Skulls Unlimited International

Last updated
Skulls Unlimited International, Inc.
Company type Privately-held
Industry Retail
FoundedJune 1986 [1]
Headquarters Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Jay Villemarette (president)
ProductsReal and replica skulls and skeletons
Website www.skullsunlimited.com

Skulls Unlimited International, Inc. is a commercial supplier of osteological specimens located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Skulls Unlimited Inc. provides a skull cleaning service, using dermestid beetles to strip the flesh from skulls and skeletons. [2] The bones are later whitened using hydrogen peroxide. Skulls Unlimited processes approximately 25,000 skull specimens per year. [3]

Contents

Dermestid beetles being used to clean a human skull at Skulls Unlimited International. Human Skull being cleaning by Dermestid Beetles.jpg
Dermestid beetles being used to clean a human skull at Skulls Unlimited International.

History

In 1986, Jay Villemarette was laid off from his job and started considering the possibility of working full-time with skulls. In June of that year he established Skulls Unlimited International Inc. [1] His fascination with skulls and bones began when he was seven years old, after he found a dog skull in the woods near his home. That interest, along with encouragement from his father, [4] [5] led Villemarette to begin collecting other animal skulls. After graduating from high school, he collected and sold skulls in his spare time [6] while working as an automotive technician. As sales grew, Villemarette and his wife Kim began to clean skulls in their kitchen. [5]

After relocating to a retail location for his business in 1992, Villemarette was able to employ his first full-time employees. Skulls Unlimited Inc. remained at their South Shields address until June 2000, when they expanded into a facility in Oklahoma City.[ citation needed ] The company sources human bones from bodies donated to science. [7]

In January 2013, Villemarette guest starred on John Hodgman's podcast Judge John Hodgman as an "expert witness" to comment on the hobby of collecting skeletons and taxidermied animals. [8]

Museum of Osteology

In 2004, Skulls Unlimited Inc. started construction on a building that now houses Skulls Unlimited's corporate offices and the Museum of Osteology. The museum opened to the public in 2010 and exhibits over 300 real skeletons and over 400 real skulls, [9] focusing on the form and function of the skeletal system. In 2015, Skulls Unlimited opened a second museum in Orlando, Florida, [10] which closed and merged with the Oklahoma location in 2020. [11]

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References

  1. 1 2 Elder, Robert K. "In Bone business, skulls rate head and shoulders above skeletons". The Chicago Tribune . Retrieved December 24, 2011.
  2. "Where 'how greasy a human is' is part of the job". Associated Press. October 30, 2006. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
  3. Raymond, Jeff. "Skeleton Crew". The Oklahoman . Retrieved December 24, 2011.
  4. Urstadt, Brian (July 2006). "I'm Going to Rib-cage World". www.outsideonline.com. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
  5. 1 2 "Bone Collector". The Oklahoma Gazette. October 25, 2006. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
  6. Staff Writer (April 2, 2007). "Life as a skull cleaner is a messy job". Reuters . Retrieved December 24, 2011.
  7. Body Brokers | CBS Reports. CBS News. 2023-03-23. Retrieved 2025-01-26 via YouTube.
  8. MaxFun Intern (23 January 2013). "Judge John Hodgman Episode 94: Bleached and Mounted Bones of Contention". Maximum Fun . Retrieved 2013-01-14.
  9. Brus, Brian (May 27, 2009). "Skull Junkie Finds Solid Future in Skeleton Frontier". The Journal Record . Retrieved December 24, 2011.
  10. uncredited (May 12, 2015). "Skeleton museum now open at I-Drive 360". Attractions Magazine.
  11. "Central Florida skeleton museum closes its doors at Icon Park". WKMG. 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2025-01-25.