Safari Ltd: New for 2023

[Carnoking]

Generally speaking, I prefer to compare Safari to, well, Safari, because even as a company geared towards children and/or the education of children, they've hit some very high highs in the past and are easily the most consistent brand in this particular niche.

That said, when compared to their late 2010s releases, the 2020 figures don't feel as consistent in my eye. Part of it is a style thing, the Dino Dana figures call for something completely different than the usual fare, but I think the bigger issue people might be having is one of paint application. I already mentioned in this thread how the Utahraptor could benefit from some washes and/or dry brushing, but when compared to the likes of older Safari and even the Carnegie offering (which isn't an unfair bar in this case) some of these newer figures do feel a bit more "toyish" for want of a better term. This becomes increasingly apparent when you look at the recent HAOLONGGOOD figures (a more fitting comparison given the similar price points) which sport the super involved paint jobs.*

Still plenty to celebrate each year in my opinion. The Baryonyx, Daspletosaurus, and Cryolophosaurus all made it into my top ten list of their respective year, so Safari's still out here doing great work and are worth keeping an eye on in my opinion.

Of course, there's also nothing wrong with simply "outgrowing" a company as your interests and priorities shift to other avenues of collecting. It's happened to me with Papo, but of course Papo have given us more than enough reasons to write them off at this point, unlike Safari.

*although Shane makes a strong point in that they're not nearly as accessible and the amount of attention paid to accuracy is wanting when compared to the work that Safari does.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

I'm mostly with Safari due to nostalgic reasons, I grew up with the Carnegie Collection. My first real accurate models were from Safari my grandmother bought at Disney World. I didn't see them locally til years later at Teacher Supply stores like KSS.  When one educational toy store opened near us I was in heaven, so much to choose from! I hadn't seen any of them for sale before. I used to go in there every few weeks to see what was new even though I'm pretty sure they only stocked new items quarterly or twice a year lol  It was a lot harder to know and get new items then, the owner was my source of info .

I don't consider them on the same level as PNSO and such because they aren't. Which doesn't mean they aren't awesome. I would hand a Safari dino to my 16 month old cousin and I would never do the same with PNSO. They are more durable with enough paint and accuracy to be worth the price. In the UK that might be different with all the markups I've hear about due to import fees. 

[GojiraGuy1954]

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.

I wouldn't say that Safari is worse now- they still manage to produce many great figures, but I see every year that there are less fantastic ones and more misses. My favourite years for this company were probably from 2017-2019. But even then, not all of the new models were masterpieces. I wouldn't say it's entirely up to my "tastes and preference growing" because I still hold dear many of Safari's older products, hell, my collection has 56 Safari models in all, including 2 carnegies and the new Zuul. I wish the best for Safari in the future and hope that 2023 can give us more figures like the Utahraptor and less like the (in my opinion damaged by the pose & surpassed by the upcoming Wild Past version) Majungasaurus.

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.

I doubt it's a matter of the retailer in the UK's case, though, since Everything Dinosaur tends to order every new release from a company which their shop hosts as soon as it's available, and the Cryolophosaurus has still failed to show. Lucky for me though that it's not one I intend to purchase

[ceratopsian]

@Blade-of-the-Moon - the Patagotitan markets at £29.99.  It's not just import fees, there's also currency rates to consider, as well as massively increased shipping costs - sterling dropped significantly against the dollar, though it has made up some ground since.

@Carnoking - I rather agree with you on comparison to Carnegie.  Not all the Carnegies of course, but I look back fondly to the wonderful later version of the Carnotaurus.

I'll probably get the Majungasaurus when it appears.  Though I've been more consistently unfortunate than most of you have been in my experience with Safari bipeds being unable to stand on arrival, which gives me some pause for thought.

[SidB]

I think that @GojiraGuy1954 makes a valid point that the years 2017-19 were a high point for Wild Safari dinosaur releases, as they issued many of the most popular figures at that time. Henceforth, there's been a bit of the risk of a let-down to some people as they progressively tackle less popular figures. Again, i agree that they risk being left behind in the sphere of paint applications, not in regard to PNSO, which is an unfair comparison, but over against Haolonggood, who produce spectacular paint work at a rather similar price point as Safari (I don't know how they can afford to do it). I was not impressed with the ultra-simple paint job on the new Utahraptor in this respect. But what do I know - maybe market research indicates that young children prefer simpler paint schemes? And then too, whereas a Safari or Schleich can be trusted to the robust play of a four year old, there would be damage to both parties if a PNSO were to be released into their hands.

Simple paint work can generally be upgraded by a skilled paleo-painter - clearly there's an emerging market here?  For the price, Safari continues to offer the best value, though they may face some serious competition here from Haolonggood, especially if the latter remains sensitive to constructive critiques of their products.

I have a massive Safari/Carnegie Safari collection, and look forward to more good and great work from them in the future. They really do bridge the gap between ordinary folk who want affordable quality and the upscale market. 

[Chasmosaurus]

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.

