RJB Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 When It comes to the crabs, lobsters, fishes and ammonites (which is mostly what I do) I have a very hard time getting that 'perfect' fossil. I don't mean to sound so picky or complain too much, but jeesh! Here is an ammo I got recently and of course,,,, it has problems! Dang. I do have a habit of starting to prep a fossil and then see the problems and then put it aside for later, sometimes much later. To me this is a piece of snarge,, a nice piece of snarge but now ive lost interest in it. Its tuff to want perfection. RB Oh, this is from the Pierre Shale and measures about 4 inches across Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 (edited) That's a very sticky one. I can well understand why you're setting it aside. Edited August 24, 2015 by Ludwigia Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted August 24, 2015 Author Share Posted August 24, 2015 Its not only sticky, but its slightly crushed, has predation and its also slightly disarticulated. other than all that,, its quite nice? Ha!!! RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgehiker Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 That specimen has nice colour I confess that I'm not as patient as you are with Pierre Shale material. I'll spend another hour trekking around looking for a complete specimen that is on the surface or pops out whole when I whack a big chunk of matrix. A few strategic taps after that if it still has matrix on it. Then it's either yes, or 'meh' whether it goes into the pack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mediospirifer Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 Is the crushing and disarticulation due to the predation? I'd find that more interesting than a perfect specimen--I like fossils with predation marks or pathologies. They have a story to tell. Personally, I think that's a gorgeous piece. But then, I've always been a little weird... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted August 24, 2015 Author Share Posted August 24, 2015 No, your not weird Mediospirifer, it really is a gorgeous specimen, it just has some problems. I will finish it up someday and smooth out the rock around it and it will be a nice specimen for what it is. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFOOLEY Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 (edited) Yup, you're just too picky. I've collected hundreds of ammonites...I have one that is "perfect". BTW, beautiful specimen. Edited August 24, 2015 by PFOOLEY "I am glad I shall never be young without wild country to be young in. Of what avail are forty freedoms without a blank spot on the map?" ~Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) New Mexico Museum of Natural History Bulletins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Pocock Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Hi I have lots of ammonites and I don't have any that are perfect but each one is special in its own way. I do understand what you mean though and I hanker after a perfect Ammonite myself, I am however resisting the urge to purchase one, I would rather find one for myself. Regards Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted August 25, 2015 Author Share Posted August 25, 2015 Thanks guys. and Mike Pocock, the hunt is were the fun and excitement is, but fossil prepping can be very fun at times too. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Pocock Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Hi RB I agree I enjoy prepping very much and have spent many happy hours prepping fossils in my "man cave" as my wife now calls our garage. Regards Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 The "perfect" samples are still swimming in the ocean, not hiding under tons of rock! Maybe in a different formation they may be more complete? I find the best that I can and am happy with what I get- usually. Tony Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crabfossilsteve Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 RB Yes, you are way too picky. They were dead at the time, probably already rotting. Even live critters ain't "perfect". Then you throw all of that rock weight and tectonic movement..what do you want. I know...those fricking crabs are my love / hate things...all that time you put into prepping them and then discover they are not that great...poop. You can sure send that ammo to me. I would gladly accept it into my collection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Ron does a good job of separating his standards from his expectations, but still hope springs eternal; it ain't picky when the heartbreak is real "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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilcrazy Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 RB, I'll ring in with a solid "share your pain". The search for that "perfect" fossil can get to be a real monkey on your back. It doesn't take long for that desire to turn into an obsession. I can tell you I spend way too much time looking for a specimen better that the one I already have at home. Why? Because I think it's got to be out there. Logical truth be told, it just might not be out there, except in our head. The heart wants what the heart wants. What the earth gives up; is what you get. We need to deal with it. A Rolling Stones tune comes to mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeepTimeIsotopes Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 It's nice to be bringing in any fossils, period. But it is much more exciting to find that one unblemished, pristine piece. Each dot is 50,000,000 years: Hadean............Archean..............................Proterozoic.......................................Phanerozoic........... Paleo......Meso....Ceno.. Ꞓ.OSD.C.P.Tr.J.K..Pg.NgQ< You are here Doesn't time just fly by? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 I was going to say "send me your imperfect ones" too ... one man's garbage is another's gold. I'm happy to find any 'decent' fossil, because there are more days when I am skunked. What p---es me off is when I try to trim or prep it (in my limited capacity to do so) and I damage it. I don't think I have a single perfect fossil, either bought or found. I'm with John and Steve, I doubt that perfection exists. Maybe someone should start a "Show us your perfect specimens" thread and see if anything gets posted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andreas Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 Your "start prepping put aside, start prepping, put aside" sounds familiar to me. But be sure, perfection exists only in your mind. For you the specimen is not perfect, for the man who works on predation marks it is nearly prefect. The eqaution i watched by myself is. Enlarged ammonoid material plus enlarged prep skills = enlarging picky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cluros Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 I personally like the ones that aren't perfect. Sometimes they can tell a really interesting story. I found a large brachiopod a few years back that looked broken but I took it anyway. When I got home I noticed that while it was alive the breaks had re-healed. Looking further I realized that it had been bitten and survived. Take a closer look maybe your ammonite was the victim of a large predator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crabfossilsteve Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 RB Hopefully, you were able to see I was trying to be humorous...it was in jest. I too keep looking for that illusive perfect one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 RB- Yes, ole friend, you are being too picky. But here is what I have done with predated ammos.... prep it in3d and make it stand above a base of matrix...the wounded part hides in the matrix base. You have to do this as soon as you reralize it has some crushiong or whatever. I have no pix available right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgehiker Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 I personally like the ones that aren't perfect. Sometimes they can tell a really interesting story. I found a large brachiopod a few years back that looked broken but I took it anyway. When I got home I noticed that while it was alive the breaks had re-healed. Looking further I realized that it had been bitten and survived. Take a closer look maybe your ammonite was the victim of a large predator.Completely agree. My favourite theropod tooth is one that is broke in life and then was worn munching on the delicacies of the day. I can hold it in my hand and imagine all types of scenarios.There is a show on BBC called 'Antiques Road Show'. My favourite items are always those that were used in life...a worn tool, chipped mug, clock with some repair. Least interesting are the pristine items that were tucked away or just ornaments for the sake of being ornaments. When I was into stamp collecting I always preferred used stamps with a postmark to any stamp in mint condition....again, it has a history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted August 30, 2015 Author Share Posted August 30, 2015 Thanks guys. All good ways at looking at this delima. Hey Steve, I know you were joking. Hey JP, I have several where I left it in the rock to hide the predation. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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