Safari Ltd: New for 2023

[Pachyrhinosaurus]

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.

I've been a bit critical of Safari's paintwork the past few days, but I still agree with your point. S @Shane's comparison photo looks a lot better than what we've seen before. I consider Carnegie and Battat to be the greatest dinosaur toy lines of all time, and they have plenty of toyish color schemes between them. I mean, the original Battat rex is my favorite tyrannosaurus toy, yet it's bright yellow and blue with red crests. I think it's also a matter of those toys being established and known about when I got into the hobby, I kind of just accepted them since they're held in such high regard. I guess the expectation is there too that the toys will improve over time and that the paintwork will always look better than it did in previous releases. This has not been the case in the past decade or so. Schleich, for example, have declined a great deal in the past 10 years while Safari has stayed about the same in terms of the quality of the paint application.

The paintwork on the utahraptor has grown on me a lot in the past day or so it's been posted. I think the only real fault is that the feathers on the lower legs are painted the same yellow as the scales. It's also a refreshing deviation from the yellow ochre/brown that's almost ubiquitous among the newer Safari offerings.

[ceratopsian]

It looks completely a different tonal range in S @Shane's latest photo, at least on my screen. It really was pretty vibrant in some of the others.  Thanks for trying to show us a truer colour!

[Flaffy]

Who says Utahraptor is an ambush predator

Paleontologists like GSP.

The clear lack of cursorial adaptations, along with its stocky build should be a dead giveaway to Utahraptors prefered mode of hunting.

[Shane]

It looks completely a different tonal range in S @Shane's latest photo, at least on my screen. It really was pretty vibrant in some of the others.  Thanks for trying to show us a truer colour!

Unfortunately, it's very difficult to capture the "exact" coloration of anything you photograph. Depending on lighting and what's around it, what's captured in a digital image is rarely "true to life".

Normally it's not such a big deal, and you typically want pictures to look "vibrant" but in the case of the Utah where a lot of folks were harping on the "bright colors" I wanted to show as true to life coloration as possible (which, ironically, involved a lot of tweaking/color correcting the image).

[Ludodactylus]

This figure made me go back and read up on the genus, and realize that aside from adding a coat of feathers, my mental perception of Utahraptor was still really based on the original Walking With Dinosaurs documentary. I have a new appreciation for this animal now. Well done!

[Halichoeres]

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

That was my first thought too, with the oversaturated promo pics. The slaty color looks good.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Majungasaurus arrived! 

It's nicely done and kind of does look like "Demon" from a distance. Great detail, should help out a lot on my 1:1 piece.

[Skorpio V.]

I love that shade of blue, honestly! Definitely could use a paintwash, though. I think the pose makes it look really stiff and rigid though, it makes the proportions worse from certain angles too. On the other hand, fluidity is where the Velociraptor and Deinonychus excel. 

But EVEN STILL, WHEW Doug's feather details are too goood.

[Sim]

I appreciate Safari making a new Utahraptor.  Utahraptor is an interesting animal, it's a giant dromaeosaurid and it's the apex predator of its ecosystem.  Its proportions are interesting too.  I'm looking forward to getting the 2023 Safari Utahraptor!

[Lynx]

It's been a little while, and I am unsure if I asked before, but is there any estimates as to when this figure releases? Finally got the money to save up for it and the Safari LTD Velociraptor.

[Shane]

It's been a little while, and I am unsure if I asked before, but is there any estimates as to when this figure releases? Finally got the money to save up for it and the Safari LTD Velociraptor.

Right now we're probably looking at some time around June for the Utahraptor.

[GojiraGuy1954]

So like May 2025 for us

[Flaffy]

Hoping the Utahraptor will reach UK shores sometime near the June release date as well.

[postsaurischian]

I must say I'm slowly losing interest in Safari's products, just as they seem to loose interest in the European market.
Their newer figures are clearly aimed at children, the paintjobs are carelessly, some of the 2022 figures still aren't available in Europe
and then there are so many new vendors (especially from the far East) Safari just can't compete with.

