Despite only featuring dinosaurs, this set still offers an interesting variety of genera; but how well do the designs hold up?
Welcome to the fourth and final review for the Z-Cardz dinosaur figurines, part of the larger Z-Cardz line that began in 2001.
The Sinclair Triceratops might look quaint to collectors spoiled modern toy brands, but it’s a very finely-made little figurine that’s quite accurate for its time.
I wasn’t too aware of the history of dinosaur toys and collecting until recently, when I came into the acquisition of a few older figurines from my grandparents’ collection.
The second set of dinosaurs in the Z-Cardz line reveals some surprising, if questionable, choices going on in the lineup for these little collectibles.
Constructible strategy games are a concept typically involving 3D punch-out card minifigures, which can be collected and utilized for play in large-scale games between players.
Discovered in the Moreno Hill Formation in New Mexico by a paleontologist’s young son (lucky kid!), Zuniceratops is quite a significant animal in that it is the oldest North American ceratopsian known to have possessed horns. Indeed, it appears to be a transition between the more primitive protoceratopsids and the more advanced ceratopsids.
Review and photos by Charles Peckham, edited by Suspsy
Trying to find information about either the creator of these toys, a Chinese company named Yantai, or their American distributor, Learnplay Inc., isn’t easy. According to one of the few sources I was able to find, Yantai has been around since 2011 and their Halftoy line is just one of hundreds of designs they have made.
North America in the late Cretaceous was home to some of the most famous and iconic dinosaurs. Here, in the vast landscape, huge herd of the most famous ceratopsian, Triceratops, congregated in their annual mating season.Triceratops in huge numbers dominated the landscape as other dinosaur gave way, perhaps overwhelmed by the shear number of the loud and boisterous groups.
The second wave of the Beasts of the Mesozoic Ceratopsian Series from Creative Beast Studio has arrived! Among the ranks is Spiclypeus shipporum, a recently discovered North American chasmosaurine that lived during the late Campanian stage of the Upper Cretaceous. It may possibly be synonymous with both Pentaceratops aquilonius and Ceratops montanus, the latter being the type genus for which the group Ceratopsia was named after.
Spring 2021 saw the arrival of the second wave of ceratopsians from the Beasts of the Mesozoic series. Fans of Dave Silva’s crowdfunded line of articulated figures will already be familiar with the basic elements that define this series. These strikingly colorful figures have a tremendous range of poseability thanks to their intricately engineered design (which may have the added benefit of making them more difficult for bootleggers to imitate).
Cowabunga! Who’d have ever believed a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles product would show up here on the Dinosaur Toy Blog? Well, it’s really not that far-fetched considering that dinosaurs have been included in nearly every single incarnation of the franchise. Today I’ll be looking at one such toy, the “Dingy Dino.”
Dingy, who is clearly intended to be a Triceratops, was released alongside his master Cave-Turtle Leo way back in 1992 as part of the original TMNT line.
Growing up in the 90’s every dinosaur book I grew up reading liked to compare the Cretaceous dinosaur fauna of North America with that of Asia, highlighting just how similar they were. Both continents had representatives from the same major groups; dromaeosaurs, ornithomimosaurs, ankylosaurs etc.
The large female browses peacefully, unaware of the danger she is in. Her huge frill and horns block her vision, and the predator approaches from behind. Stealthily, the Tyrannosaurus moves into position. By the time the queen has realised her danger, it is too late, as the king sinks it’s huge teeth deep into her neck.
This cheap plush toy certainly won’t win any top 10 lists for quality restorations, but it’s plenty charming for what it is.
Kohl’s is a USA-based retail chain that primarily sells clothing, but like any big store, they do offer a few other kinds of merchandise as well.
