Origins
The concept of Fossilbox originated in 1997 by Vince Wills and is now run by Vince and his partner Hazel from their workshop on the beautiful Sussex coast.
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Fossilbox began with Vince's passion for fossil hunting. He spent much of his free time on trips around the UK, enjoying our spectacular scenery whilst looking for fossils.
Vince and Hazel have a particular fondness for the North Yorkshire coast but also love hunting rarer trilobites in Shropshire.
After Vince met Hazel, fossil-hunting became their shared hobby and holidays were planned around trips to find fossils - always assisted by a team of four-legged friends!
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Over the past 35 years Vince's collection has grown to include fossils from all over Britain, spanning most of the geological timescale.
As Vince considered ways to show off the natural beauty of the fossils, it struck him that there was very little on the market other than basic plastic display stands.
This sometimes felt like a travesty to see a beautiful, often expensive fossil displayed in this way.
He thought that without attractive display options fossils often ended up just lost in a drawer.
So the idea Fossilbox was born - using natural materials to hand-craft displays which complement and enhance the magnificent fossils to make completely unique and interesting displays.
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Our hope is to encourage as many people as possible to appreciate fossils, so Fossilbox aims to have designs for every budget from pocket-money prices to large statement pieces for offices, pubs, bars restaurants etc.
Values
We do our best to use natural materials with care for the environment always in mind.
We upcycle as much as possible, especially cardboard boxes and packaging and use eco friendly tape.
Even our garden ornaments contain the discarded material from fossil preparation. So our concrete garden Ammonites actually have pieces of real Ammonites in them!
Each and every fossil is lovingly cared for regardless of its monetary value. I hope that when someone digs me up in a few million years they mount me as good as our displays!
Natural Materials
Displays made with natural and recycled materials
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Fossils and materials found naturally
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Sustainable and environmentally friendly
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Hand
Crafted
Fossils prepared by Vince in the workshop, using traditional techniques
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Displays designed and hand-crafted by Vince
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Fully-equipped workshop
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Fossil
Appreciation
Genuine fossils found by Vince or obtained from fossil experts
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Fossils identified with specialist knowledge
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Each fossil treated with care and respect for it's unique qualities
Community & family
Respecting the knowledge and expertise of the fossilising community
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Sharing our passion with others
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Putting our love of fossils at the heart of what we do
Craftsmanship & Workshop
Over the years, Vince invested in the equipment needed to prepare fossils to a professional standard. He is committed to using the best tools, for example, TT air pens made by the legendary Ken Mainnion.
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Vince is always interested in improving his skills and learning from fossil experts. He undertook training in fossil preparation with Mark Kemp aka The Yorkshire Fossil Hunter.
In 2022, Vince finished building a dedicated workshop with room for all the specialist tools and machinery, as well as his ever-growing fossil collection. Vince can be found in the workshop most days, carefully preparing each fossil and coming up with new ideas and designs for displays.
