Poll: Your favorite companies!

[Halichoeres]

Thanks for putting this together. Now I'll have to figure out which 10 to vote for, which is trickier than I initially thought. Certainly having Safari and Carnegie lumped together would help, haha. 

Ha ha! I wonder how many people vote for one or another but not both. It wouldn't take much to make Safari competitive with PNSO and EoFauna based on results so far.

Lots of write-in votes for Wild Past! More than for some of the companies that were officially nominated. That was a good suggestion to include the write-in option @Faelrin, thank you.

[Libraraptor]

A vote for Schleich? An accident, most probably.

[ceratopsian]

To answer @Halichoeres, I voted for Carnegie but not Wild Safari.

For full disclosure, in my order of preference!

PNSO - a long way out in front for me, despite their occasional flaws or infelicities
CollectA - though I don't buy many of their theropods these days
Eofauna - the only Cenozoic mammals to grace my shelves
Creative Beast - tricky one for me to place as I love their ceratopsian line and have bought heavily from it but almost nothing from their other lines - they just don't gel with my focus genera
Wild Past
Kaiyodo
Battat - my joy in some of their output has waned over the years but some remain among my favourite models
Carnegie - first dinosaur models I ever bought

I think the final three came at the bottom  purely because they are not active areas for me these days - just the very occasional Kaiyodo.

[Halichoeres]

37 votes so far, not bad, although 137 people have been logged in during the last 24 hours.

Interesting, thanks for sharing your thoughts, @ceratopsian. It's early, of course, but compared to the previous incarnation of the poll, Battat is actually doing better so far, which I wouldn't have predicted.

[Flaffy]

Just voted! Impressive that Eofauna is toe-to-toe with PNSO in terms of votes. Especially considering their relatively low number of released figures, but not surprising considering (almost) every single one of them is a home-run.

Recently acquired their Konobelodon a while back to join my steadily growing proboscidean herd; and I have to say I love it all to bits. Spectacular mammal, hope to see the trend continue with more weird elephants + kin.

[Halichoeres]

Just voted! Impressive that Eofauna is toe-to-toe with PNSO in terms of votes. Especially considering their relatively low number of released figures, but not surprising considering (almost) every single one of them is a home-run.

I wonder if that would be the case if the poll setup were more sophisticated, allowing ranking. As it stands, a tenth-place vote is just as good as a first-place vote!

[Faelrin]

I'm still thinking about it, lol. Hence why I haven't jumped in yet. I usually do for these sorts of things. Like should I just go for those I own a ton of figures from, or like some historic ones that I don't (Battat, Carnegie, Invicta, Kenner, Marx, etc), but still appreciate for being around, and shaping what came after?

Going by what's in my collection currently, these would be the winners (based on the DinoToyCollector numbers, which may include things like the toobs, and the individual figures within the tubes, but otherwise a good approximation for what I own for the most part, including a few on the wishlist, though my wishlist is usually trimmed to what I focus to get within the next few months, not everything I'm interested in, which would be a heck of a lot more):

Spoiler

Mattel (286=274 + 12 on wishlist currently, maybe a few others, regardless it reigns supreme)
Oumcraft Life Game (99, would have been 100, but got a duplicate, instead of the Spriggina)
Safari Ltd (84 subtracting the 11 Carnegie Collection figures I have, with 3 on my wishlist currently)
Takara Tomy (54=18, if counting the 2021's Archelon's ammonite, which I plan to add there separately, like I did for the 2022 one, plus 18 figures on the wishlist)
Creative Beast Studio (36=24 + 12 on wishlist currently)
PNSO (24=19, plus 5 on the wishlist currently)
Kaiyodo (18=17, plus 1 on the wishlist currently)
Rebor (11=5, plus 6 on the wishlist currently, might be higher once there are pre-order pages for the Diplodocus, Deinosuchus, and dire wolf up)
Bullyland (11)

[close]

With the exception of Hasbro (16 from those horrible JW toys), the rest is pretty much less, that I may as well not be bothered with adding it above, but despite that some like Battat, Eikoh, Favorite, Toyway, Southlands Replicas, Wild Past, and last but not least, Yowie (who's Anomalocaris I've had as an avatar image here for years now) certainly have some of my favorites in my collection, if not others I've eyeballed in the past that I might try to get someday. I also don't yet own anything from Eofauna and CollectA, but they do have some great offerings I'd like to get around to at some point.

So as one can see, it's why I'm having a hard time narrowing this down, and figuring out what to go for, despite 10 options.

