Wow...now wouldn't that be the guide of all guides!  Problem is....there is no real correct or incorrect way to collect sharks teeth....but wait....there is some good sound advice to help you along your way. 

First of let me start by saying nobody in this world was born knowing what a "bourlette" is on a sharks tooth and everybody, including myself, had to be told at one point or another....so you are not alone.  "What do I look for?" is probably the single most common question that I am asked in regards to collecting.  And this is the answer that I give each and every time...."What interest and appeals to you."  Ya, I know...not that answer that you were looking for but it is an honest answer.

The wonderful thing about collecting sharks teeth is that there are no rules...and no two collections are ever the same. How boring would it be if you went to your buddy Bob's house and in his cabinet was the exact same collection of sharks teeth that you had...and so on.  Ya, pretty boring and unappealing to say the least.  So with that being said....the most important thing to remember is it's your money....you work for it....so don't let anybody talk you into buying something that does not visually appeal to you.

Now...let's get into some good stuff....repairs and restoration.  In the dinosaur world it is common place for a specimen to be either repaired or restored...it is almost expected...but here in the world of sharks teeth it is a big "no...no" if the seller does not disclose the repair. Are all reapaired teeth bad in the world of "collecting sharks teeth?"  No.  Some teeth might simply need a repair or restoration on one of the root corners. As long as the seller discloses this information and you know exactly what you are getting....then no harm done.  Is a repaired tooth worth less in the end?  Yes and no.  Yes, if you paid an "all natural" price for it.  But in most cases the seller is honest and does disclose the repair or restoration work and in the end....the tooth is either originally priced below what an "all natural" tooth would sell for or the auction does not go quite as high as an "all natural" specimen.  So...with all that being said, "Are repaired teeth a bad thing?"  I wish I could give you a clear cut "yes or no" answer but it really just depends on the buyer. I know some people who collect almost nothing but repaired teeth....believe it or not....but I also know some collectors that will not touch a repaired tooth....in the end it comes down to a matter of choice.  As long as the repair or restoration is disclosed to the buyer and they are getting a discounted "repaired or restored" price then it is all fair game and a matter of preference to the collector. Enough said?  Good.

Moving right along.....So what makes one tooth more valueable then another?  Good question!

Let's say we have two identical Megalodon specimens laying side by side....same size....same exact condtion (yes, I know...impossible...but just bare with me).  The single more important factor between these two specimens that is going to set one apart from another is going to be "location."  This means where the specimen was found.  Some locations are extremely rare and some are less rare. But you have to be comparing apples to apples here. You can't compare a 6 inch South Carolina tooth to a 2 inch Peruvian tooth - I think you get the point.

And I hate to confuse you here but obviously condition is going to be the number one factor when you compare one specimen against another....but after that comes location.  Simply put....you can't compare half a Peruvain Megalodon versus a serrated Gem Quality Chilean tooth.  Right now...if you are new to collecting you are a little confused. Not confused in the sense that you don't understand that words that I am writing but confused in the sense that "Okay....how is all this information really 'guiding" me along?"   Well....it is an it isn't.  I don't know what you do for a living but chances are you couldn't fill up everything you need to know in a single guide. Alot of what you do on a day to day basis comes from experience.  Not what you wanted to hear?  Probably not....but its not that bad.  Collecting Sharks teeth is alot of fun and is something you can pick up on very quickly. It won't take but a few specimens in your hand in order for you to realize what you do and do not like....and that is really what it is about.

So....what are the most common and rarest locations out there?

I almost hate to give you a list because not everyone is going to agree....but hey...do I care....not really....so here is my list.  And I'll be the first to tell you that I am not an expert but I have sold probably close to 10,000 teeth, if not more....so I think that alone should enable me to give you my personal list of rarest to most common.  Here you go....and we are talking about Megalodon teeth here folks....I'm not going to give you a list for snaggle teeth...sorry.

Rarest to most common

1) Bakersfield, CA.

2) Venice, Fl.

3) Clavert Cliffs, Maryland

4) Bone Valley - Polk County, Fl.

5) Peru

6) Red Teeth from North Carolina

7) Aurora, NC

8) Georgia

9) South Carolina

And there are some other places but for all practical purposes....the ones above are the ones you are going to see...some often...South Carolina....and some on a solar eclipse....Venice and Bakersfield.

Should I keep going?

Okay, so at the top of the list comes quality and secondly comes location. I can't describe quality to you here because it would take up to much space and to be honest....understanding quality really comes from personal experience and trial and error, which brings me to my next suject.

From my experience the common theme with new collectors is this:

Buy the absolute biggest tooth you can afford....biggest bang for your buck. Get it in the mail....gasp....say, "Ahhh...Wow...Wholly Sh*T" a couple of times....show your friends...love it...sleep with it....and then put it away.  If your collecting moves past this point you will begin to wonder what is so special about those smaller teeth, 4 inches or so, that some ebayers are willing to spend big bucks on getting.  You will eventually buy one of these high quality teeth and then there is no going back for you.  Some people begin at this level....some buy 50 big beat up teeth before they get to this level...and some are happy where they are and never get to this level.  But let me makes this very clear.....THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH ANY OF THE ABOVE!  Again, there is no wrong way to collect.  If you never buy a tooth over $20...that is great...if those $10 teeth make you happy....your simply easier to please and life will be much easier for you.

But if you are like most...and your collecting desires grow...then you will eventually begin to want better and better quality specimens.  What happens usually at this point is you begin to sell off all your lower quality teeth that made you happy at the start.  This is the most common theme that I see in collecting.

So my advice to you is to get that big tooth out of the way...enjoy it...maybe keep it as your "first tooth" but don't go into collecting by buying 50 big ugly teeth.  You will end up selling most of them and losing money in the process.

Another very postive aspect of collecting fossils or sharks teeth is that if you collect high quality specimens...your investment will usually grow...not always....but usually.  And there are not many things in life that you can say that about.  You can collect it, you can enjoy it for years, and if need be....you can sell it and make a few bucks -- not a bad deal.

The above is in no way an all inclusive guide to collecting sharks teeth. To be honest, I don't think one could be made.  There are to many variables to consider and everybody has their own interest as well as their own level of comfortable spending.

The most valuable advice that I can give you is to take your time, do some research, and then come back and bid.  The very high quality specimens are anything but cheap....do yourself the favor of taking your time to research what you are buying...and if in doubt....ask alot of questions.

I hope this starter guide has helped you...if even only a little.

Kind regards

Garry Dye (Sydni816)