Forget the Old Masters, It’s All About the Old Monsters in the Booming Market for Dinosaur Fossils

When building their prestigious collections, most collectors don’t think of adding a Tyrannosaurus Rex. But that may soon change.

Around the world, there is a growing appetite—and expanding market—for fossils of the long-dead beasts that once roamed our planet. Art fairs are beginning to put relics on view. Celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Nicolas Cage, and Russell Crowe are buying them up. And auction houses are becoming increasingly aware of the show-stopping value of having an extra large dinosaur on display.

Last June, the Parisian auction house Aguttes did just that, and held a rather unusual sale inside the Eiffel Tower with only one lot: a 8.7 meter (29 foot) dinosaur of a yet-to-be identified species. The skeleton ended up going for €2 million ($2.3 million).

Forget the Old Masters, It’s All About the Old Monsters in the Booming Market for Dinosaur Fossils