Collecting fossils can be an educational, rewarding and enjoyable hobby.  As a child I was entranced by the idea that some rocks were once alive.  This guide shares some of my experience collecting fossils, including 12 years on the internet and 10 years on Ebay with those new to the hobby.  I am a collector, not a dealer.  I am writing this to help those new to the hobby, as there are few guides available for fossil collectors, and none are in any way comprehensive.  This is a guide to educate those new to an often murky field and I expect to get some negative feedback from those whose toes I step on. So be it.  I will first discuss collecting fossils in general, and then discuss some specifics of buying on Ebay.   

As is true in the collecting of anything, the most important thing for the collector is knowledge.  This is particularly true in the area of fossil collecting.  Each type of fossil (trilobite, ammonite, shark tooth, etc.), requires specialized knowledge involving geology, biology, and evolution.  In fact, I can think of no other collectable that requires the depth and breadth of knowledge required in collecting fossils!  After all, you are entering the study of paleontology, the study of all past life on earth.  What could be broader than that?  In a few areas, such as shark teeth and amber, collector guides are available.  In most other areas, they are not.  However, scientific articles can be found on the web and in libraries. There is no general guide on the market to inform collectors of fossils what they need to know, approximate prices, etc.  This makes it tough for the neophyte collector, who must gain knowledge of fossils from a variety of sources.   However, there are some fossil identification books out there that can be helpful.  If there is a museum you can get to with a good fossil collection, you can take as many pictures as you like of the specimens and create your own picture reference base.  This is probably the easiest way to identify a dinosaur bone for which you can find no printed references.  Another way to check identification of a fossil is to compare it to one of the many casts or replicas on the market. Also, increasingly, publications are being made available online.  For example the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) has its entire library of publications in a searchable database and any article can be downloaded for free!

The fossil collector needs to realize that just because somebody is selling a fossil, he may or may not really know what it is.  This is especially true on Ebay, where seemingly every US bone is from a T.rex, every Moroccan bone is from a Spinosaurus (a dinosaur that is very poorly known), and every tooth is from the "African T.rex," meaning Carcharodontosaurus, which has little affinity to T.rex.  Also, many of the fossils on Ebay are from Morocco or China, where their exact origin may be unknown and many of the fossils have not been formally described.  This ignorance is not often noted in the fossil description.  The  fossil collector needs to educate himself rather than rely entirely on the seller to properly identify fossil purchases.  Although high quality, rare and high demand  fossils may appreciate in value over time, it is VERY EASY for the neophyte collector to spend a lot of money on fossils that will never be worth what was paid for them. 

Much of what the prospective collector will need to know will have to come from handling fossils themselves and talking with other more experienced collectors and some dealers.  Long before Ebay there were fossil dealers who had to build their business by building a loyal customer base.  Some still do business this way, and can be excellent sources of information on fossils.  I highly recommend a neophyte fossil collector establish relationships with some reputable dealers outside of Ebay in order to gain knowledge and experience with fossils that have been accurately represented.  This knowledge and experience is CRUCIAL before entering the realm of Ebay fossil sales, where sellers may not value repeat customers, often lack knowledge of fossils themselves, or deny returns on items not accurately represented. Some dealers I have found most helpful over the years include PaleoSearch, Indiana9 Fossils, Stones & Bones Fossil Company, and Paleo Enterprises.  In Europe, Henskens Fossils, Fossilien.de, and Famous Fossils are excellent sources.  All have internet sales sites, are real people with real names (not just Ebay names), have excellent reputations, and they won't  change their identity like Ebay sellers can!  Also, unlike Ebay sellers, you can talk to them on the phone, get your questions answered and maybe learn something!  Of course, there are many other excellent and reputable dealers in fossils.  Some (PaleoSearch) will be able to provide you with copies of reference material idenitifying your purchase.  I would warn against dealers that claim to be the only good source for fossils, or sell fossils at prices that seem far out of the mainstream.  There are dealers on the internet that know that the fossil buying public is largely uneducated in the field and will try to take advantage of that fact.  They know that many people are amazed to learn that fossils are available for purchase at all, and may have no knowledge of their market value.  Be wary of dealers that will not reveal the amount and location of the restoration in their fossils, or will not accept returns!  I would also advise the neophyte fossil collector to limit the amount of money spent on initial fossil purchases, until some experience is gained in seeing and handling a number of fossils.  I don't mean to imply that most Ebay sellers are untrustworthy.  On the contrary, there are many very reliable, helpful and honest sellers on Ebay.  One of them is Lowell Carhart, who for years has sold real Chinese dinosaur eggs and other fossils on Ebay, with over 15K positive and no negative sales!  He also has some links to some excellent articles about fossils.

