it looks like fakes... Though correct me if I'm wrong! You are not wrong at all, there were many trilobites and mosasaur jaws that looked exactly like all the others on the table, I noticed several of the mosasaur jaws had teeth in the exact same positions. Even a lot of the ubiquitous Otodus obliquus teeth were restored or composited to increase length and value, the largest one I saw was at or maybe even above 3". And of course there were the crocodile and turtle skulls that are common at these large shows, not just Denver. There were professional fossil hunters who obviously were extremely passionate and knowledgeable in the subject and people who just find fossils cool but don't have extensive knowledge especially in identifying fakes, I heard someone call a heteromorph ammonite an octopus arm and unfortunately its those people that fall into the traps of buying mostly fossil art instead of genuine fossils. 2 “If fossils are not "boggling" your mind then you are simply not doing it right” -Ken (digit) "No fossil is garbage, it´s just not completely preserved” -Franz (FranzBernhard) "With hammer in hand, the open horizon of time, and dear friends by my side, what can we not accomplish together?" -Kane (Kane) "We are in a way conquering time, reuniting members of a long lost family" -Quincy (Opabinia Blues) "I loved reading the trip reports, I loved the sharing, I loved the educational aspect, I loved the humor. It felt like home. It still does" -Mike (Pagurus) “The best deal I ever got was getting accepted as a member on The Fossil Forum. Not only got an invaluable pool of knowledge, but gained a loving family as well.” -Doren (caldigger) "it really is nice, to visit the oasis that is TFF" -Tim (fossildude19) "Life's Good! -Adam (Tidgy's Dad) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meganeura Posted September 10, 2022 Share Posted September 10, 2022 2 minutes ago, Top Trilo said: You are not wrong at all, there were many trilobites and mosasaur jaws that looked exactly like all the others on the table, I noticed several of the mosasaur jaws had teeth in the exact same positions. Even a lot of the ubiquitous Otodus obliquus teeth were restored or composited to increase length and value, the largest one I saw was at or maybe even above 3". And of course there were the crocodile and turtle skulls that are common at these large shows, not just Denver. There were professional fossil hunters who obviously were extremely passionate and knowledgeable in the subject and people who just find fossils cool but don't have extensive knowledge especially in identifying fakes, I heard someone call a heteromorph ammonite an octopus arm and unfortunately its those people that fall into the traps of buying mostly fossil art instead of genuine fossils. I saw some of those... "Skulls". Oh boy. Also those O. obliquus teeth looked like monstrosities as far as I could tell. That being said - it looks like there was equally nice stuff there too! A lot of the green river fish looked exceptional! Fossils? I dig it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top Trilo Posted September 10, 2022 Author Share Posted September 10, 2022 13 minutes ago, Meganeura said: I saw some of those... "Skulls". Oh boy. Also those O. obliquus teeth looked like monstrosities as far as I could tell. That being said - it looks like there was equally nice stuff there too! A lot of the green river fish looked exceptional! Yes, there were lots of really nice genuine fossils, and the GRF fish were stunning. 1 1 “If fossils are not "boggling" your mind then you are simply not doing it right” -Ken (digit) "No fossil is garbage, it´s just not completely preserved” -Franz (FranzBernhard) "With hammer in hand, the open horizon of time, and dear friends by my side, what can we not accomplish together?" -Kane (Kane) "We are in a way conquering time, reuniting members of a long lost family" -Quincy (Opabinia Blues) "I loved reading the trip reports, I loved the sharing, I loved the educational aspect, I loved the humor. It felt like home. It still does" -Mike (Pagurus) “The best deal I ever got was getting accepted as a member on The Fossil Forum. Not only got an invaluable pool of knowledge, but gained a loving family as well.” -Doren (caldigger) "it really is nice, to visit the oasis that is TFF" -Tim (fossildude19) "Life's Good! -Adam (Tidgy's Dad) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meganeura Posted September 10, 2022 Share