CreekCrawler Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Dave would like everyones opinion on the best way to handle this piece for resale at the Tuscon show. I say leave it as is and not remove a thing.It's impressive just like it is. Hey Barry, I'm back. Heres a final photo that I didn't get time to send you before leaving. We didn't have time to prep this out before Tucson. I'm glad because we had a disagreement about what was best. I say to leave the jaws in the matrix and sell it a an in situ piece. My partner says to remove them and sell them 3D separately they will sell for more money. I would like to here fossil forum opinions. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossisle Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 yes leave in matrix as a group, much more impressive! Cephalopods rule!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xiphactinus Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Dave would like everyones opinion on the best way to handle this piece for resale at the Tuscon show. I say leave it as is and not remove a thing.It's impressive just like it is. Hey Barry, I'm back. Heres a final photo that I didn't get time to send you before leaving. We didn't have time to prep this out before Tucson. I'm glad because we had a disagreement about what was best. I say to leave the jaws in the matrix and sell it a an in situ piece. My partner says to remove them and sell them 3D separately they will sell for more money. I would like to here fossil forum opinions. Dave OMG - PLEASE don't sell these things all separately!!!! This is a beautiful articulation. Leave it as-is!!! You'd be taking a wonderful, scientific piece and making it into a few mantle trophy dust collectors. It's beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 I'm all-in on leaving it in matrix! "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seldom Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Leave in matrix hate to see it broke up Galveston Island 32 miles long 2 miles wide 134 bars 23 liquor stores any questions? Evolution is Chimp Change. Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain! "I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen." Ernest Hemingway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 X-man is right! Leave them in the matrix. I have to believe that they would command a nicer sum as they "are" and displayed in a nice glass case. And like the man said, the valuable "science" is not lost. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jax Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 First, WOW what a piece!! And I would leave like it is. I would figure that a double jaw would be worth more, but that's just me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 you don't even want to know what i think regarding the question. couldn't say it here anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreekCrawler Posted November 23, 2009 Author Share Posted November 23, 2009 I think what Dave is looking for on this inquiry is will the piece in question sell for more $$ as is, or prepped out as two individual Mosasaur jaw sections.They are trying to start up a business and need as much $$ as they can get to make this venture possible. I think a collector would pay top dollar for a specimen like this that has had minimal prep work involved. I think that this piece is magnificent as pictured... Congrats on all of your great finds Dave........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Owens Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 I can't believe any serious collector would consider destorying such a beautiful articulated specimen just to make a little money. I find it appalling at the very least. Sell it as is - - - Please! -----"Your Texas Connection!"------ Fossils: Windows to the past Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Smilodon Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 (edited) If your friend is trying to start a business, it all depends on price. What he paid for it vs what he thinks he can sell it for. He should check out comparables. I doubt any commenter here would pony up for it, so other than saying it's a nice piece, you guys aren't in the fossil business. It's a very nice piece, hardly unique though. There's plenty of competition in Tucson, even for uncomposited stuff like this. I'll offer $200 as is. :lolu: Another slant on things. Edited November 23, 2009 by Smilodon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Daniel AKA (Bones) Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 I can't believe any serious collector would consider destorying such a beautiful articulated specimen just to make a little money. I find it appalling at the very least. Sell it as is - - - Please! I agree! I think it tells a story as it is. There are actually three jaws within this piece. One to the right if you can is it. I understand his idea that 3D pieces on a marble stand sell for more and are easier to sell, but occasionally you come across a piece like this that is impressive as is. I am sure with your oppinions, it will be easier to sway his. Thats why I brought this to my fossil forum buddies. Thanks for the feedback. Bones v = 0.25 * g0.5 * SL1.67 * h-1.17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 ...I understand his idea that 3D pieces on a marble stand sell for more and are easier to sell... Subtract the cost of making it so from its expected selling price as (over) prepped fossils, and see how much per hour you're paying yourself. Also, as a new enterprise, your first big offerings will brand you; what do you want to be known for? Extraordinary fossils, or home decor? (Lots of competition in the latter category, especially Moroccan stuff). "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 I doubt any commenter here would pony up for it, so other than saying it's a nice piece, you guys aren't in the fossil business. so are you saying that nobody on the internet who reads the forum has money? and those in the fossil business are not the issue, as they won't pay "retail". the issue is what customers' buying habits are. "business owners" don't get it right perhaps 80% of the time, as perhaps 4 out of 5 new businesses ultimately fail. and many business owners focus only on the quantifiable "bottom line", ignoring factors affecting their business that they can't quantify, as if they don't exist. in the economy going forward, for those purveyors of non-essentials, ignoring customer sentiments is an iffy proposition. i took money out of the bank recently and went to a show to find some cool stuff to buy. the money was just burning a hole in my pocket. i wanted to spend it. i wasn't able to, because the dealers wouldn't help me by offering unaltered stuff at fair prices. they don't know that, of course. all they know is what they made on whatever they did manage to sell. and a guy that i bought some stuff from several times before has never learned to be friendly or sociable. so i skipped his tables this time. but he doesn't know it. i guess, though, really, there are so many customers lined up wanting to pay top dollar for any and every fossil that dealers don't need to count on repeat customers or lure new customers in with a decent price on a nice item. guess it's nice that it's always a sellers market in this one business. well, and health care, maybe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barefootgirl Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 I might not have the money to buy something like that but I do buy things and being a women I definitely have a good perspective on that. Leave it like it is, please. I promise you someone will come along and see that, love it and buy it for a good price. In formal logic, a contradiction is the signal of defeat: but in the evolution of real knowledge, it marks the first step in progress toward victory. Alfred North Whithead 'Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia!' