Megalodon tooth advice

[Janoside]

I want to get a megalodon tooth as a gift for my friend, but I have no idea about which sights are reputable, what to look for in a megalodon tooth, or what appropriate prices might be. What I do know for sure about what I want is that I want it to be 4"+, still sharp, and I have a price cap of $170. I've seen that some sights advertise that the enamel of the teeth they sell have been ground for a polish. I would prefer the tooth I buy to not be ground to a polish, but I don't know what the consequences of not grinding them might be.

I should add that neither me, nor my friend, has really owned a fossil, before, so some maintenance advice would also be helpful.

I have 3 teeth that I'm looking at, but if someone can show me something better, I might go for that.

The sights I'm looking at are below.

https://www.fossilsplus.com/store/

https://www.fossilera.com

http://www.megateeth.com (I'm looking at 3 teeth from this sight)

There also some megalodon teeth on these 2 sights, but I'm skeptical of the purchase method they have set up. This is also where I saw that they grind the tooth enamel.

http://www.sharksteeth.com

http://www.jtssharksteeth.com

Any advice you all can give would be much appreciated.

[Troodon]

The condition of Meg teeth found while diving ranges from poor to excellent. Some divers like JT of jtsharksteeth take those poor teeth and polish them up to make them presentable to sell. The value of those teeth is less since they are purely for aesthetic purposes and some folks like them.

For gifting purposes I would purchase a tooth that is not polished with serrations visible around the crown. All of the dealers you show I believe are reputable. So go ahead and select the tooth that fits your price range and it should be a great gift. If you need help selecting the best one feel free to post the ones you are interested in and you will receive tons on advice from members.

[PaleoRon]

From your list I would recommend Bill at megateeth.com. I have dealt with him by mail and also in person. Very honest guy with good prices.

Another honest dealer with good prices is Steve at http://megalodonteeth.com. I have been dealing with him for a very long time.

Avoid "polished" teeth. They make nice paperweights but a natural tooth is worth more as a collectible item. Also avoid repaired teeth.

Look for a tooth that is as complete as your budget allows, a tooth with a full root and blade with as little enamel missing, with sharp serrations, and as few chips in the blade as possible .

[RickNC]

I would stick with Bill from megateeth. All of the fossils on his site are his personal finds and you can be assured he is the real deal.

[believerjoe]

And there is no maintenance. Just display it! These are abundant for the divers, so most you see are fine, except for the replicas. Also some people coa them with something to make them glossy. That is what you have to look out for if you collect. Otherwise they are all nice for the purpose they serve.

[Janoside]

Thank you, everyone. You have all been a great help.

Since megateeth.com seems to be the consensus, here are the 3 teeth I'm looking at from him.

http://www.megateeth.com/product.php?item=21501

http://www.megateeth.com/product.php?item=21158 (At the moment, I'm leaning more towards this one.)

http://www.megateeth.com/product.php?item=19611 (I am wondering why this one was normally $200. It looks much more damaged, and is only slightly larger.)

I also found these 2 on megalodonteeth.com

http://megalodonteeth.com/megalodon-shark-teeth/collector-quality-megalodon-teeth/cm3963

http://megalodonteeth.com/megalodon-shark-teeth/collector-quality-megalodon-teeth/cm3892

What do you all think?

Edited December 11, 2015 by Janoside

[aplomado]

You might want to consider one of these:

http://megalodonteeth.com/megalodon-shark-teeth/commercial-quality-megalodon-teeth/commercial-carcharocles-megalodon-fossil-shark-teeth

[amour 25]

Nice teeth , and wish I had friends give me $170.00 teeth for Christmas.

[amour 25]

Thank you, everyone. You have all been a great help.

Since megateeth.com seems to be the consensus, here are the 3 teeth I'm looking at from him.

http://www.megateeth.com/product.php?item=21501

http://www.megateeth.com/product.php?item=21158 (At the moment, I'm leaning more towards this one.)

http://www.megateeth.com/product.php?item=19611 (I am wondering why this one was normally $200. It looks much more damaged, and is only slightly larger.)

I also found these 2 on megalodonteeth.com

http://megalodonteeth.com/megalodon-shark-teeth/collector-quality-megalodon-teeth/cm3963

http://megalodonteeth.com/megalodon-shark-teeth/collector-quality-megalodon-teeth/cm3892

What do you all think?

i Have bought a tooth from him, nice stuff and what you see you get.

[PaleoWilliam]

The one that is normally 200 would be my choice.

[isurus90064]

Out of that list, I would buy the one on the last link:

http://megalodonteeth.com/megalodon-shark-teeth/collector-quality-megalodon-teeth/cm3892

[Troodon]

Steve is one of the best shark tooth suppliers around and I also favor 3892. Super sharp serrations, great tip, nice root and cool color. A little enamel peel but still a very nice tooth for that price.

[bcfossilcollector]

I too would choose 3892. All the teeth appear to be quite nice though!

[Megan the megalodon]

Hi guys, I'm kinda new to this fossil stuff and I've been interested in a Megalodon tooth for awhile and I stumbled across this tooth, since I've got no prior knowledge to spotting a real from a fake, do you guys mind helping? Thanks a lot

Edited December 15, 2015 by Megan the megalodon

[bcfossilcollector]

Hi Megan. Try reposting the pictures in the fossil id forum with the heading Real Megalodon tooth?. The shape looks okay to me but I do not see a Bourlette. Best to let the experts way in.

[bcfossilcollector]

I mean weigh in