Fossilbox was founded by Vince Wills in 1997 and is 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 the spectacular scenery whilst looking for interesting and rare fossils. Vince has a particular fondness for the North Yorkshire coast but also loves hunting trilobites in Shropshire, Herefordshire and Wales.
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, who have enthusiastically wagged their tails across many of Britain's finest landscapes!
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Over the past 30 years, Vince's collection has grown to include fossils from all over Britain, spanning most of the geological timescale. Having spent most of his working life in the building trade, Vince's body was starting to feel the strain and he knew the time was right to finally pursue his passion and share his love of fossils with the world.
Origins
Values
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. Vince felt it was a travesty to see a beautiful, often expensive fossil displayed in this way. Vince worried that without attractive display options the fossils might just end up lost in a drawer. So the idea Fossilbox was born - using natural materials to hand-craft displays which complement and enhance the magnificent fossils.
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Vince hopes 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 or events.
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.
