A Triceratops skeleton named Trey, long exhibited in a US museum, is up for auction on Joopiter from March 17 to 31, marking a rare sale of a museum-displayed dinosaur amid a booming market.

Trey dates to over 66 million years ago from the late Cretaceous and was discovered in 1993 near Lusk, Wyoming; it stood at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center from 1995 until 2023 and is now in Singapore for private viewing through March.

Images show Trey on display at Le Freeport in Singapore on February 5, 2026, provided by JOOPITER via AP.

The Joopiter online auction runs March 17–31, with a pre-auction estimate of $4.5 million to $5.5 million.

John Auerbach, Joopiter’s CEO, frames Trey as a piece of history millions of years in the making, underscoring the intersection of science and history and the scale of time.

Context includes the roles of auction houses, exhibitions, and collectors in driving demand for fossil treasures.

Palaeontologists, including Andre LuJan, warn that rising private ownership could shrink research access to important specimens, even as Trey’s case raises hopes for museum acquisition or a long-term scientific loan.

Joopiter’s global head of sales Caitlin Donovan notes growing investor interest in fossils due to their cultural resonance, signaling a shift from traditional art investments toward objects with scientific significance and public appeal.

Executives at Joopiter and leading paleontologists stress the educational and cultural value of fossils, with Trey potentially ending up in a museum or on loan to support research and public display.

The Trey sale comes as the dinosaur market shows rising activity and value, part of a broader boom in prehistoric artifacts.

Coverage situates Trey within a broader market trend rather than focusing solely on a single specimen.

The reporting highlights ongoing interest and financial dynamics surrounding dinosaur artifacts and fossils.