Recommendations for reputable fossil dealers

[MyTankSux]

I'n the next few months I'm looking to purchase some fossils from the ocean. Types of fossils I am looking for are megalodon tooth, nautilus (ammonite & ammolite), trilobite and similar stuff. I have a few vendors I've been watching on ebay, but I've had some horrible experiences with ebay in the past. Any info would be helpful, as I am just starting to look into this.

 

[nezw0001]

I'm interested to what others have to say. My son is super into fossils and i'd love to get him something

 

[Tamberav]

I got some off eBay and they had photos of the item so that is exactly what I received. No problems.

 

[MyTankSux]

LUXURY EBAY AMMONITE FOSSIL MUSEUM GRADE BLUE CERTIFIED AMMOLITE DINOSAUR REAL | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for LUXURY EBAY AMMONITE FOSSIL MUSEUM GRADE BLUE CERTIFIED AMMOLITE DINOSAUR REAL at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

For instance this looks amazing, but there is no way im paying 220k. 50k I might consider. I don't even know enough about pricing or value on these things.

 

[fish farmer]

LUXURY EBAY AMMONITE FOSSIL MUSEUM GRADE BLUE CERTIFIED AMMOLITE DINOSAUR REAL | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for LUXURY EBAY AMMONITE FOSSIL MUSEUM GRADE BLUE CERTIFIED AMMOLITE DINOSAUR REAL at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

For instance this looks amazing, but there is no way im paying 220k. 50k I might consider. I don't even know enough about pricing or value on these things.

Those things are pretty awesome. I've bought run of the mill wyoming fish tiles on ebay without much problem, at least when I bought it now and not bidded. Most of the things I bought were under $50 and were usually from "stores" not an individual piece from some random seller.

 

[Paleozoic_reefer]

Being a geologist I have a pretty big fossil collection but to be honest I don't buy from dealers too often anymore. Every year I attend the annual Geological Society of America meeting and there are fossil vendors galore! Most the time my colleagues and I sit around after our talks and after a few beers discuss what's for sale on the vendor's showroom. It's almost a competition to see who can spot a fake fossil vs a real one now a days! The vast majority of fossils come from the Morocco region or China and I would say you have a 50/50 chance of buying something fake, mislabeled, or modified. We've noticed over the years the fake or "modified" fossils are getting better and better and harder to sniff out...Here is a good read on spotting fakes https://fossilcollector.wordpress.com/2015/07/13/fakingit2/
I'm actually going out collecting with my former LFS owner this weekend. PM me your address and I'll send you some REAL fossils!

 

[MyTankSux]

Being a geologist I have a pretty big fossil collection but to be honest I don't buy from dealers too often anymore. Every year I attend the annual Geological Society of America meeting and there are fossil vendors galore! Most the time my colleagues and I sit around after our talks and after a few beers discuss what's for sale on the vendor's showroom. It's almost a competition to see who can spot a fake fossil vs a real one now a days! The vast majority of fossils come from the Morocco region or China and I would say you have a 50/50 chance of buying something fake, mislabeled, or modified. We've noticed over the years the fake or "modified" fossils are getting better and better and harder to sniff out...Here is a good read on spotting fakes https://fossilcollector.wordpress.com/2015/07/13/fakingit2/
I'm actually going out collecting with my former LFS owner this weekend. PM me your address and I'll send you some REAL fossils!

Really? That would be awesome! I don't have any right now, but I could probably get you some stuff like Petoskey Stones (im not sure what other fossils people collect around here).

Part of the reason I made this post, is because I had heard of fakes and "restorations"

My goal is to make a "shrine" to all the controllers for my aquarium and use some fossils to decorate it.

 

[TerraFerma]

FossilEra.com - Fossils, Meteorites & Minerals For Sale

FossilEra is your source for authentic fossil specimens, out of this world meteorites, unique minerals and beautiful crystals.

www.fossilera.com

 

[MyTankSux]

Being a geologist I have a pretty big fossil collection but to be honest I don't buy from dealers too often anymore. Every year I attend the annual Geological Society of America meeting and there are fossil vendors galore! Most the time my colleagues and I sit around after our talks and after a few beers discuss what's for sale on the vendor's showroom. It's almost a competition to see who can spot a fake fossil vs a real one now a days! The vast majority of fossils come from the Morocco region or China and I would say you have a 50/50 chance of buying something fake, mislabeled, or modified. We've noticed over the years the fake or "modified" fossils are getting better and better and harder to sniff out...Here is a good read on spotting fakes https://fossilcollector.wordpress.com/2015/07/13/fakingit2/
I'm actually going out collecting with my former LFS owner this weekend. PM me your address and I'll send you some REAL fossils!

Ok i just went down an internet wormhole for a bit. I've seen some science documentaries with dunkleosteus. Amazing creature. Then I saw this replica. Have you ever come across a real fossil like this? I did some searching and they can come from the Cleveland Ohio shale area. I doubt I would ever find something as complete as the replica, but holy crap would a real one be ******.

Prehistoric Planet Store - Replica fossils including dinosaurs like T. rex, Triceratops, and more!

 

[MyTankSux]

Fossil dunkleosteus marsaisi armored fish skull 120 cm morocco devonian fossile | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Fossil dunkleosteus marsaisi armored fish skull 120 cm morocco devonian fossile at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[samnaz]

If you’re anywhere near Plymouth MI there’s a shop downtown called Earth Lore that has some pretty spectacular fossils.

 

[Jon Fishman]

LUXURY EBAY AMMONITE FOSSIL MUSEUM GRADE BLUE CERTIFIED AMMOLITE DINOSAUR REAL | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for LUXURY EBAY AMMONITE FOSSIL MUSEUM GRADE BLUE CERTIFIED AMMOLITE DINOSAUR REAL at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

For instance this looks amazing, but there is no way im paying 220k. 50k I might consider. I don't even know enough about pricing or value on these things.

