Review and photos by Nathan Morris (‘Takama’), edited by Plesiosauria. This familiar dinosaurian staple requires no introduction. Here we have CollectA’s standard-sized reproduction of this mighty horned hadrosaur, plus a baby for good measure. These CollectA figures were produced when the company was first venturing into the dinosaur toy market, so I’m willing to forgive many of its faults. Indeed,...
Parasaurolophus walkeri is one of the most widely recognised and much-loved hadrosaur species, and no dinosaur toy line is complete without it. (Sorry, P. tubicen and P. cyrtocristatus.) It’s only proper, then, that Favorite include it among their ‘soft model’ lineup. As (almost) always, they’ve done an excellent job. I’ve critcised the Favorite ‘soft’ dinosaurs in the past for...
For many western paleo-enthusiasts, the world of Japanese miniatures is chock-full of wonders both common and rare. The fact that Japan produces so many outstanding prehistoric replicas is made even more jarring by their tendency to be packaged with manufactured candy, a marketing move that would make both products seem casual or cheapened to an American consumer of disposable goods....
It has been said that if one simply dropped into the middle of late Cretaceous North America, the massive herds of hadrosaurs are likely one of the first sights to see. Despite their prevalence, the so-called “duckbill” dinosaurs are extremely underrepresented in the dinosaur toy market. The most common reconstructions are focused on the ornately decorated headgear of lambeosaurines –...
Now here’s a company whose products have yet to experience the nerdy scrutiny of the Dinosaur Toy Blog. COG Ltd, manufacturers of educational toys, produce a line of dinosaur-themed gubbins named ‘Dino Horizons‘ (beware: site contains horribly inaccurate life restorations and the phrase “T-Rex”. And loads of Flash). For whatever reason the company produces very few flesh-on figures among its...
In 2005, Safari LTD produced a line of 4 figures for the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, IL. Among these is one of the best hadrosaur figures of recent years. Most famous for its role as the hapless victim of Tyrannosaurus in the classic Walking With Dinosaurs series, Anatotitan was a large hadrosaur that lived 68 – 65...
Famous among dinosaur figure collectors for their excellent Dinotales figures, Kaiyodo also produced a lesser known set of dinosaur figures in 2001, following the release of Jurassic Park III. The set, sponsored by Coca Cola, consisted of 12 dinosaur figures and a secret figure (a Spinosaurus skull). Today we will have a look at one of the best figures from...
Corythosaurus is a relatively well known duck-billed dinosaur, or hadrosaur that lived in what is now Canada about 80-72 million years ago. Its name means “helmet reptile” because of the shape of the hollow crest that adorns its skull. The Corythosaurus that is part of the tiny and beautiful Antediluvia Collection, sculpted by artist, David Krentz, is no short of...
The Late Cretaceous hadrosaur Maiasaura has become famous for being the first large dinosaur to be discovered alongside direct evidence that it cared for its young. Fossil nests associated with this dinosaur show that young dinosaurs stayed in the nest well after hatching. First discovered in Montana and described by Jack Horner, its name means “good mother lizard”. As such,...
Review by Dan Liebman, Photos by Mat Hockett No dinosaur figure collection is complete without Parasaurolophus. While some may outclass her in a popularity contest, she is certainly the most well-known of all hadrosaurs. Her signature crest provides instant recognition, and this reconstruction for the Battat line includes a rarely-depicted stretch of skin running from the crest to the neck....
Available from Amazon.com here. Tsintaosaurus was a duck-billed dinosaur, or hadrosaur, that lived in China about 84 to 71 million years ago. Like many Lambeosaurs, Tsintaosaurus is believed to have sported a fancy crest on its head. In this case, the crest is a skinny rod that stuck out above of the dinosaur’s face much like a mythical...
The blog’s gone all grown-up recently with resin kits and limited-edition statues – leave it to me to lower the tone and introduce a mere toy. What we have here, then, is what is known among collectors as a ‘Chinasaur’ – cheaply made and featuring little more identification than ‘Made in China’. However, many of you will recognise this as...
