Frank Menser Posted June 26, 2010 Share Posted June 26, 2010 (edited) I have been collecting fossils since I was 6 and now in my Hummmm...late fifties I have been placed in the position (for insurrance reasons)of doing an inventory of the collection. Now, I will admit I have parted with a lot of things thru the years but even so, I am now on page 15 (single-spaced) and nearly (I hope) halfway through. Has anyone else faced this terror???? I could buy a house with this... Edited June 26, 2010 by Frank Menser Be true to the reality you create. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear-dog Posted June 26, 2010 Share Posted June 26, 2010 (edited) I've had the same experience.Down right scarry isen't it.I solved a large part of the problem by placing a huge portion of them on loan to several university museums.It solves 2 problems.They have to insure them,and the fossils loaned get to be used to educate others.A win win situation.Clemson's Bob Campbell Museum is the first to come to mind.I have also donated many extras to them.It's a small museum with a budget too small to purchase items. The fossils are displayed for the world to see,not hidden away.It also gives me a warm fuzzy feeling donating to such nice people. Edited June 26, 2010 by bear-dog Bear-dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blastoid Posted June 27, 2010 Share Posted June 27, 2010 There is a difference between a collection and an accumulation. A collection is cataloged, with indelible catalog numbers on the back of every specimen, as you need to know what you have and where it is, because you are using the collection for your own research. Most collectors simply accumulate, without rhyme or reason. That's fine, but collecting with a purpose, and managing your collection properly, is far more sensible and satisfying. Cataloging software is cheap and easy to use. It allows you to search your catalog in a variety of ways and, while data entry could take you a year of evenings if you start late, it is totally worth it. I'm glad you're finally cataloging your collection. Blastoid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted June 27, 2010 Share Posted June 27, 2010 um, some of ya'll would have psychological damage if you viewed the carnage that is my accumulation. my only consolation is that when the earth falls into the sun it won't matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grampa dino Posted June 27, 2010 Share Posted June 27, 2010 I was there once and saw one hill of a lot of desk work ahead on me I quite at around 20050 sp. and I still know where 95% of my stuff comes from I only collect in the same formation There is not enough beer out there to help me through a full inventory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Dactyll Posted June 27, 2010 Share Posted June 27, 2010 How could gaining some money make up for losing things you have found, loved and could never possibly replace.... I would have to spend it on investigating the fossil 'underworld' to find Mr Big and get my fossils back..... My carb stuff is catalogged but I suppose I only accumilate ammonites.... I need to rectify that at some point.... while I can still remember where they come from.... Cheers Steve... And Welcome if your a New Member... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted June 27, 2010 Share Posted June 27, 2010 Hey Frank, good thread! I am coincidentally reinventoring my material now--had only some partial categorization previously and have procrastinated long enough. No terrors, but certainly a larger than anticipated project. I got serious about it 3-4 months ago and have been slowly getting labels laminated (found some silverfish recently busy in the garage erasing alot of my previous handiwork---oh dang!). Specimens are being cross referenced in a spreadsheet at this point. Its going to take at least another 6 months at this rate. Too many house chores that come first. Sounds like you have a few years on me as I've been collecting since I was a kid too, but only 40 years. Lots of dry spells in there where the collection was on hold..maybe a couple hundred specimens now.... I have mostly smaller items that many of which are in two "traveling" cases that I use to show scouts and an occassional elementary school class. Its been a couple years since my last presentation but here's a look at the two cases. They are each about 3 feet wide. I have given away a number of fossils to kids hoping to spark/enhance their fossil interest. When I get organized at the end of this endeavour I will probably put stuff together for a Geology merit badge for my son's scout troop. I'm about due to share again... Anyways, Hang in there, it can be daunting task to catalogue, but it is rewarding to review some of the provenance material and share and recollect on a lot of great stories/memories. Regards, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Menser Posted June 28, 2010 Author Share Posted June 28, 2010 Nice accumulation Chris. I have actually donated more than a few thousand in fossils and minerals to museums. Them piles do keep growing. Hmmmm....maybe it's those walks i take that seem to leave me with my pockets full... Be true to the reality you create. