Northseafossils.com ?

[thefossilkid]

Hey guys, I've been looking for a few items, and Northseafossils.com has what i'm looking for, and their prices aren't bad at all, but I've never done business with this company, I was wondering if anyone has, and if they can tell me how their experience was? I'm always weary buying from a new seller, and being that there outside of the US. Any info would be appreciated!

[calhounensis]

You have to be careful with North Sea bones. They have a tendency to 'explode' after some time if they weren't properly desalinated and coated. Northseafossils products are no different. Several of the bones I saw someone purchase from them have since fallen apart. Their more expensive fossils tend to be taken care of better. It is really just hit or miss. I have heard no complaints about the owners themselves and they often send out freebies with your purchase. Shipping was fast for overseas.

Back to the condition of the bones, after a certain time a majority of the bones started to look 'flaky'. This was due to salt being pushed out of the bone by humidity and then trapped under the sealant that coated the bone. If any water touches the bone after this process starts, you'll hear a loud pop and little shards of bone will fly all over. They sting a bit if they hit you.

My recommendation would be to get a few cheap items and see what happens after a few months. If you have that issue, try buying Rhine River instead.

[jpevahouse]

I bought a mammoth molar for my brother as a gift last year. Their pricing was very reasonable, generally less than eBay prices, communication was good, they mail promptly and there have been no problems with the tooth. Postage from Holland is understandably high but their prices are so reasonable I could pay the international postage and still come out ahead. I thought it was a great deal.

[Carcharodontosaurus]

You have to be careful with North Sea bones. They have a tendency to 'explode' after some time if they weren't properly desalinated and coated. Northseafossils products are no different. Several of the bones I saw someone purchase from them have since fallen apart. Their more expensive fossils tend to be taken care of better. It is really just hit or miss. I have heard no complaints about the owners themselves and they often send out freebies with your purchase. Shipping was fast for overseas.

Back to the condition of the bones, after a certain time a majority of the bones started to look 'flaky'. This was due to salt being pushed out of the bone by humidity and then trapped under the sealant that coated the bone. If any water touches the bone after this process starts, you'll hear a loud pop and little shards of bone will fly all over. They sting a bit if they hit you.

My recommendation would be to get a few cheap items and see what happens after a few months. If you have that issue, try buying Rhine River instead.

Is putting water on the fossils a reliable test to see if it was prepared properly? I'm tempted to do it with my mammoth tooth fragment to see if my fears of it falling apart were founded or not.

[calhounensis]

Mammoth teeth tend to hold up well, actually all teeth from there seem to hold up. I have only seen issues with the long bones (ribs, femurs, humerus, etc.) of mammoth, bison, irish elk and horse.

The water thing was an accident originally, I was using a water based sealant to try and salvage a deteriorating bone. When the sealant touched the bone.. pop. I wouldn't use it as a test. If water gets under the coating that came on your tooth, it will turn cloudy and bubble underneath the surface. It will ruin a nice fossil.

[thefossilkid]

Thanks for the info guys! I sent an e-mail to them just asking about the Northsea fossils in general, and this is the reply I got,

"No problem. Yes, we de-salt them, dry them thoroughly and then apply a museum
style conservation layer. We have been treating and dealing in these fossils for
decades now and we have got the treatment process pretty well sorted out, so no
worries there. In less experienced hands there may be problems yes ;)"

Which sounds good, but you mentioned above that your friend got items from them, and they fell apart, so I don't know how good their word is, I'm looking to get a mammoth tooth still in the jaw from them, if it helps any.