Indonesian Megalodon

[BellamyBlake]

This is an Indonesian Megalodon, 2.8" along the slant. The claim is that there's no restorations. I don't see any, and would appreciate more eyes on this.

Thank you,

Bellamy

[Darktooth]

The Bourette and root look somewhat off to me. It is possible that this is due to the preservation from this locale. Wait for others opinions.

 

Dave

[Praefectus]

Serrations are sharp and enamel is shiny. The bourlette is present. This is a rare example where the root looks to be in good condition too. Wait to see what other forum members say about the root. Some of the repairs have been really crafty and I might be missing something. 

[Darktooth]

1 minute ago, Praefectus said:

Serrations are sharp and enamel is shiny. The bourlette is present. This is a rare example where the root looks to be in good condition too. Wait to see what other forum members say about the root. Some of the repairs have been really crafty and I might be missing something. 

I agree that the blade and serrations look great but there is something about that bourette.......... it shouldn't be shiny.

[BellamyBlake]

Thank you for the opinions. I will say that he showed me some repaired ones too. His restoration technique was pretty obvious. I'm not so sure it's restored, but I'll wait for others to opine 

[BellamyBlake]

Might the bourlette be shiny because of the camera flash which he used for those photos? Here's another one if it helps:

 

@Darktooth @Praefectus

 

[aeon.rocks]

No obvious signs of resto or repair. But always ask for more photos in natural day light and see if you can spot any improvements done to the tooth. Flash photos (the case here) or underexposed (too dark) photos or direct sun light photos are not good to spot resto. Colors might look different as in pictures with flash too, but expect the blade colors to dull a bit when dried. If restored in Indonesia, you'll notice restored parts... Indonesian restoration work in most cases is obvious, but some Indonesian artists are getting good at it and they try to hide improvements with bad photos - not all, some are very open about it - but still why you need to always ask for good light and good resolution photos, if resto bothers you. If restored in US, by the best of the best, C. H., you'll probably not notice the work done even on good resolution photos however, but don't worry so much about restorations, if you like the tooth and the price is right. A minor restored collector grade tooth at an affordable price is still better than a completely natural "junker", like presented in last few posts. Also make sure about shipping and payment options, be careful, there's a good number of scammers around. 

 

 

In a nutshell: Overall a very nice collector grade tooth - gum, blade, root is good. Looks 100% authentic. But ask for more pics, if you're unsure...

 

 

 

[MarcoSr]

I see a lot of Indonesian megs on Facebook.  Most have bad roots with a lot of erosion.  However, most have nice bourlettes.  It is really hard to tell if this root is natural or restored.  The megs with good natural roots cost a lot more than the ones with the eroded roots so there is a big incentive to restore the roots.  You have to buy these Indonesian megs from a trusted seller.

 

Marco Sr.

[BellamyBlake]

6 hours ago, aeon.rocks said:

No obvious signs of resto or repair. But always ask for more photos in natural day light and see if you can spot any improvements done to the tooth. Flash photos (the case here) or underexposed (too dark) photos or direct sun light photos are not good to spot resto. Colors might look different as in pictures with flash too, but expect the blade colors to dull a bit when dried. If restored in Indonesia, you'll notice restored parts... Indonesian restoration work in most cases is obvious, but some Indonesian artists are getting good at it and they try to hide improvements with bad photos - not all, some are very open about it - but still why you need to always ask for good light and good resolution photos, if resto bothers you. If restored in US, by the best of the best, C. H., you'll probably not notice the work done even on good resolution photos however, but don't worry so much about restorations, if you like the tooth and the price is right. A minor restored collector grade tooth at an affordable price is still better than a completely natural "junker", like presented in last few posts. Also make sure about shipping and payment options, be careful, there's a good number of scammers around. 

 

 

In a nutshell: Overall a very nice collector grade tooth - gum, blade, root is good. Looks 100% authentic. But ask for more pics, if you're unsure...

 

 

 

Thanks for the analysis! After I posted the dude showed me some restored ones I could take for cheaper, and he was very upfront about which ones were restored. By that time I wasn't particularly concerned. 

 

I used PayPal in any case, and have his statement in writing that it's unrestored. If it is, and I seek a refund, it shouldn't be an issue. That being said, if there is restoration it's done well. And ultimately I wanted a nice tooth at a budget. This was a good buy, so I doubt I'll return it either way. 

5 hours ago, MarcoSr said:

I see a lot of Indonesian megs on Facebook.  Most have bad roots with a lot of erosion.  However, most have nice bourlettes.  It is really hard to tell if this root is natural or restored.  The megs with good natural roots cost a lot more than the ones with the eroded roots so there is a big incentive to restore the roots.  You have to buy these Indonesian megs from a trusted seller.

 

Marco Sr.

Thank you Marco.