In general, collectable fossils can be valued according to rarity, quality of preservation, amount and quality of restoration, quality of preparation, scientific interest, aesthetics and market demand.  Some fossils, such as Tyrannosaurus rex fossils, are in high demand even by people not otherwise very interested in fossils, raising prices far out of proportion to their rarity.  Also, as a result, many fossils said to be from T.rex, are not.  Can you tell a T.rex caudal vertebra from an Edmontosaurus caudal vertebra?  Can you tell a T.rex tooth from a Nannotyrannus tooth?  If you can't then don't buy it!  My Ebay guide, "Real T.Rex Tooth?  How You Can Tell" should be required reading for anyone considering a rex tooth!  That gets back to the importance of gaining knowledge in the field.  The greater the demand for a fossil, the greater the likelihood of misidentification and fakery.  It has been said that the market of fossils consists of people not knowing what they have, selling to people who don't know what they are buying!  On the positive side, fossils are not in the mainstream of collectables, and with some knowledge, experience and patience, a collector can build a superb collection of lasting value and enjoyment.                        

I would like to make a few comments here about repair and restoration.  Almost all fossils require some type of preparation, which can be as simple as washing the dirt off or as complex as spending hundreds of hours using air abrasives under a microscope to remove matrix or restore missing parts.  Glueing pieces back together is repair.  Restoration involves replacement of missing material or painting in missing parts.  Painting is also termed enhancement.  Is restoration good or bad?  It is both!!  Real fossil is more valuable than restored or enhanced fossil.  However, well done restoration can improve the appearance and value of a fossil, while poorly done restoration devalues it.   Uninformed buyers want a perfect looking fossil for not a lot of money, so that is what you will see a lot of on Ebay!  This is achieved through restoration and the market drives this.  For example, if you ever see a less than perfect Russian trilobite, let me know!  This isn't because they are all found in perfect condition.  Many are "made perfect" through restoration and composition, even though the description will not mention this and the seller may even be unaware of it.  In general, the rarer the fossil, the more restoration is acceptable.  With more common fossils, such as most invertebrates and shark teeth, restoration will have a major negative effect on value.  With less common fossils, such as vertebrate skulls and skeletons, some restoration is common and has less effect on the value. 

Regardless of type of fossil, the amount and quality of restoration will have an effect on the value of the fossil, and it is necessary for the buyer to learn from the seller how much restoration a piece has and where it is before the sale.  After receiving the purchased fossil, it is necessary to verify the restoration.  To this end, I often first examine the fossil with a blacklight.  With this light source, areas of restoration will appear black.  Areas of enamel or bone that have not been altered will generally show some fluorescence.  A blacklight used alone, however, will tend towards an over-estimation of restoration, as some areas of real fossil may lack fluorescence.  The next step is to inspect the fossil closely with a 4X or greater loupe under a bright light.  Look for differences in texture and detail.  With tooth enamel, the real enamel will have a gloss and micro cracking that the restored areas will lack.  Real fossilized bone will have micro cracks and spicules.  Restored areas may have grooves and pits, but the appearance under magnification will be that of fine wet sand.  Poorly preserved fossils, on the other hand, may lack details fine enough to discriminate restore from real fossil, and should be de-valued accordingly. I don't mean to imply that restoration is all a negative.  On the contrary, well done restoration that is discrete and accurate to the fossil  can enhance the value and one's enjoyment of a fossil. 

Another factor to be aware of in fossil preparation is that of composition.  Sometimes, rather than fabricating missing parts of a fossil, the preparer may replace them with the same parts from other individuals of the same animal type.  This is fine, as long as the fossil is represented as being composited.  In fact, some fossils have never or rarely been found as complete specimens, and composition is necessary to present a fossil with the appearance of a complete specimen.  Composites, however, will not have as high value as a complete specimen of the same animal. A particular problem with composites on Ebay has arisen in the case of Chinese vertebrate fossils, such as sabercats, in which case skulls are often made up of parts of entirely different animals and sold as a complete specimen of a single animal.  Such mix and matches are not legitimate and should be avoided!   

Overall, the quality of the preparation of a fossil is very important.  A well prepared example of a well preserved fossil will exhibit incredible detail and beauty.  Compare some trilobites prepared in Morocco with those prepared by top preparers in the US or Europe and you will understand the cost difference.  For another example, a complete well preserved Keichousaurus, crudely prepared is maybe worth about $200, but the same specimen, carefully prepared, showing all the fine bone details, may be worth $2000. 

