Safari Ltd: New for 2023

[Gwangi]

Spinodude also got the Safari Majungasaurus early, in addition to you.

Oh ok, I vaguely remember that. I don't watch him, or very many dinosaur toy Youtubers. I do watch Dino-Scream so I knew he was getting it.

[SidB]

The sculpt looks great, but the way the coloration is executed makes it look quite cheap, unfortunately (when I saw it on FB for a split second I though it's a Recur product...). It doesn't resemble the Peregrine Falcon at all to me, it looks like Blue-Masked Lovebird instead.
I am still probably gonna pick it up at some point, but I am more disappointed than excited about it...

This can be a common and understandable reaction to the absolute necessity for Safari to use relatively simple paint schemes in order to keep their costs down and the product reasonably priced for their chief target audience- that's youngsters, not primarily collectors. It just happens that the sculpts themselves are of very high quality and so the expectation for paintwork of a similar standard is accordingly high too, unrealistically.

This indicates the value of being able to execute one's own modifications. The recommendations on the thread so far, for basic washes are great advice and would greatly mollify any disappointment, as well as giving the collector a sense of quality control over the type of outcome desired.

[Doug Watson]

When I say I was inspired by something it doesn't mean I tried to replicate it. If I wanted to paint it exactly like a Peregrine I could if I wanted to.

[CityRaptor]

You know, I first throught that it was based on a Blue Tit.

Will need to pick that one up, as well as the Majungasaurus.

[Takama]

Wow Its Utahraptor

And its a Nice one too

the pose reminds me of this, to an extant.

[Pachyrhinosaurus]

The sculpt looks great! Nice to finally have a utahraptor toy with feathers. I agree with others that the factory paint application looks a bit plain. I understand it's a toy, so I'm not expecting the level of paint detail I could get from repainting it myself, but I have other Safari figures with the kind of paintwork that would really make it pop. In any case, I'm sure it'll look better in-hand when I get one.

[TheCambrianCrusader]

I NEED IT!
Honestly I was a little worried that a Utahraptor figure would end up looking a little too similar to their Deinonychus but color me pleasantly surprised! Can't wait to pair it up with my other safari dromaeosaurs.

I wonder how this lad would look compared to the old battat figure just to show much our understanding of this animal has changed.

[Gwangi]

Am I the only one that actually likes the toy-aesthetic of figures like this Utahraptor? Hyper realistic figures are nice and all but I find toys like this to be just as enjoyable, maybe more as they have a lot of personal charm to them and really pop on the shelf. This Utahraptor immediately brings to mind the Battat figures from the 90's and I adore it for that. I think it's interesting to observe that even though this is the Dinosaur Toy Forum it's not actual toys that people are interested in. I like dinosaur toys because they're toys. I'm a toy collector. That's also why I collect Mattel and vintage toys. I'm not judging anyone that isn't into that, just sharing a personal observation. I think this Utahraptor looks perfect, I'm in love with it.

[bmathison1972]

Am I the only one that actually likes the toy-aesthetic of figures like this Utahraptor? Hyper realistic figures are nice and all but I find toys like this to be just as enjoyable, maybe more as they have a lot of personal charm to them and really pop on the shelf. This Utahraptor immediately brings to mind the Battat figures from the 90's and I adore it for that. I think it's interesting to observe that even though this is the Dinosaur Toy Forum it's not actual toys that people are interested in. I like dinosaur toys because they're toys. I'm a toy collector. That's also why I collect Mattel and vintage toys. I'm not judging anyone that isn't into that, just sharing a personal observation. I think this Utahraptor looks perfect, I'm in love with it.

Honestly the more I collect, the more I appreciate the 'toy' aspect. One reason I am content with the Papo and CollectA European stag beetles and skipped on the recent Bandai Diversity of Life on Earth version. I want scientific accuracy, sure, but I also go in for the 'charm' effect, too!

[Lynx]

Am I the only one that actually likes the toy-aesthetic of figures like this Utahraptor? Hyper realistic figures are nice and all but I find toys like this to be just as enjoyable, maybe more as they have a lot of personal charm to them and really pop on the shelf. This Utahraptor immediately brings to mind the Battat figures from the 90's and I adore it for that. I think I'm beginning to realize that even though this is the Dinosaur Toy Forum it's not actual toys that people are interested in. I like dinosaur toys because they're toys. I'm a toy collector. That's also why I collect Mattel and vintage toys. I'm not judging anyone that isn't into that, just sharing a personal observation. I think this Utahraptor looks perfect, I'm in love with it.

