2013 Tampa Fossil Fest

[siteseer]

I've seen a couple of mentions of the show on the forum but no one has provided a report on it before now.

I attended both days. It had been a couple of years since I had been able to go to this show, having gone to maybe 3-4 of them in the past ten years - whenever I happened to be in the area on business. The show is hosted by the Tampa Bay Fossil Club and a number of club members work hard each time to set it up, run it smoothly, and take it down.

Every time I have gone to that show, I have found interesting specimens and at least one book. This year, I bought a 4-tooth jaw section and an upper molar of Perchoerus (early peccary) - rare finds in the Oligocene Badlands of the north-central U.S. I also picked up a complete Late Eocene titanothere astragulus. It was only $1.50 and the dealer knew what it was. I found some other very inexpensive specimens I can use for fossil kits.

For a friend I bought a plant fossil from near Kingwood, West Virginia. It appears to be a multi-leafed branch section labelled as Devonian in age but it looks more like a plant from around "Mazon Creek time," Pennsylvanian (Late Carboniferous). I saw another plant fossil from the same site that looked like one of the Mazon Creek ferns.

In addition to a few of the dealers offering a variety of paleo-related books (used but in nice condition and far below retail), the club also covered a table with some recently-published titles available. I chose "Field Adventures on Paleontology" (2003, Fossil News, suggested retail $23.50) by Lynne M. Clos. I had already been thinking of buying it from amazon but it was only $20 at the show and amazon wanted $30 at my last check of the site. I couldn't pass that up. I plan to post a review on the forum after getting to reading it.

At his table, Frank Garcia had a new book for sale about his collecting life in Nebraska.

I saw Mark and Karen Havenstein (Lowcountry Geologic) and a couple of other Tucson dealers. Mark and Karen gave me a great deal on a few sand dollars. They seemed to be having a good show. I saw that Megateeth was set up at the show but when I went over to say hello, he wasn't there.

Mosaic, a company that owns at least one of the phosphate mines in central Florida, ran a "sand box" for kids in which fossils could be found. I thought that was a nice gesture.

Various club members set up display cases with great specimens from their collections. I noticed that Frank Garcia's case had several photos as background and one of them showed the newlyweds, Mr. and Mrs. Woehr. I think it was the same photo as one from a summer month report by danwoehr last year.

As always, I had a good time at the show.

Jess

[Uncle Siphuncle]

yes that was us, and on the same trip was 32fordboy, great guy and quite a proficient collector.

[Cris]

I seriously thought about driving there on Sunday, but my circumstances didn't allow it. I'm making it a goal to get there next year. How large was the show (I've never been to it)?

[Down under fossil hunter]

Sounds like an interesting show, did you snap any pics either of your latest acquisitions or what was on offer?