Have you ever wanted to buy a dinosaur? ‍ ‍

As commercial trade turns ancient life into a modern commodity, it has never been easier to click “add to cart”.

‍ ‍Over the last few decades, auction houses, private markets, and even the internet, have seen fossils sold and shipped out to lucky buyers desperate to have them as their next conversation piece. From the sale of Sue the T-Rex in 1997, to the most recent sale of Trey the Triceratops, prices continue to shatter auction records, continually feeding a rapidly growing industry.

But as these wonders of natural history disappear off into mega mansions, company lobbies, and even airport lounges, the price is far more than what is written on the tag. Museums and public institutions are being priced out, specimens lost to science, and natural landscapes ripped apart in the search for more.

The future of fossils may lay not only in the hands of those who want to fight for them, but in the wallets of those who can afford to, and with each piece of pre-history purchased, there is the need to consider who these fossils truly belong to, and whether they need saving from extinction.