ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orlando Craigslist post featuring a life-size Tyrannosaurus rex head on sale for $2,250 is making the rounds online and yes, it’s completely real.
John Hammond, the man behind the post who also happens to share a name with a “Jurassic Park” character, said he bought the to-scale fiberglass sculpture in the mid-2000s from a store on Orlando Avenue that sold rarities and collectibles after his daughter spotted it and thought it would be a great addition at Hammond’s shop, RocksandBones on Fairbanks Avenue.
The small business specializes in gems, minerals, Florida fossils and even python products, including skins from two of largest pythons ever caught in Florida, so Hammond thought the T. rex head would fit right in.
He hung the dino right away but about a month later, someone complained about the permitting of the item and he got a notice to take it down.
“They gave me 30 days to comply before they accessed fines. I spent 29 days trying to get it to comply to the building codes and couldn’t,” Hammond wrote in an email.
So, he had to get creative.
“I researched what I could do and what I came up with was to make it mobile. I had gotten an old Jeep from my brother in a trade so I designed a steel mount for the trailer receiver and mounted the T. rex to it,” Hammond wrote.
Since then he’s been driving his white Jeep with the head on top as a way to advertise his business.
While it certainly turns heads, Hammond said the dinosaur head hasn’t generated a ton of sales for his rock and fossil shop.
Now the head, which needs a new coat of paint but otherwise appears to be in good condition, is available for sale with a $2,250 price tag.
Anyone interested in learning more can click here to see the Craigslist post.