Author: DinoToyBlog

Dr Adam Smith aka DinotoyblogDr Adam S. Smith (aka 'DinoToyBlog' here, and 'DinoToyForum' on the Dinosaur Toy Forum) is a curator and palaeontologist at the Nottingham Natural History Museum, Wollaton Hall, UK. Adam launched the Dinosaur Toy Blog in July 2007 and followed it up with the Dinosaur Toy Forum in January 2008, and the Animal Toy Forum in December 2012. He is particularly interested in marine reptile figures, especially plesiosaurs. Adam also runs The Plesiosaur Directory website and has published several popular articles and technical papers on fossil marine reptiles. He is a children's book author with 'The Plesiosaur's Neck' (2021) and 'The Tyrannosaur's Feathers' (2023).

All reviews by this author


Review: Plateosaurus (Carnegie Collection by Safari Ltd)

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4.3 (18 votes)
This Plateosaurus, with “1994” stamped on its tummy, is fast becoming one of the older figures in the Carnegie Collection by Safari Ltd. Plateosaurus is from the Triassic of Germany and is classified as a prosauropod dinosaur, that is, a close relative of the later large long-necked sauropods.

Review: Beipiaosaurus (Carnegie Collection by Safari Ltd)

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4.5 (30 votes)
Beipiaosaurus is a therizinosauroid, although it is not included within the family Therizinosauridae because it is more ‘primitive’. Fossils of therizinosaurs have confused palaeontologists for many years. Their fragmentary remains were originally allied with prosauropods because of their long necks, backwards-facing hips, peg-like teeth suited for a herbivorous lifestyle, and other anatomical features.

Review: Diplodocus (2008) (Carnegie Collection by Safari Ltd)

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4.8 (22 votes)
Although the 2008 Diplodocus has been featured several times on this blog already, it has never been reviewed, so it’s time to make amends with a photographic walkaround and short review.

This is Safari’s second attempt at a Diplodocus and this version is a much improved affair.

Review: Nigersaurus (Wild Safari collection by Safari Ltd)

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4.8 (22 votes)
As coincidence would have it, two separate companies (Procon and Safari) released a Nigersaurus figure this year. The current review will concentrate on the offering from Safari’s rapidly maturing and increasingly impressive Wild Safari line. I won’t be comparing the two figures directly, but it is worth noting in passing that Procon’s rival pales in comparison to this superior Safari replica.

Review: Deltadromeus (Carnegie Collection by Safari Ltd)

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4.3 (19 votes)
Fossil remains of this slenderly built and long-legged theropod are known from Late Cretaceous deposits of northern Africa. It is another quite obscure species as far as dinosaur toys go, maybe Safari picked it out to demonstrate that they are keeping up with palaeontological research, Deltadromeus was named and described in detail in 1996; the Carnegie figure was produced the following year.

Review: Sinraptor (Carnegie Collection by Safari Ltd)

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4.6 (10 votes)
Sinraptor is a medium-sized theropod from the Late Jurassic of China, named and described in 1994. Despite the name, it is not a member of raptor family (Dromaeosauridae) and it is actually related to the allosaurs, considered to be close to their ancestral form.

Review: Ankylosaurus (Carnegie Collection by Safari Ltd)

4.7 (27 votes)
I’m pleased to announce that the Dinosaur Toy Blog recently received a number of review samples representing the entire Carnegie Collection, courtesy of Safari Ltd. So, prepare yourself for a Carnegie Collection bonanza of reviews over the next few weeks! We’ve already reviewed the two exciting 2009 additions to the Carnegie collection, the Spinosaurus and Tylosaurus, so now it’s time to look at some of the other existing models in the line.

Review: Tylosaurus (Carnegie Collection by Safari Ltd)

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4.5 (25 votes)
The second new addition for the Carnegie Collection in 2009 is a mosasaur – the ferocious Tylosaurus. Mosasaurs are a real rarity in toy form so this is an exciting release! The figure might be considered a replacement for the now retired Carnegie Collection Mosasaurus.

Review: Huayangosaurus (Dinotales series 7 by Kaiyodo)

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4.5 (11 votes)
This spikey Chinese stegosaur is hugely detailed for such a tiny figure (about 8 cm long). Kaiyodo has this down to an art and their figures are often tiny but very detailed and highly accurate. The Huayangosaurus figure is part of Kayodo’s Dinotales line, specifically from  Series 7, the most recent release.

Review: Pteranodon longiceps (Bullyland)

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2.8 (8 votes)

One of several Pteranodon figures from Bullyland. This figure appears to represent P. longiceps and contrasts with Bully’s smaller P. sternbergi figures (one reviewed previously: here)

Notice the metal ring attached to the back so you can hang this figure for display.

Review: Iguanodon (Walking with Dinosaurs by Toyway)

4.5 (16 votes)

Although a full review will be added in time, I just had to highlight the hind feet on this figure. As you can see below, they look more like alien feet than dinosaur feet; the four pedestal-like toes seem out of place on an Iguanodon sculpt that is otherwise very accurate.

Review: Plesiosaurus (Dinocrats by Toyway)

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4.3 (7 votes)

This review is dated 2009 but that’s not really true at all. Sure, I clicked the publish button back in 2009, but the only content was some photographs and a promise to update the review properly later. A decade passed… no review. Still, the years continued to roll by… no review.

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