The skeleton of Stan the famous T. rex could be yours for mere millions
Bargain alert! Thanks to Christie's auctions, you could own the fossil bones of the most famous predator dinosaur of all time.
You won't get many chances in your lifetime to buy the king of tyrant lizards. One of the most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeletons ever found is going up for auction through Christie's.
Stan the T. rex was discovered in South Dakota in 1987 by amateur paleontologist Stan Sacrison. In life, the dinosaur reached an impressive 40 feet (12 meters) in length and stood 13 feet (4 meters) tall. So if you're planning to buy it, make sure to measure your display space.
"There simply aren't T. rexes like this coming to market. It's an incredibly rare event when a great one is found," said James Hyslop, head of Christie's Science & Natural History department, in a release promoting the history and value of the fossil.
The skeleton tells a tale of tough times for the dinosaur. The skull sports signs of puncture wounds that could have been from another T. rex. Interested bidders can contact Christie's to arrange a viewing in New York.
Stan will go on sale during Christie's 20th Century Evening Sale auction on Oct. 6, part of several days of bidding that includes a Jackson Pollock painting and a Paul Cezanne watercolor. The auction is open to online and telephone bidding.
Christie's is estimating Stan will go for $6-$8 million. "T. rex is a brand name in a way that no other dinosaur is," said Hyslop. "It sits very naturally against a Picasso, a Jeff Koons or an Andy Warhol."