-Andy- Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 First up, the seller of this egg stated upfront this is a replica, so this isn't a scam warning. Here, we have an oviraptor egg that could fool even experienced collectors. It looks realistic because it's made out of real oviraptor eggshells. It's even covered with a coating of matrix. This is common practice; I've seen hadrosaur eggs are faked this way, with plaster mixed in to make the egg seem round and heavy. For reference, here's a real Oviraptor (Elongatoolithus sp.) that's been professionally prepped. Oviraptor eggs are commonly faked, so four ways to get a real one is: 1) Get a prepped one, preferably with matrix removed. The eggshell should be black 2) Avoid eggs that are perfect. Real eggs have cracks, and sometimes missing entire chunks of shells. 3) Get one without a matrix base. This isn't a sure-fire method, but I've noticed many fake oviraptor eggs have matrix bases, whereas I can't say the same of those free of matrix. Perhaps the fake eggs require a matrix base for support during their construction process. 4) Price. Again, this is arguable, but the real Oviraptor eggs I've seen often comes with price tag several times that of dubious ones. Having sent some eggs for prepping in the past, this is justified because the cost and time of prepping may cost more than the actual egg. Some scammers like to lure people in with bargain prices. Chinese eggs flood the market, and for many collectors, a dinosaur egg is a must-have. There are more fakes than there are real ones, so take extra care if you seek to buy one. As always, if you're unsure, post pictures here and we will try to help. 22 Looking forward to meeting my fellow Singaporean collectors! Do PM me if you are a Singaporean, or an overseas fossil-collector coming here for a holiday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 Wow! I would not have known that the first egg was a put together egg. These guys are gettin real good! RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 This would have been an excellent test for everyone to comment on, definitely a good fake. Just points out how careful you need to be and attention to detail is a must.. For example, features like how the ornamentation of the broken shell fit together in both color and pattern. Anything that looks slightly off should be avoided. Also another flag that has been stated many times by others is to avoid Asian sellers, just too risky. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordTrilobite Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 Good and informative thread. Though shouldn't this be in the "is it real?" subforum? Olof Moleman AKA Lord Trilobite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinosaurus Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 very handy, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiburon Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 Scary how good some fakes are. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted November 16, 2017 Share Posted November 16, 2017 Wouldn't it be ironic if the fakers were reading these threads to improve their methods? Other than the previously mentioned irregularities, the thing that stands out to Me is the curvature of the shell fragments do not match their position on the egg. (especially on the end.) 3 Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HamptonsDoc Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 This could easily fool most collectors! Thanks for pointing it out . Hopefully @ynot is wrong with the fakers reading our threads and guides on fake eggs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fabien-0605 Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 Hello, what do you Think avoir this 2 eggs? true eggs? do you have an idea of quotation ? Best regards FG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erose Posted December 18, 2020 Share Posted December 18, 2020 Honestly I might be happier with a well done replica. It is possible to make extremely good molds of real fossils and cast them in a variety of materials that will be more durable than the original. Museums and universities make copies all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Andy- Posted December 19, 2020 Author Share Posted December 19, 2020 On 17/12/2020 at 5:17 PM, Fabien-0605 said: Hello, what do you Think avoir this 2 eggs? true eggs? do you have an idea of quotation ? Best regards FG We don't do quotation for fossil values here. It's easier if you start a new thread with more pics. Just showing 1 pic each isn't enough for us to judge if the eggs are real 1 Looking forward to meeting my fellow Singaporean collectors! Do PM me if you are a Singaporean, or an overseas fossil-collector coming here for a holiday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted December 19, 2020 Share Posted December 19, 2020 Looking at that first egg again, it now looks obviously faked. Nice to have threads like this. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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