NYC Auctioneer Puts Dinosaur Remains and Cuban Cigars on the Block Wed Jun 16, 4:59 PM ET Add U.S. National - Reuters By Lisa Von Ahn NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dinosaurs have inspired entertainment fare ranging from the "Jurassic Park" blockbuster movie to the "Barney" TV series. Now a New York company is hoping an auction of dinosaur remains and cuban cigars will inspire buyers. The approximately 225 selections in Guernsey's Auction House June 24 sale include actual bones, teeth and fossils as well as reproductions and works of art. Dinosaur remains have been part of natural history auctions that also included meteorites, gemstones, sea shells and other items, Guernsey's President Arlan Ettinger said. In 1997, Sotheby's auctioned the remains of a Tyrannosaurus rex nicknamed Sue for a gargantuan $8.4 million. But Guernsey's will be the first "major, full-blown auction focusing on prehistoric creatures," Ettinger said. Among the featured pieces is a nearly complete, 40-foo skeleton of an anatotitan duck-billed dinosaur. "It is very rare to have a dinosaur skeleton in one piece," Ettinger said. As a result, it is difficult to estimate the selling price, although he said it could go into the high six figures to potentially millions. Also for sale is a unique complete skull of a stygimoloch -- a horned dinosaur that lived 68 million years ago -- that was expected to fetch between $150,000 and $200,000. Less-expensive items include a double-crab fossil with an estimated price of $750 to $1,000. Other selections include two dinosaurs created for "Jurassic Park" and the complete set of paintings from "The Tiny Perfect Dinosaur" series of books. Guernsey's is also offering a full skeleton of a humpback whale originally found in 1840 and purchased by showman P.T. Barnum for his American Museum. The estimated price is $200,000 to $300,000. Founded in 1975, Guernsey's has auctioned everything from 200,000 pre-Castro Cuban cigars to the contents of an ocean liner. The auction house expects bidders at next week's auction will range from museums to large companies and individuals who love dinosaurs. "I would expect someone with a small apartment would not be likely to buy the whale," Ettinger said, but added that he considers the auction "fair game" for anyone. "It never fails to surprise me who some of the buyers end up being." return to Cuban Cigars home page |
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