Posted September 10, 2022 10 minutes ago, Top Trilo said: Yes, there were lots of really nice genuine fossils, and the GRF fish were stunning. Did you have a favorite exhibit/display? Fossils? I dig it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top Trilo Posted September 10, 2022 Author Share Posted September 10, 2022 5 minutes ago, Meganeura said: Did you have a favorite exhibit/display? Not really, I loved them all. I did really like the one with the rhino skulls, and sloth skeleton, and megalodon jaw. The displays were cool. I also enjoyed the one area with GRF, solnhofen and messel pit material. The ones with all the dinosaur bones was also cool. I also enjoyed the horse skeleton and Permian material at another spot. There were a lot I liked! 1 “If fossils are not "boggling" your mind then you are simply not doing it right” -Ken (digit) "No fossil is garbage, it´s just not completely preserved” -Franz (FranzBernhard) "With hammer in hand, the open horizon of time, and dear friends by my side, what can we not accomplish together?" -Kane (Kane) "We are in a way conquering time, reuniting members of a long lost family" -Quincy (Opabinia Blues) "I loved reading the trip reports, I loved the sharing, I loved the educational aspect, I loved the humor. It felt like home. It still does" -Mike (Pagurus) “The best deal I ever got was getting accepted as a member on The Fossil Forum. Not only got an invaluable pool of knowledge, but gained a loving family as well.” -Doren (caldigger) "it really is nice, to visit the oasis that is TFF" -Tim (fossildude19) "Life's Good! -Adam (Tidgy's Dad) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meganeura Posted September 10, 2022 Share Posted September 10, 2022 26 minutes ago, Top Trilo said: Not really, I loved them all. I did really like the one with the rhino skulls, and sloth skeleton, and megalodon jaw. The displays were cool. I also enjoyed the one area with GRF, solnhofen and messel pit material. The ones with all the dinosaur bones was also cool. I also enjoyed the horse skeleton and Permian material at another spot. There were a lot I liked! The horse and rhino really stood out to me from the pictures! Fossils? I dig it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocket Posted September 10, 2022 Share Posted September 10, 2022 wow, thanks for showing the wonderful pics. They really give an impression of the show! And, I can order now from home Many fakes are on most of the shows..., I saw some on your pics, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FB003 Posted September 10, 2022 Share Posted September 10, 2022 I really enjoyed the fish fossils. Pretty unique looking. *Frank* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top Trilo Posted September 10, 2022 Author Share Posted September 10, 2022 39 minutes ago, rocket said: Many fakes are on most of the shows..., I saw some on your pics, too. Yes, there are a lot, however many of the ones that are real are splendid. 34 minutes ago, FB003 said: I really enjoyed the fish fossils. Pretty unique looking. Yeah there were lots of amazing fish fossils, being geographically close to Kemmerer Wyoming means lots of people with GRF material at the show. 1 “If fossils are not "boggling" your mind then you are simply not doing it right” -Ken (digit) "No fossil is garbage, it´s just not completely preserved” -Franz (FranzBernhard) "With hammer in hand, the open horizon of time, and dear friends by my side, what can we not accomplish together?" -Kane (Kane) "We are in a way conquering time, reuniting members of a long lost family" -Quincy (Opabinia Blues) "I loved reading the trip reports, I loved the sharing, I loved the educational aspect, I loved the humor. It felt like home. It still does" -Mike (Pagurus) “The best deal I ever got was getting accepted as a member on The Fossil Forum. Not only got an invaluable pool of knowledge, but gained a loving family as well.” -Doren (caldigger) "it really is nice, to visit the oasis that is TFF" -Tim (fossildude19) "Life's Good! -Adam (Tidgy's Dad) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted September 10, 2022 Share Posted September 10, 2022 Thanks for taking so many excellent photos and sharing them with us, Alex. Loos like a fun show and a heartbreaker at the same time. Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top Trilo Posted September 11, 2022 Author Share Posted September 11, 2022 18 minutes ago, Tidgy's Dad said: Loos like a fun show and a heartbreaker at the same time. Very true, it was fun but unfortunate that there was such an abundance of fakes. I had expected it to be the case though. “If fossils are not "boggling" your mind then you are simply not doing it right” -Ken (digit) "No fossil is garbage, it´s just not completely preserved” -Franz (FranzBernhard) "With hammer in hand, the open horizon of time, and dear friends by my side, what can we not accomplish together?" -Kane (Kane) "We are in a way conquering time, reuniting members of a long lost family" -Quincy (Opabinia Blues) "I loved reading the trip reports, I loved the sharing, I loved the educational aspect, I loved the humor. It felt like home. It still does" -Mike (Pagurus) “The best deal I ever got was getting accepted as a member on The Fossil Forum. Not only got an invaluable pool of knowledge, but gained a loving family as well.” -Doren (caldigger) "it really is nice, to visit the oasis that is TFF" -Tim (fossildude19) "Life's Good! -Adam (Tidgy's Dad) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilhunter21 Posted September 11, 2022 Share Posted September 11, 2022 Yep, definitely some nice fossils! It is very unfortunate that there are so many fakes. And most of the sellers probably think they are real. Thanks for sharing! -Micah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top Trilo Posted September 11, 2022 Author Share Posted September 11, 2022 3 minutes ago, fossilhunter21 said: It is very unfortunate that there are so many fakes. And most of the sellers probably think they are real. I'm afraid it may actually be the opposite. I don't know how many hands they passed through or how much is involved in the fake fossil supply chain but many of the people I talked to said they found and prepped their own fossils, (why many of the dealers had fossils only from a specific area). Even if they're not the ones that did the restoration, some of the fakes were pretty obvious, and I'd have a hard time believing they were oblivious to the fact that some of their fossils were fake. Many of the tents outside actually had real trilobites with freestanding spines that must have taken hundreds of hours of prep right next to a heavily restored one. When you think about the cost of a well done prep, its obvious why so many people turn to restored and composites to make the most money. 1 “If fossils are not "boggling" your mind then you are simply not doing it right” -Ken (digit) "No fossil is garbage, it´s just not completely preserved” -Franz (FranzBernhard) "With hammer in hand, the open horizon of time, and dear friends by my side, what can we not accomplish together?" -Kane (Kane) "We are in a way conquering time, reuniting members of a long lost family" -Quincy (Opabinia Blues) "I loved reading the trip reports, I loved the sharing, I loved the educational aspect, I loved the humor. It felt like home. It still does" -Mike (Pagurus) “The best deal I ever got was getting accepted as a member on The Fossil Forum. Not only got an invaluable pool of knowledge, but gained a loving family as well.” -Doren (caldigger) "it really is nice, to visit the oasis that is TFF" -Tim (fossildude19) "Life's Good! -Adam (Tidgy's Dad) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett Breakin' Rocks Posted September 11, 2022 Share Posted September 11, 2022 2 hours ago, Top Trilo said: Many of the tents outside actually had real trilobites We had a great time today out with the kids at the Denver show. Did you know there are 2 shows at this time of year ?! .. funny thing is I will be at the "other" show. The DGMS, volunteering on Sunday with WIPS members. (Western Interior Paleontological Society) It is Downtown Denver. It is not a free event and requires tickets. I'll post images of my finds from the Denver show at the National Wester Complex. I mostly hunted the tents outside and haggled with the Moroccan dealers. Found some nice stuff ... I have a few favorite sellers i visit each year. Cheers, Brett 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett Breakin' Rocks Posted September 11, 2022 Share Posted September 11, 2022 (edited) The finds for the day. A large Tuna vert, Thunnus sp. Sperm Whale teeth. I really love seeing the interior and exterior portions revealed. Much more reasonable than I could ever find online. Most of this material was sold by the pound. It's essentially by-catch for these megalodon hunters and isn't as lucrative. The vert process/fish