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You Are On: The Weirdest Page 1 

Click To Go To:

The Weirdest Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

THREE PAGES of the WEIRDEST STUFF on the PLANET

Headers on each page give some guidelines of what you'll find, plenty of surprises!  Keep your sense of humor, and enjoy the ride...

Dinosaur Bone House!  Gator foot coffee mugs, Coyote tooth necklaces, badger claw necklaces, Water buffalo tooth necklaces, Zebra skins, Giant cave crystal, shrunken heads, Monkey fur coat, Oosik, three-eyed alligator head AND the world's only deformed gator head collection,  whale tooth necklace, kangaroo scrotum pouch, roo paw back scratcher, emerald beetle brooch, Moose jaw dream catcher, Ostrich chick, turtle carving, glass sponge, buffalo vertebrae (with a little extra surprise), and more!

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This is an exquisite specimen of brain coral we acquired (April 2003)...but this is no ORDINARY coral .. this is a coral with a moral - Glenn says behind every BRAIN (sarcastically speaking)...there's a....(see the bottom of the page...)

 

 EMERALD BEETLE

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Talk about being green, why not wear a bug?  

What's so weird about that?  Well, it's an Emerald Beetle from Thailand, about 1-1/2" long.  

The Thai people catch them and EAT THEM.  They pull off the wings and scoop out the nutty flavored white meat - the long-fingered ladies in particular scoop the meat out easily with their nails.  

These beetles died naturally after reproducing, then are made into pins with brass pieces with legs, glued to the bottom, and then sold as lovely insect jewelry!  

How's that for weird!  We now have them available!  

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#W-1  Emerald beetle brooch, 1-1/2" long.

$19 each

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#W-1-A  Cool Emerald beetle wing cluster earrings, 2" long.

$24 each pair

 

THE LARGEST CAVE BEAR SKULL 

EVER EXCAVATED from the Caves of Romania

(Ursus spelaeus)

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A regular black bear skull looks like a weasel skull when compared to this giant.  Measures 20-7/8" long x 13-1/8" wide x 11-5/8" tall.

$24,500

Read the rest of the details, and more cave bear fossils available, on the CAVE BEAR FOSSILS page, link below:

Cave Bear Fossils

 

Guess what this is...is this a shoe insole?  No. A fly catcher?  Nope.   Give up?  Check the yellow box at the bottom of the page for the answer.
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EVER SEE A 

GATOR FOOT COFFEE MUG?  

What a hoot of a conversation piece, and functional too, if you wish, as a mug, beer stein or even a pen holder for your desk.  Available exclusively from us.  Mug is black ceramic or clear glass.  Hand wash only.

This size comes from MONSTER gators over 11 feet long to get this size.  Priced as shown.

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Go to the GATORS PAGE 3, item #G343 series to view them ALL, with the prices:

Gators Page 3

 

mvc-534s.jpg (77292 bytes) #W-2.  Giant cave crystal from China.  Size is 15" high x 24" wide x 4 1/2" thick.  Solid, and an incredible natural work of art.   $2,100 plus actual shipping

 

Below is a LARGE MOOSE JAW prepared by our friend Bob in Maine as a dreamcatcher for Glenn, with one of Glenn's favorite Auriculitis fossil shark teeth in the center, two sharks hand painted on both sides of the jaw.  This one is not for sale (it hangs on display in his office, thanks Bob!), but inquire about purchasing another if you wish.

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KANGAROO PRODUCTS

The kangaroo is subject to Australian Government protection, but needs to be constantly harvested owing to its prolific breeding habits.  Through this harvesting program, we are able to make these available to you!

w4.JPG (148945 bytes) #W-4.  Kangaroo scrotum pouch averages 4 to 4-1/2" long, with leather drawstring.  Comes with info card.  Ouch!  The real thing, folks!   0 available

$19 each

The legend of the roo pouch:  

Once upon a time there lived in the center of Australia an aboriginal boy.  One day he came upon a small kangaroo in the bush, caught it by the tail, and made a purse out of its dear little symbol of masculinity.  He gave it to his girl, and she kept seeds and berries in it.  Next he saw a large kangaroo.  He caught it with a spear and made another purse from its thick symbol of masculinity.  He gave it to his father who kept stones and things of value in it.

