Bargain hunters snag cheap dinosaur fossils at auction

Fossil collectors picked up some deals at Vancouver's Science World on Thursday after an auction of prehistoric bones failed to draw expected bids.

The fossils, which were mostly of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals from North America, were part of Science World's latest exhibition, on display since October.

Maynards auction house first obtained the private collection from a Japanese department store that closed down its display to make way for a new baseball stadium.

The auction house contacted Science World in hopes of selling the items, but instead Science World staff offered to host an exhibition of the bones leading up to Thursday's auction.

The highest bidder picked up a full Triceratops skull for a bargain price of $70,000, less than half the estimated value.

In the end, almost every item in the collection was sold, including a full Edmontosaurus skeleton, a collection of eggs and bones of many aquatic creatures, for similar bargain prices.

Science World staff said they believed the buyers included museums from around North America and a few wealthy individuals looking to add to their own collections.