CollectA - New for 2024

[Gwangi]

The Wild Safari Brachiosaurus is great, but it's very clearly based on Brachiosaurus brancai, so in reality it's another Giraffatitan figure

Yeah, I know. And I had assumed that the Carnegie Brachiosaurus was B. brancai but apparently it isn't. Turns out it's one of the few actual Brachiosaurus toys out there.   

[bmathison1972]

Unless I am misremembering something, or new information has come to light since I read up on this, the features separating them are things like width of the vertebrae and pelvic girdle. Can those be interpreted in a 'fleshed out' toy?

[Leyster]

They have quite different proportions. Look at the torsos.
These are old skeletals, I'm sure there are more recent ones but I couldn't find them atm.

[crazy8wizard]

Unless I am misremembering something, or new information has come to light since I read up on this, the features separating them are things like width of the vertebrae and pelvic girdle. Can those be interpreted in a 'fleshed out' toy?

It's also the shape of the snout and the torso length as mentioned above. If the snout makes that sort of scooped bowl look, then it's Giraffatitan, but B. altithorax has a slimmer, almost rounded triangle shaped snout.

[bmathison1972]

these still seem like awfully 'soft' features, difficult to interpret in a plastic toy.

anyway, doesn't affect me either way, at this point I would wait for something new to be released.

[Gwangi]

I always considered the differences to be insignificant to the point where I don't really care about having both represented in my collection. It's funny how GSP loves to lump certain animals together but a difference of proportions means Brachiosaurus and Giraffatitan must be completely different genera. 

[crazy8wizard]

I always considered the differences to be insignificant to the point where I don't really care about having both represented in my collection. It's funny how GSP loves to lump certain animals together but a difference of proportions means Brachiosaurus and Giraffatitan must be completely different genera. 

On an animal that big they may seem insignificant, but the differences are diagnostic. In model form though, I agree that having a bunch of mostly similar models is cluttered.

[Gwangi]

I always considered the differences to be insignificant to the point where I don't really care about having both represented in my collection. It's funny how GSP loves to lump certain animals together but a difference of proportions means Brachiosaurus and Giraffatitan must be completely different genera. 

On an animal that big they may seem insignificant, but the differences are diagnostic. In model form though, I agree that having a bunch of mostly similar models is cluttered.

I have a feeling that if they were extant they would be different species under the same genus is what I'm suggesting.

[bmathison1972]

I bet if you took those two illustrations, deidentified them, and sent them to 100 people, less that 50% would reach consensus in correct identification       

But I do know many Brachi toys were made in the era before Giraffititan was a valid genus and may have been inspired by fossil mounts that represent the latter today.

[crazy8wizard]

I have a feeling that if they were extant they would be different species under the same genus is what I'm suggesting.

For sure. There's a lot of extinct animals that would be lumped if they were still around, and some species that might have been indistinguishable without an autopsy. Then again, some animals look really similar and are colloquially called the same thing but are different genera, like Asian and African Elephants.

[crazy8wizard]

I bet if you took those two illustrations, deidentified them, and sent them to 100 people, less that 50% would reach consensus in correct identification       

But I do know many Brachi toys were made in the era before Giraffititan was a valid genus and may have been inspired by fossil mounts that represent the latter today.

That first part kinda falls apart when you consider the average layperson's knowledge of dinosaurs. I've heard people call Camarasaurus, Diplodocus, and Apatosaurus Brachiosaurus, not to mention how there's a lot of people who call every large theropod T. rex.

As for the fossil mounts, absolutely. Giraffatitan/B. brancai is the more complete of the two so just about every B. altithorax skeletal mount or diagram is filled in from its Tanzanian counterpart. Also I think Giraffatitan is taller, so it makes for a more spectacular mount.

[bmathison1972]

yup, which is why at this point I will wait for new figures that I hope represent the current knowledge/state of each genus 

[Stuckasaurus (Dino Dad Reviews)]

I was under the impression that the final version of the Carnegie Collection Brachiosaurus is the only Brachiosaurus figure that's actually closely based on B. altithorax, whatever others may claim.

[Renecito]

Deluxe Polacanthus




CollectA mini sauropod model set. (No pictures)

[Lynx]

CollectA always nails it with that group of animals!

[suspsy]

As I noted in the announcement I just posted to the blog, the Polacanthus is colossal. It's even longer than the Stegouros, although it may not be as bulky.

[Flaffy]

Would've preferred a more Gastonia-like reconstruction since it's a close relative of Polacanthus. Gabriel and atrox1's artworks strike me as far more convincing. I do look forward to CollectA's reasoning for this unorthodox reconstruction, particularly when it comes to the shoulder spike which seems to sprout out of no where?

Hopefully better pics will make me warm up to the figure more, but currently I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a tad disappointed by the execution. I found this year's Stegouros to be a much more refined figure in both sculpt and paint.

[crazy8wizard]

While it's not the worst, I'm a bit taken aback by the drop in overall quality from this year compared to last. There's some really neat details in each of the new figures revealed thus far but (and I could be crazy here) it feels like some of the newer models, especially this and the Velociraptor are more resembling figures Collecta had made quite a few years back.

[Stegotyranno420]

Did we come back to Procon?

[Flaffy]

Did we come back to Procon?

Maybe Polacanthus is just cursed. Perpetually fated to suffer from goofy figures.

While it's not the worst, I'm a bit taken aback by the drop in overall quality from this year compared to last. There's some really neat details in each of the new figures revealed thus far but (and I could be crazy here) it feels like some of the newer models, especially this and the Velociraptor are more resembling figures Collecta had made quite a few years back.

I really hope they're saving the best for last. The Velociraptor and now Polacanthus really feel like duds from a bygone CollectA era.