How to bring Jurassic Park to your home. After the closure of The Field Station Dinosaursy theme park, replicas of the park’s dinosaurs began selling online. The park is a “Jurassic zoo,” as they describe themselves on social media, as a nod to Jurassic Park fans. Now, the park is putting its prehistoric giants on sale online, and demand for these figures has tripled what the owners expected.
“We’ve received calls from museums, zoos, and wealthy people who just want them for their backyard”
It turns out the dinosaur theme park in Leonia, New Jersey, will close on November 9th, after 14 years of operation and more than a million visitors who toured the interactive grounds. News of the closure spread so widely that within hours, the animatronic dinosaurs, some taller than suburban houses, began receiving calls from museums, zoos, and even eccentric buyers. “We’ve received calls from museums, zoos, and wealthy people who just want them for their backyard,” said Guy Gsell, the theme park’s owner.
The owner wasted no time, as he soon began selling the figures with posts on Facebook’s Market Place, showcasing the 31 giant animatronic dinosaurs. Guy Gsell used eye-catching descriptions to make the sale more interesting. It was then that he was surprised by the huge turnout of people and various groups to acquire the pieces. While many imagined that a 12-meter Tyrannosaurus Rex would cost a fortune, the park offered its creatures between $500 and $3,500. This was one of the things that most caught the attention of buyers and curious onlookers: the very low prices for the mega-animals.
A 12-meter Tyrannosaurus Rex costs US$2,700
As for the materials the figures are made of, the owner explained that the dinosaurs were custom-made in China and are made of latex foam, with a soft, rough texture similar to a sponge. A 12-meter Tyrannosaurus Rex costs US$2,700, advertised as “lightly used, well loved!”; the 5-meter Juvenile Triceratops costs US$1,668, with limited sound and movement; the 22-meter Apatosaurus costs US$2,860, the most expensive in the collection; and the 2-meter Feathered Velociraptor costs US$700, one of the cheapest.
And the figures’ characteristics don’t end there. As Gsell explained: “They’re not made with molds, but each one was carved individually and has a standard plug to plug them in and watch them come to life.” Among the pieces’ descriptions, it is noted that some move their heads and spin; others open and close their mouths; and some wave their arms. These are usually the first ones visitors take photos with to simulate movie scenes. Incidentally, buyers are reminded that they themselves will be responsible for all uninstallation and transportation of the parts.
Guy Gsell: “We prioritized institutional buyers”
In any case, and due to the loving care with which Gsell began the project, he says he hopes the dinosaurs end up in good hands. Although the dinosaurs are listed, one by one, on Facebook Marketplace, the owner would like an organization, be it a museum or another theme park, to purchase the entire collection. During its existence, the park received over 1 million visitors in 14 years.
“We prioritized institutional buyers, but I received more than 100 calls in one hour, even from France, from all kinds of people,” said Gsell, still surprised by the huge sales response. In any case, the park will close in November of this year, so whoever acquires the figures won’t be able to get their hands on them before then. Finally, the park assures that demand was so high that the team had to stop answering calls, unable to keep up with the volume. This proves that dinosaurs, their history, and the film Jurassic Park continue to inspire passion.
