east valley
Volume 4 Issue 28 Mesa, AZ
January 23 2021
Dinosaur store offers fossils, activities for kids BY MELODY BIRKETT Tribune Contributor
W
IN THE BIZ
alk into Christian Kaleta’s Mesa store, and you’ll be greeted by a sight you won’t find anywhere else in the retail world: Stan the Tyrannosaurus Rex, aka T. Rex, a $20,000 dinosaur skull replica. “That’s our most popular attraction,” said Kaleta, who owns Tyrannostorus at 1816 W. Baseline Road, adding a skull that big takes about four-to-six months to produce. “When you find a dinosaur or a cast, it’s a piece of art,” Kaleta said. “Whoever made that cast, owns the rights to that cast.” T. Rex is one of many imitation and real skulls of hippopotamuses, giraffes, warthogs, polar bears, grazing animals from Africa, alligators and other creatures that range in price from $99 to as much as $2,000. “I struggled with getting some of these (skulls) because we’re not a museum or university,” explained Kaleta. “I was told ‘no’ on some – that it’s not for the retail world but for education. Well, this is educational.” Skulls aren’t the only things for sale at Tyrannosaurus. “We have a full collection of dinosaur replicas such claws, teeth, thumb spikes, triceratops horn, raptor claws - all kinds of stuff kids go wild for as well as the full toy section with different species of dinosaur and prehistoric reptiles and mammals,” said manager Bryan Troglia. The store even carries a big basket of coprolite, also known as dinosaur poo. “Very fun for the kids,” Troglia said. “You Public Notices ............... page 2 © Copyright, 2022 East Valley Tribune
Tyrannostorus manager Bryan Troglia, left, and owner Christian Kaleta, flank Stan the T. Tex, a replica of a tyrannosaurus skull. (Melody Birkett/Tribune Contributor) can buy as much poo as you like.” “We also have different pieces of animals like their teeth and tusk,” said Troglia. “We have real warthog tusks, real alligator teeth and alligator tooth jewelry.” The most popular activity is the sluice, according to Kaleta. Kids can dig for fossils and sift for treasure with purchased bags of sand. They pour the sand into the sifting trays, excavate it and then pull out stones and gems. There are nine varieties of dirt for purchase ranging from $4.99 to $40. Some bags have gems and minerals. Other bags have arrowheads, seashells and fossils and even real emeralds. “You can grab a $10 bag and the kids can come to play for a half-hour to an (USPS 004-616) is published weekly
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hour and learn,” said Kaleta, calling it an economical way to learn for families with several children. “I have a 12-year-old son and we’re always looking for something different to do,” Kaleta said. “During the summer, we went to a fossil safari in Wyoming. We had so much fun. We brainstormed on the way back home.” That’s what gave Kaleta the idea for the store. He wanted kids here to have a similar experience. “I’ve always had an interest in dinosaur bones and fossils,” Kaleta added. “And, of course, my 12-year-old son has a major interest in this kind of stuff.” Kaleta also owns the Predators Reptile Center in the same shopping center. Since Subscriptions are $26 for 2 years, $14 for one year. Periodicals postage paid at Phoenix, AZ 85026.
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