Despite being such a famous dinosaur, most of the Triceratops figures out there don’t quite do the animal justice. The rendition of this dinosaur by the legendary Battat line, created for the Boston Museum of Science, does indeed do Triceratops justice, despite being made in 1994.
As if charging at an unseen Tyrannosaurus, this Triceratops is clearly actively moving, with its horns pointing straight out and the legs in mid-stride. With perfect proportions, this is a very accurate and detailed sculpt. Massively muscled thighs included, the musculature on this figure is quite well done. The only inaccuracies are that it is now believed that ceratopsians had their palms facing each other instead of facing backwards, and that their arms were slightly splayed to the sides. However, these are extremely recent discoveries. The amount of accuracy this figure has managed to keep for over 15 years is extremely impressive. There are some small scales on the frill and head, and the rest of the body is detailed with realistic wrinkles and small scales. Unfortunately, some signs of the 1994 production date are present. A nitpicky observer can see several mold lines if he/she looks closely. However, these don’t do much to detract from the great sculpt.
Along with the great sculpt, this figure also has a nice paint job. The base color is a dark maroon, and it is detailed by Columbia blue on the frill and body. All the horns, claws, nostrils, and beak are a dark shade of vanilla yellow. A lovely orange color makes the eyes of the Triceratops stand out and gives this figure a lively look. One thing must be said about the paint though. Being a figure produced in the 90’s, the paint application is a bit sloppy at times, usually around the claws or beak. Like all other Battat figures, the paint is a rather delicate, so treat this figure well if you don’t want the paint to smudge.
Being from the now extinct Battat line, this figure is no longer commercially available. Within the Battat line, different figures have different levels of rarity. Sadly, the beautiful Triceratops is one of the rarer ones. Occasionally they pop up on eBay for at least $40. If you don’t want your Paypal account to beg for mercy or to have a giant hole in your wallet, there is another, albeit time consuming, method to acquiring this rare figure. Many sellers will put up huge lots of dinosaurs for sale on eBay. While most of these have rather worthless random figures of no brand, one can sometimes strike it lucky. Some of these lots will have valuable dinosaurs, such as Battats, among them, and the sellers will have no idea of their worth. If you can find one of these lots, you can obtain this figure for a quite reasonable price. Another thing worth noting is that Battats bought on eBay will usually have some paint/play wear, like my figure. Being in exact perfect condition can make a figure cost much more, and even imperfect figures can command quite large sums if they attract enough attention and have a low enough starting price. In conclusion, this is one of the best Triceratops figures ever made, and certainly worth searching for. Happy dinosaur hunting!
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I just received that majestic figure today in the morning and what I can say is one of the best figures of triceratops made so far. It is a true jewel. My triceratops is in perfect condition (it is new) and I have the serious intention of keeping it until the end of my days in that same situation.
Despite the years passed (more than twenty-three years) it is still one of the best triceratops.
I recently picked up this model as part of a lot of four, on eBay for all of $25! It really was and still is one of the very best Triceratops sculpts ever done, even though we now have an updated knowledge of the positioning of the front legs. Otherwise, this masterpiece has stood the test of time.
This was my first Battat dinosaur and I really love it! Can’t wait to see the repaint!
A really nice sculpt but badly moulded and painted. Still one of Battat’s better ones.