Safari Ltd: New for 2023

[Jose S.M.]

On a positive note this year we'll have the Estemmenosuchus which is not very well known among the general public so they still are willing to make some obscure animals. My advise would be get the obscure ones ASAP when they do make them.

[Halichoeres]

I'm not sure it follows that ceratopsians and hadrosaurs, for example, will never be made again. If Safari carries something for four years, and has strong sales the first two years, that might still have been a worthwhile investment. But maybe continued production would meet diminishing returns, making subsequent production runs unprofitable.

On the topic of shelf presence, I imagine a lot of sales are online now, and probably increasingly direct-to-consumer, which might also mean that shelf presence is less relevant than it once was. But you're right of course that if Michael's had Shringasaurus on its shelf that would surely help with sales, too.

[Gwangi]

I'm not sure it follows that ceratopsians and hadrosaurs, for example, will never be made again. If Safari carries something for four years, and has strong sales the first two years, that might still have been a worthwhile investment. But maybe continued production would meet diminishing returns, making subsequent production runs unprofitable.

On the topic of shelf presence, I imagine a lot of sales are online now, and probably increasingly direct-to-consumer, which might also mean that shelf presence is less relevant than it once was. But you're right of course that if Michael's had Shringasaurus on its shelf that would surely help with sales, too.

Yeah, a lot of sales are online, but unless you're buying directly from Safari there still aren't many places one could just stumble upon these figures. Amazon, for example, has an abysmal Safari selection with most of the figures they do have being overpriced. And it's not just Michael's as far as stores go. I've been to other stores (big box and mom & pop) and gift shops (museums, zoos, etc.) that sell Safari products with little diversity and rotation of product. I know PetCo sells Safari toys now, I'll have to visit one and see what their selection is like. For as long as Safari has been around they just don't seem to have the kind of exposure they should have. Maybe it's Schleich's fault.

[Gwangi]

On a positive note this year we'll have the Estemmenosuchus which is not very well known among the general public so they still are willing to make some obscure animals. My advise would be get the obscure ones ASAP when they do make them.

Exactly this. It's what I usually do. Although I did sleep on the Shringasaurus. Not only do they have a short production run but it's also unlikely that another company will make them. The rest of those animals on that list, we'll likely see them again from another company or revisited by Safari later on. 

[Stegotyranno420]

On the topic of shelf presence, I imagine a lot of sales are online now, and probably increasingly direct-to-consumer, which might also mean that shelf presence is less relevant than it once was. But you're right of course that if Michael's had Shringasaurus on its shelf that would surely help with sales, too.

Would definitely help me 

[Faelrin]

To see that many being retired is such a shame, especially so many non (carnivorous) theropods. I'm still behind on quite a bit of those. Guess I'll need to make those my priority the next time I do an order of Safari figures. The only ones of those I do have are the Deinocheirus, and the Citipati. Some of these are pretty recent too.

By year of release:
-2012 Vagaceratops
-2013 Diabloceratops
-2017 Deinocheirus
-2017 Psittacosaurus
-2018 Uintatherium
-2019 Citipati
-2020 Concavenator
-2020 Edmontosaurus
-2020 Qianzhousaurus
-2020 Shringasaurus

As far as variety goes after these are retired, excluding theropods:

Spoiler

Sauropods:
-Amargasaurus (2018)
-Apatosaurus (2010)
-Brachiosaurus baby (2013; repaint)
-Brachiosaurus (2010)
-Brachiosaurus (1998)
-Camarasaurus (2019)
-Diplodocus (2017)
-Malawisaurus (2018)
-Patagotitan (2022)

Ornithischians:
-Ankylosaurus (2018)
-Baby Stegosaurus (Dino Dana; 2021; repaint)
-Baby Triceratops (Dino Dana; 2021; repaint)
-Dracorex (2012)
-Iguanodon (2016)
-Pachycephalosaurus (2020)
-Parasaurolophus (2017)
-Regaliceratops (2018)
-Sauropelta (2015)
-Stegosaurus (2019)
-Stegosaurus (2008)
-Stygimoloch (Dino Dana; 2022)
-Styracosaurus (2019)
-Triceratops (2018)
-Triceratops (2008)
-Zuul (Dino Dana; 2022)
-unrevealed stegosaur (2023)

Pterosaurs (most of these are outdated):
-Baby Quetzalcoatlus (Dino Dana; 2021; repaint)
-Dimorphodon (2013)
-Pteranodon (2019)
-Pteranodon (1999)
-"Pterosaur" (2007)
-Quetzalcoatlus (2017)
-Rhamphorhynchus (2010)
-Tapejara (2009)

Marine Reptiles:
-Elasmosaurus (2013)
-Ichthyosaurus (2020)
-Kronosaurus (2017)
-Liopleurodon (2010)
-Mosasaurus (2010)
-Tylosaurus (2017)

