The age old question asked by almost every collector at some point during their journey is "which meg tooth should I buy?". Or "which meg tooth would you recommend?" Or "which meg tooth will increase in value more?". After 27 years in the business we've received this question a thousand times and will hopefully hear it a thousand more. However difficult the choice may seem the answer is surprisingly simple...............
Fossil megalodon shark teeth come in all shapes. You have differences in shapes from the upper and lower jaw, anterior (front of the jaw) to posterior (rear of the jaw). Every meg has its own particular unique characteristics. Many collectors like the symmetrical shape of the upper anterior teeth (pictured below).
Many collectors like the narrow dagger-like shape of the lower anterior teeth (pictured below).
Many collectors love the cool asymmetrical shape of the smaller (and more difficult to obtain) later and posterior teeth toward the rear of the jaw (pictured below).
Fossil megalodon shark teeth also come in a variety of colors depending on the location they are found. Many are shades of gray but others are brown, tan, orange, even white/blue/green/purple/etc. Some collectors prefer them as black as night while others prefer the more exotic colorations.
Fossil megalodon shark teeth can be thick or thin depending on the position of the jaw and individual shark. Fossil megalodon shark teeth can be perfectly preserved or have damage or wear. The cool thing is truly no two teeth are the same as there is so much variation among individual animals. As no two teeth are the same no two collectors are the same. We've always said that if we let 100 people choose from 100 different teeth then 95 would choose something different.
Which brings us to the very very simple answer to "which meg tooth should I buy?".....BUY THE ONE THAT YOU LIKE THE MOST. This is for you and nobody else. If you like a certain shape then that's what you should look for. If color is your thing then go for that. If it's a locality or thickness or whether it's perfect or just an old-looking worn tooth that grabs your interest then that's the right tooth for you. Be it $50 or $50,000 if you look at a tooth and say "yeah, I like that" then there is your answer. It doesn't matter if some other collector says "it's cool but I prefer a different shape" because that's their own taste. Buy what you like to display for yourself and you can't go wrong!
Steve Alter
megalodonteeth.com