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Fossils: where to buy

Fossil shops sell what most people cannot legally dig themselves. In the United States, fossils collected on private land with the owner's permission can be bought and sold, but federal land is a different story. On BLM land you may collect common invertebrates and plants in reasonable amounts for your own collection, never to sell; bones, teeth and footprints of animals with a backbone need a research permit; and national parks allow no collecting at all.

So the first question for a dealer is where a fossil comes from. A trustworthy dealer tells you the locality and the age, says whether a specimen has been repaired, restored or assembled from more than one animal, and is clear when a piece is a cast or replica. Ask which country it comes from, too, since many countries forbid selling or exporting fossils taken from public land.

A good fossil shop is also a way into the hobby: ask the staff where people collect legally nearby, or about local clubs that run trips.

11 shops across the US that sell fossils. Each one links to its own website, so you can compare them one by one.

• Earthforged Rock Shop

  Dealer · Storefront · Huntsville, Alabama · Ships nationwide

  Locally owned rock, mineral and fossil shop in Huntsville. The shelves hold mineral specimens, fossils, geodes, gemstones, rough material for lapidary work, carvings and jewelry, sourced over 30 years of direct dealings with miners and collectors. Most of the stock is only in the store, not online.

  Also sells: Mineral specimens · Rough & slabs

  earthforged.com ↗Eureka listing →

• Raining Rocks

  Dealer · Storefront · Tucson, Arizona · Ships nationwide

  Meteorite shop of geologist Suzanne Morrison; ships worldwide

  Rock shop run by geologist Suzanne Morrison and Ilana Brin at the historic Kino Rocks & Minerals site on the south side of Tucson, a rock shop since 1958. Meteorites and impactites, minerals, fossils, petrified wood, lapidary rough and slabs, faceted stones, cabochons and books; the shop also buys collections and lapidary equipment.

  Also sells: Mineral specimens · Rough & slabs · Meteorites · Petrified wood

  itsrainingrocks.com ↗Eureka listing →

• Rare Earth Gallery

  Dealer · Storefront · Cave Creek, Arizona · Ships nationwide

  10,000 sq ft Cave Creek gallery; natural stone fountains installed

  Rock and fossil gallery in Cave Creek, north of Phoenix: raw crystals and clusters, geodes, fossils such as ammonites, orthoceras, shark teeth and fish, meteorites, Arizona and Indonesian petrified wood and large decor pieces.

  Also sells: Mineral specimens · Meteorites · Petrified wood

  rareearthgallerycc.com ↗Eureka listing →

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