Scam email about Mammoth and Mastodon Ivory Sales in Illinois.

I'm writing this article, which includes a screen capture of the email below I received as a preemptive warning to Illinois residents and readers from other states.

With the poor spelling and bad English, it is most likely a scam.

Paleo-Indian artifacts are the remnants of tools, weapons, and other objects left behind by the first humans known to inhabit North America, dating from roughly 15,000 to 7,000 years ago. These fascinating objects offer invaluable insights into the lives and technologies of these early peoples despite the challenges of studying such ancient remains.

Mammoths were bigger and heavier compared to their predecessors, the mastodons, and closer in appearance and constitution to elephants today. Mastodons had cusps (grinding bumps) on their molars, which mainly distinguished them from mammoths and elephants with ridged molars.

There's currently no definitive evidence that Paleo-Indians in North America carved mammoth and mastodon ivory as artworks. While some tools and utilitarian objects made from ivory have been found, they lack clear artistic intent or decoration.

Types of artifacts:

Stone tools: These are the most common artifact type, as stone was readily available and durable. Tools include:

Clovis points: Large, lance-shaped spear points with distinctive flutes (grooves) running down the base are iconic symbols of the period.

Other projectile points: Different styles like Folsom, Scottsbluff, and Dalton points reveal regional variations and adaptation to changing environments.

Scraper tools: Used for processing hides, wood, and other materials.

Knives and blades: Employed for cutting and slicing tasks.

Non-stone artifacts: While less common, these offer valuable glimpses into other aspects of life:

Bone tools: Awls, needles, and ornaments made from animal bones suggest various practical and symbolic uses.

Fire hearths and cooking features: Evidence of controlled fire use, crucial for warmth, cooking, and toolmaking.

Rock art and engravings: Rare but potentially offering insights into spiritual beliefs and communication.

Several states have banned the sale of all "Ivory," meaning any tooth or tusk composed of ivory from any animal, including mammoths and mastodons. As of 2024, these states include ILLINOIS, California, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Nevada, Oregon, and Hawaii. Other states may restrict the sale of ivory depending on the item's age, origin, and value.

Since the sale of ivory in Illinois is illegal, reporting it is crucial to protect endangered elephant populations and combat wildlife trafficking. 

Illinois General Assembly: 815 ILCS 357/ Animal Parts and Products Ban Act.

Here are some resources to report the sale:

1. Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR):

Online Reporting: You can file a complaint online through the IDNR's Turn in Poachers Website: https://dnr.illinois.gov/lawenforcement/target-poachers.html

Phone: You can call the IDNR's Conservation Police hotline at 1-800-252-8934.

2. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS):

Online Reporting: You can file a report through the USFWS's National Wildlife Service Tip Line: https://www.fws.gov/wildlife-crime-tips

Phone: You can call the USFWS's Division of Law Enforcement at 1-800-847-7353.

3. Wildlife Crime Stoppers:

Online Reporting: You can submit an anonymous tip through Wildlife Crime Stoppers' Website: https://wildlifecrimestoppers.org/contact-us/

Phone: You can call Wildlife Crime Stoppers at 1-800-642-WILD (9453).

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Slot Car Racing Was a Popular Craze in Chicagoland in the 1960s and 70s.

The explosive wave of slot car racing's popularity began in the late 1950s to early 1960s. By the mid-1960s, there were more than 3,000 public race tracks in the U.S. Manufacturers Revell, Aurora, Tyco, Carrera, and Scalextric were together selling $500 million ($4,9 Billion in 2024) worth of cars and equipment a year.

A Typical Slot Car Race Track. Unknown Venue.

As the fad peaked and waned, slot car businesses could not profit, charging teenagers small amounts of money to use their large tracks. By the early 1970s, slot car centers dwindled to fewer than 200 tracks and were still in business by 1975, and gradually, most of those closed, too.

Tom Thumb Hobbies & Crafts, Evanston, IL. (1965-2014)

The Tom Thumb Hobbies & Crafts store co-owners Cheryl Anderson and Arthur Harris, at 1026 Davis Street in Evanston, Illinois, moved to Niles in 2014. 

Tom Thumb had six 1/32 scale slot car tracks and one complicated HO scale track simultaneously. They sold, repaired, and carried slot car paraphernalia, too. It was the largest slot car venue in the Chicagoland. 

1964 Varney Corvette Stingray Convertible, 1/32 Scale Slot Car.

I spent many Saturdays and Sundays at Tom Thumb, racing slot cars in the late 1960s and early 1970s.  

Some parents would crawl under the tracks to position themselves inside the open area and help place cars back on the track when kids took the curves too fast or just lost control. It was a great time. I had two cars and a great controller. I used a product like "stick'em," which was applied to the tires, that helped the car hold the turns at high speed.

In the 1990s, JK Raceway in Greenbrook Plaza, on Lake Street, Hanover Park, Illinois, had three 1/32 scale slot car tracks and one drag strip track. At least one of the tracks was from Tom Thumb in Evanston.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.