BEWARE OF FOSSILS FROM CHINA This guide is a crash course is fossil collecting from a very green novice, to other very green novices, it pertains to the authenticity of foreign fossils from China, and basic tips and tricks that I have learned to make fossil purchasing a fun and rewarding experience. First of all, let me say that I do not claim to be an expert in the field of fossils, I am just somebody who nearly got burned, and for quite a bit of money. Since I have found only one other guide that pertains to this, i though maybe I would pass the information along. Now, I may be the only sucker who didn't know this information, however, if there is even one person that I can prevent from buying a fossil they believe to be genuine that isn't , I would like to try. This guide pertains to fossils being shipped from , and/or said to be originating from China. It in no way pertains to other fossils, because I have no idea about fossils from other parts of the world. I do however know, that it is absolutely illegal to ship genuine fossils from China. So if the fossil you are bidding on is from China, and is being shipped from China, Beware. There is almost no chance that what you are bidding on is real. However, sometimes the seller leads you to believe that is is authentic. in my case, I had bid on a Keichousaurus fossil. The description said it was very old, 200 million years old,from the triassic period, it also specified that is was appraised. Now my first thought was why appraise a piece of junk? It must be real, and very valuable! The answer is that "appraised" sells the product, it seals the deal, it says "buy me, im valuable". The description however, does not say "genuine" and it does not say "replica". The seller is leaving you to draw your own conclusions. So, I did my homework. I found out what the laws in China were pertaining to fossil sales, and I addressed my seller. My seller confirmed that the item was a replica, and confirmed what I had already found out about China's fossil export laws. After mutually agreeing to retract my bid, we parted ways. However, after the incident, I still felt bad. I thought , well, if i almost bought one, maybe someone else might have. Now again, I am not a pro at fossil buying, I was just trying to collect a few neat things for my son who has a newfound dinosaur interest, and I though I would try to find a couple unique items to let him see, feel, hold, and keep for himself so that he may one day appreciate their history, and I almost got scammed. So, I offer these tips to new fossil shoppers: 1: If you are new at shopping for fossils, it is a good idea to start with teeth. Make sure they are identifiable as teeth (some just look like rocks) and also make sure you have a pretty good idea what the tooth of the animal you're searching for looks like. Teeth can range from very cheap to outrageously expensive depending on size, condition, and species. If you are a novice collector, start with a few cheaper teeth that may be slightly damaged and repaired that way you don't have to put a ton of money into it to begin with. There are a lot of reputable people selling decent fossil teeth on ebay. Megolodon teeth are beautiful, and wonderful conversation pieces, and are very easily identifiable. Most of the time, you can't mistake a megolodon tooth for anything but. Even the small ones are big compared to other sharks teeth, and you can get damaged or largely repaired ones at quite a price, and they are still enormous! Another good one is spinosaurus teeth because they are more common and cheaper. they are not as impressive as megolodon teeth though, and most are damaged. 2: Remember that ALL fossil export from China is banned, except in very specific conditions. Chances are the person you are dealing with doesnt meet any of these conditions. In no way can a fossil be legally shipped from China to any other country if it is sold on ebay . If not specified in the item description, Ask your seller before bidding (if their location is China) if the fossil is real. Typically they will be honest, but such is not the case all the time. Some people will blatently tell you they are real, and leave you with the bill, hoping that you are an unaware buyer. Unfortunately, when you recieve the fossil, (replicas are good) if you are a novice collector, you may not even know it's fake. And that is the real crime because you should feel good about owning a piece of our world's ancient history. 3: Do your homework. Find out what fossils are indiginous to the area the one you are bidding on is from. Certain fossils are indiginous to China, therefore, purchasing these fossils needs extensive research. For instance, the keichousaurus is commonly found in China, so you should be especially wary of these fossils, even if you are purchasing them from a seller that is not in China. How do you know that the person who is selling it didn't purchase it from a seller in China, and they are just passing the buck to you? Be cautious when dealing with fossils from this part of the world. 4: Do more homework: About fossils in general, if you like a fossil and want to bid on it, take a look at the starting bid , and note that number. Then do some research, find out what comparable fossils are going for from non ebay sites. If the starting bid of your keichousaurus is $10.00 , and nobody else is bidding on it, and keichousaurus fossils are being sold on a reputable fossil site for $450.00, then that is a red flag! Ebay has great deals, but no one is just going to give it to you! Chances ar ethat the starting bid will be below, but near, what the item is actually worth. And if it is the deal of the century, you will not be the only one bidding on it. 5: Also, if you are unsure about buying a particular fossil and you are doubting it's authenticity, leave it alone. Go with your gut, your intuition will save you money. 6: Be aware when buying all types of fossils wether it be teeth, bones, amber, fossilized leaves or fish, trilobites, ammonites, or anything else classified as a fossil. I have seen articles about fake amber, fake trilobites, and just about everything else categorized as a fossil being replicated. Make sure you ask the seller questions about authenticity, where/when it was found (if info available), where it originated from, and so on. Good sellers will answer your questions without reservation. 7: Replicas are fun! Replicas ARE not bad! Replicas are about the only way you are going to get an impressive fossil item, such as a skull (unless you are Bill Gates). Replicas are beautiful recreations of creatures that were at one time the most magnificent. Replicas still should be embraced and treasured, as long as you KNOW that the item that you are buying is NOT genuine, then it is OK! Buy the replicas if that is what you are looking for. 8: I also reccommend that you buy your fossils in the country you live in. Shipping rates on something as heavy as real fossils can take a toll on you, it is miserable to have to pay more for shipping than you actually paid for the item. Also, (since sometime shipping is very expensive with fossils,) be very , very aware of conversion rates because not all sellers will break down shipping based on your country's currency. They may only list shipping in their currency, so do the math, don't think you know, KNOW what the shipping is going to cost you. I sincerly hope that I help someone with this guide. I am not knocking everyone who is selling fossils on Ebay. I just hate to see someone get scammed, although it happens all to often. Pay attention to seller feedback, and be confident about your fossil purchase before you make it, if you make the right decisions, you will own valuable pieces of ancient history that you can cherish and share for years to come.

UPDATE:  I would like to add at the advice of a fellow ebayer, that  shipping fossils from MAINLAND China is illegal.   This may be an important distinction depending on what you are shopping for.  However, please be advised that you should still be cautious with fossils from this part of the World, but as far as shipping from China goes, avoid all fossils being shipped from the mainland. You will find a lot of these on Ebay,  Thank you , and I do apologize for failing to mention the word mainland previously.