The Curator’s Eye (www.curatorseye.com) recently spoke with Glenn Rockers of Paleosearch Inc. about his passion as a self-taught paleontologist, his experiences as a fossil dealer, and how he incorporates online marketing into his business strategy.

“As with many things, it was a hobby that took up more and more of my time until it got out of control.”

Glenn's fascination with paleontology began as a young boy in grade school. His interest persisted through his college years, where he didn't officially study the subject, but he continued to educate himself as much as he could. After college, Glenn started working in a field unrelated to paleontology but it was “always there, sort of nagging at me” as he describes it. Finally, in 1983, he decided to pursue paleontology full-time alongside his wife Barbara and together they founded Paleosearch Inc. (www.paleosearch.com). “As with many things, it was a hobby that took up more and more of my time until it got out of control”, Glenn went on to say.

“Maintaining a brick & mortar store is not something we wanted to do. We would not get enough foot traffic to support the expense.”

Glenn and Barbara moved to Kansas for a fossil rich rock formation called the Chalk Beds discovered in the 1880's. There they only maintain a large warehouse and preparatory lab, foregoing a traditional gallery space. “There are perhaps only 200 full-time fossil dealers. The client base is small and spread out,” he goes on, “Maintaining a brick & mortar store is not something we wanted to do. We felt that we would not get enough foot traffic to support the expense.”

Since fossil collectors are few and far between, Glenn initially used trade shows to reach new clients. In the 90's, the internet arrived and so did Paleosearch's website. Barbara Rockers has maintained and updated the website since its inception. The internet provides Paleosearch with a wide-reaching and inexpensive way to reach new clients. In order to expand his reach and continue to grow his online presence, Glenn began to leverage the marketing strength of the The Curator's Eye marketing platform for collectibles.

“Within a few months of starting, we made two significant sales... But the true value comes from the hundreds of potential clients added to our client list.”

Glenn has had a great amount of success since he began using The Curator's Eye's services, “We started in July and within a few months we've been very successful. We've made two significant sales. The first was to a client in Europe who contacted us through TCE. The second was to a gentleman who saw our inventory on the TCE website and met us at in Denver during a show to complete the purchase. These sales have more than justified the expense,” He continues “However, the true value of TCE comes from the hundreds of potential clients that are added to our client list over the course of the year.”

“I've had hundreds of direct inquiries and I see new names on my list every week which gives us the potential for sales deep into the future”

Glenn elaborates, “I've had hundreds of direct inquiries and I see new names on my list every week which gives us the potential for sales deep into the future. We do not send out catalogs anymore due to the cost of production and the impact of the internet. The Curator's Eye gives us an inexpensive way to brand ourselves with high-end clients.” The information provided by the Curator's Eye makes it easy for Glenn to see which pieces clients are most interested in and to add the names to his own client database so he can begin to market to them separately.

“We separate our client list into an A-list, high-end buyers, and a B-list of mid-range buyers.”

Glenn uses his developed client list as part of his targeted personal marketing campaigns. “We separate our client list into an A-list, high-end buyers, and a B-list of mid-range buyers. We send out constant contact mailings monthly to our lists and send invitations to the A-list for any shows we are attending. These targeted mailings are cheaper and more effective than catalogs we used to do.”

“We have very little outside help. My wife does most of the computer based work and I find the fossils. The Curator's Eye does the marketing and client outreach for us. It has been very professional and I've had zero problems. We've amassed an amazing amount of information that has been a wonderful challenge to utilize.

PaleoSearch, Inc. (www.paleosearch.com) is a privately owned corporation located in Hays, Kansas. Since 1983, they have specialized in supplying rare and exotic fossils to museums, decorators, educational institutions and private collectors throughout the world.

The Curator’s Eye offers specialized, targeted online advertising and marketing services that help private dealers compete in a global art market. To view exceptional items for the distinguished private collector available from the top dealers across the globe, visit www.CuratorsEye.com.