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New Fossils For Cash Reality Show?


Xiphactinus

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Thanks Erose. Unfortunately networks are looking for what is trendin. What's trendin right now? -selling weird stuff.

A: That statement alone irritates me on so many levels...

Actualy Missouri sir. I did not mean to offend.

I will pass Erose words on. It was a nice discusion. Good day.

B: I can only imagine how he may twist these words to shed a bad light on the ethical fossil collecting community.

C: I figured he would shut off as soon as Auspex called him out publicly, but then he may be trying to fish for dramatic dialog to use in the self-serving industry trends for another attempt.

D: In my backyard?! Let me at 'im!!!

Steve

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I agree with the others. I think the show stinks and the idea of it stinks.

It would be fine as others mentioned if it was about education and showing how to build, prep, and care for a collection. As is I would rather see the show die and stay dead.

The whole idea of promoting selling fossils to get rich pisses me off because as others said it will likely hurt those with real interest more than it will help. People that are not familiar will think we are all about money. Sure money I nice, but enjoying life is much better. Going out and gathering fossils for my son and my collection are a form of great enjoyment and stress relief.

I understand some make money off fossils. I also understand some sell fossils to recoup some of their gas money and such. But to promote it on a ridiculous show such as this is irritating beyond belief.

I will stop now though before I say something that could get me into trouble.

Robert
Southeast, MO

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The fossil community isn't that large. Doesn't anybody recognize the guy in clip? I've never seen him before, but somebody has to know who he is.

Ramo

For one species to mourn the death of another is a new thing under the sun.
-Aldo Leopold
 

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The fossil community isn't that large. Doesn't anybody recognize the guy in clip? I've never seen him before, but somebody has to know who he is.

Ramo

That's so true he says he has been at it for 35 years.

Explore -> Dream -> Discover !

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The fossil community isn't that large. Doesn't anybody recognize the guy in clip? I've never seen him before, but somebody has to know who he is.

Ramo

The protagonists in the show's promo are listed as Rob Wilbeck and Marcus McCrary.

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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Why am I not surprised that "FossilxFace" can barely spell, ... and thinks we "act like it some kind of Rocket science tho" ?

It is some kind of science - It's called PALEONTOLOGY. Look it up. It's spelled correctly here so you can copy and paste it into Google.

EDIT: Nevermind - I went one step further, and linked it for you.

There is no entertainment (note the correct spelling) value to seeing someone propagate false impressions of getting rich quick by selling fossils, and promoting the wholesale rape and pillage mentallity that will get the conscientious fossil hunting community kicked out of sites! The few often spoil it for the many when it comes to fossils, and with this type of mentality,... it will not be long before fossil hunting is restricted to professional paleontologists only!

Fossils are not "weird stuff" to sell, ... they are remnants of ancient life that should be studied and understood.

Greed is the motivator here, not science, education, or even the enjoyment of discovery.

Looks like you are sorely outnumbered here in your feelings about this show.

None of us would watch it, and hopefully the networks will agree.

If this "reality tv project" (by some odd chance) does regain some sort of life, you can bet that many of us here will work hard to make sure it does not get off the ground, and gets buried itself to become a fossil. :)

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM  --- APRIL - 2015  

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"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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Why am I not surprised that "FossilxFace" can barely spell, ... and thinks we "act like it some kind of Rocket science tho" ?

It is some kind of science - It's called PALEONTOLOGY. Look it up. It's spelled correctly here so you can copy and paste it into Google.

EDIT: Nevermind - I went one step further, and linked it for you.

There is no entertainment (note the correct spelling) value to seeing someone propogate false impressions of getting rich quick by selling fossils, and promoting the wholesale rape and pillage mentallity that will get the conscientious fossil hunting community kicked out of sites! The few often spoil it for the many when it comes to fossils, and with this type of mentality,... it will not be long before fossil hunting is restricted to professional paleontologists only!

Fossils are not "weird stuff" to sell, ... they are remnants of ancient life that should be studied and understood.

Greed is the motivator here, not science, education, or even the enjoyment of discovery.

Looks like you are sorely outnumbered here in your feelings about this show.

None of us would watch it, and hopefully the networks will agree.

