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Ebay Issue: Love The Fossil, But No Id!


Shamalama

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Interesting horn coral, but no species or age given. Hard for me to shell out money for a fossil with no provenance.

Click for Ebay horn coral

-Dave

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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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Shamalama,

No label of any kind! That is not good. It is one thing not to have a Genus/species, but to not have any indication of age, formation, or collection locality puts this fossil in the category of just a plain ole rock. If you want to buy a rock then ok but otherwise (?).

JKFoam

The Eocene is my favorite

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You could ask the seller for more info, but I'd have little confidence in the answer.

"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!

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Already tried asking for more info: "I get these from my seller and he says they are coral". Soooo.... I likey but me no buy without better info.

-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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The dealer may have no ID what it is -- or where it came from. I can recall walking into a reputable rock shop many times and seeing nice pieces that the dealer (who was not into fossils) bought from some estate sale where the information had been lost. This is when you really need to know what you are looking at.

I just sold a nice Trilobite (listed as un-IDed) on Ebay for $20. if I had an ID it likely would have gone for 2 or 3 times that at least. Information as yall know, adds value.

My suggestion is, post a link to the auction so some of our smarter people (not me :D ) can see it and give an opinion. Otherwise, if it looks real and you like it--Take a look at the price and if you think it is worth the gamble-go for it. You may just stumble on to someone who can ID it later.

Be true to the reality you create.

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Not too long ago Chinese dealers were selling those corals as rhino horns.

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