I really like the safari ltd figures. There is a lot of detail on each figure. And I especially love Doug Watson's work.
But I live in France. And it's true that it's difficult to get them.
I don't know if you can answer this question. But wouldn't it be possible to open up international deliveries.
In particular with Fedex.

[Fembrogon]

Again, i agree that they risk being left behind in the sphere of paint applications, not in regard to PNSO, which is an unfair comparison, but over against Haolonggood, who produce spectacular paint work at a rather similar price point as Safari (I don't know how they can afford to do it).

I'd like to point out that Haolonggood still averages a higher price point than Safari, overall. The new Nasutoceratops goes for nearly $30 on Haolonggood's own Amazon page, which is twice the price of most Safari ceratopsians. Even the lower ends of the AliExpress shop listings hover around $20, whereas most Safari figures don't break $15, at least on their own site.
That's not even mentioning the $50 range of Haolonggood's bigger figures.

I do agree that Safari seems to have overall weaker paint schemes in recent years - or, at least, fewer standouts among the averages (Postosuchus my beloved); but I would imagine that's a side effect of larger industry challenges Safari has no control over. I know they're not the only brand out there making compromises like these.

[GojiraGuy1954]

I would be interested to see what a high end safari line would look like

[shahinos]

I don't know where Safari produces or paints their models, but let's also keep in mind the cost of labor.

[shahinos]

I would also love international shipping from the Safari website. I'm sure there's a logical explanation, but it sure feels strange.

[GojiraGuy1954]

I would also love international shipping from the Safari website. I'm sure there's a logical explanation, but it sure feels strange.

I'd take Minizoo honestly. Brexit happened over 3 years ago and they still don't ship to anywhere in the UK because of it

[SidB]

Again, i agree that they risk being left behind in the sphere of paint applications, not in regard to PNSO, which is an unfair comparison, but over against Haolonggood, who produce spectacular paint work at a rather similar price point as Safari (I don't know how they can afford to do it).

I'd like to point out that Haolonggood still averages a higher price point than Safari, overall. The new Nasutoceratops goes for nearly $30 on Haolonggood's own Amazon page, which is twice the price of most Safari ceratopsians. Even the lower ends of the AliExpress shop listings hover around $20, whereas most Safari figures don't break $15, at least on their own site.
That's not even mentioning the $50 range of Haolonggood's bigger figures.

I do agree that Safari seems to have overall weaker paint schemes in recent years - or, at least, fewer standouts among the averages (Postosuchus my beloved); but I would imagine that's a side effect of larger industry challenges Safari has no control over. I know they're not the only brand out there making compromises like these.

Alas, for me in Toronto, it's not so straightforward pricewise. Virtually anyone in NA from whom I order a Safari will charge me 15-20 dollars shipping. If I order a Haologgood off Aliexpress, it's 5, even Lana on eBay will come in at 7.
Mind you, none of this deters me from getting the Safaris that I want.

[Thialfi]

Thanks for elaborating on the process of Safari, S @Shane, I appreciate it and Safari is definitely one of my favourite companies in the business.

Having said that, the non-US distribution is a fascinating thing. I feel it's not entirely up to the international distributors to decide when models become available. I live in Europe and only just now the 2022 models are becoming available. These are shops/distributors that have faithfully carried all Safari products for years if not decades, but in recent times availability at these places seem to have really slowed down significantly, if not at all. I understand part of that is due to the distribution line difficulties that plagued the world during and after the COVID pandemic, but it seems those issues have slowly been resolved.

I am not complaining about models being available later at all - after all, a beautiful model is still a beautiful model months later. It's more a worry that models might not become available at all. There is an overall feeling of uncertainty when you see stuff being released in the US but not anywhere else.

Mind you, this isn't just a Safari thing. I used to dwell in other collections as well and I have experienced similar distribution uncertainty with companies like, for example, Mattel. A lot of their stuff just isn't released outside of the US at all, which is a big frustration for international collectors. I guess it's that which has me worried a similar thing might happen to Safari products.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

I would be interested to see what a high end safari line would look like

Look back at the Carnegie Collection, the Monterey Bay Collection, Hidden Kingdom, the 1/1 replicas of many reptiles..those were truly the high end days I feel.

[Shane]

Look back at the Carnegie Collection, the Monterey Bay Collection, Hidden Kingdom, the 1/1 replicas of many reptiles..those were truly the high end days I feel.

A dollar went a lot further back then. Unfortunately figures of that size are much more difficult and costly to produce today.

I still have my Hidden Kingdom Emperor Scorpion, one of the first Safari figures I ever got, and it's still one of my favorite Safari figures.

That said, I still think Safari is producing some pretty fantastic figures if I do say so myself. Prehistoric figures, but also across other collections. Even large scale, like the Incredible Creatures and Wild Wildlife, I think these collections include some of Safari's strongest offerings as far as realism and detail. I think many of them are comparable with the collections you mentioned.