Mammals:
-American Mastodon (2018)
-Daeodon (2018)
-Doedicurus (2006, relaunched 2016)
-Giant Sloth (2005)
-Hyaenodon (2018)
-Macrauchenia (2018)
-Megacerops (2018)
-Smilodon (2004)
-Woolly Mammoth baby (2005, relaunched 2016)
-Woolly Mammoth (2004)
-Woolly Rhino (2019)

Other:
-Ammonite (2014)
-Coelacanth (2010)
-Dimetrodon (2018)
-Dunkleosteus (2007)
-Estemmenosuchus (2023)
-Kaprosuchus (2011)
-Megalodon (2014)
-Postosuchus (2009)
-Prestosuchus (2019)
-Sarcosuchus (2020)

[close]

Of the above I do find it amazing most of the mammals have not been on the chopping block yet. Ornithischians have definitely taken the biggest hit so far. I do not think they are poor sellers seeing how successful Haolonggood, PNSO, etc, releases have been so far. I think it ultimately comes down to how things are marketed (such as retailers only stocking older, outdated models in store, for example). Safari Ltd isn't as collector focused as those other brands, so chances are a lot of parents are buying their kids the typical famous genera, and not much else.

Edit: Post 2020 the only new non theropods we have gotten (excluding repaints) have been the Estemmenosuchus, Patagotitan, Stygimoloch, Zuul, two of which were Dino Dana figures, that might not have happened without that partnership. I don't expect 2024 to deviate from the theropod heavy releases.

[Carnoking]

Suppose I'd better get while the getting is good.

The upshot of gift shops and the like not rotating stock frequently is that you can sometimes stumble upon already retired figures.
I recall I found my first Safari Ltd. Scutosaurus in the Morrill Hall giftshop back in 2017 I think it was. I won't pretend to know when that little figure was retired but it was the last one in the shop and my first and only time seeing one in the wild.

[SidB]

I've looked at it again and I think it is just a repaint of the old Safari Kentrosaurus.  It looks like the tail does unfortunately extend past the tail spikes and the tail is painted like the spikes again.  If it is just the repaint, I wonder if Safari could retool the mould before the figure releases and fix the tail spikes?  Haolonggood did that for their Ouranosaurus not long after that figure was released.  I would find it quite disappointing if in over 10 years Safari didn't feel the need to update their Kentrosaurus and just re-released it.

HLG is unique in that respect. I don't expect that level of responsiveness from anyone else any time soon.

[Sim]

I'm not sure it follows that ceratopsians and hadrosaurs, for example, will never be made again. If Safari carries something for four years, and has strong sales the first two years, that might still have been a worthwhile investment. But maybe continued production would meet diminishing returns, making subsequent production runs unprofitable.

Thanks for saying this, I hadn't thought of it.  The initial run(s) being profitable but later runs not being so could explain why, for example, Safari made some of their ceratopsids.  I guess they'll experiment more like they have with their Estemmenosuchus and keep producing what keeps selling.

[Skorpio V.]

My jaw DROPPED reading that list, especially since some of those are the definitive models for those genera in my opinion. Beyond dismal seeing that lot go.

[Shane]

Seeing a lot of people saying the list is surprising, and shocking, but also that they'd been dragging their feet and hadn't managed to get a lot of them yet.

It's very anecdotal but...perhaps there's some correlation there? As others have said, if you see a figure of an obscure species, it's pretty important that you show your support for it early if you want it to stick around.

Otherwise you can't really be too surprised if it ends up being retired.

[Shane]

Well I just ordered the Shringasaurus, glad I didn't miss that one. There are others on the list I would like to have but that's the only one I really NEED.

S @Shane are there any extant animals being retired too?

I don't know if there is a final list for this yet.

[ceratopsian]

My policy is always to snap up new things I like when they come out. Otherwise they get forgotten/put on the back burner and ousted from one's priority list by other new releases.  Plus I always think it pays to show the producing firm there is a market for whatever it was!

Seeing a lot of people saying the list is surprising, and shocking, but also that they'd been dragging their feet and hadn't managed to get a lot of them yet.

It's very anecdotal but...perhaps there's some correlation there? As others have said, if you see a figure of an obscure species, it's pretty important that you show your support for it early if you want it to stick around.

Otherwise you can't really be too surprised if it ends up being retired.

[Gwangi]

Buying things upon their immediate release is a nice idea but not practical for everyone. There are just too many new releases to keep up with. Now more than ever. A lot of us are working with a budget here. I have two kids, a house, two cars, and other hobbies. For me I prioritize figures I plan on reviewing for the blog and obscure animals we likely won't see made again. Why did I drag my feet on the Shringasaurus? Because someone else was reviewing it so I didn't immediately need it. Which brings up another point, I never have to have something just because it is new.

