To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Jurassic Park, and today’s release of the must-see Jurassic Park 3D, we thought it fitting to play tribute to these ferocious beasts of yesteryear. And while no one was drinking coffee back in the Jurassic era, there’s plenty of dinosauric tribute available to the coffee consumer in present day.
Welcome to the Ultimate Guide To Dinosaur Coffee Mugs. Mustache mugs and KeepCups are fine and all, but nothing is more beautiful, interesting, and timeless than a good dinosaur, preferably in technicolor and from the 80s.
Who wants to bet they serve Nespresso pods on Isla Nublar?
Partypalooza 3 Inch Dinosaur Mugs – $1.39 – For the child in us all. These mugs may not be of the best build or quality – and they probably contain lethal doses of Bisphenol A – but just look at them. Look at those colors. Look at how those tails are used as handles. They’d probably be excellent pencil holders near your roaster, or on display in your china cabinet – and they’re only $1.39, so, a total deal, right?
Disappearing Dino Mug – $10.96 – For the serious dinosaur enthusiast. Now that we got the goofy stuff out of the way, let’s dive into some serious dinosaur mug territory. This is the Disappearing Dino Mug – and it’s probably our favorite on the list. Why? Because when you add hot coffee to it, the dinosaur’s reptilian skin disappears to reveal its fossilized skeletal realness.
Dinosaur Ceramic Mugs (Set of Four) – $5.95 – For the dinosaur-loving barista competitor on a budget. Judges? This set would make the perfect stone-age themed signature drink vessel. We’re pretty sure these cartoon mugs came out during the Land Before Time hay-day in the late eighties. That’s totes not Ducky. But who cares? At $5.95 for the entire set these are definitely the least expensive option in our Ultimate Guide To Dinosaur Mugs.
Saurus Mugs – $16.95 –ย For the serious coffee mug collector. In 1986 artist Cliff Galbraith drew a “Computasaurus” for his struggling t-shirt company and watched it become an instant international licensing success story. There are over twenty dinosaur mugs in the Saurus Gang, and they’re all available online from Cliff himself. You can also find vintage Saurus mugs on eBay – but expect to pay a lot more for first run Saurus mugs. They are a cult favorite among dinosaur mug collectors.
Farside Dino Mug – $16 – For the only person who doesn’t own this mug. In the early eighties, over six billion of these mugs were produced. You own this mug. It’s in your cabinet. Don’t have it? Check again. It’s there. No, no, it’s way in the back. We promise.
The Fitz and Floyd Dinosaur 1993 Mug – Prices Vary – For those with exquisite taste in dinosaur mugs. This mug has been out of production for twenty years, and if you can find it, snatch it up because it’s rare. There have been a few Fitz and Floyd dinosaur coffee mugs but none as resplendent as this floral prehistoric masterpiece. Just look at those sumptuous pastels, those handcrafted lines. Your guests will ask is that an original Fitz and Floyd dinosaur mug? and you’ll whisper Yes.
Terrifying Campbell’s Dinosaur Vegetable Soup Mug – $25 – We’re not sure who this is for. During the dinosaur marketing frenzy in the late eighties and early nineties, Campbell’s Condensed Soup cashed in with a Dinosaur Vegetable Soup line (with dinosaur shaped pasta!) Because this is the Ultimate Guide To Dinosaur Coffee Mugs we had to include it, but it is probably our least favorite mug. Look at the way the dinosaur is looking at the Campbell’s Kids. He’s not their friend. He’s totally going to eat both of them. While you’ll probably never be able to enjoy Dinosaur Soup from Campbell’s in your vintage mug, it’ll always be there to serve as a creepy reminder that the Campbell’s Kids once existed and that this totally happened:
Collectible McDonalds Flintstones Mugs – $10 – For the irono-cool DIY indie flop house. These beauties were released in 1994 in tandem with the live-action Flintstones movie. The dinosaurs depicted in the film were markedly less realistic than the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park (for one, the cloned dinosaurs did not chomp time cards or bulldoze rock quarries), but Fred’s pet dino, Dino, had something those computer generated velociraptors don’t have – heart. Like the Farside mug, these were mass-produced and if you don’t already own them, you won’t have to look very far to find them.
The Fernhill Mint Cap’n Willie Mug – $Your Soul$ – For the dinosaur dinosaur mug enthusiast. When Earl Sinclair discovered the Cap’n Willie Mug while watching “Lifestyle of Those We Envy” he was convinced he needed it to achieve a lifetime of happiness. He even offered to sell his soul for one. After making a deal with the devil, he became a proud owner of the handcrafted “ol’ salt”.
He thought he finally had it all! But after losing his friends, his job, and his family, he realized that this exclusive dinosaur mug wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Fortunately for Earl Sinclair, he discovered the manufacturer guarantee.
For Earl, Life In The Faust Lane was no picnic in the park. So remember, dinosaur mug enthusiasts, even if you don’t have the dinosaur mug of your dreams, you should perhaps take a lesson from Earl Sinclair: dinosaur mugs aren’t worth selling your soul over. Earl learned that it was his dinosaur family and dinosaur friends that brought him happiness, and that lesson still rings true over 65 million years later.