[ceratopsian]

I feel rather the same. Their models just don't generate the same level of excitement I felt back in 2016 when I began my dinosaur collecting  career by tracking down the fast disappearing Carnegies. And we wait so long for new releases to reach our shores.  But I'm very fond of my Zuul now it's come back from Martin with a fresh paint scheme!

I must say I'm slowly losing interest in Safari's products, just as they seem to loose interest in the European market.
Their newer figures are clearly aimed at children, the paintjobs are carelessly, some of the 2022 figures still aren't available in Europe
and then there are so many new vendors (especially from the far East) Safari just can't compete with.

[Dusty Wren]

Their newer figures are clearly aimed at children, the paintjobs are carelessly, some of the 2022 figures still aren't available in Europe
and then there are so many new vendors (especially from the far East) Safari just can't compete with.

Safari's figures have always been aimed at children; that's their target market. It's just a nice bonus that adult collectors can also enjoy them.

It is frustrating to hear Safari be criticized for not catering to a market that they're not trying to cater to. They're not competing with PNSO or whatever, because PNSO and Safari are selling their products to different audiences. 

[suspsy]

Yeah, it was my understanding that Safari has always considered children as their primary target audience. Sure, they'll listen to the feedback and requests from us old folk, but they're not going to make any genus that they don't believe will appeal to youngsters as well.

[Lynx]

If your hopes are seriously as high as Safari LTD producing PNSO-like models, which are for an entirely different audience then you are bound to be disappointed. Quite simply, for (what I assume is) most of Safari's audience, being parents, teachers, and students, there is no need to be competing with a company that produces collector and museum, education models. Once again, people are setting their expectations way too high.

I think these models are wonderful and should be judged on separate terms from companies that specifically aim for collectors mostly. There are different styles and different target audiences. I would think that would be understandable by now.

I don't think the paint jobs are "careless" or "sloppy" either, the Cryolophosaurus, Utahraptor, Albertosaurus, Zull (or at least the prototype), and several others have shown similar or better quality than previous models.

As others have mentioned, Safari LTD isn't competing with companies like PNSO, nor catering to the same audience.

[Lynx]

I must say I'm slowly losing interest in Safari's products, just as they seem to loose interest in the European market.
Their newer figures are clearly aimed at children, the paintjobs are carelessly, some of the 2022 figures still aren't available in Europe
and then there are so many new vendors (especially from the far East) Safari just can't compete with.

All their figures are aimed at children. While collectors are a part of the audience, it's still a toy company producing models for kids, while having accuracy that'll please adults.

[Shane]

@Dusty Wren and @suspsy and @Lynx essentially hit the nail on the head.

PNSO is a collector focused line, kids can't just go to a store and buy them. They're more expensive and their appeal is more limited, so they're less widely available. You have to seek PNSO figures out if you want them.

If Safari pivoted to that type of customer, they would be alienating their core audience, as well as many of the businesses who buy from them who don't necessarily want to stock their shelves with $50 figurines that are a lot harder to move to a wider audience.

I would posit that it's not that Safari figures have gotten "worse", it's that your tastes and preference has grown, as you grow. I can affirm that Safari figures are made with the same passion and care that they always have been.

The key difference is that there are all new niche markets that didn't really exist previously. In the past, if you wanted dinosaur or animal figurines, you had to wade into the world of toys that were intended mainly for children. It doesn't mean they aren't accurate, or detailed, or that you're a childish person for liking them. But the market is primarily children, so things have be affordable and appealing to that demographic.

Now though, there are much more detailed options - IF you're willing to pony up the cash for them. Some people continue to insist that Safari figures are "approaching" PNSO figures in terms of price, but the fact remains - a Safari Triceratops costs $12.50 USD on Safari's website, while a similar sized Triceratops is $60 USD from PNSO's Amazon store. I'm not saying PNSO figures aren't worth the cost, but there's no question that you're paying a premium for the additional detail.

As far as Safari "neglecting" the non-US market, I can't speak to that too much as it's not my area of focus, but I know that Safari is always making headway into new areas and marketplaces. But ultimately, it's up to the international distributors in those regions. They choose what to order.