I've also had to prioritize Mattel for the last five years because their products have a shorter shelf life than any of the other companies I collect. That means I have not gotten every Safari, CollectA, PNSO, or Haolonggood that has come along. But those companies have their figures available for years vs. months like Mattel does. I always figure "I can get it later" and occasionally miss the bus, which is still better than added debt or buying toys over groceries. A sort of "last call" from these companies would be really handy in knowing when it's time to finally pull the trigger. But, none of them do it. I've been griping about things being quietly retired for years now.

[Jorgesaurus]

I insist that it is miragaia or dacentrurus since the tail of the previous kentro ended in the same tail, instead this new one ends in two peaks, pay attention and you will see

[Halichoeres]

You might be right. I can see how you could conclude that it ends in two spikes. But to me it looks like this:



Using MS Paint, I've sloppily outlined what I think are the last two pairs of spikes. The paint colors on the figure don't make it easy to resolve what's what.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

A sort of "last call" from these companies would be really handy in knowing when it's time to finally pull the trigger. But, none of them do it. I've been griping about things being quietly retired for years now.

I have been collecting seriously since 2009 (I got models regularly before that time, that was just when I took it up as an actually hobby). Back in the day, schleich used to put up printed "retiring" posters for shops to hang up for collectors to see. Every year in the fall we could wait for the poster, then when the internet became more used for marketing they'd post the image on their website. I specifically remember Schleich doing this, but I think I remember Safari and Bully doing it too... I just can't trust my memory 100% anymore. Anyway, it WAS a serious announcement at one time. But then they stopped and its been left up to the handful of people with an "in" to share the news (forum members how had toy stores that sold them or people who worked for X company)... lately, its been us collectors flipping through an in hand catalog or their online store (less trusty source) to see what's been removed. Its a real shame. Around the time the official announcements quit was when the cry of "X company doesn't care about collectors anymore". I don't agree with that word choice personally but it would be really nice if they started making actual announcements of retirements again.

Edit: If anyone is curious, you can Google "Schleich retirement poster 2011" and it will pop up with examples of the poster for that year. They called them "collector's items" if they were a model retiring that year.

[Pachyrhinosaurus]

I'm also surprised by the list of retirements since many of them are so recent. And the vagaceratops was so ubiquitous in stores that stock Safari dinosaurs. Shame to see the uintatherium go, too. I personally have all but the qianzhousaurus and shringasaurus, which I didn't plan on getting.

[Gwangi]

A sort of "last call" from these companies would be really handy in knowing when it's time to finally pull the trigger. But, none of them do it. I've been griping about things being quietly retired for years now.

I have been collecting seriously since 2009 (I got models regularly before that time, that was just when I took it up as an actually hobby). Back in the day, schleich used to put up printed "retiring" posters for shops to hang up for collectors to see. Every year in the fall we could wait for the poster, then when the internet became more used for marketing they'd post the image on their website. I specifically remember Schleich doing this, but I think I remember Safari and Bully doing it too... I just can't trust my memory 100% anymore. Anyway, it WAS a serious announcement at one time. But then they stopped and its been left up to the handful of people with an "in" to share the news (forum members how had toy stores that sold them or people who worked for X company)... lately, its been us collectors flipping through an in hand catalog or their online store (less trusty source) to see what's been removed. Its a real shame. Around the time the official announcements quit was when the cry of "X company doesn't care about collectors anymore". I don't agree with that word choice personally but it would be really nice if they started making actual announcements of retirements again.

Edit: If anyone is curious, you can Google "Schleich retirement poster 2011" and it will pop up with examples of the poster for that year. They called them "collector's items" if they were a model retiring that year.

I would think that it would benefit the company too, creating one last surge of buyers and giving them incentive to finally purchase the product.

[Faelrin]

S @Shane In my particular case it's because I also collect other brands like Mattel (edit: since 2018), which has a much shorter shelf life that must take priority, especially when combined with the astronomical after market prices. Well that and it's been financially rough for me the past couple of years, so I've had to be more selective. The last Safari Ltd order I managed to make was in 2021 (most of which was also for my nieces, with the exception of the Baryonyx), and it's been rough going for me since. Earlier in the year when the stimulus checks were sent out, I managed to get my hands on the Einiosaurus and Nasutoceratops that had been retired through an order on Dejankins (alongside the retired Southlands Replicas Thylacine and Diprotodon). 2020 was the last real large haul Safari Ltd haul I got for myself though. I used to make pretty routine yearly hauls when there was a large sale on the website, ordering a mix of older and newer releases, but usually limited around the amount I'd spend around the total needed for free shipping (such as $50+, etc). Maybe 2024 will be different, but I can't count on it. I also only learned of Safari Ltd back in late 2016 with their 2017 reveals, so I had quite a bit of catching up to do.

