Your Cart is Empty
Dinosaurs are creatures of legend, and their awesome history has led countless people throughout history to develop an interest in learning about and collecting their fossils. While you may be used to seeing dinosaur fossils in famous museums or on the television, you might wonder if it is possible to own one of these rare and incredible historical artifacts and how much they are worth.
The value of a dinosaur fossil can value greatly, ranging from anywhere as low as tens of dollars to tens of millions of dollars. The value of a dinosaur fossil depends on many factors, such as its species, its condition, its rarity, its completeness, and its detail. While a complete skeleton may be worth an enormous amount of money, a fragment of a less rare fossil may be very cheap to purchase.
Whether you have an interest in starting a fossil collection or just want to know more about how these rare treasures are priced, you are not alone. Keep reading for a detailed breakdown about how much dinosaur fossils are worth, as well as some information about where fossils are typically sold and some of the most expensive and in-demand fossils on the market. If you can't find a fossil, you can get your hands on one of our amazing dinosaur gifts instead.
Dinosaurs were incredible creatures whose existence invokes a sense of awe in the sheer age of our planet and the diversity of the natural world. Although the dinosaurs are long gone, their fossils remain as a way to learn about and marvel at the natural history of our planet. Fossil collectors and museums alike covet dinosaur fossils, and the price tag associated can vary vastly.
The following sections will discuss some of the common reasons that impact the average cost of dinosaur fossils.
Everyone knows about the formidable Tyrannosaurus Rex, but some species, like the Ankylosaurus, might have a little less of a recognizable name. Although the price of a fossil will still vary widely within a species depending on how complete or detailed the fossil find is, you can expect to spend much less on a tooth from an Ankylosaur than you would from a T. Rex.
Some of the most popular dinosaur species include:
If a fossil from one of these creatures is found, it will likely be worth significantly more than a lesser-known dinosaur.
Additionally, though not technically dinosaurs in the sense that we think of them, fossils for invertebrate and aquatic creatures from the same period are often very inexpensive and can be bought for as low as $10 or less.
Fossils are more common than you think—they can be found in soil and rock formations across the world, although some sites are more productive than others. However, most fossils people find are small fragments or largely unrecognizable. For this reason, when a fossil is found that is in very good shape, the price will drastically go up.
A fossil in good condition will have minimal breakage and its detail will often be striking. A good condition fossil is an excellent candidate for museum display as these are often the most recognizable and give us the most insight about the creature it once was.
However, good condition fossils are not guaranteed to stay this way. Paleontologists and experts in preservation must work hard to make sure the fossil is not damaged during transport. Due to their extreme age, a fossil is a very delicate thing and time, and technology must go into preserving it, which can also drive up the price.
The rarity of a fossil is dependent on a lot of factors, but in general, the rarer a fossil is, the more it will cost. Many people consider a fossil rare if it meets these characteristics:
Sometimes the finding of a rare fossil can make news headlines around the world. The auctioning of such rare artifacts will be highly watched and attended by many prospective buyers.
On the other hand, souvenir shops near productive fossil beds often sell fossil remnants that are very common or not of great quality—though they can still be a very fun keepsake.
A tooth or shard of bone fossil is going to cost much less than a nearly full skeleton. Due to the intense pressures of time and geologic events, it is extremely rare to find a complete fossil or even something that is nearing completeness. When these are found, they are usually the top priority for museums or other places that wish to make use of the full skeleton to learn more about the species and how it lived.
Though you may have seen a dinosaur fossil in its entirety in a museum, it probably was not the complete fossil. Complete fossils are so rare that museums often have to make model replacements of the missing pieces to fill out the full skeleton.
Certain geological conditions have resulted in incredibly detailed fossils that are a true marvel to behold. Detailed fossils can tell us many valuable things about a dinosaur, such as information about their offspring, the climate they lived in, and even their diets.
When a fossil is found that has remarkable detail like feathers or meal remnants, these fossils will be worth a lot more on the market.
Additionally, fossils that have resisted erosion and other geological forces will be considered more detailed and more complete, thereby earning more money.
Though many may picture dinosaur fossils as belonging only to museums or the extremely wealthy, there many middle-class individuals who can purchase dinosaur fossils. The following are some popular places where people buy fossils:
While most museums will buy from auctions, the average private citizen will have many more options to browse what dinosaur fossils are out there on the market.
In general, it is not illegal to own a dinosaur fossil. However, the rules are a little more complex and depend on where a fossil is discovered and who is discovering it.
In recent years, there have also been many questions surrounding the purchase of dinosaur fossils for private collections. Some see this as a loss to the scientific community who wish to present fossils for public education. However, others see dinosaur fossil ownership as a collector’s right within a free economy.
If you do buy a dinosaur fossil, make sure it comes with accreditation as to where it was found and its legal status. Not only will this help protect you from buying a fake, but it will also largely decrease the chances that you are being swindled into buying an illegally procured fossil. It is best to purchase fossils from an accredited fossil dealer so that you know your purchase was ethically sourced and legal.
Though there is no limit to how many fossils an individual can own, there are often limits to how many fossils a collector can procure from a given area of land.
Although it is impossible to pinpoint one specific type of fossil that is worth more than others, one can see that a fossil that meets all of these criteria that determine value will be particularly coveted:
For instance, a complete skeleton dinosaur fossil is very rare and can generate millions of dollars. One example of this was the Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil, Sue, whose full skeleton generated a staggering eight million dollars in her sale to the Chicago Field Museum.
In other situations, full skeletons have garnered as much as 30 million dollars at auction. Though this was also a T Rex, the complete skeletons of other species, such as Brontosauruses and Triceratopses have also garnered millions of dollars.
Museums who wish to procure dinosaur bones for their exhibits also have to sometimes pay staggering sums for these amazing paleontological finds. However, museums are much more likely to receive funding assistance from public and private donors to make these purchases possible for the benefit of everyone.
Dinosaurs are legendary creatures that still captivate the public due to their larger-than-life existence and the peek their fossils offer into the distant past. For this reason, buying dinosaur fossils is a very real pursuit for many public institutions and private individuals. Though it may sound like the type of collecting reserved for the upper echelons of society, there are many opportunities to buy affordable fossils.
In general, the value of a dinosaur fossil will be largely dependent on how complete and rare it is. Additionally, certain factors like the amount of detail it shows and its condition can help drive the price up. Those looking for an affordable dinosaur fossil often must purchase fragments of bone, teeth, or other smaller fossil parts. The price of a dinosaur fossil can range from around 20 dollars to as much as 30 million dollars.
If you are thinking about buying a dinosaur fossil, do your research. In a market as highly-coveted as that of fossils, it may be difficult to determine which fossil buys are legal and legitimate. If you are going to purchase a dinosaur fossil, make sure you do so from a credible dealer who can guarantee its quality and legality.
