What happened to this website?

[DinoFan2010]

There's this site on the DTB links called dinosaur-toys-collectors-guide.com, but it has not been updated since at least 2018 (most recent blog post). Anyone have any info?

[BlueKrono]

There's this site on the DTB links called dinosaur-toys-collectors-guide.com, but it has not been updated since at least 2018 (most recent blog post). Anyone have any info?

If I'm thinking of the right site, it was run by a gentleman by the name of Barry. I've been corresponding with him in a threeway email for several years. In September of last year my other friend and I realized that Barry hadn't responded to us for a while, when he was normally pretty chatty. We feared the worst. I searched the obituaries for his name but found nothing. I even mailed a letter to his address inquiring about him and included my email and phone number, but I never got any kind of response. My friend told me that Barry had the maintenance of the website on autopay or some such thing, but besides our obvious concern for the well-being of our friend we also fear the website with all its useful information will at some point abruptly cease to exist. If anyone knows anything about website archiving that would be very handy!

[DinoToyForum]

There's this site on the DTB links called dinosaur-toys-collectors-guide.com, but it has not been updated since at least 2018 (most recent blog post). Anyone have any info?

If I'm thinking of the right site, it was run by a gentleman by the name of Barry. I've been corresponding with him in a threeway email for several years. In September of last year my other friend and I realized that Barry hadn't responded to us for a while, when he was normally pretty chatty. We feared the worst. I searched the obituaries for his name but found nothing. I even mailed a letter to his address inquiring about him and included my email and phone number, but I never got any kind of response. My friend told me that Barry had the maintenance of the website on autopay or some such thing, but besides our obvious concern for the well-being of our friend we also fear the website with all its useful information will at some point abruptly cease to exist. If anyone knows anything about website archiving that would be very handy!

The site will automatically be archived on the Wayback Machine Internet Archive: https://web.archive.org

I always wondered about that website. It seems a bit odd that despite having a well-populated links page, they haven't linked to the DinoToyBlog, and despite our shared passion they never joined the DinoToyForum (as far as I know, maybe they are a lurker?). But I linked to the site because I enjoy the content and I know other DTB readers will appreciate it too.

[Gwangi]

That site was a primary resource of mine when I was writing Marx reviews for the blog. I linked to it a few times in those reviews.

[Dinoguy2]

There's this site on the DTB links called dinosaur-toys-collectors-guide.com, but it has not been updated since at least 2018 (most recent blog post). Anyone have any info?

If I'm thinking of the right site, it was run by a gentleman by the name of Barry. I've been corresponding with him in a threeway email for several years. In September of last year my other friend and I realized that Barry hadn't responded to us for a while, when he was normally pretty chatty. We feared the worst. I searched the obituaries for his name but found nothing. I even mailed a letter to his address inquiring about him and included my email and phone number, but I never got any kind of response. My friend told me that Barry had the maintenance of the website on autopay or some such thing, but besides our obvious concern for the well-being of our friend we also fear the website with all its useful information will at some point abruptly cease to exist. If anyone knows anything about website archiving that would be very handy!

The site will automatically be archived on the Wayback Machine Internet Archive: https://web.archive.org

I always wondered about that website. It seems a bit odd that despite having a well-populated links page, they haven't linked to the DinoToyBlog, and despite our shared passion they never joined the DinoToyForum (as far as I know, maybe they are a lurker?). But I linked to the site because I enjoy the content and I know other DTB readers will appreciate it too.

Wayback doesn't really do long-term backup of images though, right? Many old figure sites I've tried to get info from on Wayback is pretty hit or miss regarding if the images still show up.

[Dilopho]

This site was one of my very favourites back in the day. I really hope the owner is alright.

[DinoToyForum]

There's this site on the DTB links called dinosaur-toys-collectors-guide.com, but it has not been updated since at least 2018 (most recent blog post). Anyone have any info?

If I'm thinking of the right site, it was run by a gentleman by the name of Barry. I've been corresponding with him in a threeway email for several years. In September of last year my other friend and I realized that Barry hadn't responded to us for a while, when he was normally pretty chatty. We feared the worst. I searched the obituaries for his name but found nothing. I even mailed a letter to his address inquiring about him and included my email and phone number, but I never got any kind of response. My friend told me that Barry had the maintenance of the website on autopay or some such thing, but besides our obvious concern for the well-being of our friend we also fear the website with all its useful information will at some point abruptly cease to exist. If anyone knows anything about website archiving that would be very handy!

The site will automatically be archived on the Wayback Machine Internet Archive: https://web.archive.org

I always wondered about that website. It seems a bit odd that despite having a well-populated links page, they haven't linked to the DinoToyBlog, and despite our shared passion they never joined the DinoToyForum (as far as I know, maybe they are a lurker?). But I linked to the site because I enjoy the content and I know other DTB readers will appreciate it too.

Wayback doesn't really do long-term backup of images though, right? Many old figure sites I've tried to get info from on Wayback is pretty hit or miss regarding if the images still show up.

That's true, images are often missing from the Wayback Machine.

In principle, it would be relatively easy (if a little time consuming) for someone to manually save the images along with the html and upload the lot to a new host. But that would obviously need permission.

I do hope the owner is alright. This conversation reminds me that I must put a contingency in place for my own websites. If something happens to me I'd like the DTB etc. to continue in my absence, not just as an archive but as active websites, but as things stand they wouldn't.