That said I did manage to get my hands on quite a number of figures since then, including some that were already retired by the time I got started. This does not include extant animals, and the mythical creatures, as I have a number of those as well (though it pales in comparison to my prehistoric figures). I thought it would be interesting to sort of chronologically sort through when I acquired things, but I've only found the posts for my 2017 purchases. I'll try to dig for the others tomorrow or later. I need a break for now.

Spoiler

Acquired in 2021:
-2021 Baryonyx (through Safari Ltd's website during Memorial Day sale)
-2017 Einiosaurus (through Dejankins)
-2015 Nasutoceratops (through Dejankins)

June 2020:
-2020 Deinonychus (through Safari Ltd's website)
-2020 Dilophosaurus (through Safari Ltd's website)
-2020 Ichthyosaurus (through Safari Ltd's website)
-2019 Pteranodon (through Safari Ltd's website)
-2018 Daeodon (through Safari Ltd's website)
-2018 Hyaenodon (through Safari Ltd's website)
-2018 Megacerops (through Safari Ltd's website)
-2010 Liopleurodon (through Safari Ltd's website)
-2010 Prehistoric Crocodiles (in store at Michaels)
-2009 Prehistoric Sealife (in store at Michaels)
-2006 Carnegie Collection Dilong (from Urzeitshop I think, through the help of my friend in Germany)
-2006 Doedicurus (or the 2016 re-release; through Safari Ltd's website)
-Evolution of Man (through Safari Ltd's website)

October or November 2019 (from an ebay haul split with folks on instagram, most of which was unclaimed and I was left with, as the haul was shipped to me):
-2009 Postosuchus (this one was on my wishlist)
-2006 Tyrannosaurus
-2002 Carnegie Collection Styracosaurus
-2003 Carnegie Collection Velociraptor
-2001 Carnegie Collection Acrocanthosaurus
-1997 Carcharodontosaurus
-1997 Utahraptor
-1996 Carnegie Collection Tyrannosaurus
-1991 Carnegie Collection Elasmosaurus
-1989 Carnegie Collection Parasaurolophus
-1989 Carnegie Collection Stegosaurus
-1989 Carnegie Collection Triceratops
-1989 Carnegie Collection Tyrannosaurus
-Missing Links Woolly Rhino (I claimed this one, due to the rare nature of it)

Late 2018 I think (from Safari Ltd's website):
-2019 Carnotaurus
-2019 Citipati
-2019 Woolly Rhino
-2019 Styracosaurus

December 2017 (through Safari Ltd's website Black Friday sale):
-2018 Ankylosaurus
-2018 American Mastodon
-2018 Regaliceratops
-2018 Triceratops
-2015 Sauropelta

October 2017 (haul number 1 and haul number 2):
-2017 Deinocheirus (from Safari Ltd's website)
-2017 Tyrannosaurus (through Dejankins)
-2016 Iguanodon (from Safari Ltd's website)
-2015 Yutyrannus (through Dejankins)
-2014 Ammonite (from Safari Ltd's website)
-2010 Agathis Conifer (in store at A.C. Moore)
-2010 Tree Fern (in store at A.C. Moore)
-2009 Scutosaurus (through Dejankins)

September 2017 (haul one, haul two, haul three):
-2012 Dracorex (in store through A.C. Moore)
-2013 Cambrian Life (in store at Michaels)
-2013 Gastornis (in store at A.C. Moore)
-2011 Inostrancevia (in store at A.C. Moore)
-2011 Prehistoric Sharks (in store at Michaels)
-2010 Apatosaurus (in store at Michaels)
-2010 Coelacanth (in store through A.C. Moore)
-2004 Woolly mammoth (in store at Michaels)
-2004 Smilodon (in store at Michaels)

The rest that I can't remember when I got:
-2008 Triceratops (I think I bought this shortly before the 2018 one released, so probably sometime in 2017)
-2003 Carnegie Collection Woolly Mammoth (on ebay a couple years back)
-Great Dinos brown Tyrannosaurus (gift from my father pre-2020)

[close]

As far as my wishlist goes (most have been there for years now):

Spoiler

-2023 Estemmenosuchus
-2023 Majungasaurus
-2023 Utahraptor
-2022 Albertosaurus
-2022 Cryolophosaurus
-2022 Dino Dana Zuul
-2020 Concavenator
-2020 Edmontosaurus
-2020 Sarcosuchus
-2020 Shringasaurus
-2019 Camarasaurus
-2019 Prestosuchus
-2019 Stegosaurus
-2018 Anzu
-2018 Macrauchenia
-2018 Uintatherium
-2017 Coelophysis
-2017 Psittacosaurus
-2017 Velociraptor
-2014 Pachyrhinosaurus
-2013 Diabloceratops
-2013 Elasmosaurus
-2011 Kaprosuchus
-2005 (or 2016 re-issue) Giant Sloth

[close]