As for buying fossils on Ebay, the basics of Ebay apply.  Look at the seller's feedback.  Beware of sellers with less than 99% positive feedback.  See if they have sold a lot of fossils, or if fossils are something they come across now and then in a flea market or estate sale.  If the latter is the case, it is not likely the seller knows enough about fossils to accurately describe them.  Do not pay with wire transfers.  Ask all of your questions before the end of the auction.  Responses to questions will often reveal to you how much or little the seller knows about what he is selling.  And, usually, when people don't know much about fossils, they tend to over-value them.  If a seller will offer a return privilege, that is a plus.  Unfortunately, allowance of returns is the exception rather than the rule on Ebay, or in auctions in general.  Here are some more specific thoughts I have about buying fossils on Ebay:

• AVOID ALL SALES FROM CHINA!  Most of the fossil fakery on Ebay originates from China in the form of completely faked fossils (sculpted or cast items made to look like fossils, or paintings of fossils on rock), fossils made up from several individuals (composites), and even fossils made from multiple different types of animals.  I have seen offered "fossilized" turtles, that appear to be nothing more than modern turtle shells!  This has been especially the case since China has been banning fossil exports the past few years.   Exactly what has been banned and when varies from source to source, but currently, all fossils are treated as cultural artifacts and require Chinese government permission (never granted) for export.  When you see fossils for sale from China, you may be seeing an ad for something that isn't even available for sale, something that probably will not make it out of China due to confiscation, or, most likely, is completely fake.
• Be wary of any fossils said to originate from China. If someone learned their lesson the hard way and actually bought a Chinese fake fossil, where better to sell it than Ebay?  Non-Chinese sellers, sometimes out of ignorance, sometimes not, will sell fake Chinese fossils.  This is especially the case with Keichousaurs, ichthyosaurs, Hyphalosaurus, dinosaur eggs, turtles, frogs, birds, mammal and dinosaur skulls and skeletons.  Although original examples of these fossils exist and can be truly breathtaking when well prepared, many of them on Ebay are fakes.  For example, if you see the skull of a Psittacosaurus that appears near perfect, but lacks bony details or bone suture lines, it is a fake, made up of crushed bone powder, bone fragments and glue.  If you see a Keichousaurus that looks like it was painted on moulded rock, then that's what it is.  If you see a supposed dinosaur skeleton that is "new to science" and looks just perfectly set and posed in the matrix, well, P.T Barnum comes to mind.  And, don't be suckered by all the too cute to be true fossils the Chinese love to produce.  I am not saying that Chinese fossils are not desirable.  I am just pointing out that buyers of them need to be particularly wary.  If you see a seller is offering Chinese material that is obviously fake, you will want to avoid that seller!  And don't be taken in by claims of scholastic attainment as a means of trying to legitimize fake fossils.  In spite of all that, there are some genuine Chinese fossils on the market, some of high quality, that were exported before the crackdown on exports occurred in 2002 or 2003. This does not mean that fossils exported prior to then are all real, however!
• Morocco is another fossil "hot spot" that has produced some incredible fossils.  But, like China, many of them are not real. Trilobites, in particular, can be totally faked and sold as real fossils.  Whole mosasaur jaws can be assembled from bits of bone and loose teeth. And, if you see huge dinosaur teeth or claws from Morocco for very low prices, be aware that a lot of these are made up of two or more partials glued together!  Most large Spinosaurus dinosaur teeth on Ebay now are manufactured from pieces of  teeth!
• Decide on a reasonable price which you are willing to pay, and stick with that price. Don't get caught up in a bidding war-you have nothing to gain.  Ebay has no way to prevent shill bidding, a means by which sellers can drive up the prices by having people who have no interest in buying bid up the price. 
• Buying from a non-Chinese dealer with very high numbers of positive feedback is NOT necessarily your guarantee of authenticity.  I have seen fakes offered by people that I think should know better.  Again, educate yourself!

Limited budget?  A collector can build a collection of incredible beauty and interest for relatively little money by collecting fossils that are relatively more common, such as shark teeth, plants, petrified wood, trilobites, ammonites, brachiopods, molluscs and corals.  Or, look for fossils that are not in as high demand, such as crinoids and most all other non-trilobite invertebrates.   Because the demand is not as high or they are more common, there is much less risk of fakery as well.  Although I am primarily a vertebrate collector, to my mind the most beauty for the buck is found in ammonites and crinoids.  Trilobites are very appealing and can be economical, but be forewarned that collecting these little variations on a theme is highly addicting!  Among vertebrates, Pleistocene mammal fossils provide the most "Wow!" for the buck.  If amazingly preserved detail on a budget is what you want, consider Green River Formation fish fossils.

There is no doubt that Ebay has transformed the fossil market.  On the positive side, fossils are often available direct from the finders or preparers, without a middle man.  Several sellers and dealers on Ebay have established excellent reputations for accurately describing their fossils and offering them at reasonable prices.  Also, Ebay has become a good selling marketplace  for collectors that are not dealers, something that was not previously available.  On the negative side, Ebay is rife with misidentification and sometimes outright fraud and can be perilous for the uninformed collector.  So, learn all you can about fossils and enjoy a fascinating hobby!