Ever since then, male kangaroo scrotum purses have been popular amongst the aborigines.  For women, the soft pliable one; for men, the strong, wrinkled one.  They became as important as one's own symbol of masculinity and were recognized as bringing luck.  That's why kangaroo scrotum purses are called "Lucky Bags" or "Lucky Pouches".

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#W-4-A.  Genuine kangaroo paw back scratcher!  13" long, partially wrapped and sewn roo hide from paw down the bamboo stick about 6".  Keep in mind the kangaroos are hunted by government permit only, if they did not keep the numbers down they would starve in the winter, which is worse.  Then 100% of the roo is recycled (the meat is eaten, the hide is used, even the feet as you see here, much as deer here in the U.S.)  Information card comes with it.  

(0 available) $34.00

A great Aussie story for you - when the Europeans got to Australia, they saw a big jumping animal.  Amazed at what they had seen, they asked the Aborigines what they called the creatures.  One Aborigine man replied "kangaroo", which means when translated "I don't understand your question".  Okay, you can smile now, but next time you don't understand someone, you can say "kangaroo" too and share the fun. 
The Aborigines in Australia use the kangaroo as a lesson in life - it cannot physically move backwards.  Enjoy this kangaroo skin as your own lesson in life to always look forward to the future, not backwards at what cannot be undone.

 

The birthday party was great!  The birthday girl thought the kangaroo scrotum pouch was hysterical. So did everyone else! Here's Chris showing off her most unusual gift for her 'memorable birthday' celebration in South Carolina...

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MYSTERY SKIN...

#W-4-B.  Bet you'll never guess what kind of skin this is (shown top, bottom and closeup, measures 19" long x 9" wide)

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STINGRAY!  It is tanned, dyed black, the center left natural, and is mainly used in making motorcycle seats and even purses.  The shiny, durable surface is such a high quality!   $59.00

 

GREAT TOOTH SAWFISH BLADE (rostrum)

(also called Leichhardt's sawfish, Freshwater sawfish); (Pristis microdon), now an endangered species.  These specimens come from collections long pre-dating the endangered status.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Chondrichthyes

Subclass:  Elasmobranchii

Order:  Pristiformes

Family: Pristidae

Genus: Pristis

Genuine saw fish bills from northern Australia. The largetooth sawfish is a heavily-bodied sawfish with a short but massive saw which is broad-based, strongly tapering and with 14 to 22 very large teeth on each side - the space between the last two saw-teeth on the sides are less than twice the space between the first two teeth.  found in shallow tropical Indo-West Pacific oceans from East Africa to Papua New Guinea, north to the Philippines & Viet Nam, and south to Australia. 

The sizes of these blades make a SPECTACULAR wall display

U.S. shipping only, Fedex ground insured shipping will be calculated to 48 states, Fedex Express to Alaska & Hawaii

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#W-6-A.  It is COMPLETE, shown front and back.  It measures a full 4 foot 3" long; 34 teeth average size 2"+; bill is 10" across at the base, 4" across at the tip, 1-1/2" thick.  Superb specimen!  

$2800 plus actual shipping/insurance  SOLD to Nick in California

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#W-6-B.  Sawfish bill is 45" tall x 6-1/2" across tip, 12" across base.  Shark bite on tip; several damaged teeth.   $1500 plus actual shipping/insurance  SOLD to David & Jason, Charleston SC

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#W-6-C.  Sawfish bill is 47-1/4" tall x 6" across tip, 11" across base.   $1800 plus actual shipping/insurance  SOLD to DOUGLAS

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#W-6-D.  Sawfish bill is 52" long x 6-3/8" across tip,12-5/8" across base. Superb specimen!    

$2800 plus actual shipping/insurance  Hold for layaway, David

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#W-6-E.  Sawfish bill is 42" long x 7-3/8" across tip,12-3/8" across base, rough tip.

$1200 plus actual shipping/insurance

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#W-6-F.  Sawfish bill is 44" long x 8-1/4" across tip,12" across base, rough tip.