Edit: When it comes down to voting though, Creative Beast Studio is top tier for me. Great figures, and given me something I truly desire for years prior (highly articulated dinosaur action figures, since before branching out into collecting static models like Safari Ltd, etc, I was solely an action figure collector). David has also been a joy to meet each time I've had the luck of catching him in person at various cons over the years. Great customer service, transparent about his projects, etc. I also love Safari Ltd's stuff, especially Doug's work. Love his sculpting style, but also appreciate him explaining things on the forum, about anatomy, etc. It's great to be able to see the heart and soul put into these works, and interact with these folks, where that's not a thing with most companies works, that often feel faceless, despite people, if not artists still behind them.

[Halichoeres]

Yeah, my votes aren't quite numeric. Numerically, my top 10 are:

Oumcraft
Safari (inc. Carnegie)
CollectA
Kaiyodo
PNSO
Favorite
Creative Beast
Yowie
Schmalkalder
Mattel (!!!)

But my votes didn't include Yowie, Schmalkalder, or Mattel. Instead I subbed in EoFauna, Vitae, and a separate vote for Carnegie (part of why I wanted Safari and Carnegie combined was I wanted that tenth vote free, but oh well). Vitae and EoFauna haven't put out much, but I like what they've made.

[Concavenator]

Mesozoic Life is very promising too, despite their first figure not being out yet.

[Halichoeres]

Mesozoic Life is very promising too, despite their first figure not being out yet.

I'll be honest, I am skeptical that backers will ever get that figure.

[postsaurischian]

Mesozoic Life is very promising too, despite their first figure not being out yet.

I'll be honest, I am skeptical that backers will ever get that figure.

Don't say that ...

[Halichoeres]

Mesozoic Life is very promising too, despite their first figure not being out yet.

I'll be honest, I am skeptical that backers will ever get that figure.

Don't say that ...

I hope for all your sakes that I'm wrong! I know it's in your favorite color and all.

[Gwangi]

I finally voted! Here are my Top 10. This was tough!

CollectA: I don't much care for CollectA's dinosaurs or mammals. They're decent enough, but if Safari or PNSO has a figure of an animal that CollectA has also made, I almost always go for that instead of CollectA's offering. Where CollectA really gets me excited is with their other prehistoric animals. Things like Smok, Lisowicia, Edaphosaurus, Xiphactinus, and their various invertebrates. CollectA gets props too for keeping up with the science, new discoveries, and for offering diversity.

Invicta: The best dinosaur toy line pre-Carnegie and the best line of now retro-style dinosaurs. Nostalgia also plays a factor as I had a few of these as a kid. It's the only company for which I aim to be a completest. Not just in the top 10, Invicta would be in the top 5 for me.

Kaiyodo: Diversity, accuracy, brilliant color schemes and all in a small package. Although I only have a modest collection of them, I adore Kaiyodo Dinotales and hope to acquire more in the future.

Kenner: I like dinosaur toys, which is frequently and oddly frowned upon in some subsets of this hobby. I like the playability, toy aesthetic, sturdiness, affordability, size, and color schemes of dinosaur action figures. I am also a big Jurassic Park fan and nostalgia here is definitely a factor.

Marx: This one almost didn't make the cut and only a few short years ago, it wouldn't have. But this line means a lot to me now. I started collecting and reviewing Marx toys during the pandemic and it was a nice little distraction during that time. My father also recently passed and these were the dinosaur toys of his generation, I played with his Marx toys when I was growing up. These aren't my favorite vintage toys (Invicta is) but their historical and personal significance has really enamored me to them. They took the #10 spot, just edging out Battat and pushing it off the list.

Mattel: See above for my feelings about dinosaur action figures. These are the toys I wanted growing up but didn't exist. That's all I have to say.

PNSO: The best company producing prehistoric figures that straddle the line between toys and high end collectibles. They're making the stuff I wished Papo would make 10 years ago.

Carnegie: Nostalgia doesn't play much of a role here but many of my favorite figures in my collection are by Carnegie. I don't need to go on about the history of the line or why I feel they're distinct enough to warrant separation from Safari proper.

Safari: Still my favorite prehistoric animal company. Probably always will be.

Tyco: I don't even care that much about Dino-Riders and all the weaponry and junk that comes with these toys, I just love the prehistoric animals. Before Mattel and Kenner, there was Tyco. Some of my all time favorite toys come from Tyco. Kentrosaurus, Edmontonia, and Brontosaurus to name a few. Nostalgia is also important here.

Honorable Mentions: I couldn't vote for them all but some deserve shout outs.

