General discussion - public

[JimoAi]

It pains me to say this but I am going to be retiring/going on a long hiatus from collecting prehistoric life figures. I enjoyed the hobby but it just gets too tiring and expensive buying every new figures based on new research especially since alot of them are quite expensive and I don't like the focus on the 1/35 scale or being in some weird large scale and I'm quite anal on details. I'ld rather have a popular size range like what CollectA has with the quality of the recent Safari, collectA, Papo or Kaiyodo figures With minimal or no shrinkwrapping. I have sold off most of my collection and I am only retaining a select few plus a few that are already on my wishlist (CollectA nanuqsaurus). I'ld return to mostly focusing on modern sealife, SpongeBob merch and the occasional pokemon merch when I'm not spending necessities. It has been a fun 15 years and it must end (temporarily).

[Faelrin]

@JimoAi Sorry to hear about it, but sometimes you need to focus on what is best for you, and moving on if necessary. That said we'll certainly be here if you get the itch to return. One shouldn't also need to necessarily buy figures, even if a lot of this forum participates in, and revolves around more or less (though I understand feeling left out, or the temptation new stuff could bring regardless). I've certainly had to cut back since 2022 (and even though I plan to get a lot of things, well it hasn't always worked out since bills and other necessities come first).

[Ludodactylus]

I stepped way back on my collecting in 2023 (only adding 3 figures), and only just ordered my first figure of 2024. My hobbies move in and out like tides, and it wasn't my season for dinosaur toys for a while there.

[Faelrin]

Is it just me or does it feel like a slow year for releases so far? Granted it is early May now, but we are approaching the mid year point.

Aside from like Haolonggood, Mattel, PNSO, Safari Ltd, and Rebor, with a few minor brands here and there, that have things spread throughout the year, I think most things have been revealed, if not released by now.

Aside from a few brands I'm behind on adding stuff from (like Paleozoo, Takara Tomy, etc), and a few other figures here and there, I have added over 140 figures to the DTC so far. Perhaps aside from a few figures I might have missed adding (such as from Takara Tomy for sure, if not anything else), 2023 has seen over 450 releases by the end of the year.

Breakdown by major brands so far (excluding Bandai, and Takara Tomy), based on the DTC counts (+ a few I plan to add soon):

2023:
CollectA: 10
Creative Beast Studio: 29
Haolonggood: 52
Kaiyodo: 11 (plus some more I forgot to add)
Mattel: 144
Mojo Fun: 1
Nanmu: 22 (minus any Kong/gorilla figures)
Papo: 4
PNSO: 15
Rebor: 7 (excluding extant releases)
Safari Ltd: 7 (including those released this year such as Stegouros, etc)
Schleich: 9

2024 (at this moment, could be more on the way for many of these):
CollectA: 7
Creative Beast Studio: 20
Haolonggood: 17
Kaiyodo: 1 (statue)
Mattel: 73
Mojo Fun: 6 (all repaints, plus mini set)
Nanmu: 2 (minus any Kong/gorilla figures)
Papo: 3 (plus new playset)
PNSO: 3
Rebor: 4
Safari Ltd: 0
Schleich: 6 (plus Dakotaraptor and Triceratops re-releases)

[Halichoeres]

It does seem a bit slow, except for Haolonggood. I'd say Safari has 2 rather than 0: Stegouros and Therizinosaurus.

[Faelrin]

@Halichoeres True, but since Safari includes them in their 2023 lineup I included them there, but yes technically 2024 releases due to their late release. Also the baby Brachiosaurus repaint became available this year. I'll probably update that on the DTC, since I don't see much of a point in stating they are part of 2023 lineup, when they don't release then. The Therizinosaurus is still being worked on for example (better delayed then rushed, but still), and it is now approaching mid May.

Aside from those, they have yet to do any new reveals, which feels strange. I know Safari is a smaller company, but I'm curious about what internal and external factors are behind it. Same for the other companies.