$1200 plus actual shipping/insurance

 

SAWFISH BLADE (rostrum)

S

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The sizes of these blades make a terrific wall display.  More information below.

Actual Fedex ground insured shipping to 48 states will apply, or Fedex express to Alaska & Hawaii.  

NO SHIPPING OUTSIDE THE U.S. for these items.

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#W-6-1.  Sawfish bill shown front and back.  It measures a full 40" long; 23 pairs of teeth average size 1-1/4"; bill is 6-1/2" across at the base, 4-1/2" across at the tip, 1" thick.    

  $1600

        

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#W-6-2.  Sawfish bill s

$1400.00

        

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#W-6-3.  Sawfish bill shown front and back.  It measures a full 44-1/2" long; 27 pairs of teeth average size -1-1/2"; bill is 6-1/2" across at the base, 5" across at the tip, 3/4" thick.

   $1800

MORE ABOUT FLORIDA SAW FISHES

Sawfishes belong to a group of fishes called elasmobranch that includes sharks, rays, and skates.  All Elasmobranch species have a skeleton made of cartilage like sharks.  Sawfishes are actually a type of ray.  Sawfishes all fit into one family known as Pristidae, derived from a Greek term meaning "saw".  Sawfishes possess the characteristic long, flattened, toothed saw, a flattened head and trunk, and a shark-like appearance and manner of swimming.  Once lost, the teeth along the saw are not replaced.  Sawfishes worldwide are poorly studied and no one knows for sure the number of living species, but there are an estimated four to seven species worldwide.  

Smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) 23-34 teeth per side

Largetooth sawfish (Pristis perotteti).  17-22 teeth per side

 The ranges of both species have been reported to include Florida, but only three specimens of the largetooth sawfish have ever been reported from Florida.  The typical range of the largetooth sawfish is further south and west of the state.  The smalltooth sawfish is by far the most often reported species of sawfish on both coasts of Florida.  Hundreds of specimens have been reported throughout Florida, today  more in southwest FL.

 

Pallid CARRIER SHELLS

(Masters of disguise)

(Xenophora Palidula, Phillipines)

Heidi's favorite, the Master of Disguise in the shell family.  As they grow, they attach a variety of objects to themselves, ranging from dead shells and coral, to pebbles and even bits of garbage left by humans (see the glass bottle top in the photo below, from a shell book).  These items slowly twirl to the center top of the shell as the shell grows larger.  A deepwater shell in most of the world's warm seas

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$39 each

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#W-7-A

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#W-7-C

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#W-7-E

 

ZEBRA SKINS
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Zebra skin.  A gentleman who owned a zoo in North Carolina had two zebras, this one, named Stripes, got his leg caught in the fence and died of shock overnight before he was found.  They salvaged the skin, he knew it would have a good home with us!  The full tail is there (picture #4), everything on the head right down to the eyelashes (picture #3).  Picture #2 is a close up of the head itself.  We will be mounting it on plywood soon to hang on the wall.   Rare to find this complete of a zebra skin.  SOLD
ANOTHER ZEBRA SKIN

Acquired in the New Mexico desert, near Alamagordo NM, believe it or not.  One of the largest zebra skins, in excellent condition.  Includes legs, tail, mane, and head leather.

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#W-8    Tip of nose to base of tail is 9 feet long; width across front legs is 79"; width across rear legs is 78"; tail measures 32"; widest part of head between ears is 17"; width across the nose is 14"

$1095  SOLD

 

COYOTE TOOTH NECKLACES

Do you know anyone that has one?  Probably not!  That's why Glenn decided to make them, of course.  Natural coyote teeth from legal hunting, using 100% of the animal.

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#W-30-A

Five coyote teeth (4 are 1-1/2", bottom tooth is 1-5/8") on white cow bone beads with red glass beads, 20" long

$45.00

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#W-30-B

1-5/8" long coyote tooth on white cow bone and red glass slim beads, 19" long.

$28.00

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#W-30-C

1-7/8" long coyote tooth on 19" white cow bone bead necklace.

$32.00

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#W-30-D

Three coyote teeth (1-5/8" long) on slim bone and red glass beads, 19" long.

