Want to start your own Jurassic Park? Over 70 animatronic dinosaurs are going up for auction in B.C. - Action News
Home WebMail Thursday, November 14, 2024, 04:30 PM | Calgary | 6.6°C | Regions Advertise Login | Our platform is in maintenance mode. Some URLs may not be available. |
British Columbia

Want to start your own Jurassic Park? Over 70 animatronic dinosaurs are going up for auction in B.C.

The collection of more than 70 life-size dinosaur replicas has attracted worldwide interest, says auctioneer.

Collection of dinosaur replicas, fossils has attracted worldwide interest, says auctioneer

Dinosaurs up for grabs on Aug. 6 include marquee species like Tyrannosaurus rex. (Able Auctions)

Are you in the market for a life-size, animatronic dinosaur? Orperhaps you've got room for dozens of the prehistoric creatures?

If so, you're in luck.

Langley, B.C.-based Able Auctions is scheduled to put more than 70 different animatronic dinosaurs up for auction in early August, including several marquee species like Tyrannosaurus rex and a 22-metre-long brontosaurus.

The auction will also feature hundreds of dinosaur fossils, as well as animatronic equipment, lights and speakers.

This long-necked brontosaurus model is 22 metres long, according to the auctioneer. (Able Auctions)

"It's probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to buy one of these in auction," says Jeremy Dodd, CEO of Able Auctions. "We've been doing this for 30 years, and I've never seen a dinosaur come through before."

Dodd said the company has received worldwide interest in the unique collection, including early bids from roughly 25 different American states. He currently counts about a dozen "serious" buyers but said Able Auctions has also fielded interest from dinosaur fans who say they want one of the Jurassic-era models for their backyard.

The auction is set to be held online from 9:30 a.m. PT on Aug. 6. Interested buyers can check out the dinosaurs, who move and make sound, the day before from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT. Face masks will be mandatory and hand sanitizer made available.

No minimum bid will be set on any item, said Dodd. It's hard to say how much a coveted tyrannosauruswill go for, but he thinks they could sell for as little as $1,000, or up to 10 times that amount.

The auction will also feature hundreds of ancient dinosaur fossils. (Able Auctions)

Able Auctions got their claws on the unique items a few weeks ago. Based on signage appearing in several of the photos on the company's website, the collection came from a touring exhibit called Dinosaurs Unearthed.

Canadian company Experiential Media Group, which owned the rights to Dinosaurs Unearthed, went bankrupt in May, a little more than a year after it was formed, according to a report by KPMG.

WATCH | Promotional video for Dinosaurs Unearthed:

Employees at Able Auctions will soon begin assembling the dinosaurs ahead of the viewing on Aug. 5.

Those interested in purchasing one of these enormous creatures shouldmake sure they've got space and the means to transport them:The head of the tyrannosaurus alone is roughly the size of a small car.