EONS: C50 DINOSAUR EGG, OVIRAPTOR, PREMIUM QUALITY (06/30/2009)

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EONS: C50 DINOSAUR EGG, OVIRAPTOR, PREMIUM QUALITY

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EONS: C50 DINOSAUR EGG, OVIRAPTOR, PREMIUM QUALITY

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Sold Date: 06/30/2009
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Advertising

EONS: C50 DINOSAUR EGG, OVIRAPTOR, PREMIUM QUALITY

CONDITION REPORT:

RESTORATION: none anyw in any amount
SHELL TEXTURE (w 5 is best): 5+
PALEO LAB PREPARATION TIME: 6.5 hours
PRESERVATIVE: removable archival grade B72 which gives the specimen a matte sheen
COMMENT: Very rare fully inflated specimen is the same size and shape as the day it was laid. The egg texture is superb!! No shell was added, moved, enhanced, restored, colored, or altered in any way. Exactly as we uncovered it, is exactly as you see it The modest amount of missing eggshell was fused to another egg in the nest and was not recoverable. My photos are disappointing when compared to the actual specimen and so you will be even MORE delighted when you hold it in your hand. This particular specimen has not been x-rayed and so it may contain undetected embryonic bones.

EGG DIMENSIONS: 6.5 inches long
WEIGHT: 2.3 net / 3.5 pounds shipping
AUCTION VALUE: $1,600 - $2,000
RANKING: This is a PREMIUM grade specimen when compared to my other oviraptor eggs and judged by these eight characteristics: shape, size, inflation, shell coverage, damage (if any), repairs (if any), shell texture, pleasingness to the eye, and whether it has been lab prepared. Using that ranking criteria, I then use one of the following descriptors in my auction title:

AFFORDABLE -- Collector grade, 25% of my specimens, estimated auction price: $200 ~ $300 per egg
CHOICE -- Best value grade (lower tier), 40% of my specimens, estimated auction price: $300 ~ $400 per egg
CHOICE+ -- Best value grade (upper tier), 33% of my specimens, estimated auction price: $400 ~ $600 per egg
PREMIUM -- Advanced collector grade, 1.5% of my specimens, estimated auction price: $600 ~ $900 per egg
MUSEUM -- Very best grade, 0.5% of my specimens, estimated auction price: $900 ~ $1800 per egg

Explanation of ranking criteria:

Shape: the degree of distortion from the original capsule shape, however all fossil eggs are distorted to some degree due to the compression of covering rock for millions of years Size: most Oviraptoid eggs are 5.5 ~ 6.5 inches in length; eggs that are larger than that are more valuable because they are much less common Shell coverage: degree of visible shell present vs. bald spots Damage: degree to which geological forces have altered the original appearance of the egg; also includes extraction damage Repairs: nearly all larger and rarer fossils have been repaired; this does not detract from value if they are done well Shell texture: the degree of desirable “ridge & pebble” texture (called ornamentation) still present; this can be lost if the egg is improperly prepared Pleasingness to the eye: a subjective criteria that gauges the overall showiness of the specimen Lab preparation: about half the eggs that I offer will be laboratory prepared (for a minimum of four hours) using the finest tools, the gentlest abrasives, and the latest museum-advocated techniques. Due to the labor and tooling expense, prepared eggs cost at least $150 more than a comparable none-prepared specimen. A prepared egg will have a naturally occurring charcoal gray color which in unprepared eggs is hidden by light-gray calcite and/or reddish sandstone matrix. GENERAL DESCRIPTION: All of the following text in this section is verbatim from Wikipeida : Citipati is a genus of oviraptorid theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Period of what is now Mongolia (specifically, the Djadokhta Formation of Ukhaa Tolgod, in the Gobi Desert). It is one of the best-known oviraptorids, thanks to a number of well-preserved skeletons, including several specimens found in brooding positions atop nests of eggs. These nesting specimens have helped to solidify the link between non-avian dinosaurs and birds.

The largest Citipati were emu-sized animals and, at about 3 meters (9 ft) long, were the largest oviraptorids until Gigantoraptor was described in June 2007. Like other oviraptorids, Citipati had an unusually long neck and shortened tail...