$38.00

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#W-30-E

1-1/2" coyote tooth on 19" brown bone and black onyx bead necklace.  

$32.00

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#W-30-F

1-7/8" long coyote tooth on antiqued cow bone beads, 19" long

$32.00 (2 available)

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1-7/8" long coyote tooth on white bone bead necklace 19" long.  $32.00

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#W-30-L

1-5/8" coyote tooth on round white bone bead and red glass bead, 18" necklace

$28.00 (3 available)

 

 

WATER BUFFALO TOOTH Necklaces

Natural teeth may be smooth or have incomplete enamel but there are no cracks, all are stable & strong.

Teeth are 2-1/4" long, on 20" necklaces, priced as marked

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#W35-1

Hematite with green jade beads  $38

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#W35-3

Hematite with pumpkin shaped tiger eye beads  $38

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#W35-4

Hematite and orange carnelian beads  $38

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#W35-5

Hematite and purple amethyst beads  $38

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#W35-6

Hematite and red glass beads  $38

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#W35-8

Hematite and opaque red glass beads  $38

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#W35-11

Black and white bone beads  $34

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#W35-13

Black and white bone beads  $34

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#W35-14

White bone and Chinese turquoise beads  $34

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#W35-20

Black cotton cord necklace with gold tone beads

$28

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#W35-21

Black cotton cord necklace with silver tone beads

$28

 

 

MOOSE TOOTH DREAM CATCHER NECKLACE
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#W35-50  Made with a slice of moose horn, gut string weaving, and a polyurethane coated MOOSE tooth, on a 30" knotted rawhide suede necklace (can be knotted to any length)

$55

MOOSE TOOTH EARRINGS
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#W35-60   Teeth are 1-5/8" long, polyurethane coated, on hypoallergenic hook wire dangle earrings  $32/pr

 

BADGER CLAW NECKLACE

Stunning look that will have everyone guessing!  Badgers are known for their digging capabilities, now you can see why!  These are natural claws acquired by legal hunting that uses 100% of the animal.

w40c.JPG (37368 bytes)  #W-40-C  ONE badger claw (1-1/4" long) on antiqued cow bone beads and red glass beads, 20" long  $24

 

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SPERM WHALE TOOTH NECKLACE 

FROM  FIJI TRIBAL CHIEFTAIN, 

worn by a smiling Glenn !

Glenn acquired  this very rare FIJI TRIBAL CHIEFTAIN NECK PIECE from a lady that owned a small museum located in Glenalg, just outside of Adelaide, South Australia, while he was visiting Rodney Fox the world renowned shark expert in March of 1993. This was quite the conversation piece at dinner one night at the Fox's.  It is made of three sperm whale teeth measuring 7", 5.5", and 5", with an etching or hieroglyphics on the largest (bottom) tooth.  The museum owner's husband was presented this piece in the early 1940's while visiting Fiji to acquire native art objects for their museum.  Glenn acquired this at the time the museum was liquidating its collection due to the owner's failing health after her husband's death.
 
Glenn has a reputation for finding the strange and unusual items that he has in his collection from his worldly travels to 54 different countries. Rodney was amazed that this item was right here in his own town. It just goes to show you that treasures can be found right in your own back yard.
 
Glenn has since attempted to find a museum back in Fiji that would like to acquire this for their collection, but to no avail, as he was told there were no funds available for such an acquisition of this nature.  When found, these items are several to tens of thousands of dollars.

Valued at $4800.00 but not for sale

 

OUCH!

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The ultimate Valentine's Day "Gift", Glenn was using the hot glue gun and accidently touched the side of his hand into two drops of hot glue which made a heart, around Jan. 31, 2004, close enough to Feb. 14 to make it an interesting coincidence.  

 

THE HOUSE THAT WALKED..

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This is a house made entirely of genuine DINOSAUR BONE!  No kidding!  It's in Medicine Bow, Wyoming.  Look on either side of the "Fossil Cabin" sign for dinosaur leg bones that are the most obvious, but we checked it out and it's for real!  Ripley's calls it the "Oldest House in the World", the house that "walked 175 million years ago".  Is that cool or what?