No, I also love the toy aesthetic! Seeing the figure made me feel like a younger kid again. It reminded me of why I loved dinosaurs so much, and thus why I am looking forward to it so much.
This is the reason I love Schleich and Safari LTD, and the reason I rarely buy PNSO. I just love the look of these figures, and at the end of the day, they are toys. Not professional models. Not 1:1 with the actual appearance of the animal to the last scale. Just toys with tons of thought put into them.

I haven't bought a model in a while, and somehow, this single reveal is really making me want to get into it again. The colors, the pose, everything.


I personally don't collect Mattel or vintage toys because Mattel are expensive and I do not find the same charm in vintage models unlike many others, but I just love to pick up 'chinasaurs', Schleich, and the like because, well, they are toys.

[Gothmog the Baryonyx]

The Utahraptor is absolutely gorgeous, love the blue colour

[Flaffy]

I think the Utahraptor would make a fun customisation project. Gonna try my hand at adding the Peregrine Falcon's ventral patterning on the giant dromaeosaur. Should further elevate the presentation alongside the aformentioned dark wash.

[Remko]

Am I seeing the same Utahraptor as anyone else?

It looks like toothy parrot.
Their Deinonychus was fantastic, this looks, weird...
No way an ambush predator would have been this brightly colored.

[Lynx]

It is a lot less vibrant in both the reviews and the outdoor/in real life photos shown. I think the colors are perfectly plausible. The shade of blue it actually has is more like grey and looks very good.

I really don't feel like doing the same argument with a list of vibrantly colored ambush predators so...

[Jose S.M.]

Well the skull matches the fossils pretty good and I bet the overall body proportions will match as well since Doug researches his figures in detail, so if it looks weird its because Utahraptor was weird if compared to more standard "raptors".

[Shane]

It is a lot less vibrant in both the reviews and the outdoor/in real life photos shown. I think the colors are perfectly plausible. The shade of blue it actually has is more like grey and looks very good.

I really don't feel like doing the same argument with a list of vibrantly colored ambush predators so...

It is definitely less vibrant than some pictures are showing (particularly my comparison photo, which for some reason came out looking very vibrant...I blame my phone). But even in the promo shots, I'm not seeing "bright". In hand it is definitely a slate, almost gray blue, but even in the promo shots it's not what I would call "bright" or macaw-like as some folks have said.

But maybe I'm biased since I'm used to seeing the physical sample, so my brain is automatically registering the "natural" coloration.

EDIT here's a pic where I tried to color correct to match the real thing as much as possible. Also enjoy a small sample of my desk.

[GojiraGuy1954]

Am I seeing the same Utahraptor as anyone else?

It looks like toothy parrot.
Their Deinonychus was fantastic, this looks, weird...
No way an ambush predator would have been this brightly colored.

Who says Utahraptor is an ambush predator

[Gwangi]

Am I seeing the same Utahraptor as anyone else?

It looks like toothy parrot.
Their Deinonychus was fantastic, this looks, weird...
No way an ambush predator would have been this brightly colored.

He's a male in breeding plumage. Yes, it is a handicap, but it is also what the females of the species have selected for. Outside of the breeding season he is much more drab, which makes him a more efficient ambush predator. 

[Lynx]

Am I seeing the same Utahraptor as anyone else?

It looks like toothy parrot.
Their Deinonychus was fantastic, this looks, weird...
No way an ambush predator would have been this brightly colored.

He's a male in breeding plumage. Yes, it is a handicap, but it is also what the females of the species have selected for. Outside of the breeding season he is much more drab, which makes him a more efficient ambush predator. 

Wait that's actually a really cool idea, I like that.

[Lynx]

It is a lot less vibrant in both the reviews and the outdoor/in real life photos shown. I think the colors are perfectly plausible. The shade of blue it actually has is more like grey and looks very good.

I really don't feel like doing the same argument with a list of vibrantly colored ambush predators so...

It is definitely less vibrant than some pictures are showing (particularly my comparison photo, which for some reason came out looking very vibrant...I blame my phone). But even in the promo shots, I'm not seeing "bright". In hand it is definitely a slate, almost gray blue, but even in the promo shots it's not what I would call "bright" or macaw-like as some folks have said.

But maybe I'm biased since I'm used to seeing the physical sample, so my brain is automatically registering the "natural" coloration.

EDIT here's a pic where I tried to color correct to match the real thing as much as possible. Also enjoy a small sample of my desk.

I wouldn't really call it bright either, just, similar to the Majungasaurus, more saturated than the real thing.