[EmperorDinobot]

I miss the Dinosauricon. I think we'll take care of the DTB for many years to come. When this first started in 2007 I was like "this will last 5 years at most" and look at us now. We've been humble, and that has helped. I've been a member of many forums and stuff, and most are gone and stuff.

[Halichoeres]

I do hope the owner is alright. This conversation reminds me that I must put a contingency in place for my own websites. If something happens to me I'd like the DTB etc. to continue in my absence, not just as an archive but as active websites, but as things stand they wouldn't.

I was about to offer to be custodian, but even if I had your web design skills, I'm not sure I'm a good candidate from an actuarial standpoint.

[BlueKrono]

We finally found out what happened to Barry. Sort of what I expected, but still sad news. I regret that I was never able to make it out to NC to meet him in person. My other friend was correct that autopay has allowed the website to continue for a couple years now, but there's no telling how long that will be the case. IMHO it is a website in peril of extinction.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/barry-jaeger-obituary?pid=200989989

[Faelrin]

I've been behind on checking this thread out, but man's that's unfortunate. I've visited that website a number of times with researching older figures.

I pulled the link into the wayback machine and they have snapshots from all the way back in 2009. Lots of images, etc, seem to be saved as well.

[Takama]

We finally found out what happened to Barry. Sort of what I expected, but still sad news. I regret that I was never able to make it out to NC to meet him in person. My other friend was correct that autopay has allowed the website to continue for a couple years now, but there's not telling how long that will be the case. IMHO it is a website in peril of extinction.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/barry-jaeger-obituary?pid=200989989

I am at a loss for words

My condolances to his family(even if its a bit late)   but that website was what helped me get into this hobby.

Not to mention its Mascot Rexford🥺😭

[SidB]

I'm saddened to hear of his passing, as I too had wondered about the inactivity on the site. And, yes, @Takama , this site was a formative influence on me also in getting into the world of collecting dinosaurs.

[Gwangi]

That's so sad to hear. I kind of assumed he wasn't around anymore because the site hasn't been updated in so long but this confirms my suspicions. That site was critical in my research on Marx toys and I linked to it many times in my Marx reviews. It was especially important when I got into this hobby 13 years ago. There weren't many online dinosaur toy resources back then.

Thank you @BlueKrono for breaking the news to us.

[Dilopho]

RIP to a true pioneer of this hobby.

[DinoToyForum]

Oh, that's terribly sad news. Thanks for letting us know @BlueKrono

I've been behind on checking this thread out, but man's that's unfortunate. I've visited that website a number of times with researching older figures.

I pulled the link into the wayback machine and they have snapshots from all the way back in 2009. Lots of images, etc, seem to be saved as well.

The images still appear only because they are still hosted on the original website. When the website goes down so will the images. I'm inclined to make a backup of the website now, while it's still possible, and host it on dinotoyblog.com for posterity, as a memorial to Barry, and as resource for the rest of us. @BlueKrono, you knew Barry better than any of us, do you have any idea whether he would have wanted this or not? Maybe you or I could reach out to his wife and/or children to ask for permission? I don't want to get in trouble 'stealing' content.

[BlueKrono]

@DinoToyForum From what I know of Barry I think he'd be okay with that. I first met him on eBay, where he cut me a great deal on Marx dinos from the famed Marx Dump. Passing along the torch to the next generation seems to have been one of his values. He connected me with my other friend, a fellow young Marx enthusiast who I did get to visit in 2019. I stayed at his house and we toured the Harvard museum where the Kronosaurus resides. I'm sure Barry would have been touched that his website was such a formative influence on so many collectors; I know I certainly am. I think I mentioned earlier - I tried reaching out to his family with a mailed letter with my email and phone number in it, but it got returned as undeliverable. Barry and I mostly communicated via his email, and I don't really have any other way to get ahold of his family. I think if they're anything like him they would want to see his legacy preserved for the enjoyment of others. He clearly invested a lot of time and effort into that site.

[DinoToyForum]

@DinoToyForum From what I know of Barry I think he'd be okay with that. I first met him on eBay, where he cut me a great deal on Marx dinos from the famed Marx Dump. Passing along the torch to the next generation seems to have been one of his values. He connected me with my other friend, a fellow young Marx enthusiast who I did get to visit in 2019. I stayed at his house and we toured the Harvard museum where the Kronosaurus resides. I'm sure Barry would have been touched that his website was such a formative influence on so many collectors; I know I certainly am. I think I mentioned earlier - I tried reaching out to his family with a mailed letter with my email and phone number in it, but it got returned as undeliverable. Barry and I mostly communicated via his email, and I don't really have any other way to get ahold of his family. I think if they're anything like him they would want to see his legacy preserved for the enjoyment of others. He clearly invested a lot of time and effort into that site.

Thanks, then I'll do my best to preserve it.

[Dilopho]

How is it possible to preserve it as part of your website? What would it be like?

I have such fond memories of that site. I used to read it nearly every day at some point, even if there were no new updates, just because it's so genuine, casual and comfy. I'm truly sad to hear about the owner's passing, and I hope he somehow knew how much his writing meant to a lot of people around the world.

[Turkeysaurus]

RIP. His website has been very helpful to me as well.