 

MR. TURTLE

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This is a GIGANTIC 650 pound carving of a dragon turtle within the boulder, still attached inside!  Chinese artwork, estimated circa 1950's by Tsui Tsan Pin of Chekiang Providence.  Measures about a yard long, 18" wide and high.  WOWS every single person that stepped into our store (we no longer have a storefront, he now graces the foyer of our home as you can see on our home page).  Detail of carving, natural color contrasts from outside to inside of boulder (Chinese native soapstone) and sheer SIZE commands your attention!  We call it "The Ancient One".  Extremely important good luck symbol for  the Chinese -  they generally leave money at his feet and sometimes bow and back away when leaving.  The dragon turtle is also considered an important feng shui symbolism.  It was carved in an isolated area in the Province of Chekiang.

Valued at: $28,000 (this is in our personal collection, not for sale)

If you enjoy Mr. Turtle as much as we do, you can now purchase a reconstituted marble, molded mini version that is REMARKABLE on our Gem Animals page 5, click here:  Gem Animals Page 5

 

SHRUNKEN HEADS

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Shrunken heads from Ecuador (actually it's goatskin that's been dampened and stretched over a wooden face form where it shrunk and dried, was cut away from the form, and hair shaved away, lips sewn shut.  Pretty weird, wouldn't you say?)  Here's more photos of museum quality goat skin shrunken heads we have handled in the past:

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THERE REALLY ARE SHRUNKEN HEADS, BUT THEY'RE IN MUSEUMS

Shrinking a head to the size of a baseball is a grisly but fascinating custom. The people of South America known as the "Jivaro" in Ecuador, Peru and Brazil are well known for shrinking the heads of their enemies.  This practice dates back to 200 B.C.  Raids on alien tribes are carried out specifically to secure "tsantsas", or shrunken head trophies.  The attacks are usually small and carried out on one house where the victim may be caught unawares.  Although the heads of men, women and children are taken, it is more frequently an adult warrior's head that is sought.  The trophies bring prestige to the head takers and trap the "avenging" or "miusak" souls of their victims, giving the taker power and prevention of vengeance against them.

The first step is the removal of the head.  The skin is cut around the top parts of the chest and back, and the head is cut off close to the collar bone.  The head taker then passes a vine through the head to carry it, and makes a fast retreat.  The head is prepared over 5 or 6 days during brief stops on the return home.  A slit is made in the back of the head, and the skin is carefully removed from the skull.  The skull is thrown into the river as a "gift to the anaconda".  The skin is then boiled in plain water or an herbal solution for half an hour.  By now it is half its original size.  It is then placed over a stick and left to dry.

The skin is now turned inside out, and any remaining flesh is scraped away.  It is turned right side out again, and the slip in the back is sewn together and the mouth is tied shut, sometimes the eyes being sewn shut as well.  Several small rocks are heated in a fire and placed into the skin.  They are rolled around inside until cool, dumped, and the process is repeated until the tsantsa has shrunk too much to accommodate the stones.  Hot sand is used to continue the shrinking.  It may be hung over a smoldering fire overnight which turns the color from yellowish to black.  It may be polished with ash as well.  At this time, the head is shaped and a hot knife pressed against the mouth to dry it.  Throughout the shrinking process, the neck must be drawn closed with a string that has been sewn through it, so it will remain proportionate to the head.

The warriors enter the home village with the shrunken heads tied around their necks.  Then the tsantsa rituals begin again...there was a time when these warriors found a commercial gain from selling the heads, and made forays to other tribes for this purpose.  Governments worldwide wisely banned the sale or purchase of real shrunken heads, except for the purpose of display in limited museums.  

So now you know the story of the REAL shrunken heads!

Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum in Myrtle Beach, SC, a genuine shrunken head:

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I apologize for the low quality of the picture, but it was quite dark - I should have used a flash!  But you get the idea.  Ripley's owns the largest collection of genuine shrunken heads in the world.  

Here's a better photo of a REAL shrunken head...

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There's even a comprehensive book available now about genuine shrunken heads (runs about $75) that can be obtained from the Malter Galleries Inc. (go online to find the company).

