11-27-22: Artifacts and Fossil Auction

[Nimravis]

Today I drove out about 50 miles to attend an auction that is held a few times a year. This auction usually has Native American artifacts, Chinese artifacts, old fishing equipment, fossils and other odds and ends. The auction starts at 10:30 am and runs several hours. Today I left at 2:30 pm and there was still about 150 lots to auction out of the original 450 or so lots that the day began with. 
 

Today there may have been about 50 people in attendance and by the time I left, there were maybe 20 people left. 
 

There is no charge to enter and no additional fee is charged to you if you happen to win a bid. In addition, they provide a ton of donuts for breakfast and make sandwiches for lunch, all of the food is provided free of charge. They only thing that you are charged is $1.00 if you want a pop or water. I see many people that come and never bid, but do eat the food. Lol

 

As with all auctions, you have to keep an eye on what is be auctioned at the time and you have to make sure that you don’t get caught up in the moment and bid more than you were thinking about paying. 
 

Here are some of the fossils that were up for auction. Most of these came from an older collector that had passed away and his niece was getting rid of some of the stuff. It was a Potpourri of things that included dinosaur pieces ( no teeth), Oligocene fossils, tracks, casts and other stuff. The main problem with these collections is that there is no information on the fossil or the location that they came from. A “lot” consists of what ever is in the flat.

 

There were 3 Riker mounts of Mazon Creek fossils, none of which I bid on. 
 

 

 

The cool thing about this next Riker mount is that it contained a fossil that was collected and mounted by my fossil mentor Walter.

 

 

 

Megalodon teeth are always sold separately, these 2 below were not very good at all and I do not believe that they hit a minimum that some other seller had set for them. This happens quite often on certain pieces and they will end up at the auction again. Some people think that there fossils are worth more than they are. They need to understand that it is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

 

 

When some pieces do have ID’s, they are incorrect, such as these poorly preserved prints that are in Permian Coconino sandstone and are not dinosaur.

 

 

Dino eggs that they said are real, but I did not look at them or bid. If they were real, the winner got a great deal.

 

 

Dino stuff and some broken fish plates.

 

 

A Dino centrum, there were a few.

I was bidding on this next piece, but backed away after I saw that a guy who I had been talking to was also bidding, he did the same to me later. 
 

 

 

 

 

This next piece was a nice partial Rhino skull from the Oligocene (USA), location unknown.

 

 

 

Some misc Dino bones and other things.

 

 

This lot contained some poorly preserved Oligocene rhino jaws, a partial squirrel skull, fossil dung beetle balls and fossil locust / insect cocoons, most likely from Wyoming.

 

 

As mentioned above-?dung beetle ball and insect cocoons.

 

Misc stuff-
 

 

Green River fish

 

 

 

Santana formation fish

 

Dino stuff and fossil Dino casts- I won this lot.  This was something that I really did not need, but after sitting for a while, it feels good to bid.

 

 

 

An Oreodont skull- I won this piece also.

 

 

Here are the things that I picked up-

 

A really decent Merycoidon gracilis Oreodont skull. I will prep it up a little more and I got it for a song.
 

 

 

 

Believe it or not, this fake trilobite cast went for almost double of what I paid for the above skull and more than I paid for the Dino stuff below.

 

 

And the above cast went for more than I paid for the below “lot” Dinosaur pieces that I won.

 

Thanks to Frank @Troodon for helping with some ids, even though I had limited information on the pieces. 
 

Centrum from most likely a herbivore.
 

 

 

Part of a Dino vertebra.
 

 

 

This lot is continued on the next post.

Edited November 28, 2022 by Nimravis

[Nimravis]

My Dino lot continued.

 

Dino ichium- 20 inches long

 

 

 

 

Dino egg casts-

 

 

 

I also picked up two old fishing reels fro a neighbors kid-

 

 

And a nice Flint Turkey Tail Point from Ohio. This thing is so thin and sharp.

 

 

 

Lastly, I also want to thank @crinus on his ID on a trilobite that I was looking at in a lot.

 

Can’t wait for another auction.

[Tidgy's Dad]

Very interesting, Ralph. 

You got yourself some nice pieces there, too. 

Thanks for sharing. 

[Nimravis]

1 minute ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

Very interesting, Ralph. 

You got yourself some nice pieces there, too. 

Thanks for sharing. 

Thanks Adam

[Meganeura]

Just now, Nimravis said:

Thanks Adam

What was your favorite pick up?

[Nimravis]

23 minutes ago, Meganeura said:

What was your favorite pick up?

The Oreodont skull, it is really nice and it only missing a couple teeth.

[Coco]

Hi,

 

7 hours ago, Nimravis said:

This is the first time I see it with the two pointed ends ! Pretty.

 

Coco

[Mark Kmiecik]

Thanks for the tour. Great job, as always.

[JohnJ]

On 11/27/2022 at 6:32 PM, Nimravis said:

 

 

Good that you didn't bid on these modern, whimsical stones and artifact reproductions.

 

On 11/27/2022 at 6:39 PM, Nimravis said:

 

 

 

This piece looks like a modern reproduction due to its proportions and flaking style.  It would be best to let a local expert examine in hand.

[Nimravis]

4 hours ago, JohnJ said:

 

Good that you didn't bid on these modern, whimsical stones and artifact reproductions.

 

 

This piece looks like a modern reproduction due to its proportions and flaking style.  It would be best to let a local expert examine in hand.

You are correct, this is not an old piece. No one bid on it so I opened it at $5 and won it at $15. It is really a nice piece and as you know, these pieces are reproduced / fabricated like many fossils.

 

[sixgill pete]

Very cool Ralph. What did the antique reels go for. I have a small collection of antique fishing equipment.