Author: DinoToyBlog

Dr 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: Stegosaurus (Carnegie Collection by Safari Ltd)

3.8 (16 votes)

Now here’s a dinosaur figure that’s somehow evaded review year after year. The classic Stegosaurus model by Safari Ltd has gone through several incarnations since its original release in 1988-9. The Stegosaurus figure is one of the originals in the Carnegie Collection line up.

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Review: Prehistoric crocodiles (Toob by Safari Ltd)

Genus: Champsosaurus, Chasmatosaurus, Dakosaurus, Desmatosuchus, Euparkeria, Montealtosuchus, Postosuchus, Pristichampsus, Rutiodon, Sarcosuchus Brand: Safari Ltd Classification: Crocodile, Reptile (other) Age: Cretaceous, Jurassic, Triassic Type: Set, Tube

4.8 (17 votes)

Having recently familiarised ourselves with the prehistoric sharks ‘toob’ by Safari Ltd, let’s now pour out the contents of a different toob. This time it’s the turn of the prehistoric crocodiles. Before we begin though, be aware that strictly speaking, many of the species in this set aren’t true crocodiles, as the toob contains a taxonomic mish-mash of non-dinosaurian reptiles.

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Review: Prehistoric sharks (Toob by Safari Ltd)

Genus: Cladoselache, Cretoxyrhina, Edestus, Helicoprion, Hybodus, Orthacanthus, Sarcoprion, Scapanorhynchus, Stethacanthus, Xenacanthus Brand: Safari Ltd Classification: Fish Age: Cretaceous, Permian Type: Set, Tube

4.6 (15 votes)

The Dinosaur Toy Blog has been quiet in recent weeks. As for me, I’ve been distracted by my involvement in the new Animal Toy Forum, which was launched recently as a partner site to the dinotoyblog and forum. However, I’ve neglected the blog for too long and so it’s time for me to turn my attention back to prehistoric animal reviews.

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Review: Styracosaurus (Carnage Collection by ReSaurus)

Genus: Styracosaurus Brand: Carnage, Resaurus Classification: Centrosaur, Ceratopsian Age: Cretaceous Type: Action Figure

4.7 (7 votes)

Few dinosaur toys are as strikingly exotic as the Carnage Collection by ReSaurus Company Inc. It is a bit of a mystery why these spectacular figures have received so little attention here on the blog, and by ‘little’ I mean ‘none’. So, after being overlooked here for more than five years, I’ve finally taken it upon myself to give Carnage a little love.

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Review: Plesiosaurus (Soft Model by Favorite Co. Ltd.)

Genus: Plesiosaurus Brand: Favorite Co. Ltd. Classification: Plesiosaur Age: Jurassic Type: Figurine

4.3 (6 votes)

Favorite’s ‘Soft Models’ tend to receive acclaim on the Dinosaur Toy Blog and I’ve been promising to review the Plesiosaurus for…well, years actually. Certain members of the Dinosaur Toy Forum tend not to let me forget it! So it will be a weight off my shoulders to finally give this figure the attention it deserves.

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Review: Brachiosaurus (resculpt)(CollectA)

Genus: Brachiosaurus Brand: CollectA, Procon Classification: Macronaria (basal), Sauropod Age: Jurassic Type: Figurine

3.1 (14 votes)

I’ve been able to tear myself away from our sparkly new Dinosaur Toy Forum (please do register if you aren’t already a member) to dedicate a little time to our old friend the Dinosaur Toy Blog.
It isn’t easy to find a respectable range of dinosaur toys in brick and mortar establishments these days.

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Review: Quetzalcoatlus (Carnegie Collection by Safari Ltd)

Genus: Quetzalcoatlus Brand: Carnegie, Safari Ltd Classification: Pterosaur Age: Cretaceous Type: Figurine

2.8 (11 votes)

Last time I had a stab at reviewing a Carnegie Collection pterosaur (the Pteranodon), I didn’t have much nice to say about its aesthetic appearance. One might say I was downright rude. Bearing in mind that the Pteranodon was an early release, it would be fair for us to expect some significant improvements by the mid-nineties when the next Carnegie pterosaur was released.

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Review: Dimetrodon (2011 version, Bullyland)

Genus: Dimetrodon Brand: Bullyland Classification: Pelycosaur Age: Permian Type: Figurine

3.6 (7 votes)

German company Bullyand seem to be slipping off the radar a little bit in recent years but still continue to provide new releases every twelve months for their Museum Line, although in rather small quantities. 2011 saw two new figures released by Bullyland, both resculpts of previously produced species.

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Review: Pteranodon (Carnegie Collection by Safari Ltd)

Genus: Pteranodon Brand: Carnegie, Safari Ltd Classification: Pterosaur Age: Cretaceous Type: Figurine

1.5 (11 votes)

Now here’s a figure that’s had a beating with the ugly stick. The Pteranodon was one of 17 models in the original Carnegie collection lineup, way back in 1989. It was retired in 1995 but reissued the following year and is still produced today. It’s one of the smaller toys in the line with a wingspan of 11cm (about 4 inches)

I think the Carnegie Pteranodon is supposed to be in a flying pose, either that or sprawled out on its tummy in the most ungainly manner.

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Review: Attenborosaurus (CollectA)

Genus: Attenborosaurus Brand: CollectA, Procon Classification: Plesiosaur Age: Jurassic Type: Figurine

4 (14 votes)

Unfamiliar British taxa are the order of the day for UK-based company CollectA, and we can now add the relatively obscure plesiosaur Attenborosaurus to their list. Attenborosaurus is one of two plesiosaurs released by CollectA in 2011 (the other one being the Rhomaleosaurus, again, another relatively obscure British genus).

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Review: Rhomaleosaurus (CollectA)

Genus: Rhomaleosaurus Brand: CollectA, Procon Classification: Plesiosaur, Pliosaur Age: Jurassic Type: Figurine

3.5 (10 votes)

Another in CollectA’s (a trademark of Procon) range is this hefty Rhomaleosaurus, which joins the terror bird Kelenken and the stegosaurid Dacentrurus in the ‘Deluxe’ line up for 2011. Funnily enough, my PhD research project was dedicated to the study of Rhomaleosaurus, so this pliosaur is particularly close to my heart.

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Review: Opththalmosaurus (Walking with Dinosaurs by Toyway)

Genus: Ophthalmosaurus Brand: Toyway, Walking with Dinosaurs Classification: Ichthyosaur Age: Jurassic Type: Figurine

4.7 (9 votes)

Toyway produced a set of 11 dinosaur figures for their now out of production Walking with Dinosaurs line. This number includes the pterosaur Ornithocheirus, which was only available as a magazine give-away and is thus almost impossible to find. For this reason many collectors consider a WWD set complete even without the pterosaur.

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Author: DinoToyBlog

All reviews by this author

Review: Stegosaurus (Carnegie Collection by Safari Ltd)

Review: Prehistoric crocodiles (Toob by Safari Ltd)

Review: Prehistoric sharks (Toob by Safari Ltd)

Review: Styracosaurus (Carnage Collection by ReSaurus)

Review: Plesiosaurus (Soft Model by Favorite Co. Ltd.)

Review: Brachiosaurus (resculpt)(CollectA)

Review: Quetzalcoatlus (Carnegie Collection by Safari Ltd)

Review: Dimetrodon (2011 version, Bullyland)

Review: Pteranodon (Carnegie Collection by Safari Ltd)

Review: Attenborosaurus (CollectA)

Review: Rhomaleosaurus (CollectA)

Review: Opththalmosaurus (Walking with Dinosaurs by Toyway)

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