Check Out These T-Rex Bone Dice... But They'll Cost You!

If you have some spare cash to burn, you can back a crowdfunding project for polyhedral gaming dice made out of genuine T-Rex bone fossils. They're not cheap, though!

The bone is, apparently, ethically sourced--coming from "scraps and broken fragments" not used by museums or scientists. The dice come in three different styles (and prices!); the most expensive option is a set of dice carved from solid bone, which will set you back a whopping $599. Cheaper options include "bone inclusions", which are fossil fragments suspended in the center of clear dice, at $99; or pulverized bone, which is blended with resin, for $69. Those are for full dice sets, of course--you can also grab single dice if you don't want to splash out that much cash. Delivery is in July 2026.

In addition to the dice, the Kickstarter also offers 1:12 scale dinosaur replica skulls, 1:53 scale full replica skeletons, and fancy dice cases and stands.

 

[abazaba]

Kind of reminds me of 'Artisan Dice', who sell dice made from such insane things as 'Mammoth Ivory' and 'Giraffe Bone'. If I recall correctly, they do have a disclaimer that states it is on to you to determine if it is legal to import such things in your country.

 

[Deset Gled]

I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, really cool. And it's dead and rock; it's not like we have to worry the T-rexes were mistreated or something. And there's certainly an abundance of things like trilobites in the world.

OTOH, there is an argument that there is no such thing as "ethically sourced" for certain materials. Merely creating a market for it to be sold is being part of the problem. Can anybody weigh in on the supply status of T-rex fossils? Is this a Victorian mummy situation, or just less than common rocks?

 

[Waller]

I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, really cool. And it's dead and rock; it's not like we have to worry the T-rexes were mistreated or something. And there's certainly an abundance of things like trilobites in the world.

OTOH, there is an argument that there is no such thing as "ethically sourced" for certain materials. Merely creating a market for it to be sold is being part of the problem. Can anybody weigh in on the supply status of T-rex fossils? Is this a Victorian mummy situation, or just less than common rocks?

What are the ethical issues you are seeing? Who/what is being harmed?

Like you say, it's dead and rock. It's like using oil or plastic, which is also dead dinosaur.

Is it an environmental concern you have?

 

[Tigris]

What are the ethical issues you are seeing? Who/what is being harmed?

Like you say, it's dead and rock. It's like using oil or plastic, which is also dead dinosaur.

Is it an environmental concern you have?

The concern is that people take bones which might be useful for science and destroy them to create fragments for making such dice, since that might bring more money than giving it to a museum.

 

[Morrus]

The concern is that people take bones which might be useful for science and destroy them to create fragments for making such dice, since that might bring more money than giving it to a museum.

As I understand it this is the stuff the scientists and museums discard.

 

[Tigris]

As I understand it this is the stuff the scientists and museums discard.

Sure but also some museums and scientists might need money at some point and then decide to destroy some bones from their archives for this. Not every museum directoe and researcher is interested in dynosaurs at every given moment.

And there where many artifacts which years after their discovery became really useful because new scientific techniques were developed to analyze them.

 

[Morrus]

Sure but also some museums and scientists might need money at some point and then decide to destroy some bpnes from their archives for this.

Sure. Anything could happen! But right now that hasn't happened.

 

[Deset Gled]

Sure but also some museums and scientists might need money at some point and then decide to destroy some bpnes from their archives for this.

Also, the next person who discovers a hoarde of fossils may decide that it's more profitable to sell them as knick knacks rather than a scientific resource. And once they're gone, it's literally impossible to make more. Look up Victorian mummy parties for a similar example.

As I posted earlier, there's a reason why creating a market for certain goods is being part of the problem.

That being said, I don't actually know how rare T-rex fossils are. The internet gives fuzzy terms like "extremely rare", but it's hard to know what that really means. I'd love to learn more. But I absolutely do not trust the guys selling it to give me good info.

 

[Tigris]

Also, the next person who discovers a hoarde of fossils may decide that it's more profitable to sell them as knick knacks rather than a scientific resource. And once they're gone, it's literally impossible to make more. Look up Victorian mummy parties for a similar example.

Or digging sites might start to become less carefull when digging since its faster and cheaper because they know they can also sell destroyed bone parts.


Or you know these things could have already started because its not the first time people buy dinosaur scraps for products.