Real Trilobites - Where to buy and what to look for.

[McHorse]

Hi all,

I am an amateur fossil collector and ever since reading the book "Trilobite! eyewitness to evolution" by Richard Fortey I have been extremely interested in trilobites. as a result I was wondering where one buys a real trilobite specimen from and how you can guarantee its real or at least what do you look for in a fake/ real trilobite? I also would like to know if there are any reputable dealers in New Zealand or ones that deliver to New Zealand.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[taj]

there are a few guys on FB who describe their prepping process for Moroccan bugs , and then sometimes sell some. This is the way you should go , at least for bugs from that part of the world ...

Edited March 2, 2016 by taj

[aeon.rocks]

In NZ you are pretty much limited to importing trilobites I think, as I heard no major fossil shows there. There are beautifully preserved large miocene fossil crabs found in concretions in North Canterbury, South Island: Tumidocarcinus giganteus. Just mentioning since perhaps that`s a fossil you can collect and learn how to prep yourself. And also, if you could get me some of those larger unpreped concs I would make your trilo collecting worthwile.

There are plenty of sources to buy trilobites from online however, so "where" should not be a problem, the obvious question is "what" and depends on your interests and budget. No worries about fakes, they are easy to ID once you know what to look for, you will learn. In real specimens look for details like granulation, eye lenses, break lines etc. Buy a short- and long-wave UV lamp to check for any nondisclosed restorations (especially common with russian trilobites). I wrote a bit about this in another topic and showed a prep progress of a few common moroccan trilos, didn`t have time to follow up (perhaps soon). Maybe it will be helpfull: http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/56027-moroccan-trilobite-fossils-preparation/

[Fossildude19]

There are some sellers on eBay that I have bought from with success - Chinese trilobites are almost never faked. Also, some of the Eastern European sellers have some nice affordable things.

You can find some decent common trilobites on there,... from Utah, New York, and Ohio on there as well - mostly reasonable prices, too.

If you want to find your own, save a little cash up, then order shale from the U-dig quarry in Utah. It is a fun process to split shale at home and find your own trilobites.

They do ship internationally.

Regards,