Fossil collecting

[ponder]

As most of us are enthusiasts of small expensive things that come out of the earth, I was wondering if anyone here was an avid fossil or natural mineral collector? DH and I are very interested in collecting but are too ignorant to buy. I know that fakes run rampant and I don't want to make any potentially extremely expensive mistakes. DH and I just got back from vacation and potentially walked away from the deal of the century. DH would have bought it, but my PS mantra of "If it's too good to be true..." kept me from consenting. Any advice or educational books/websites would be appreciated, or even recommended dealers.

Thanks!

 

[azstonie]

I do.

Is that the piece you are referring to walking away from?

I see thousands of those at Tucson every year. This means what you saw should not have been expensive or pricey. It doesn't mean they aren't cool and amazing and fun to own and a nice organic touch for any room you put it in. I own a very large one myself. I've seen those door-sized and in outstanding relief.

Little tip for you: When you're showing a piece in a photo, put something in it to indicate scale: A dime/nickel/quarter, a ruler, some kind of common object to give indication of scale.

The goal with fossils and really mineral specimens is to get a top notch example of whatever it is you/'re looking at, at a fair price meaning fair to you and fair to the seller.

The following influences price:
Rarity.
Provenance and trustworthiness/expertise of seller.
Quality (are all the parts present and complete?).
Aesthetic-ness/prep (top notch specimens can have hours upon hours upon hours of prep invested in them).

 

[ponder]

Sorry, I forgot to post that the piece is 3ft by 4ft, roughly. How do I tell if its even real? This dealer had multiple museum quality pieces, but this was their only piece that I was interested in my price range and that was after discounting it about 50-60%. Continuing to discount the price was making me uncomfortable, as I was not negotiating. They indicated that they had a very slow season, and needed to make room for new inventory. Before we left they were offering it for $9k with shipping included. Also, DH and I truly liked this piece (size, color, shape, composition) and are not absolutely set on a perfect specimen, but obviously want the price to reflect that if it is truly the case.

I would love some direction to books, websites, or forums that I could educate myself with.

 

[partgypsy]

Do you know if the piece was from Morocco? It seems that's where the majority of fakes are coming from, and "mass deaths" is popular type of fake. Not saying at all this is a fake (not an expert) but I would be buyer beware, at the prices you are talking about.

Just like people here start with "learner" stones and work their way up, any way to start with smaller specimens, so even if fake it is not a huge loss?

I have a couple fossils, but they were gifts from the person who actually did the fossil collecting.

 

[soocool]

My father had a huge collection of fossils and minerals. Back in the 1960s he had written the geological associations in all the US states and they sent him rocks and mineral for free. Not a single grandchild wanted his collection after he passed last year and my sister and I just did not want to store it so we gave it away. Now rethinking that perhaps it was a bad idea?

That said, I would visit individual geological state sites. You could even contact them if you have any specific questions. My dad did that whenever he had questions. Just one example, http://geology.utah.gov/surveynotes/gladasked/gladindentify.htm

 

[azstonie]

Okay, $9K was last price?

You walking away was a very good idea.

Tucson, the biggest show/s , is at the end of this month. I go to several fossil dealers every year (have been going for 15 years). I will get a price point for an average specimen of 3 x 4 size and post it on this thread when I get back. If my camera and this computer cooperate, I will post a pic to go with the price point.

 

[arkieb1]

My husband's family own a rock, crystal, fossil and gemstone museum and shop in Australia. I don't see that amount of value in that piece. The rarer something is the more money it is worth. What specifically are you after? If you google trilobite on Ebay or on the Internet in general you will get many versions of your above example, some real some copies.

 

[Mayk]

We hunt for sharks teeth on the beach where we live. The dark ones which we find most often are considered fossils. The hunt and collecting is fun but I'm not sure there is much monetary value certainly not anything like the value of those items. If they were worth anything I'd have more diamonds from selling the collection!

 

[packrat]

I hope to have a Megalodon tooth to display someday, but that's about it for me.

 

[ponder]

Okay, $9K was last price?

You walking away was a very good idea.

Tucson, the biggest show/s , is at the end of this month. I go to several fossil dealers every year (have been going for 15 years). I will get a price point for an average specimen of 3 x 4 size and post it on this thread when I get back. If my camera and this computer cooperate, I will post a pic to go with the price point.

That would be AMAZING, thank you. It would be nice to have a reference point. I have searched for shows in my area and they seem to be a fall thing around here. Hopefully we can check some out in the next year or so. DH and I are not really set on a particular species either. We are looking for a larger piece, animal or plant, with orange/red/golden tones. We are also interested in a large petrified wood cross section for a coffee table with similar colors present.

 

[azstonie]

Given the focus of your interest, home decor, come to Tucson for the shows. What you save will more than cover plane (not sure where you're coming from, though) and hotel. You would see a range of things that would blow your mind.

I call what you're looking for interior design geology and there is quite a bit to choose from all over Tucson but based on what you've posted you would mostly be at Inn Suites/Hotel Tucson City Center shows and the fossil coop warehouses a few blocks away.

Tucson, biggest show in the world, runs in total about a month, is made up of many events and vendor groups also called "shows."

Google Tucson mineral show 2015, check it out.