Finally, if you want to see MORE REAL SHRUNKEN HEADS...

http://www.angelfire.com/id2/tower7/BwanaMuseum.htm

 

 

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This is an old buffalo vertebrae with a genuine Indian arrowhead protruding from the spinal column.  Good shot!  

$135.00  SOLD

 

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This is our good friend-Rona-from-New-Jersey-who-started-out-as -a-customer, modeling my vintage 1920's "Gold Coast Monkey" coat.  YES, it's genuine monkey ! I bought it in California (I'm NOT a fur person, but this was too intriguing to pass up) and since it's vintage and now endangered, it's a pretty special piece.  Thank goodness it's not being made anymore.  The hair is like real human hair - it's really spooky.  It was assessed at $20,000 by a Consignment fur store in Beverly Hills, CA.  And though that is the ideal venue to sell the coat at the highest possible price, they do not handle endangered species.

We are not in the market to buy another.  So if you have a similar coat or stole that has been passed down to you, you may evaluate its worth by checking on Ebay where we have found monkey fur coats sold on a regular basis, though generally not this quality and hence, not at this price.

Valued at $9500 but not for sale

 

DEFORMED ALLIGATOR HEAD COLLECTION

WELL, IT'S HAPPENED AGAIN...GLENN HAS DECIDED TO OFFER YET ANOTHER PERSONAL COLLECTION FOR SALE (he tells me he has an eye on something in the dinosaur field to replace his interest)...

so we present the Deformed Gator Head Collection (350+ heads)

 Value of the collection (though priceless) is $35,000, if we were to sell these individually at retail

Offering it now at $28,000 including shipping & insurance

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 Three-eyed Wally - our freeze-dried gator head from the bayous in Louisiana.  Deformities such as this (a Siamese twin - see the extra upper jaw? --even an extra hole where the 4th eye would have been?) occurred when the oil companies in the 1930's took the byproduct of oil (dioxin), put it in barrels and buried it in the swamps.  It leaked into the water and caused this and other oddities.  Glenn actually has about 380 heads in the collection (next picture)  that documents this pollution by man.  We can learn from this!   See more close up photos of the collection on the Gators page 6 !

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Here's 300 of the collection of 350+ of the deformed, freeze dried gator heads in our former South Carolina store!  See the "Gator" pages for more up-close and personals!  

 

OOSIK - WHAT'S AN OOSIK?

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Fossilized juvenile walrus oosik, polished, 9" long.   (penis bone).  Some animals, such as seal, sea lion, polar bear, walrus and raccoon do have a real bone, as you see.  How odd is that?  SOLD.    More available on the Oosiks  page (Fossils page 6).

 

STUFFED OSTRICH CHICK

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   This is a REAL ostrich chick, taxidermied when it died at birth at an ostrich farm in California.  It is mounted on a composite base with the egg, and is 17" long x 10" wide x 7" high.  SOLD 3/18/02.  We'll leave the picture for you to enjoy!

 

ONE OF THE WEIRD COLLECTIONS IN THE STORE WE HAD (now our home is called the Weird Museum, I wonder why?)

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This is one of our oddity displays in our store to give you an idea of what we have - FIRST photo - a genuine dinosaur egg, mud concretions from a glacier, strange stones formed by lightning, deformed gator feet & our famous 3-eyed Wally gator, also a blind gator; 

SECOND photo - Pre-Columbian terra cotta necklaces and also beads used in their SLUG worship, human tooth beads; and..are those REAL modern human teeth there?..only the store owners know for sure...then there's our buffalo vertebrae with the arrowhead through to the spinal column, and fossil tree branches from Alaska;

THIRD photo - Our famous Mugwump formation from Area 51 (inverted, it was caused from rainfall that solidified the sand into a type of concretion - but we like to think it was an alien creation to keep the mystery alive!); also our menacing black scorpion, and the emerald beetle made into jewelry after it's eaten.

FOURTH photo - Our Sperm whale tooth chieftan's necklace with etchings made by the natives, and giant stingray barbs (fresh) from Australia.