If this "reality tv project" (by some odd chance) does regain some sort of life, you can bet that many of us here will work hard to make sure it does not get off the ground, and gets buried itself to become a fossil. :)

Very well said there Tim!

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There are so many people like this out there, that is - guys that get into this with the idea of striking it rich. Most, however, are not so over the top mercenary as this guy seems to be. I do know one lady in South Florida who, over time, took her love of fossils and turned it into a business but, I have to say, I think she did it right because what she does is "guide" people for a very reasonable fee. Me? I'm just not knowledgable enough to even consider doing that so when I "guide' it's strickly on a "thank for the help" basis.

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I think we've shown how our feelings about the concept behind the proposed show are "trending"... ;)

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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Why am I not surprised that "FossilxFace" can barely spell, ... and thinks we "act like it some kind of Rocket science tho" ?

It is some kind of science - It's called PALEONTOLOGY. Look it up. It's spelled correctly here so you can copy and paste it into Google.

EDIT: Nevermind - I went one step further, and linked it for you.

There is no entertainment (note the correct spelling) value to seeing someone propagate false impressions of getting rich quick by selling fossils, and promoting the wholesale rape and pillage mentallity that will get the conscientious fossil hunting community kicked out of sites! The few often spoil it for the many when it comes to fossils, and with this type of mentality,... it will not be long before fossil hunting is restricted to professional paleontologists only!

Fossils are not "weird stuff" to sell, ... they are remnants of ancient life that should be studied and understood.

Greed is the motivator here, not science, education, or even the enjoyment of discovery.

Looks like you are sorely outnumbered here in your feelings about this show.

None of us would watch it, and hopefully the networks will agree.

If this "reality tv project" (by some odd chance) does regain some sort of life, you can bet that many of us here will work hard to make sure it does not get off the ground, and gets buried itself to become a fossil. :)

:goodjob::thumbsu:

Very well put. I could not agree more.

Robert
Southeast, MO

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OK, I don't know how I missed this post until now, but I just want to say I felt like throwing up when I saw the promo.

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Anyone track down who produced this? Is it self produced or is there a small production company involved?

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If it did air more people would get into fossil hunting. That most likely means higher prices if you were to sell them B)

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If it did air more people would get into fossil hunting. That most likely means higher prices if you were to sell them B)

And this is a good thing how? :mellow:

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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I hope this show stays dead for good. I'm really not looking forward to prices going up, as I wouldn't be able to afford the fossils I'm really interested in anymore. I'd rather find them myself, but I don't have the option of, let's say, going on a fossil hunt trip to Hell Creek, I wouldn't be able to afford paying for the trip in the first place. So my only chance of getting dino material from there is buying it, and if prices go up because of a show like this... :(

And yeah, I buy fossils not because I think they look pretty on my shelves, I buy (and hunt for) fossils because of the wonder, because of the ability to look at and study the specimens for myself. Trying to figure out how an animal lived and so on is what makes fossil collecting interesting for me. I don't care about making money out of fossils, so the things like this show or that iPhone with casing made of a meteor and T. rex tooth (http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2010/12/08/custom-iphone-features-t-rex-tooth-meteor/) bring a bit of sick in my mouth. A precious T.rex tooth turned into a fashion accessory instead of being studied properly, or becoming an object of wonder for somebody who could actually appreciate the tooth for what it was shake%20head.gif

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If it did air more people would get into fossil hunting. That most likely means higher prices if you were to sell them B)

Actually, it would mean the opposite. There would be more people out there trying to find fossils (and most likely destroying a lot). That would add to the fossil supply. There is a finite number of people buying fossils, so the demand doesn't change. Higher supply + static demand = lower prices

The only result of a show like this would be:

- Land owners charging big $$ to go on their property

- scientifically significant fossils being destroyed by people trying to excavate as cheaply and quickly as possible

- a black eye for amateur paleontologists who will be lumped in with the get-rich-quick schemers.

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So the prices would actually go down? Still not worth it, as it could lead to exhaustion of the sites and other things you mentioned. Perhaps there would be a sudden influx of affordable fossils, but many of them could be ruined due to improper excavating techniques of bad preparation job (what the hell were they spraying on fossils in that video anyway?).

It would be bad news for collectors all over the world.

