Methods of Payment

We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and PayPal.  Payment via check or money order for domestic orders is also acceptable.

Prices are all in United States Dollars

 We do not accept any foreign currencies.

Guarantee

Our reputation is based on your satisfaction.  We work hard to provide complete detailed descriptions of each specimen and examine them closely to insure we note any damage or details that may be important to you.  We make every effort to accurately define the specimen photographically, picturing different angles and insuring color accuracy.  If you are at all unsatisfied with your purchase, simply re-pack it and send it back to us for a refund of the purchase price if received in the condition it was sent.

Returns

 Should you decide to return a specimen you must notify us within 14 days of receipt. If we are not notified within the 14 day period we are not responsible for returns. It is imperative you pack the specimen well as we will only refund specimens returned in the condition in which they were sent.  If you do not insure the package, we cannot be responsible for damage if it has occurred.

Shipping Information

 We generally utilize the U.S. Postal Service for shipment.  Orders from within the U.S. with dollar value over $200, will be sent via USPS Ground Advantage (2 – 3 days delivery) unless otherwise instructed. Insurance is your option.  Specimens valued over $400 will require insurance at $2 per $100 in value.  Non-U.S. orders will be sent via First Class Priority Mail International (6 – 10 days delivery).  Non-U.S. orders over $500 will be sent via Express Mail International (3 – 5 days).  The customer is to pay the full amount of the shipping costs, plus 50 cents per pound, for up to 10 pounds, for handling fees.  Shipping costs are based upon the final weight of the package and the ship to location.  In general, a package weighing less than 1 pound will cost $8 or less to ship within the U.S.  To send a package weighing less than 1 pound to Europe will cost around $20.  International shipments sent first class mail will not be insured.  To insure international packages over $250 you must be willing to accept customs declarations at the insured value. In order to calculate postage costs go to the following website: http://www.usps.com/.  We ship out of zip code 28401.

Note to International Customers:

We use the Paypal shipping system and provide USPS tracking. Once we drop the package at a USPS facility we no longer have control. If the package is lost we cannot take responsibility for it. It is YOUR decision whether to insure it. Insurance claims will be handled by us. Note that insuring a package means using either Express Mail International or a carrier such as Fedex or DHL which are all substantially more expensive.

To Save Postage Costs

 We realize that it is expensive to place frequent orders and pay for postage repeatedly.

In order to help save you on postage costs, we recommend the following:

  • We will be happy to hold any orders for a period of up to 90 days
  • You pay for the specimen(s) at the time they are purchased
  • We prefer customers using this alternative have a credit card number on file with us
  • At the end of the 90 day period, or whenever you request, we will combine all specimens into one package, calculate a one-time postage cost, and ship

Ordering

 When placing an order, simply submit the order form.  Be sure to include the entire item number, species, locality, your name, address, and telephone number.  We will confirm availability at the time we receive the order.  It is possible the specimen may already be sold but not yet posted. We attend many trade shows which are longer than a week (notably mid September and mid Jan-mid Feb). Some website specimens do go to the shows. Please be patient as we address your order.