spine is from a swordfish. Here is a partial rostrum from a swordfish and a "tooth" (Morocco) from a sawfish. Some fun Moroccan finds. Waaay more reasonable prices here than I can find online by many orders of magnitude. Just have to know what you are looking for ... I'm not a dino guy and these are my first theropod teeth ever purchased but they were mixed in with Spinosaur composited teeth and the price was definitely right. No closeups yet. I'm raising very discerning shoppers. They haggle with their good looks and cute charm. The tent dealers - Moroccan and Indian sellers gifted them shark teeth, a mineral pendant, Chalcedony ("marbles" .. something new I'm seeing) and cutting them deals on traditionally wholesale items. haha .. kids. Cheers, Brett Edited September 11, 2022 by Brett Breakin' Rocks 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted September 11, 2022 Share Posted September 11, 2022 Lots of great pics. But seeing all the fakes, all the restoration and fixed up fossils makes me glad I'm not a dealer any more. Even so, looks to be some really nice fossils there. Thanks for the report. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr.cheese Posted September 11, 2022 Share Posted September 11, 2022 I enjoyed both of those reports, I am working towards a trip to Tucson in the next few years and I have seen a fair few pics of fakes there too. It is prolific where ever you go sadly. When I started my shop I too fell for fakes and as I learnt more I treated it as a right of passage! I was disappointed that one of the wholesalers basically thought it was funny he could sell them to a shop and they didn't know the difference instead of helping them learn. So I end up doing a season where looking back I now feel embarrassed at what I sold as real and was too trusting of my suppliers. Just 'enhanced' GR fish and trilos but annoying just the same! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top Trilo Posted September 11, 2022 Author Share Posted September 11, 2022 Looks like you got some nice fossils @Brett Breakin' Rocks! “If fossils are not "boggling" your mind then you are simply not doing it right” -Ken (digit) "No fossil is garbage, it´s just not completely preserved” -Franz (FranzBernhard) "With hammer in hand, the open horizon of time, and dear friends by my side, what can we not accomplish together?" -Kane (Kane) "We are in a way conquering time, reuniting members of a long lost family" -Quincy (Opabinia Blues) "I loved reading the trip reports, I loved the sharing, I loved the educational aspect, I loved the humor. It felt like home. It still does" -Mike (Pagurus) “The best deal I ever got was getting accepted as a member on The Fossil Forum. Not only got an invaluable pool of knowledge, but gained a loving family as well.” -Doren (caldigger) "it really is nice, to visit the oasis that is TFF" -Tim (fossildude19) "Life's Good! -Adam (Tidgy's Dad) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett Breakin' Rocks Posted September 11, 2022 Share Posted September 11, 2022 7 hours ago, Top Trilo said: Looks like you got some nice fossils @Brett Breakin' Rocks! Thanks, it's not called hunting for fossils for nothing. haha 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meatasaurus93 Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 22 hours ago, Brett Breakin' Rocks said: I'm not a dino guy and these are my first theropod teeth ever purchased but they were mixed in with Spinosaur composited teeth and the price was definitely right. No closeups yet. Nice teeth! The one on the right looks like it's Abelisaurid, and the one to the left looks like it could be Carcharodontosaurid. I'm not sure about the one in the middle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett Breakin' Rocks Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 52 minutes ago, Meatasaurus93 said: Abelisaurid, and the one to the left looks like it could be Carcharodontosaurid. Yeah, Thanks ! I'll need to get some good closeups of the serrations/denticle density and profile of each tooth. The one in the middle is more inflated than the other two so it is the odd man out but I picked it up regardless. Thanks for the initial thoughts. I've learned a great deal over the years reading carefully all of @Troodon's sage advice. It now has come to this. (I'm starting small) Cheers, Brett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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