Nasutoceratops marked the first new release of 2023 from Haolonggood, a company which has been quickly climbing the popularity brands among collectors here on the Dinosaur Toy Blog. You’d be forgiven if you’re not quite familiar with the brand yet, though; Haolonggood has been around for a little while, but their company history hasn’t always been clear.
Author: Fembrogon
An aspiring artist, Fembrogon (who goes by Eric in real life) has been drawing dinosaurs and strange creatures since he was capable of walking and talking, and probably will be for a long time to come. Although energetic and admittedly absent-minded at times, prehistoric life is one of a few subjects which has never failed to engross him wholly. Dinosaurs – theropods in particular – are unsurprising favorites (special shout-outs to the remarkable Dilophosaurus, the massive Giganotosaurus, and the bizarre Deinocheirus); but he admires a wide range of prehistoric life from Cambrian invertebrates to pterosaurs. Fembrogon first discovered the Toy Blog (and Forum) around the year 2012, and found it an indispensable reference for the expanding world of dino collectibles. Since joining the review team, he’s enjoyed covering a varied assortment of figures, from classic to modern and mainstream to obscure. When he isn’t absorbed in prehistory, Fembrogon also enjoys modern wildlife (birds & reptiles are favorites), nature walks, special effects films, and traditional animation.All reviews by this author
Review: Quetzalcoatlus (Field Museum plush, Wild Republic)
4.4 (29 votes)
It’s rare for me to audibly gasp from surprise, but that was exactly how I reacted in 2019 when I rounded the corner to the Chicago Field Museum’s “Evolving Planet” exhibit, and came face-to-face with the colossus now standing guard outside the exhibit entrance.
Review: Triceratops (Subadult) (Beasts of the Mesozoic by Creative Beast Studio)
4.8 (60 votes)
For almost every Tyrannosaurus toy on the market, there’s a Triceratops toy to face off with – as it should be, considering the rich history of fossils and iconic paleo media depicting these legendary Cretaceous contemporaries. Triceratops was more than just a prime steak to fill a theropod’s belly, of course; this colossal herbivore would have been a spectacular animal in its own right, and a powerful presence roaming the forests and hills of Western North America.
Review: Dinosaur Colosseum (2019 release by Takara Tomy)
2.5 (50 votes)
Hello, who’s this?
Takara Tomy is a prolific toy manufacturer which has produced a number of dinosaur-related toys in the past. Most of these toys have been released under the ANIA (sometimes “Animal Adventure”) line, but some have received more unique lines of their own.
Review: Dicraeosaurus (Haolonggood/GR Toys)
Review: Protoceratops andrewsi (Beasts of the Mesozoic 1:18 by Creative Beast Studio)
4.8 (98 votes)
Protoceratops is a staple of classic dinosaur multimedia. What the “first horned face” lacks in size and ornamentation when compared to later ceratopsian relatives, it makes up for with excellent preservation in the fossil record, its discovery dating back to the Central Asiatic Expeditions of the early 1900s.
Review: Monolophosaurus (Schleich)(2023)
2.8 (54 votes)
To start, I want to extend my thanks to Happy Hen Toys for generously offering this review sample for the Blog. Happy Hen Toys has rapidly been establishing themselves as one of the most reliable shops for prehistoric animal collectibles in the United States, and I encourage readers to check out their website for purchasing this and other related items.
Review: Fukuiraptor (Favorite Co. Ltd.)
Review: Edmontosaurus (Schleich)(2023)
2.3 (122 votes)
Before starting this review, I want to extend my thanks to Happy Hen Toys for generously offering this review sample for the Blog. Happy Hen Toys has, in my experience, become on of the most reliable sources for extinct & extant animal brands alike in the United States.
Review: 3D Dinosaur Pictorial Book (The Access)
3.3 (55 votes)
Japan has a prolific industry for collectibles and merchandise, although it is a fairly insular market that western collectors might find tricky to break into. There are always new surprises to uncover from riches of new releases each year. One such item which caught my attention in 2022 was a set of minifigures produced by The Access, a company dedicated to planning, manufacturing, and wholesaling a variety of in-house products for multiple age ranges.
Review: Macrauchenia (MPC)
4 (53 votes)
“If MPC Ran the Zoo”…
Macrauchenia looked like it could have inspired some of the creatures in a Dr. Seuss book, if its history of paleoart is anything to go by. First described in 1838, the “long-necked llama” hasn’t achieved the same level of fame as some of its mammalian contemporaries from the Miocene and Pleistocene; however, its lanky legs, long neck, and peculiar trunk make for a very distinct image, and have earned the genus at least a few toys over the decades.
Review: Velociraptor (Beasts of the Mesozoic 1:18 by Creative Beasts Studio)
4.8 (96 votes)
For all the dozens and dozens of Velociraptor toys & models which swarm the market, there are criminally few which attempt to depict the famous “swift plunderer” as something even remotely resembling what we know of the real-life animal. When sculptor and toy designer David Silva announced his articulated Beasts of the Mesozoic line in 2015, beginning with a series of 1:6 scale, scientifically accurate dromaeosaurs, collectors were understandably very excited at the prospect.