October 8, 2026

Real specimens make a handling collection. Replicas make a scale model. That’s the choice. Real pieces sort, weigh, and compare, and single pieces run $2 to $9.

Two things set the difficulty of a dig kit: how the block softens, and how much work comes after the break. An egg kit runs 12 eggs; each one softens in water and peels by hand in 5 to 15 minutes. A skeleton kit runs 10 to 24 pieces that need dry chiselling at 20 minutes or more per piece, plus an…