To Restore, or Leave Natural

[meg.cu]

I brought this tooth back from Cuba last week and would like forum members opinion, should I have it restored or left as is? Do you think restoration would increase or decrease value?

The tooth is 5.81"

[Troodon]

I have a Cuban meg with a similar saw cut and have left it alone.    I asked the dealer I purchased it from about his thoughts on resto and he felt it would increase the value but more important it would make it more saleable.  The other repair is a bit wider and harder to restore since serrations are very difficult to replicate but some preparers can do wonderful work.  In the end its your call how you feel about resto and what your long term plans for the tooth.. by the way I don't consider both those defects as natural.  They are a result of excavations in their mines.

[FossilDudeCO]

I agree with Troodon, I would leave it natural for myself.

If you plan to sell it I would restore it.

[meg.cu]

Thanks @Troodon. I know Matty  quite well and I know he can make that tooth look perfect. I usually don't keep the restored teeth, I sell them, but finding collectors who will buy a restored tooth is getting harder, a lot them tell me if it has any resto they don't want to look.

[Troodon]

Matty is the right guy to give you what you're looking for.  Resto teeth don't get premium price when it comes to shark teeth.  However, if a collector cannot a afford a rare tooth the resto price might be right.

[meg.cu]

Thanks Troodon for your opinion. Still contemplating.

[Bobby Rico]

Hi I also always like the natural look , for me fossils never need to be perfect  to be admired . Really nice tooth. 

[Darktooth]

I say if you are selling it do what you feel is necessary to get the right price. If you keep it leave it natural. My 2 cents.

[erose]

On 4/7/2017 at 5:44 AM, Bobby Rico said:

Hi I also always like the natural look , for me fossils never need to be perfect  to be admired . Really nice tooth. 

 I agree with this sentiment pretty much 100%. But this is a different kind of damage. Being man-made (freaking saw cut!) I wouldn't hesitate to fix it at all.

 

 

[Jesuslover340]

I would keep it natural. A lot of people are deterred by restoration now because it can be difficult to tell how much has been done and some people are simply adverse to it. If nothing else, sell it as is with the option of having it restored if the person so wishes (for an additional charge, of course). That way, if you sell it, you cater to both purists and people who are looking for a nice tooth, even if that means it's restored.

[caldigger]

I like Skylar's idea, leave the option of restoration up to the buyer.  

[meg.cu]

Thanks @Jesuslover340that is the best advice I have received. I sent it to the restorer(Matty) a few days ago , but called him yesterday and told him not to do anything with it. 

 

[Jesuslover340]

15 minutes ago, meg.cu said:

Thanks @Jesuslover340that is the best advice I have received. I sent it to the restorer(Matty) a few days ago , but called him yesterday and told him not to do anything with it. 

 

Hope you find a buyer! It's a nice tooth

[RickNC]

I would leave that one alone. I've had a couple repaired. In one case it was a very large tooth that other than enamel peel on the display side was perfect. The other was a very nice tooth but was missing a corner of one root.