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The fossil community isn't that large. Doesn't anybody recognize the guy in clip? I've never seen him before, but somebody has to know who he is.

Ramo

It took me less than 15 seconds to find his name, but what good would publicising it do?

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THobern, I'm just curious if anyone knows this guy. If he really has been collecting for 30+ years, and he sells stuff, I would think at least someone on here has had dealings with him in the past. Certainly he can't be as bad as the promo looks. I can't believe he has collected for 30+ years just for the money.

Ramo

For one species to mourn the death of another is a new thing under the sun.
-Aldo Leopold
 

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First, let me apologize. I came in untruthful and made this matter worse. I didn't want to receive a barrage of angry comments but received them anyway. I'm sorry for my comments that offended people like "rocket science" and "selling weird stuff." I obviously know that this is science and that fossils are pieces of ancient history and they should be handled properly. It was unprofessional of me.

This was idea produced independently. It wasn't produced by a big Hollywood company. This was a fun idea that was shot for FUN. Production companies loved the idea and took it to networks. Rob and Marcus are real people who really hunt together. They go to gem and fossil shows and truly have a passion for fossils. They both have a great collection of fossils that they would never sell. Rob has been hunting fossils for 35 years and even led expeditions for the gem and mineral society. When the idea was conceived, Rob wanted to do a show much like most of you wanted to see. This is a great idea but it would be like every other fossil show made. We wanted to interest kids, adults, teenagers, and anybody to be inspired by fossils. We did this by giving them something that interests just about everybody - adventure and suspense. If we were able to interest kids to get outside and find people who can teach them how to hunt, it would be a great accomplishment. The idea of selling fossils was very interesting because I never knew people did this. The idea of them striking it rich is absurd, but you know that if you find something RARE , there is the chance for monetary gain as well as fame. I'm going to assume that everyone knows about www.mzexpos.com. These guys sell fossils and anyone can purchase a booth. They were going to collect fossils legally and travel to the show to sell. It's not about getting rich quick or disrespecting ancient history. It's about having fun and bringing a factor (how much is that worth) that interests a lot of people.

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Thank you for summoning the courage to return, after coming under such withering fire, and initiating an honest dialog.

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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If the show were to emphasize the fascination with fossils, with ancient life, with the excitement of discovering and collecting them and interpreting what they can tell us, it could be a far more interesting and compelling program than one which trivializes the endeavor with the acquisition of "mad cash". Think "Cosmose". Is there any hope for a format with this style and substance?

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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Heck, for inspiration on the adventure aspect, think "Crocodile Hunter"! Steve Irwin was a charismatic, certifiable character, and he was an ambassador for animal conservation whose message was not one of exploitation.

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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Hello everyone, I'm one of the producers of the Fossil Hunter. I would also like to apologize for the confusion caused by the person who manages our presence on the web. (Youtube, Twitter,etc.) We've had a talk and taken care of things. I'm not here to start an argument or to try to change anyone's mind. Each of us are entitled to our own opinions, and I respect your opinions of this project.

This project was never meant to make light of or disrespect the activity of fossil hunting or the fossils found. If nothing else, this was supposed bring some attention to fossil hunting. We tied in the aspect of making money because we wanted to take this project to television. With the popularity of shows like this, we thought this would be a fun way to do it. We needed a some kind of prize, along with the fossil itself, for all of the hard work that goes into finding a great fossil.

This project was shot completely independently. No networks or production companies were involved during production. It was just two independent filmmakers with an idea. We volunteered our time, money, and abilities to make this happen, We had a blast doing it. I had never been fossil hunting and was amazed and intrigued at what we found. It was fun and it's an activity that I could enjoy with my kids sometime.

Please don't judge Rob and Marcus by what you see in the show. They are real guys and are really into fossils and minerals. They are some of the nicest guys you will ever meet.

We shopped this show out to networks, but as of now, it hasn't been picked up. Anyone would want something that their own blood and sweat went into creating to be successful, so we're not giving up on it yet. We are proud of our project, but we have talked about changing it a bit. If the show were about a handful of fossil hunters who hunted, then compared their finds, would it change any of your opinions? A little friendly competition between hunters? We're interested in your thoughts.

Thank you for your input on our work.

Take care.

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