Jurassic Park mosquito fossil sells for $403,200 at Propstore auction

Propstore said Day 1 of its Summer Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction in Los Angeles brought in $7.2 million across 296 lots, led by a screen-matched Jurassic Park mosquito in amber fossil that sold for $403,200. The sale underscores continued demand for iconic film props as the auction runs through Aug. 29 with more memorabilia and sports items still on the block.

Why it matters: - Propstore’s opening-day results show strong demand for rare film and TV memorabilia, with collectors paying top dollar for screen-used and screen-matched pieces. - The Jurassic Park fossil is tied directly to one of the most recognizable images in modern movie history, which helped drive the highest sale of the day. - The auction’s total underscores the market for authenticated entertainment artifacts, especially items with clear screen provenance.

What happened: - Propstore said Day 1 of its Summer Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction was held Aug. 26, 2026, in Los Angeles. - The auction sold 296 rare film and television lots for $7.2 million, including buyer’s premium. - The screen-matched opening-scene mosquito in amber fossil from Jurassic Park sold for $403,200, including buyer’s premium. - The fossil was offered publicly for the first time. - The auction continues Aug. 27-29, with bidding available online, by absentee and by telephone.

The details: - The Jurassic Park fossil’s bubbling, embedded mosquito placement and amber-to-rock patterning match the close-up seen during the Mano de Dios mine sequence. - The prop reflects the film’s central idea of extracting prehistoric DNA from mosquitoes preserved in amber to clone dinosaurs. - Other top sellers included a Star Trek: The Original Series "midgrade" Starfleet Type-2 Phaser at $315,000. - Tony Manero’s white suit from Saturday Night Fever sold for $277,200. - Superman’s costume from Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace sold for $233,100. - Tony Stark’s light-up Iron Man Mark 46 upper body armor from Captain America: Civil War sold for $138,600. - Neo’s complete costume from The Matrix Reloaded sold for $138,600. - Frank the Rabbit’s costume from Donnie Darko sold for $126,000. - Jason Voorhees’ screen-matched battle-damaged hockey mask and cowl from Freddy vs. Jason sold for $107,100. - Jack Sparrow’s tricorn hat from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl sold for $100,800. - Edward Scissorhands’ scissorhands sold for $75,600. - Leeloo’s screen-matched light-up Multi Pass from The Fifth Element sold for $75,600. - The Golden Snitch from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone sold for $63,000. - Batman’s complete sonar batsuit from Batman Forever sold for $63,000. - Michael Jackson’s were-cat prosthetic teeth from Thriller sold for $47,250. - Doc Holliday’s whiskey cup from Tombstone sold for $119,700. - Propstore COO Brandon Alinger said the Jurassic Park piece led a strong opening day and that hundreds of lots remain across the final three days. - The final day on Aug. 29 will feature autographed and sports memorabilia. - Bidding is available at the auction catalog. - Catalog images are available through this image link.

Between the lines: - The top result highlights how provenance and screen-matching can matter as much as the object itself in memorabilia sales. - Jurassic Park remains a premium franchise in the collectibles market because the prop is tied to the film’s core concept, not just a memorable scene. - The spread of top prices across science fiction, fantasy and drama titles suggests broad collector demand rather than interest in one franchise alone.

What’s next: - Propstore will continue the auction through Aug. 29 with global online, absentee and telephone bidding. - The final day’s focus on autographed and sports memorabilia could add another spending spike before the sale closes. - More results will likely show whether the Jurassic Park sale becomes the benchmark for the rest of the event.

The bottom line: - Propstore’s opening day delivered a headline-grabbing Jurassic Park sale and a strong total, signaling that authenticated pop-culture artifacts remain a powerful draw for collectors.