Bullyland: Did what CollectA is doing before CollectA. It's their Paleozoic and Triassic figures that get me. I was sad when they closed up shop.
Battat: This company still has some of my all time favorite figures but most of them aren't aging well for me so it didn't make the cut. The T. rex is still one of my favorite T. rex figures. The Diplodocus will forever be a holy grail for me, if I ever find it. I'm also still angry about what the company has become since Dan's passing.
Eofauna: Almost made the top 10 but since I only have two of their figures, and their selection is limited, I couldn't vote for them. That is likely to change in the coming years. There's definitely quality over quantity here.
Creative Beast: I don't collect them, so I can't really vote for them. I might get a few in the future. There is no denying the quality of this line.

[Halichoeres]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! On CollectA, I generally agree, the non-dinosaurs really clinch it for me, which means even 6 or 7 years ago I might not have voted for them. But recently their inverts, fish, early synapsids and so forth have been really welcome. (Of course I do own plenty of their dinosaurs but I'm not nearly as fond of them.)

[Dinoguy2]

Fascinating to see this poll starting to resolve into a few distinct "tiers".

Tier 1: Eofauna & PNSO - High accuracy, premium sculpting, high price, clear favorites currently.
Tier 2: Safari & CollectA - High accuracy, decent sculpting, lower price, the best of the old guard.
Tier 3: Battat, Invicta, Creative Beat, Kaiyodo, Carnegie - Discontinued and/or more niche collectibles.
Tier 4: Rebor, Favourite - Very prolific so not niche enout to fall under "other", but not loved enough to reach tier 3 

[Halichoeres]

And only one nominated company with no votes. That's better than polls like this often end up, so thanks to everyone for nominating sensibly!

[Faelrin]

Well I finally placed my vote. I ultimately went with:

-CollectA
-Creative Beast
-EoFauna
-Kaiyodo
-Mattel
-Oumcraft (Life game)
-PNSO
-Rebor
-Safari Ltd: all other lines

And last but not least Takara Tomy.

Runner up picks for me include Battat, Bullyland, Invicta, Kenner, Marx, Safari Ltd: Carnegie Collection, Wild Past, etc. Edit: I guess Colorata as well, at least for their Paleozoic, and their extant marine animal sets.

@Halichoeres If I had to guess that was Takara Tomy wasn't it? Well I voted for it. They do have some legitimately great figures, amidst their sea of JW (which okay I still like) and other generic dinosaur Gacha figures. Especially if we include some of their older Yujin figures, and like that extinct creatures set with the Golden toad, etc. Granted I understand it is pretty bold of me to vote for that, in place of companies with historical importance, etc, but I feel it is only fair how much I do enjoy their stuff.

Edit: I also love their little prehistoric marine creature sets (plus a coelacanth), that's mostly Paleozoic focused (even if it features some frequently represented genera).

[Thialfi]

My 'other' vote would be Wild Past, such a charming little company, I feel it deserves a vote in.

Otherwise it's pretty standard fare: CollectA, Invicta, Safari Ltd., EoFauna, PNSO, Creative Beast and Rebor. The latter mostly because of their recent releases, and I am a sucker for their Oddities line. The rest is pretty self explanatory.

[Halichoeres]

@Faelrin Yep, it was Tomy, but now every nominee has votes! The Great Old Sea line is really nice, and so were the Yujin Miracle Planet figures. The latter were produced by Yujin before it became a Tomy subsidiary, however, so I don't really give them credit for it. But if I were a JW fan, their Ania figures might nevertheless sway me. Who knows, if Great Old Sea continues, maybe Tomy will ascend to my top 10 in time.

My 'other' vote would be Wild Past, such a charming little company, I feel it deserves a vote in.

Otherwise it's pretty standard fare: CollectA, Invicta, Safari Ltd., EoFauna, PNSO, Creative Beast and Rebor. The latter mostly because of their recent releases, and I am a sucker for their Oddities line. The rest is pretty self explanatory.

So far I think all the write-in votes have been for Wild Past! It's really holding its own.

[Fembrogon]

I put in my vote the other day. Both Safari options still hold top place for me; there's too much nostalgia stacked on top of an already overall-great company for me not to put them first.

My other votes go to:
Battat - a beautiful line that was top of the line, and a resurrection which was tragically short-lived for the quality and price.
Collecta - sheer diversity, great prices, and a continuing sense of improvement
Sinclair - my personal favorite vintage, and another too-short-lived series
Marx - a marvelous foundation for everything we love and collect today
Invicta - a terrific blending of old and new aesthetics in toys
Eofauna - a true quality-over-quantity company which reminds me of Carnegie in its latter days, when each individual release was treated like a special event
Creative Beast - an exciting and ambitious line which stands alone amongst dinosaur "toy" lines
PNSO - wasn't actually sure if they'd make my vote, but ultimately they're one of the companies I buy from - and am satisfied by - the most these days.