Hello from Germany :D

[StickyDan]

Hi everybody! Just joined today and figured I should introduce myself briefly! I've actually been lurking on this forum for a while, and I figured since I check out the forum at least 1x a day anyway, I might as well make an account 

I've always been a big fan of dinosaurs - I think it was Disney's Dinosaur movie that really introduced me to these animals and sparked my love for them, though my parents buying me children's books about dinosaurs and watching documentaries with me certainly helped, too. I've always been interested in animals (extinct and extant) in general, actually, thanks to my grandfather, who used to take me on walks and point out all the animals we saw, or go to the zoo with me, and then tell me all about what he knew about the animals He also used to have one of these really big encyclopedias about animals, as well as a copy of Serengeti Shall Not Die, and I always loved looking and reading through them (still do). 

I finally started collecting dinosaur figurines last year, about eight months ago - when I a) finally got my first real job and thus $cash money$ to burn, and b) because I learned that there was more to the world of dinosaur figurines than Schleich and Mattel (two brands I don't particularly care about. They're pretty much the only dino toys I can find in stores around here in my part of Germany, with the odd Papo here and there).

I have a Master's degree in biology and am currently employed at a biotech company, doing lab work. Besides collecting dinosaur figurines, I also enjoy going on long walks/hikes, swimming, drawing, reading, and writing. I've also dabbled in making simple jewelry (mostly bracelets), as well as making figurines out of clay before. The latter is a hobby that I definitely want to pursue more in the future, once I have more space, and I'd love to learn how to sew as well    (but that will have to wait until I have my own apartment and more space). I also have a small collection of rubber ducks sitting in my room

I still live with my parents and thus have a limited amount of space, so I tend to be very picky with my figurines for the most part and only buy ones that I really, really like. And while I could just put some figurines into storage and rotate my collection around, I like looking at my figurines way too much to actually do that

Here's my current collection (hope the pictures show up):

These guys are sitting on  my desk at work! My co-workers love seeing what new dinos I add every now and then


On my nightstand - facing off one of my hand-made figurines


Around and on my desk:







Polly (a "Deinonychus") and Jolene (no idea what she is. but isn't she beautiful? )



Some more figurines + hand-made stuff



And the rest of the herd:







(^ not dinosaurs, but shhhhh, don't tell them)

Plus some none-figurine dino stuff:





And finally, there is the myth, the legend himself, Sticky Dan, whom I named my account after, in all of his sticky, glossy glory:

It was the first (and so far only) figurine I re-painted. Got it for cheap from a second-hand shop and decided to just have a go at it. Unfortunately, either I used the wrong finish or the paints reacted with the figurine - either way, he turned sticky Colors are inspired by a female giant hornbill - so I guess technically Sticky Dan is a she, not a he?

[DinoToyForum]

Welcome @StickyDan! I was expecting a smaller collection based on your description, that's pretty good going for less than one year! 

[Pliosaurking]

Hello and welcome!
Grand collection, especially for less than a year!

[Libraraptor]

Hello and welcome to the forum, @StickyDan ! I am delighted to see yet another German member here - I know there are some others around.
I love your collection - dinosaur figures and books, nothing wrong with that
Enjoy your stay and have fun on the forum!

[Spinokaprogorgon]

Welcome to the forum @StickyDan!

[Brocc21]

Welcome to the forum, fantastic collection!

[PrimevalRaptor]

Welcome, fellow German!
I feel the struggle with the stuff we get in stores a lot myself lol
Great collection and I'm a big fan of Sticky Dan, both the name and the coloration! I think I had a similar mold as a kid and always really liked it.

[ceratopsian]

Welcome!  I like to see the combination of books and models!

[Torvosaurus]

Welcome!

Torvo

[Elengassen]

Welcome!

[StickyDan]

Thank you for the warm welcome, everyone! Looking forward to posting more on the forum - though I'll probably be lurking most of the time

@DinoToyForum Haha, yeah, I guess when I say that I'm picky one could think that my collection would be smaller! I really am picky though, but unfortunately (or fortunately? ) there are a lot of very nice models on the market nowadays! Plus I have a lot of extra change lying around, so I was able to get a lot of the models that I really like very quickly 

[Halichoeres]

A bit late, but welcome!