PNSO only having like three reveals so far is a bit strange. That said, I did notice a slowdown with them last year too. Haolonggood (and Mattel) is the only one actively pumping stuff out, which is curious. CollectA, Papo, and Schleich are where I expect them to be, based on previous years. Creative Beast, Nanmu, and Rebor do their releases different, and the former is doing just fine with another successful kickstarter.

[SBell]

Aside from those, they have yet to do any new reveals, which feels strange. I know Safari is a smaller company, but I'm curious about what internal and external factors are behind it. Same for the other companies.

Ummm...

Other than Mattel, Safari has been around longer than any other in your list, and has a huge and diverse range. I wouldn't call them smaller.

But they have been scaling differently these days.

[Faelrin]

@SBell I know but I'm going off what S @Shane has posted before. If I recall right they are still family owned. Maybe smaller wasn't the right word?

[SBell]

@SBell I know but I'm going off what S @Shane has posted before. If I recall right they are still family owned. Maybe smaller wasn't the right word?

They're a family company, but yeah, as far as figure companies go they're not small.

Just not corporation or nationalized company 'big'. Whatever that would be called

[Halichoeres]

I mean, yeah, I think manufacturers of animal figurines, which are generally a pretty niche product, are smaller than the giants like Lego, Hasbro, Takara Tomy, or Bandai. Schleich is probably the biggest, with 2023 US revenues somewhere under $50 million (https://incfact.com/company/schleichusa-charlotte-nc/). Meanwhile Hasbro had revenues in 2023 of over $4 billion.

[Faelrin]

Look what showed up at the motel I've been living at for a while. My dad was out on a walk when he saw a guy driving up in this. Asked if we could get pics, and he told him I'm a huge fan too. I didn't get a chance to chat as I just had to go to the bathroom then, but he was nice enough to park it outside our door and let us get pics while he got ready for his job.



Bonus pic of it with my Spaz in the window. 



I got a few more pics from multiple angles. I am definitely jealous lol. He put a lot of money and work into it and it has paid off.

[Ludodactylus]

That's really cool! We used to have a guy in my apartment complex who drove a jeep with a Jurassic Park-logo cover over the spare tire and T.rex skull decals on the sides above the rear tires, but he didn't go all in with the paint job and everything.

[Halichoeres]

That must have been a fun project.

Also, with a paint job that distinctive, this guy has to really watch his behavior on the road!

[Faelrin]

I just came across this. This was described earlier this year, and it may be the funniest scientific name I've seen yet. Say hello to Hotwheels sisyphus. Yes you read that right. Considering how stressful this week has been for me, I really needed a good laugh out of something as silly as a spider being named Hotwheels. Paper is open access.

Edit: It gets even better. Among all the members of the Gnaphosidae, all have scientific names one would come to expect, and then like there's just Hotwheels among them, lol.

https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/115996/list/8/

[Perotorum]

I just came across this. This was described earlier this year, and it may be the funniest scientific name I've seen yet. Say hello to Hotwheels sisyphus. Yes you read that right. Considering how stressful this week has been for me, I really needed a good laugh out of something as silly as a spider being named Hotwheels. Paper is open access.

Edit: It gets even better. Among all the members of the Gnaphosidae, all have scientific names one would come to expect, and then like there's just Hotwheels among them, lol.

https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/115996/list/8/

Reminds me of a recently described temnospondyl, Kermitops.

[CityRaptor]

"So what do you collect?"
"Hot Wheels!"
*cue both of them being swarmed by spiders*

[Faelrin]

I made an Opabinia in Spore. I haven't played it in ages, but was in the mood for it briefly. Has anyone here played Spore before in the past?

[crazy8wizard]

Has anyone here played Spore before in the past?

I've played the campaign a long time ago, not too long after it released, although it wasn't my thing. I prefer to just mess around with the creature creator making creatures just for fun.

[Gwangi]

I used to play Spore and I particularly enjoyed making dinosaurs and cryptids. That was around 2009-10, before I even got into toy collecting.