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Where To Buy For Noobies


Pitviper

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Basic question, but where do you buy fossils other than EBay? (skeptical). I'm worried about buying fake junk from china, who's reputable out there that a beginner could afford? What I really want is a a hadrosaur egg, any suggestions?

Thanks.

"Nothing happens in contradiction to nature, only to what we know of it."

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You are right to stay away from ebay, unless you can spot repairs and fakes. The worst are from China and Moroccan fossils, I would not get any from those 2 places on ebay.

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Definitely right about anything coming from East Asia and Morrocco on eBay. I don't have a problem with most of the hadrosaur eggs on there, though. I don't think I've seen a "fake" labeled as "real" yet. If you go eBay, just be sure you do lots o' research before every purchase. I've purchased several things from there (about 68) with not one problem...well I was certain a fossil was a fake and after weeks of complaining got the guy to give me a refund, just to learn the next week it was authentic :faint: -but that's a different story (and I feel terrible for the other guy). Plenty of research and you'll be fine.

The biggest thing to be wary of on eBay is trilobites.

Nick

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lots of people sell fossils on here, just keep an eye out. Or check out this site, http://www.indiana9fossils.com/ from what I know he is one of the best out there. Or save up your pennies and go to Tucson for the big show.

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you are far more likely to have problems if you don't have an eye for detail, some "training" of your eyes regarding what to look for, and some patience. patience is the key, in that if you've carefully examined numerous fossils, you'll start getting better at spotting stuff that's been worked on (or completely fabricated). you'll likely find some problems almost everywhere you look if you collect things that are expensive or from certain countries. it's a real problem, even here. and it perpetuates for a number of reasons. first, most are reluctant to accuse others because they can't prove the item is faked, they don't know, or can't prove that the person selling the item knows it's faked, and for some reason, not enough people consider that kind of thing criminal, even though it's obviously just another variant of theft.

one of the biggest problems for collectors of anything is their passion/obsession. they want things so badly that they see what they wish to see, instead of what's there.

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IMO Education is your best tool. The first thing you have to understand is that the larger the fossil and the more complex and perfect the higher the likelyhood that something has been repaired or restored. For example really good skulls that are in pristine shape are very rare. However, it is understood that most need some reassembly and they shouldn't be faulted for that. The question is how honest the dealer is about what's been restored or replaced.

Trilobites are hard to spot so you really have to know what your looking at when it comes to Moroccan especially. Also, price is a definite indicator. If it is too cheap to be true, well...

Some sites (If my memory serves me SAHARA OVERLAND is one) have a tutorial on fake fossils.

One good site to buy from (in my experience) Is PRIMITIVE WORLDS, a NY business that deals mostly with material from their own quarry. This 4.5" Isotellus gigas is from them.

post-1313-1241182393_thumb.jpg

Be true to the reality you create.

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If it's just a Hadrosaur egg you're looking for, I would suggest ebay seller lowellcarhart (5700+ feedbacks, all positive)

For other fossils, it would help us name sellers if you narrowed it down (shark teeth, trilobites, vertebrates etc.)

I agree though that whatever you're looking for, educate yourself. For that, there is no substitute

There's no limit to what you can accomplish when you're supposed to be doing something else

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If you are interested in Texas ammonites, echinoids, crabs, and Pleistocene vert material, consider buying from me. I find and prep all my own material. Buy from the finder whenever possible, especially one who can provide site and/or in situ shots of your exact specimen or others like it from the same site. This preserves scientific value.

Grüße,

Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas

"To the motivated go the spoils."

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I just happen to have two hadrasaur eggs that I bought many years ago. If you are really serious about buying one, send me a PM and I will try to find them and get some pics for you.

RB

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Frank, thanks for the site ideas. I will be placing an order with Primitive Worlds in the future!

Dave

IMO Education is your best tool. The first thing you have to understand is that the larger the fossil and the more complex and perfect the higher the likelyhood that something has been repaired or restored. For example really good skulls that are in pristine shape are very rare. However, it is understood that most need some reassembly and they shouldn't be faulted for that. The question is how honest the dealer is about what's been restored or replaced.

Trilobites are hard to spot so you really have to know what your looking at when it comes to Moroccan especially. Also, price is a definite indicator. If it is too cheap to be true, well...

Some sites (If my memory serves me SAHARA OVERLAND is one) have a tutorial on fake fossils.

One good site to buy from (in my experience) Is PRIMITIVE WORLDS, a NY business that deals mostly with material from their own quarry. This 4.5" Isotellus gigas is from them.

post-1313-1241182393_thumb.jpg

-Dave

__________________________________________________

Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPhee

If I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPhee

Check out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/

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A lot of the things I've seen this seller offering seemed fishy to me. The seller was offering "suchomimus" teeth for a while. If they were real, they looked heavily restored. Not badmouthing anyone, just my observation.

Nick

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