[Shane]

Thanks for elaborating on the process of Safari, S @Shane, I appreciate it and Safari is definitely one of my favourite companies in the business.

Having said that, the non-US distribution is a fascinating thing. I feel it's not entirely up to the international distributors to decide when models become available. I live in Europe and only just now the 2022 models are becoming available. These are shops/distributors that have faithfully carried all Safari products for years if not decades, but in recent times availability at these places seem to have really slowed down significantly, if not at all. I understand part of that is due to the distribution line difficulties that plagued the world during and after the COVID pandemic, but it seems those issues have slowly been resolved.

I am not complaining about models being available later at all - after all, a beautiful model is still a beautiful model months later. It's more a worry that models might not become available at all. There is an overall feeling of uncertainty when you see stuff being released in the US but not anywhere else.

Mind you, this isn't just a Safari thing. I used to dwell in other collections as well and I have experienced similar distribution uncertainty with companies like, for example, Mattel. A lot of their stuff just isn't released outside of the US at all, which is a big frustration for international collectors. I guess it's that which has me worried a similar thing might happen to Safari products.

Unfortunately I don't have a lot of information about the logistics of international sales, but as you said, uncertainty over availability outside the US is not limited to Safari.

As far as the pandemic being resolved, that may be the case for many, but there are still residual effects that continue to hamper the manufacturing and shipping process. Delays, lockdowns and shutdowns are still a reality for many factories, as is worker retention. So companies are trying to make things run as smoothly as possible, but the pandemic continues to throw wrenches into the gears in many ways.

[Dusty Wren]

That said, I still think Safari is producing some pretty fantastic figures if I do say so myself. Prehistoric figures, but also across other collections. Even large scale, like the Incredible Creatures and Wild Wildlife, I think these collections include some of Safari's strongest offerings as far as realism and detail. I think many of them are comparable with the collections you mentioned.

I've got the Wild Wildlife (formally Wildlife Wonders, I think?) whitetail buck, and the detail on it is insane. It even has clearly visible tarsal and metatarsal glands, which are important features on whitetails but aren't included in any of the other figures I own.

I'll always be fond of the Carnegie line, but Safari continues to have great attention to detail in their current figures.   

[Shane]

I've got the Wild Wildlife (formally Wildlife Wonders, I think?) whitetail buck, and the detail on it is insane. It even has clearly visible tarsal and metatarsal glands, which are important features on whitetails but aren't included in any of the other figures I own.

I'll always be fond of the Carnegie line, but Safari continues to have great attention to detail in their current figures.   

The WW Moose, Hippo and Rhino,  Jaguar and Alligator are some of my favorite Safari figures of all time. I also really like the Okapi, which unfortunately is discontinued (but I have one still on my desk).

The larger size and price point can sometimes make it a tough sell but I'm a champion of the line because there aren't really any companies making accurate and detailed animal figures in that scale, at least not at the price point (I know PNSO does some large extant animals but they're quite a bit more expensive - and also, not for kids). When I was a kid all the toy animals available in this scale were cheap in quality and very cartoony in detail and paint. So I really like these kid-friendly figures that are large sized but still don't skimp on the details.

I know it's a bit off topic, but I really enjoy the detail of these bigger figures so it's hard not to extrapolate on them.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Look back at the Carnegie Collection, the Monterey Bay Collection, Hidden Kingdom, the 1/1 replicas of many reptiles..those were truly the high end days I feel.

A dollar went a lot further back then. Unfortunately figures of that size are much more difficult and costly to produce today.

I still have my Hidden Kingdom Emperor Scorpion, one of the first Safari figures I ever got, and it's still one of my favorite Safari figures.

That said, I still think Safari is producing some pretty fantastic figures if I do say so myself. Prehistoric figures, but also across other collections. Even large scale, like the Incredible Creatures and Wild Wildlife, I think these collections include some of Safari's strongest offerings as far as realism and detail. I think many of them are comparable with the collections you mentioned.

That's certainly true, though I just look at some of the smaller prehistorics and while not as detailed they did have really nice paint work. That may be more the issue, there was a lot of airbrush I think? and much blending as well as stains to bring out the detail. I'm aware everyone of those steps ups the price though and we have to do what we must to keep the bottom line healthy. It much more feasible to sell the minus a step or two to attract customers and then just let collectors paint their figures as they wish. I want Safari to stay in business. I don't mind repainting figures for others along with other artists here offering the same.  That's how it should be really. Instead of just asking for the best of the best for a cheaper price.

I have the Emperor Scorpion myself, it's actually the only Hidden Kingdom piece I have left. Unfortunately most of line seemed to be sort of fragile? I seemed to always break legs and antennae and such.

[Thialfi]

Thank for for elaborating some more S @Shane, your contribution here is greatly appreciated.

Now to get back at the actual products at hand, I am really excited about the Cryolophosaurus, Majungasaurus and Utahraptor. All three beautiful sculpts and animals not yet represented in my collection. Very curious what else Safari has up its sleeve throughout this year!