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordpiney Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 definitely keep it intact. it's way beautiful as it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 (edited) ...It's a very nice piece, hardly unique though.... Dave, you may know that there is research being done on Moroccan mosasaurs in the attempt to determine if there are some new species. How much partially fabricated material do you see just labeled - MOSASAUR? Too much. It's likely that your specimen could be identified to the species by getting in touch with the right "mosasaur" people. It looks like you have both dentarys, maybe part of a pterygoid, possibly a crushed maxilla, and the back of a quadrate. In short, you may have a good part of a skull, not just a "couple of mosasaur jaws". Documented identification of the specimen will add value. Marketing that documentation puts you at the "top" of the "comparables". But hey, I could be wrong. Edited November 23, 2009 by JohnJ The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Smilodon Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Dave, you may know that there is research being done on Moroccan mosasaurs in the attempt to determine if there are some new species. How much partially fabricated material do you see just labeled - MOSASAUR? Too much. It's likely that your specimen could be identified to the species by getting in touch with the right "mosasaur" people. It looks like you have both dentarys, maybe part of a pterygoid, possibly a crushed maxilla, and the back of a quadrate. In short, you may have a good part of a skull, not just a "couple of mosasaur jaws". Documented identification of the specimen will add value. Marketing that documentation puts you at the "top" of the "comparables". But hey, I could be wrong. John, you are quite right. There are lots of variables besides do I bust it up or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Daniel AKA (Bones) Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Identification is not an issue here. I'm not a beginner. The question is on this particular piece is should it be split up? I am a real matrix guy. Every piece we pull out is a cool piece in situ. But since 3D sells for much more, you have to draw the line somewhere. Which ones do you 3D. I just particularly liked this one to keep it in Matrix. We have way more cooler pieces than this. Three complete skeletons that we are going to prep. over the next year or so. They look cool in the block, but are going to be taken out. You can't keep em all in situ. v = 0.25 * g0.5 * SL1.67 * h-1.17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Dave, being peripherally aware of your experience, I certainly didn't mean to imply a "beginner". It's just that I've seen some recent discussions regarding the "fun" mosasaur guys are having with the Moroccan bones. Apparently, there is a lot of work that needs to be done there. I suppose you have already ID'd your finds. Man, 3 complete skeletons are fantastic! So, partial skulls that look amazing in matrix, but would require a lot of reconstruction and fabrication of missing parts might be best left in matrix. If it was a mess in the matrix, but possible to prep for 3D, I'd go for 3D....but, this one is too handsome in the matrix. See if that logic sways your partner. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xiphactinus Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 (edited) Identification is not an issue here. I'm not a beginner. The question is on this particular piece is should it be split up? I am a real matrix guy. Every piece we pull out is a cool piece in situ. But since 3D sells for much more, you have to draw the line somewhere. Which ones do you 3D. I just particularly liked this one to keep it in Matrix. We have way more cooler pieces than this. Three complete skeletons that we are going to prep. over the next year or so. They look cool in the block, but are going to be taken out. You can't keep em all in situ. Dave - I think I (and some others) misunderstood. "Split up" does not mean pull out of matrix and 3D to me. If you can do that to this piece, then I think that's great! When I heard "split up" I was understanding that as prep each jaw as a separate piece, sell them as separate lots, and each piece could go to a different buyer. I would consider that tragic. In this case, I think that this piece is aesthetically pleasing in matrix, but would obviously prep out nicely in 3D. Edited November 23, 2009 by Xiphactinus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfwphotoguy Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Fake. /someone had to say it How much we talking btw? 5kish? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 well, hopefully the markup advantage for fully prepped is huge, if you're tying your money up for a year or so as opposed to flipping it four or five times in that period for lesser profits which add up. business volume and cash flow shouldn't be overlooked when considering cost of goods sold and profit margin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Menser Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 I see a ton of Mos jaws offered on places (especially Ebay). That it is in such good conditon-so many perfect teeth-raises the kind of questions better photos would answer. Assuming that this is pretty much as found and not "embellished" I would say it ranks on stupid to cut this up. All you are doing by that is making it just like whats on the market and destroying its uniqueness. I agree that this is the kind of piece that makes a dealers reputation. If you sell it intact, word will be that you can get really good collector specimens and the people with the money will look to you. Frankly, I would purchase, if funds were available, a piece like that. Split it isn't worth the money. (In all modesty, I am not a big buyer,(more mid-level) but I do spend on occasion on quality specimens so that is where my opinion comes from) Be true to the reality you create. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fig rocks Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 I say leave it as it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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