How to Buy Dinosaur Fossils
A Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton cast at a Tucson-area trade show. (Source: Mini Museum)
In museums across the world you can go see dinosaur fossils, scattered bones reassembled into their original forms of a roaring Tyrannosaurus or a lumbering Sauropod. It’s one thing to see a dinosaur fossil, but it is quite another to hold one in your hand. Here are the best tips for purchasing a dinosaur fossil to add to your personal collection.
A beautiful Triceratops brown horn fossil in a personal home display. (Source: Mini Museum)
1. First things first, you have to know where to buy from. Dinosaur fossils can be sold at specialty stores or trade shows, usually close to the big dig sites in the United States, mostly in the Southwest.
If that's a bit of a trek for you, there are also many online vendors to choose from that sell dinosaur fossils. When purchasing online, it's important to ensure the seller is reliable and the artifacts are certified genuine. With auction sites like eBay and Etsy, it can be difficult to determine the legitimacy of the seller, so it's best to stick with specialist sites. You should always check to see if they have an about or authenticity page too. It's also good to see if they can share the area that the fossil came from.
A row of high quality Spinosaurus teeth for personal collectors. (Source: Mini Museum)
2. Once you have a seller you trust, the next question is what kind of dinosaur fossil you want, and what you want to pay for it. Chances are you don’t have a spare 30 million in your monthly budget to buy a complete T-rex skull, but other specimens like teeth or fossil fragments are far more affordable, selling for twenty or thirty dollars. Dinosaur fossils are precious items, but there are new ones found every day by field paleontologists, meaning just about anyone can own a fossil.
So what kind of fossil do you want to own? Keep in mind fossils can come in many forms. A classic permineralized fossil is when minerals leach into an organism’s bones, replacing and preserving it with stone. A cast or mold retains the shape of the specimen, without actually preserving the form itself. A trace fossil may be a fossilized footprint, or some other mark left behind by the creature. There’s a lot of options to choose from.
3. You’ll also want to keep in mind the different eras that fossils can come from. If you’re interested in dinosaurs, you’re going to want to focus on the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. Dinosaurs emerged during the Triassic, but didn't come to dominate until the Jurassic, after the end Triassic extinction event. At this time, from 200-150 Mya, dinosaurs ruled the land, seas, and air. All together, the age of dinosaurs is called the Mesozoic and any fossil from this period is a real treasure.
Carcharodontosaurus teeth that can be held in the palm of your hand. (Source: Mini Museum)
4. Most importantly is the question of the dinosaur itself. What dinosaur fossil do you want to own? Some specimens are rarer than others, and their costs are prohibitively expensive. If you're just starting out, a small tooth can be the perfect entry point. A dinosaur tooth is a distinctive and easily identifiable specimen that can be purchased without breaking the bank. A single carnivorous dinosaur like Spinosaurus could grow dozens of teeth throughout its life, leaving behind many specimens to be had today.
You should also think about what kind of dinosaur you want. Are you looking for an herbivore or a carnivore? What about a Triassic, Jurassic, or Cretaceous creature? There are many different types of dinosaurs to choose from: Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Stegosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Spinosaurus, Raptors (Dromaeosaurids), Iguanodon, Pachycephalosaurus, Sauropods, and more. You could even look for other fossils from non-dinosaur creatures, like Mosasaurs, Plesiosaurs, or Megalodons.
5. Once you have your fossil, caring for the specimen is very important. A fossil has survived millions of years to the present moment, but can still be damaged by neglect. You want a nice spot for displaying, but not anywhere the fossil can be damaged. Keep the specimen dry and clean. Remember to handle gently. A display case or stand is the perfect way to show off your new treasure!
Before buying a dinosaur fossil, remember to think about what dinosaur you'd like to purchase and where you're buying it from. Check for fossils from trusted sources that can trace the fossil's origin. There are plenty of ways to start building up your collection of dinosaur fossils right now and before you know it, you could have your very own museum lining a bookshelf of your home!
Ready to start your dinosaur hunt? Check out some of these fossils and browse our entire fossil collection below!
Featured Product
Boeing 747 - EI-BED Horizontal Stabilizer
Latest News
-
Mar 26, 2025 The Crazy Story of How Star Wars Got Made! Read More -
Mar 26, 2025 Skin, Eggs, and Poop: Unique Types of Dinosaur Fossils! Read More -
Mar 24, 2025 Learn How Scientists Made Woolly Mice! Read More -
Mar 21, 2025 Organic Glass Found Among Remains of Roman Guard Read More -
Mar 19, 2025 The Top 5 Most Expensive Star Wars Collectibles Ever Sold Read More -
Mar 19, 2025 The Biggest Dinosaurs to Walk The Earth Read More
Cool Things!
Learn How Scientists Made Woolly Mice!
Organic Glass Found Among Remains of Roman Guard
One of the most dramatic events in the history of the Roman Empire was the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. It is unknown how many perished during the eruption and its fallout, however, haunting images of contorted Pompeiians frozen in time by searing gas and ash paints an image of hellish, alien conditions. In a bizarre twist of the otherworldly occurrence, scientists have found the only documented instance of a victim whose brain was turned to glass by flows from the eruption.
The Mysterious Origin of the St. Mark's Square Lion!
Keeping a watchful eye over what Napoleon knew as “the drawing room of Europe,” the winged lion of St. Mark’s Square in Venice, Italy, is a majestic sight. The origin of this iconic statue has been cloaked in mystery, but in September of 2024, a group of chemists, archaeologists, geologists, and art historians shed more light on this sculpture’s story.
Specimen Deep Dives
Returning to the Moon: The Apollo 14 Mission
The Secrets of the Space Shuttle: Learn about Mini Museum's Shuttle Tile Material!
Gondwana: When the Earth Was One
Long Form Articles
The Crazy Story of How Star Wars Got Made!
On May 14, 1971, George Lucas flew into London for the first time. For a while now, the young director had been workshopping ideas for a space opera, jotting down an increasingly long list of bizarre names for people and places he could build a story around. So when he landed in London, Lucas marched into the office of United Artists head David Picker and convinced the executive to provide the seed money for his next movie.
Skin, Eggs, and Poop: Unique Types of Dinosaur Fossils!
While their bones tend to be the most show-stopping examples, the dinosaurs actually left behind many different traces of their anatomy, many of which have been crucial to scientists’ understanding of their lives. Whether you’re looking to grow your collection or just starting out, here are 5 unique types of dinosaur fossils!
The Top 5 Most Expensive Star Wars Collectibles Ever Sold
When Star Wars debuted in theaters on May 25th, 1977, it launched an international phenomenon spanning decades of film history. Today, the series has had countless spinoffs, tv shows, books, and merchandising emblazoned with its characters and symbols, for which fans are ready to part with a pretty penny. Here are the top 5 most expensive Star Wars memorabilia items ever sold.