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Here are two links to posts dealing with how to post pictures on Black River Fossils forums.
1. How to Post Pictures on Black River Fossils Forums by ditchweezil
2. How to Post Pictures on Black River Fossils Forums by Daryl
When I first started collecting I used to pick up everything "I saw". At the time, that wasn't as much as I would later learn to "see" with my more experienced eyes. Once I developed a trained eye, I still picked up everything, but now it was even more because I knew how and where to look. My main colelcting spots were beaches where beachcombing is the method of choice. Then I learned about sifting and built three screens of varying sizes. Now I could find even more. Sound greedy yet? I wouldn't call it greedy since I was so interested in finding all the different types of sharks teeth and their various tooth positions. Then I was introduced to collecting in a few locations where we got to dig in a stream bank, and we found even more. We didn't decimate these places though, so it never looked like a bucket loader came through and excavated the place. Now I have tons of teeth, and shamefully most are boxed up and put away since I would need about 200 riker mounts to display them all. The only fun thing about storing them this way is that each time I go through the boxes I seem to come across a tooth that I had no idea I had. It's almost like finding it all over again! So now that I have more than I know what to do with, I still want to pick them all up, but tend to leave many for others. A lot of time I pick stuff up because it was partially buried, then quickly see that it's worn or busted, or not worth taking home, so I toss it back for the next person who may think it's a treasure.
Daryl.
...and a note about giving stuff to "kids on the beach" that many of you generous folks have done. Well, as I stated before, most of my colelcting is on beaches, and one in particular sees tens to hundreds of people on a daily basis, and many of them are there with kids. This particular place has what you would call a main beach where most of the people stay to hang out and swim and play. It's a safe area not too close to the dangerous cliffs. The problem is though, as you are done collecting, you have to walk past all of these people. Well, when I first started collecting I was eager to share my finds with others, so if one of the folks on the main beach stopped me to ask what I found, I would normally stop and show them...until one day. This particular day I found two absolutely pristine Megs about 2.5" to 3", along with some of the smaller common stuff. As I was leaving that day I was walking down the main beach when a gentleman stopped me to ask what I had found that day. I was still pretty excited about my two Megs so I promptly pulled them out of my container and unwrapped the paper towels around them. He asked to hold them so I placed them in his hand. Then all of a sudden he calls over to his three little kids, about 5 to 8 years of age. They come running over and he shows them the teeth. The next thing I see is two of the little boys grabbing the teeth from their dad and now running away towards the water with them. All of a sudden I had visions of broken shattered teeth if they droped them as they ran full bore from their dad as he yelled at them to stop and hand the teeth back over to him. Eventually the kids stopped and gave up their stolen treasures and they were promptly returned to me. From that day on I have never showed anyone my finds, unless I personally know them or know they are an experienced collector. Now when someone asks what I found, I tell them "just the little stuff". If I see folks that look like they're helpless, I show them how to look in the surf, and even offer up a little tiger shark tooth to the kids, but the Megs and other precious teeth stay packed away!
Daryl, we talked about this very subject the last time I saw you at the beach, but a good cautionary tale is worth sharing with the other members here. I recently met another collector at that same beach, who told me a story about a sweet Meg that he had found. He showed it to a teenager on the main beach, who snatched it out of the collector's hand and took off running. You almost lost some teeth to some over-excited children, but this guy lost his to a deliberate thief. I 'm with you, I've stopped showing the really nice teeth to anyone, unless I know them or see them way out past the public area collecting themselves.
One of the great things about this website is that it allows us to satisfy the urge to shout out, "Look what I found!", without risking the tooth itself.
I completely agree with keeping the good finds to yourself. I use a 2 sided plaino box. Prize pieces on one side small stuff on the other so when I go to show others they never see the big stuff. Luckily the vibe at Westmorland is good and I have never really worried about theft.
Daryl, yes, I agree with you 100%. I probably collect at a location, if not the exact one, like the one that you're talking about. I don't let others handle my good stuff. If I let them handle anything of mine it's usually the smaller stuff anyway. If I do show someone a good find, I handle it. Most folks in that area know what they are looking for and rarely ask me what I'm doing, rather, they just am curious what I've found. I don't encourage people with little kids to collect where I like to go because of various safety reasons (not that I can stop them because they've seen where I was coming from).
Also, I don't bring out anything that is fragile for any reason. Once packed away, I don't want to take a chance that it will be broken.
In particular, I was speaking about places like Myrtle Beach, where 99% of the people aren't there for the fossils. I do use the same rule of thumb for my better finds though, anything that I don't want lost in the surf stays in my pocket or in my hands only.
Daryl, we talked about this very subject the last time I saw you at the beach, but a good cautionary tale is worth sharing with the other members here. I recently met another collector at that same beach, who told me a story about a sweet Meg that he had found. He showed it to a teenager on the main beach, who snatched it out of the collector's hand and took off running.
Well, apparently, even if you're handling it yourself, there is a risk. Fortunately I've never been in that situation in all of the years that I've been to that beach (at least it sounds like the same place), nor have I ever had anything negative happen like that. However, if anything, this forum is not only a place to share our finds safely, it also allows us to benefit from the experience of others. Point taken. And reason for me to be more careful in the future.
I have had some negative experiences fossil collecting in other locations. However, I think that the equipment I carry with me to collect with probably seems intimidating to anyone that would want to mess with me (even at the beach). On one occasion, that was the case elsewhere. A suspicious character followed me to a collecting spot. When he noticed my favorite collecting tool in hand, he turned around and headed elsewhere.
FB, I know just what you mean about our equipment intimidating others. My favorite tool is a modified garden cultivator rake, with wicked-looking 5-inch tines and a wire basket covering about half of the tines' length. I don't get asked about my finds nearly as often when I carry this rake. I've even seen some parents deliberately steer their kids away from me as I walk past. I'm not trying to scare any of these folks, but if it keeps me safe, so be it.
I was carrying a cultivator that day with the 5" tines. When at "our beach" I carry a full size clam rake with a basket attached as well in addition to other tools. It also has large tines and is pretty scary to wary parents and little kids, and probably to potential perpetrators! I find my share of fossils with it, but it's definitely a multipurpose tool: rake, sifting tool, catch, self defense , and definitely for walking/wading/climbing over rocks support!