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanm Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 Ive always catalogued my collection as they are prepped and put into the appropriate location. All in different ledgers for different species (hand written in pencil, none of this new fangled computer software for me!) All specimens are poly bagged and/or labeled for id perposes. I would have to estimate the collection at well over 250 thousand fossils (sounds a lot but when you consider smaller specimens like fish vert's, which i have thousand's of, its not so many realy). Would hate the thought of having to start the process from the begining as i could imagine headache it would cause. Rock kickers of the world unite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Menser Posted June 28, 2010 Author Share Posted June 28, 2010 I think I should point out that my inventory was at one time up to date, but I lost a lot when I moved to NC. As luck would have it, the boxes where my inventory was and a lot of labels were among the ones the movers misplaced. Note I collected many years before there were computers so it was all on paper. Be true to the reality you create. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scylla Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 I think I should point out that my inventory was at one time up to date, but I lost a lot when I moved to NC. As luck would have it, the boxes where my inventory was and a lot of labels were among the ones the movers misplaced. Note I collected many years before there were computers so it was all on paper. I hate movers I too have a vast accumulation and now that I'm collecting with my kids I'm trying to get them to be better than I was about labeling. For now I'm sticking with site lables, species can be figured out later, and when we collected just doesn't seem relavant (this tooth sat in clay for 100,000,000 years does it matter if I found it in 2009 or 2010?) How would you recommend moving a ton of fossils across the country? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Menser Posted June 29, 2010 Author Share Posted June 29, 2010 I hate movers I too have a vast accumulation and now that I'm collecting with my kids I'm trying to get them to be better than I was about labeling. For now I'm sticking with site lables, species can be figured out later, and when we collected just doesn't seem relavant (this tooth sat in clay for 100,000,000 years does it matter if I found it in 2009 or 2010?) How would you recommend moving a ton of fossils across the country? Very carefully. Be true to the reality you create. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundancer73 Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 (edited) I just began this process. Even though I have never found as much as Cris, Worthy or Edd, I have accumulated bins and bins of stuff.. (just keepers I might add). I can only imagine what Cris is going through as he is doing likewise now.. Worthy always keeps his organized..Very intimidating here.. I see no end to this. ~Mike Edited June 29, 2010 by Sundancer73 All your fossils are belong to us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rover Posted July 2, 2010 Share Posted July 2, 2010 Well, I more-or-less know everything I have, but there's nothing on paper confirming that, so I should probably get on that... right after I manage to get a Dremel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Menser Posted July 3, 2010 Author Share Posted July 3, 2010 Well, I more-or-less know everything I have, but there's nothing on paper confirming that, so I should probably get on that... right after I manage to get a Dremel. I'm pretty much the same way. The inventory is more to protect my wife or whoever gets this when I turn up my toes from getting ripped off. I finally finished (despite a two day trip to Texas). 14 pages-just the best stuff. I decided not to even try the spare bones and teeth I haven't IDed yet. Be true to the reality you create. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 I did not do an inventory when I moved, but I was able to regroup the collecgtion so that it id=s now somehwta organized... in geological order and boxes form the same site all together. frank, as a curiosity, in your inventory, are all your fossils numbered? I number mine only after they have been prepped, so I have boxes and boxes of unnumbered stuff. The only label is what it says on the outside of thebox (Site and sometimes date). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Menser Posted July 3, 2010 Author Share Posted July 3, 2010 Much as I think numbering is a good idea (alas) mine are not. I'm afraid that is for more of a meticulous soul than I... Be true to the reality you create. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katfran Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Holy cow you guys sound like you have some massive collections!! I am new to this hobby and I only have a few purchased specimens that were gifts and the maybe 150+ pieces collected on my first 2 trips. I think this thread is very helpful to us newbies to realize that we should start to really identify, label, catalog and inventory our finds now when our collections are small so that we don't have a huge project to find time for later on. Thanks for sharing this - it really made me realize the importance of doing this as you go along. kat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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