List of dinosaur specimens sold at auction

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Dinosaurs and other fossils have been sold at auctions as part of the fossil trade. About five dinosaur skeletons are auctioned each year. Most buyers are wealthy private collectors and museums in Europe and the United States, with growing interest in China. Scientists criticize private fossil sales because they can keep fossils out of public research. Many countries restrict exporting fossils, but the United States allows the sale of fossils collected on private property, so most auctioned fossils come from the United States. Some fossils sold at auction are smuggled from Mongolia with false origin information. The list includes fossils that were sold or were planned to be sold and reported in the news. Some planned auctions did not happen because the item didn't meet the reserve price, there were legal problems, or other issues. In some cases it's not known whether a planned sale occurred.