We've got another large display of identified fossils, (see Fossils pages) and another of unusual gemstones (Rocks & Minerals pages). 

 

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You'll never guess what this is in a million years! .... give up?  It's the bleached skeleton of a GLASS SPONGE called the Venus Flower Basket (Euplectella aspergillum, phylum Porifera), belonging to a small group of glass sponges (Hexactinellida).  This sponge lives 1500 to 15,000 feet under the waters of the western Pacific around the Phillipine Islands and Japan.  With a cruel twist of fate, pairs of small shrimp (spongicola) swim through the sieve in the top into the "bridal chamber" and enjoy meals that come through the sieve.  However, the shrimp couple grow too big to get out - the home becomes a jail - but they live happily there, producing young that leave the "home" and find a sponge of their own with their own "bride" or "groom".  The shrimp couple dies together in the sponge, so it becomes their burial coffin as well. For centuries, this skeleton of the glass sponge, with its pair of tiny dried shrimp imprisoned inside, was prized as a wedding gift in Japan.  Newlyweds regarded it as a symbol of a long life together into old age and into the same grave.  One of the more unusual "wedding gifts" we've seen!

How does it form this glass? The sponge extracts silicic acid from seawater and converts it into silica, then forms it into an elaborate skeleton of glass fibers. The sponge's low-temperature process for creating and arranging such fibers may be a useful technology in the fiber optics industry, due to the fact that only high temperature methods are used in this industry now.

Average length:  a RARE LARGE SIZE of 9-14"; there is a natural mud/sand base where it was removed from the sea floor; considerable variation in curvature and how it stands on the table or lays down.  Suitable for display in a glass dome or low two-prong display stand (not included).  (We were erroneously told a few months ago that these were endangered, however, they are NOT endangered, they are thriving well.)

$35 each

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TRUE HEART COCKLE SHELL
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#W-181.  TRUE HEART COCKLE SHELL 

(Corculum cardissa)
An amazing, delicate-looking but extremely sturdy shell in the natural shape of a heart, often given as an appropriately romantic gift.  The family Cardiidae is one of the largest and best-known of bivalves. There are over 200 living cockle species and many more fossil forms.

Strong, compact, and heart-shaped, the cockle shell can be rolled over the sands and banged about without any damage to the live mollusc. Its siphons are short, and the foot is also well developed --indeed capable of moving the animal about in short leaps at the surface, where it normally lives. In many cockles, the siphons also bear light receptors.
 
Shell features are: completely symmetrical and equal sized valves; prominent umbones; strong radial ribs, which in some species carry spines; equal size muscle scars; no pallial sinus; and, two cardinal teeth in each valve. The internal margin of the lip may vary from lightly serrated to the definitely crenulated edge view, shown in the two species at right.
Found:  Indo-Pacific
Classification: Bivalvia
Subclass: Pteriomorphia
Order:  Veneroida
Superfamily: Cardiacea
Family:  Cardiidae

One of my favorite shells, a lovely natural heart shape.   It is quite flat with a bulge in the center, totally flat on the back, really no opening to speak of. 

$5.00 each

 

RARE!  A WHOLE TEAK TRUNK of ELEPHANTS

#W-182.  This tree trunk of solid teak is NINE FEET long x Two feet high x 5 to 11" thick variation.  It was carved in Thailand with 20 elephants, all still part of the tree trunk.  We estimate its weight at 300 pounds.  We have mounted it on our bedroom wall on a custom made oak book case with a solid wood top to support its weight:

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Valued at $7,800 but not for sale

To accompany the elephant teak log, we purchased this two elephant head carving (also of teak) that even has EYELASHES on it, it is stunning (not for sale):

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#W-183.  (continued from above).  Behind every BRAIN, there's a (hmmm)...a YOU-KNOW WHAT!  I'm sure we'll get a lot of mileage out of this highly unusual, natural specimen of brain coral, don't you think?   Valued at $275.00 but not for sale

 

FOSSIL MUD
#W-184.  FOSSILIZED MUD from the GREAT LAKES of the MIDWEST

Formed when mud oozed into a bubble formed under the glacial ice, then hardened and fossilized into this bubble shape.  Photos show top and bottom.  Measures 4" x 4-3/4" x 2".

