The Best Dinosaur Fossils to Collect for Beginners!
Above: Spiny protecting his teeth!
Post Author - Ellis Nolan
Are you fascinated by fossils? Delighted by dinosaurs? Do you want to start a collection, but don’t know what to get first? Have no fear, Mini Museum is here! Here’s our top 5 specimens for beginner collectors, with an extra special addition!
1. Amber
Above: Amber often contains plant seeds, insects, and even arachnids!
Amber is a show-stopper of a fossil. These specimens consist of beautiful crystallized tree sap that can sometimes contain and preserve insects, plant matter, and even dinosaur tails! Well known in popular culture for its pivotal role in Jurassic Park, these fossils also have the advantage of being easy to display, and are difficult to damage or break under most circumstances.
2. Teeth
Above: A beautiful Carcharodontosaurus tooth specimen!
Dinosaur teeth are some of the most abundant and best-preserved fossils to be found. They are great beginner specimens as well since they are quite tough, come in a range of sizes and different species, and are unlikely to break or fall apart in most cases. Mini Museum has a milieu of carnivorous crunchers, shark snappers and herbivore munch-machines, perfect for sharing your love of prehistoric times!
3. Dinosaur Poop
Above: Don’t worry, we promise these specimens don’t smell
Sometimes the most humble specimens tell the most interesting stories. Case in point: coprolites! A coprolite is a petrified dinosaur dropping, or “dino dung” and is actually one of the most important sources of dinosaur history for scientists. The daily habits and routines of dinosaurs are spelled out in coprolites, and they are a fascinating and unique fossil!
4. Sea Creatures
Above: Amazing spiral ammonites!
One of the disadvantages of being preserved beneath Earth’s surface for millions of years, is that dinosaur fossils are usually incomplete when they are found. But not always, and nothing quite captures the imagination like seeing the full picture. That’s why number 4 on our list are sea creatures, such as ammonite and trilobite fossils! These creatures can often be found entirely intact, and are beautiful examples of the fossil preservation process!
5. Your Favorite Dinosaur!
Above: The tyrant lizard king!
There’s nothing like having a fossil of your favorite dinosaur. These mysterious creatures have struck us with awe for centuries, and new research is always developing; there’s always something new to learn about a fossil!
6. BONUS - A Curated Collection
Above: A large Mini Museum Dinosaur Collection in all its glory
Creating your own custom collection is lots of fun, but Mini Museum has the unique offering of a curated fossil collection in the form of Mini Museum Dino! This collection is portable, shareable, and you won’t have to worry about losing any specimens, since they’re safely enclosed in polished acrylic. This is a wonderful option for starting a collection, particularly if you are in an educational environment!
Want more fossils? Check out our full collection here!
Featured Product
Dunkleosteus - Skull Fossil Fragment
Latest News
-
Aug 14, 2025 Learn About Iron Age Mummy Tattoos! Read More -
Jul 29, 2025 Scientists Discover First Ever Ancient Roman Trilobite! Read More -
Jul 23, 2025 The Hollywood Sign: The Story of a City's Symbol Hollywoodland Read More -
Jul 20, 2025 Denver Museum Finds Dinosaurs in their Backyard! Read More -
Jul 17, 2025 Building Disneyland Read More -
Jul 10, 2025 Neolithic Vegetarians: Learn About the Wooden Tools Used by Early Humans! Read More
Cool Things!
Learn About Iron Age Mummy Tattoos!
Tattoos have been a popular form of individual and societal expression for centuries around the world, making them a focal point of study for anthropologists and archaeologists. Unfortunately, the oldest examples are rarely preserved well enough for deep study, since skin usually decomposes before fossilization. In one recent case, however, new technology allowed researchers to draw new conclusions about the tattoos of one fascinating specimen: a well-preserved mummy.
Scientists Discover First Ever Ancient Roman Trilobite!
It’s well known among archaeologists that the ancient Romans had a reverence for fossils. For example, it is thought they believed mammoth bones and teeth were those of dragons and cyclopes, and thus, these items were often displayed in places of power. However, researchers in Spain recently uncovered an exceedingly rare Roman fossil artifact from an unlikely place.
Denver Museum Finds Dinosaurs in their Backyard!
For patrons of a popular Denver museum, newly discovered dinosaur fossils are quite literally in their backyard!
Specimen Deep Dives
The Hollywood Sign: The Story of a City's Symbol Hollywoodland
Building Disneyland
When the Sky Split in Two: The Tunguska Event
Long Form Articles
The Artist Behind the Macintosh: Susan Kare and Apple Computers
While the two Steves, Jobs and Wozniak, are the most well known faces behind Apple computers, equally important to the products and culture of the company were those who crafted the experience of using their computers through design. The most notable of these visual architects was Susan Kare, a designer responsible for “humanizing” Macintosh computers.
Can I Lick It? Yes You Can!
Have you ever been unable to tell if a fossil was really a fossil, but you were too embarrassed to admit it? Have you ever wanted to lick a fossil just because, but you didn’t want to risk judgment from your peers? Well, good news! You can kill two birds with one stone! Licking a fossil can actually help you determine if it’s the real deal or just another rock.
Is It Legal To Own a Meteorite: How to Start Your Outer Space Collection!
Meteorites are some of the rarest geological specimens to be found on Earth. Of course, since these stones are not of our world, purchasing them can sometimes be a confusing process. Is it legal to own a meteorite? In short, yes! Read on for help starting your cosmic collection!