$10,000 Cretaceous "snaglasaurus Mosasaur" Is Fake

[Ray Eklund]

My brother was born with all the artistic talent in my family. He flint knaps arrowheads to flint guitars as art. He can make Mississippian Indian pipes, picture frames with the appearance of how you would find arrowheads on the ground with grass, flakes and sand glued to the surface, displays of arrows arranged like flowers and 20 inch flint blades of exceptional quality.

This time he expanded into Paleontology:

This was one of two "fake mosasaur" skulls he made. He did not even know what a Mosasaur looked like but went on to make one in an artistic moment. It was so big he wanted to get it out of the back of his pickup truck and sold it to me for some small sum, maybe $30.00. Not bad for making it up... one tooth at a time. Even the skull sutures! Look closely now...

It made of Elmer's Glue, Flour and wood putty, a little paint and lots of imagination.

I had two USGS geologists to pick up some mining books and noticed the slab in an open door closet. Their eyes popped out of their sockets! The old looking tag says 3/24/20, Snaglasaurus, Grove, Oklahoma.

I for an April Fools joke put several photographs on Craigs List, price $10,000. I had an email the next time I turned the computer on with someone interested. I emailed back and said I had just sold it... and deleted it.

Edited January 24, 2014 by Ray Eklund

[jpc]

NIce work. So is each tooth a knapped work? And the jaws?

Your story makes me wonder... what if a feller was to sell something like this for an exorbitant price, and then come back a week later and tell the buyer he is a fool Does the buyer have any legal recourse?

[RyanNREMTP]

In Texas yes. It would fall under Criminal Simulation. Penal Code 32.22. Then there is civil court to try and get the money back.

[Krazy Rick]

Now see if he'll make you a six foot Trilobite !!!

[Herb]

pretty cool looking!

[Ray Eklund]

NIce work. So is each tooth a knapped work? And the jaws?

Your story makes me wonder... what if a feller was to sell something like this for an exorbitant price, and then come back a week later and tell the buyer he is a fool Does the buyer have any legal recourse?

If you search your local Craigs List it is amazing of the "frauds" existing for sale. They claim it was Grandpa's or from some garage sale purchase and disclaim any knowledge of its source or authenticity. It is very obvious with Indian artifacts offered that are so poorly done to be just merely flakes with a tip. A 5" Clovis can be worth thousands of dollars if authentic. There are some people with the motivation and ability to create newly made items and represent them as ancient. This has happened over hundreds of years of art and antiques become profitable investments. ...Piltdown Man... Great Britain. Even experts get fooled.

I am very suspicious of Chinese Jurassic birds and Triassic/Permian reptiles on slabs. They have time, skill and motivation to provide a willing market, specimens that are "special". What about the "Dinosuar Eggs" that had been coming out of Mongolia/China? I suspect many are "parts and pieces" assembled with great care. Just be aware and KNOW what to look for, BEFORE you buy!

After seeing the work my brother does with flint knapping... if I did not find an artifact myself... it is in doubt.

As we all know, if we are out in the field collecting and find an unusual fossil... we know it is authentic... but there will be those who will second guess your motivation(s). Take excellent notes, photographs in situ, before and after preparing.

Edited January 24, 2014 by Ray Eklund

[Pliosaur]

Cool!!