EONS: C44 RARE SAUROPOD DINOSAUR 8-EGG CLUTCH, MUSEUM Start Price USD 3,400.00 Current Price USD 3,400.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Thursday, October 16, 2008 End Time Thursday, November 27, 2008 Location Colorado Springs, Colorado See more about 'EONS: C44 RARE SAUROPOD DINOSAUR 8-EGG CLUTCH, MUSEUM' Description EONS: C44 RARE SAUROPOD DINOSAUR 8-EGG CLUTCH, MUSEUM QUALITY GET AN INSTANT $400 DISCOUNT. INSTEAD OF BUYING FROM THIS "FIXED PRICE" LISTING (IN WHICH EBAY CHARGES ME A 12% COMMISSION) INSTEAD GO TO MY EBAY STORE TO BUY THIS EXACT ITEM FOR $400 LESS. I CAN OFFER THE DISCOUNT BECAUSE SALES FROM MY EBAY STORE ARE CHARGED A LOWER EBAY COMMISSION. SPECIFICS: This dinosaur egg specimen is 14 inches long, stands 6 inches high, and each egg has a 12.25 inch circumference. The specimen weighs 37 pounds but the shipping weight will be 46 pounds. 1 inch = 2.5 cm, 1 pound = 0.45 kg COMMENT 1: Of the five types of dinosaur eggs that we prepare and offer, this the most rare. Hadrosaur eggs are the most numerous, followed by Oviraptors which are about 1/50th as common as Hadrosaurs, followed by Citipati which are about 1/5th as numerous as Oviraptors, followed by Gigantoraptors which are about 1/100th as common as Citipati, followed by this type which is about 1/2 as numerous as Gigantoraptors. Despite initial appearance, these are not the large grapefruit-size Hadrosaur eggs that sell for $200~$250 each. Rather, these are softball size and are from another species of dinosaur altogether. COMMENT 2: While there are scores of fossil dinosaur egg species known to science, most species are represented by just a handful of shell pieces. So I am excited to offer intact specimens of this rare species. A dinosaur egg is assigned its own species name independent of the type of dinosaur suspected to have laid it. And the only way to determine shell species is to perform a scanning electron microscopic (SEM) inspection of a shell cross-section, which I have not done -- and so I do not know the species. Therefore, I do not know if it is new to science or has already been described. However, I surmise that it was laid by a mid-size Sauropod because it very closely resembles such eggs from other localities throughout the world, including central Asia. The specimen dates to the Late Cretaceous period, roughly 84 to 71 million years ago, and was collected in southeast Guizhou Province, China. COMMENT 3: The specimen was prepared in our own paleo laboratory here in the USA. First we removed much of the iron-hard entombing matrix in which it was found. Then we spent hours using special dental picks under magnification to remove the larger pieces of clinging matrix and the chemical consolidants used in the field. Then we followed up with an “air blade” loaded with soft dolomite powder to gently remove trace amounts of matrix without damaging the shell texture. Dolomite is so gentle that it typically takes about 5 minutes to process a postage stamp-size section. The result is a totally natural colored egg without any abrasion of the egg texture which is common when prepared too-quickly with harder, more aggressive media (such as aluminum oxide). As a result of our preparation methods, even the shell pores that survived are now gloriously visible once again. No other company in the world is offering these super rare eggs, and certainly not paleo lab prepared. This specimen is not perfectly intact, but rather is perfectly prepared. NO REPAIRS, NO RECONSTRUCTION, ABSOLUTELY 100% NATURAL IN ALL RESPECTS, AND VERY RARE. COMMENT 4: After preparation we coated the specimen with laboratory-grade B72 (an ethyl methacrylate co-polymer) as recommended by the prestigious Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta which specializes in dinosaur bones and eggs. The preservative adds a slight matte sheen and darkens the specimen by a few shades. Unfortunately, the bottom and parts of the side of this specimen were not coated because it was needed immediately for display at the Denver Fossil Show. However, during the first week of November the rest of the specimen will be coated, although I will not have time to take another set of photos. COMMENT 5: This 8-egg specimen is from the same nest as specimen C41. WHO AM I? My name is Lowell Carhart and I am amongst the largest, oldest, and most reputable US sellers of fossil dinosaur eggs on eBay. And I have a 100% feedback rating for which I am fiercely proud. My customers include resellers (55%), private collectors (25%), teachers (17%), universities (2%), and museums (1%), which includes the London Museum of Natural History. I have had over 15,000 successful transactions on eBay and not a single negative feedback. No other seller in this category can come close to making that claim. Click here to view my wildly enthusiastic eBay feedback and then bid with total confidence. This is all that I do -- and I strive to do it with perfection. I want your business and will endeavor to exceed your expectations! GUARANTEE OF AUTHENTICITY: All my items are 100% guaranteed authentic for as long as you own it. Your money will be immediately refunded (including shipping both ways) if the written opinion of a museum curator, auction house, accredited geologist or paleontologist, certified appraiser, or recognized expert in the field disputes my claim of authenticity. To keep your guarantee in force, you must keep a printout of this auction page. 30 DAY RETURN POLICY: If you decide within 30 days of auction end that you do not want an item purchased from me for any reason, then you can return it in as-sold condition for a refund of the closing bid price. PAYMENT METHODS AND INSTRUCTIONS: We accept PayPal, wire transfer, money order, or personal check (which require a 14 days to clear). If you are the winner please click the "Pay Now" button that will appear at top of this page after the auction ends. This lets you pay immediately by PayPal and also provides the address for those who wish to mail a payment. Please print the winning auction page now to create your GUARANTEE OF AUTHENTICITY. After payment I will delete the photos from my server to make room for new photos. SHIPPING COST: Please use the shipping calculator below. Place a Bid!