Fossils guide

Black market, fakes, insurance, dealers

Fossil market - big business and dirty tricks?

The dark side of fossil collecting: illegally traded finds and forgeries. You can protect yourself from all this. So keep your eyes open when buying and collecting!

It is important to be aware of the risks. Illegal imports and counterfeits are widespread. The more expensive the supposed original can be offered, the more sophisticated the methods used to conceal this. With the help of auction platforms and dealers, dubious profits are made on a considerable scale. The niche market is often beyond control. And yet illegal activities are repeatedly prosecuted and punished, even in Germany. Fossil buying and selling and fossil collecting as a whole are thus brought into disrepute.

Fossils black market

It is very tempting to acquire fossil rarities whose recovery, trade and possibly export are regulated. The illegal trade in fossils from Brazil and China has been flourishing for years. The platform Catawiki, based in the Netherlands, acts as a central global trading center.

Fossil fakes

Fake fossils are as old as the fossil market itself. The “Würzburg lying stones” of 1725 come to mind, but the methods have become increasingly sophisticated. And not just since material from Morocco flooded the market. All shades between a restored fossil and a complete fake can be found on the market.

Fossil insurance

Anyone who owns a fossil collection often looks back over a long period of time during which it has grown. At some point, it’s worth thinking about whether your insurance cover is keeping pace with the growth of your fossil collection or should be adjusted.

Fossil dealer

In principle, anyone can trade in fossils. There are no professional requirements, no necessary proof of expertise, no binding code of honor. This is also the reason why fossils from the black market and fakes are so widespread.

On our own behalf

As a geologist/paleontologist and fossil expert, I strive for transparency. The market is difficult and often opaque.

As a collector, I have repeatedly fallen for fakes myself. Over the years, I have learned all the tips and tricks of taxidermy. This experience helps me to recognize the differences between an original fossil and a fake.

Today I advise insurance companies in cases of damage to fossils, companies in dealing with their fossils in business assets, estate administrators and private individuals in the valuation of estates.

I still feel connected to paleontology as a science. I accept the laws of the market, including personal preferences for fossil handicrafts. In my store I limit myself to authentic fossils of palaeontological value: from the classic sites of Holzmaden, Bundenbach, Solnhofen and Messel.

Quality promise

As a member of the professional association of paleontologists AAPS, Fossiland has subjected itself to strict rules of conduct for the responsible handling of fossils.

I don’t deal with finds of dubious legal origin or“fakes“.

Fakes - examples (offered or sold as originals)

Fake

Fake or original?

The market for fossils is fascinating, but involves risks due to clever forgeries. Particularly popular are finds from Morocco or China as replicas made of synthetic resin or plaster, which look deceptively similar to real stone. But fakes or replicas are also in circulation outside the classic sites in Germany, such as Holzmaden or Solnhofen.

I speak of “fakes” when replicas are not clearly identified as such, but are put into circulation with the intention of looking deceptively similar to the original. They range from completely artificial pieces made of painted resin or plaster to collages of original matrix, fossil fragments and artificial additions.

Further tips and detailed test methods can be found here.

If in doubt, be careful. Supposedly renowned fossil dealers mistakenly circulate high-priced fossils described as “original”. Others circulate “certificates of authenticity” for equally high-priced fossils that do not stand up to scrutiny.

Buy from fossil dealers you trust. You can find suitable selection criteria here.