Frequently Asked Questions

M&M Fossils is run by two brothers whose passion for fossils began at a very young age, inspired by collecting trips with our father. We even have photos of at least one of us at a collecting site while still in diapers! With this early start, we now boast over 80 years of combined fossil-collecting experience and more than 30 years of experience selling fossils.

Our journey began along the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, where we started by collecting shark teeth. Once one of us got our driver’s license, our adventures expanded rapidly. What started as 10-20 local trips a year grew into over 100 fossil-collecting trips annually across the United States.

Over time, we’ve discovered and refined access to some spectacular fossil sites, several of which we now own or lease. Our expertise has led us to collaborate with museums, state parks, and other organizations, helping with the recovery, display, and donation of fossil specimens. To date, we’ve donated more than 10,000 fossils from our land, leased sites, or public locations where collecting is permitted.

Additionally, we’ve contributed to several scientific publications, including the identification of 14 new species or genera of animals based on fossils we found and donated.

All of our contributions to science have been made on our own dime, without any grants or external funding. To help cover the costs of discovering, excavating, and preparing these fossils, we sell a portion of the specimens we find.

All of our fossils are 100% authentic. How do we know? Because 99% of the fossils we sell were discovered by us personally. The remaining 1% comes from reputable dealers outside the United States. With over 80 years of combined collecting experience, we've developed a keen eye for authenticity, making it easy to spot any fakes.

It's common for some fossils, especially high-value specimens like skulls or complete animals, to be repaired or restored to enhance their appearance. At M&M Fossils, we ensure full transparency. Any fossil that has been repaired or restored will be clearly noted in the product description. For repairs, we simply state that the item has been glued back together. For restorations, we specify which parts have been restored, typically providing before-and-after photos for clarity.

If a seller is unwilling to mark exactly which parts of a fossil have been restored in a photo, that’s a major red flag. It often indicates they’re trying to sell a lower-quality fossil at a premium price.

When you purchase fossils from us, you will receive the exact specimen shown in the photo. We do not use stock photos for fossils or send similar items; we believe it's unfair to pay for a fossil without knowing exactly what you're getting. Unfortunately, many online fossil sellers, especially larger ones, offer 'similar product' listings and often disappoint customers by sending items that differ significantly from the photos.

The exception to this policy is fossil display stands and printed items (Fossil Merch). For these, we use stock photos, and you will receive an item similar to the one shown. While dimensions and designs will match, colors may vary slightly, especially with stained products.

Buyers have seven days from the date a fossil is marked as delivered by the post office to decide if they wish to return it. The buyer is responsible for repacking the item securely in its original packaging and covering the return shipping costs. Once the item is returned to us in its original condition, we will issue a refund for the purchase price, excluding shipping costs and any payment processing fees (typically 2-3%).

To initiate a return, please contact us via email.

Note that returns are not accepted on any printed (fossil merch) products.

Please allow us 1-3 business days to package and ship your fossils. For most items, we use ground shipping (3-5 business days) to keep costs low. Items valued at $500 or more will be shipped via priority mail (2-3 business days). Please note that printed items (Fossil Merch) may take longer due to the printing process.

Currently, we exclusively use USPS for shipping, as it is the only provider available in our immediate area.

Unfortunately, delivery delays or lost packages can happen, and this is completely beyond our control. Tracking information is provided for every shipment, and while we try to monitor packages, it’s difficult for us to track each one daily.

If your package hasn’t arrived by the expected delivery date, please allow an additional three business days before reaching out to us via email. If the package still hasn’t arrived and it’s been three weeks past the anticipated delivery date, we will issue a full refund.

Please note, we cannot offer compensation for packages that arrive later than the shipping provider's estimated delivery date, as we have no control over their timelines.

We take great care to ensure fossils are packaged securely to prevent damage during transit. However, mishaps with delivery services can happen—like the time a forklift drove a fork through a package containing a fossil turtle.

If a fossil arrives damaged, we handle each case individually and will work closely with the buyer to make things right, which may include a full refund, covering shipping and payment processing fees, as well as return shipping. For printed items (Fossil Merch), damaged products will be replaced. Since we don't handle the printing ourselves, this process may take a bit longer.

If your item arrives damaged, please contact us via email on the day of delivery.

Scammers beware: we’ve been doing this for a long time and are well aware of how and where fossils can and cannot break. We document our packing process with photos and sometimes videos, and we won’t hesitate to pursue civil and criminal action against anyone attempting to intentionally damage a fossil for a refund. We take this very seriously.

Currently, we do not offer international shipping due to various challenges. However, if you’re an international buyer interested in one of our products, you have two options.

You can arrange for us to ship the item to a friend or associate in the United States who can then forward it to you. Once the package has arrived safely to the US shipping address, the transaction is considered complete.

Alternatively, you can contact us via email to inquire if we can make an exception and ship to your country. While we have shipped internationally in the past, we have encountered numerous issues in some countries.

All of our fossils are legally collected from land we either own, lease, or have been granted access to on private sites, as well as from public locations where fossil collection and sales are permitted. A small portion, about 1%, are legally imported from reputable dealers in other countries.

Fossils can indeed be faked, and the quality of these fakes has dramatically improved over the years. Some are so convincing they can fool an expert based on appearance alone. We eliminate this risk by ensuring that 99% of the fossils we sell are personally found, and the remaining 1% undergo rigorous checks before being listed for sale.

There are several outdated methods often suggested to buyers to test for fake fossils. However, these methods are no longer reliable. For example, if a seller advises using a UV light or a hot needle to verify a fossil’s authenticity, it’s a red flag. UV lights are decent for revealing restorations, but, modern UV-reactive paints can mask issues if the entire fossil is fake. The hot needle test is also ineffective since it won’t penetrate cement or other hard materials.

The best way to ensure authenticity is to find your own fossils—nothing beats that experience. But if that’s not an option, always buy from a reputable dealer. There are many good ones, including us.

We generally don’t purchase fossils we can find ourselves, but if you’re looking for something specific, let us know, and we’ll do our best to track it down for you. If there’s a species on our website that interests you but you don’t see a product that meets your needs, feel free to reach out with details. Whether you’re looking for a larger specimen or one with particular color , we might already have exactly what you’re after.