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$35.00

 

MUSHROOM CORAL
 (Fungia Scutaria), also called Plate coral or Fungus coral.  This beautiful specimen Heidi received by trading items with a friend.  It is 13" long.  Neat.

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The answer to the weird thing in the yellow box above?

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It's a genuine ALLIGATOR TONGUE.  Remember, when alligators are legally hunted and processed, 100% of it is used.  Nothing is wasted.  These are often made into WALLETS.

 

Our latest mystery SOLVED-SEE BELOW  Here's a common Queen Anne's Lace weed, photo sent by Tobi in Ohio.  

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She relates: "The flowers grow wild everywhere and have big, flat heads with tons of tiny petals on top.  I was walking one day and found one that was fluorescent orange.  I picked it because I was afraid they would come mow and it would be lost.  It almost looked like it had been spray painted, but closer inspection showed it was the real color.  I called a botanist at the University of Akron about it, but no one returned my call.

The second flower down on that stalk was already showing the same orange color, but more muted.  I don't know what could be in the soil, it is near buried power lines, and close to a natural wetland area.  When I looked it up in the flower book and saw that it was in the carrot family, Daucus carota, the name is Wild Carrot, common names are Queen Anne's Lace or Bird's Nest."

Anyone know what in the soil would cause this, or is this just a natural variation?

SOLVED, thanks to our great customer SANDRA.  She relates: "Being an avid gardener and having had past love/hate relationships with Queen Anne's Lace, I was surprised by the color myself.  I've seen very light pink but not orange.  I'd be interested in finding something like that someday and saving the seeds.  I might fall in love with Queen Anne's Lace again!

I've always thought you and Glenn must have the best jobs on the planet.  Sure it's work but just the experiences and learning...makes my mind spin!"  (Indeed we feel lucky, Sandra, and we learn from our customers every single day.  Thanks!  Heidi)

She also gave links to the Carrot Museum for further investigation:

http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/qal.html

The curator responded likewise, adding that the wild carrot in the U.S.A. did appear and colonize from the seeds of cultivated carrots brought by the settlers spreading into the countryside and eventually turning back to their wild form, so I can only guess it could be a throw back.  But if this is so, then it does not stack up with current carrot flowers, irrespective of their root color, always being white.  It could be something in the soil nutrients. 

 

MYSTERY SHELL!

Our friend Hal brought us a framed set of two shell specimens that no one in the Fossil Shell club here in Myrtle Beach can identify.  It was found on the Atlantic shore of North Carolina, both are about 5" long, the operculums intact on both.  If you know what it is, by all means let us know!  whatnext@sccoast.net :

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2/24/07 update!  Research by one in the Myrtle Beach Fossil Club brought up the following:

It is a Hippoporidra-edax

Bryozoa/Cleidochasmatidae (found 120 to 180 feet in Florida waters.  Hermit crabs live in them).  Here's a link to a photo of that specimen found through internet research:

http://www.specimenshells.de/bilder/bryozoa/edax_1749.htm

Great sleuthing!

This is a rare BUSYCON CANALICULATUM CHANNELED WHELK.  The rare part is that it is LEFT-HANDED (or sinistral).  It measures a linear 6-1/4" long x 3-3/4" wide.  It just sold for $380, we are honored to have been part of the transferrance of this rare item to an appreciative new owner.

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Here is a photo of the usual Right-handed Channeled whelk in the Seashells of North America book:

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The only left-handed whelks we know of are the Lightning Whelk and the Perverse Whelk, as shown in this publication: "Seashells of North America":

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We sold it for $380 to Mark in Charleston.  Here is Hal, a friend of Helen Tilley who owns the shell, transferring it to Heidi to ship out to Mark today (2/27/07.

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But on the next page is our BLUE RIBBON WEIRDEST DISPLAY...

Click To Go To:

The Weirdest Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

 

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WHERE ON EARTH?

Glenn & Heidi Reed

P. O. Box 50597, Myrtle Beach, SC  29579, U.S.A.

Phone: 843-347-8724 

Email: whatnext@sccoast.net

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