You don’t know anything about the pricing, and don’t have any currently but you’d consider one at $50k ???

 

[Gareth elliott]

Not a dealer, but if you are located anywhere where there was an ancient ocean its quite easy to find your own ancient shark teeth. Similar to videos of panning for gold except panning for shark teeth. Never found a megalodon tooth but did find some large teeth for either great whites or their ancestors.

bonus is can plan a family expedition around it, that doesn’t have to be a full day or involve camping. We did this at a now Slow moving river bed, that millennia was part of the ocean.

Fossilguy.com: Big Brook Fossils of New Jersey - Fossil Hunting for Cretaceous Shark Teeth

Where i went as a kid.

 

[Paleozoic_reefer]

Ok i just went down an internet wormhole for a bit. I've seen some science documentaries with dunkleosteus. Amazing creature. Then I saw this replica. Have you ever come across a real fossil like this? I did some searching and they can come from the Cleveland Ohio shale area. I doubt I would ever find something as complete as the replica, but holy crap would a real one be ******.

Prehistoric Planet Store - Replica fossils including dinosaurs like T. rex, Triceratops, and more!

Haven't run across a dunkleosteus in the field....yet! The odds of finding one though in the field that is complete, intact, AND removable (sometimes I need to carry a 50lb rock just for a 1inch prize fossil!) like the picture would be like winning the lottery in my opinion. Marine organisms usually have the highest odds of becoming fossilized since they typically get buried relatively fast after death due to events like storms and turbidity currents but the odds of finding something complete and untouched is pretty rare. As soon as I tell someone I'm a geologist they're eager to show me their fossil collection and their "prize specimen" and I would say more than 50% of the time the piece is fake unfortunately. If it looks too good to be true or should be in a museum but it's on eBay or a roadside rock shop it's probably best to keep your money! I'll post some picks of the fossils I collect this weekend to give you an idea of what we're collecting!

 

[MyTankSux]

If you’re anywhere near Plymouth MI there’s a shop downtown called Earth Lore that has some pretty spectacular fossils.

Thanks! It's about an hour from me. Ill try to check it out next time I take trip over towards the Detroit area.

 

[MyTankSux]

Haven't run across a dunkleosteus in the field....yet! The odds of finding one though in the field that is complete, intact, AND removable (sometimes I need to carry a 50lb rock just for a 1inch prize fossil!) like the picture would be like winning the lottery in my opinion. Marine organisms usually have the highest odds of becoming fossilized since they typically get buried relatively fast after death due to events like storms and turbidity currents but the odds of finding something complete and untouched is pretty rare. As soon as I tell someone I'm a geologist they're eager to show me their fossil collection and their "prize specimen" and I would say more than 50% of the time the piece is fake unfortunately. If it looks too good to be true or should be in a museum but it's on eBay or a roadside rock shop it's probably best to keep your money! I'll post some picks of the fossils I collect this weekend to give you an idea of what we're collecting!

I didn't think I'd ever find one. The Ohio location just made me think there might be an opportunity to possibly purchase one. There is that one on ebay for 70k. I don't understand french, but it seems to be 80 real /20 resto. I have no idea if that is a good price or how often a dunkleosteus shows up for sale. Also I wouldn't really have space for it yet. I just bought a property to build a house on.

 

[markron]

Haven't run across a dunkleosteus in the field....yet! The odds of finding one though in the field that is complete, intact, AND removable (sometimes I need to carry a 50lb rock just for a 1inch prize fossil!) like the picture would be like winning the lottery in my opinion. Marine organisms usually have the highest odds of becoming fossilized since they typically get buried relatively fast after death due to events like storms and turbidity currents but the odds of finding something complete and untouched is pretty rare. As soon as I tell someone I'm a geologist they're eager to show me their fossil collection and their "prize specimen" and I would say more than 50% of the time the piece is fake unfortunately. If it looks too good to be true or should be in a museum but it's on eBay or a roadside rock shop it's probably best to keep your money! I'll post some picks of the fossils I collect this weekend to give you an idea of what we're collecting from https://www.fossilicious.com/fossils/!

Hello.
i thought there would be a few people besides me that would benefit from a posting concentrating on fossil dealers. although i do hunt on a fairly regular basis and find a lot of fossils i have recently wanted to start branching out to purchasing fossils that i know i will not encounter on my own when searching in my area or are exceptional specimens.
so i thought that asking members about there experiences purchasing online can give some of us an idea for some reputable fossil dealers we could trust when laying out sums of money without knowing what the outcome may be. my plan is to check the member trades/sale forum everyday in case there is something that i want to add to my collection.
i don't want anyone getting upset with names being mentioned so due to the nature of the post please feel free to send me a pm with dealers, maybe that is the best idea. i will also be checking ebay from time to time for fossils of interest.
so i'd love to hear advise from members who have had pleasant purchases with a dealer. i'm especially interested in recommendations for dealers whom you have been a return customer with on numerous occasions. those of us who are looking to start supplementing our own finds with purchases would love to hear about the good dealers along with those we should avoid like the plague.
i would love to hear about members of the forum who are very reputable and would love to purchase from them. my biggest concern is ebay and fakes. i'd appreciate any info from those members on the forum who have had good experiences with a certain dealer on ebay as well as the bad.
i think information about dealers will help quite a few members on the forum who have considered buying but are a little concerned with the quantity of fakes on the market and the honesty of some dealers. so any recommendations would definitely help the beginning buyers. i myself would much rather check listing on a regular basis from a list of a few reputable dealers recommended by members who have experienced the good and the bad, than to search all dealers and hope for the best. thanks in advance for any suggestions.