Help Choosing (First Ever) Figure From Amongst These Three Papo Models

[kidrow]

Hi all, Greetings from India. .

So I wish to buy a Papo model  to serve as a reference &/or study tool - I'm an aspiring artist. I have a friend coming over from the US, who can carry one for me. I don't own any other dino models & this will be my first purchase.

The Allosuarus, Brown Sitting T-Rex & the Running T-Rex (all 3 from Papo) seem the most interesting. But I can only afford one atm - a typical starving artist, .

So I'm asking for opinions on which model they feel is most naturalistic & closest to what would be encountered in reality (aesthetically speaking & not from the viewpoint of scientific accuracy). Which is the one that would make me want to buy the others? , .

Since I'm in India, I cannot see any of these models in person. All I have are marketing & user images to go on. Accordingly, my impressions are-

- The Allosaurus' texturing seems over the top & a bit "rock" like. While it is to be expected since it is a more crocodilian figure, is it still a bit too much? What I really like is the dynamic pose, the varied scaling, the obvious musculature, & above all, the sinister looking head.

- The Running T-Rex also scores points for the pose & musculature, but the texturing/scales seem a bit too uniform & "chainmail"-like or pebble-like.

- The Brown T-Rex seems docile in comparison with the tripod stance, but the texturing seems very realistic. It seems leathery & reminds me of an elephant.

So, would you say I'm close to what these models look like in reality or off the mark? Which one would you pick?

Thanks for your time. Cheers & have a good day!

PS- Which online stores (that stock Papo) are considered reasonable for their pricing as well as international shipping costs? (For my next purchase, ) 

[EarthboundEiniosaurus]

I own both the running Tyrannosaurus and the Allosaurus, and both are great models. I'd recommend either of those two over the classic Tyrannosaurus, which i have seen in person and have not bought because I much prefer the ones I have already. As for which one, i'd go with the Allosaurus, as with the running rex the head is very detailed, while the rest of the body seems a bit... plain to me. The scutes on the Allosaurus help to liven up the figure. Hope my opinion helps in your decision

Thanks,

EarthboundEiniosaurus

[Halichoeres]

I've owned all three of these, and the only one I still have is the Allosaurus, if that says anything.

[kidrow]

Hey, thanks to you both for that. Appreciate it.

[sauroid]

i have the three Papos you mentioned. i love all of em but if you have to pick just one then get the Allo.

[Tyto_Theropod]

Firstly, hello and welcome to the forum!

Anyway, if you're thinking of doing art that is accurate to how dinosaurs really looked (or at least our best guesses from current research...), then I would recommend Carnegie, Wild Safari or the newer CollectA models over Papo. Having said which, I love Papo for the detail and quality of the figures, but I would still definitely choose the Allosaurus. The Tyrannosaurs are mainly based off the Jurassic Park designs and these no longer add up with current thinking of how the animal looked. The Allosaurus, on the other hand, is a very decent depiction of the animal as we currently understand it but the feet should be smaller and the hands should be held with the palms facing each other.

Basically what I'm saying is that I agree with everyone else. The Tyrannosaurus models are nice in their own way, but I'd go for the Allosaurus. Hope this helps.

[kidrow]

@sauroid @Tyto_Theropod - Thanks for taking the time.

Well, I've just started learning animal anatomy, tbh. So scientific accuracy is far from my  mind.

Probably, once I've become more comfortable with the anatomy of animals such as horse, cats etc. & the JP inspired dinos, I'll pay more attention to scientific accuracy.

To be frank, I don't mind the filmic portrayal of dinosaurs, which gives certain dinosaurs a sinister quality, & others a more gentle one, without much regard for what current research says.

It's probably because I'm very early in my journey. It may very well be that the more time I spend learning about dinosaurs, the more accuracy I'll seek.

Anyhow, four posts so far, & all in favour of the Allosaurus. Keep 'em coming!

[Megalosaurus]

Someone said in his website: If you have to buy only one dinosaur toy in your life, it will be the Papo Allosaurus.

[Rain]

Hello! I have all 3 and I would recommend the Allosaurus, but like you said the texturing/details are very rock like. If the way the texturing looks is your main concern, I'd definitely just go for the sitting Rex as it's texturing looks the most naturalistic for such a large animal.

Also EverythingDinosaur.com has quite reasonable prices for Papo figures. Ebay is also a good place to look, a figure will appear on there every now and again for very cheap.

[LophoLeeVT]

i have all the models but i bought the allosaurus 4 years ahead than others cuz the skin texture is awesome!

[kidrow]

@Megalosaurus @Rain @raptor64870 - Thanks for your input.

The texturing is a concern if it makes the figure more toy-like & less natural-looking.

I can appreciate the fact that the Allosaurus would be more rock-like, given that it is more crocodilian. In fact, comparing the textures on the two figures is a bit like comparing apples to oranges, tbh.

I was just concerned that Papo might have overdone it because the marketing images seem a bit over-sharpened. But judging by all of the responses in favour of the Allosaurus, I think my concerns may be unfounded.

Thanks for the heads up on everythingdinosaur.com. Will check that out.

PS- Quick question : Are the Schleich T-Rex (the one with the white spots) & the Carnegie Brown T-Rex similar to the Papo T-Rex as far as the texturing is concerned? Or does the Papo still have that extra layer of detail?

I ask because a) the the first two will be cheaper than the Papo for me, since they are available locally (albeit online only). & b) knowing that the Papo T-Rex is not so dissimilar from the offerings from competitors would help with the buying decision.

Again, thank you all!

[Viking Spawn]

I also own all 3 and they are the best in the Papo inventory.  I agree with everyone else in terms of accuracy...  Go with the Allosaurus. 

As for Papo vs Schleich... Papo wins hands down.  I'd pay the extra for Papo's detail and quality.

[kidrow]

@Viking Spawn - Thanks for your time.

The Allosaurus wins unanimously. I'll order one soon & reserve the T-Rex models for later.

Does Amazon have the best prices (including shipping within the US)? Any other sites I should check which can match or better the prices on Amazon? Any other devices for price reduction like coupons & such?

Many thanks to all! You'll have been so, so helpful!

[Viking Spawn]

Happy Hen Toys has great prices.  FYI.

[Halichoeres]

Depending on the strength of the rupee relative to the Australian dollar, minizoo.com.au might also be worth checking.

[kidrow]

Thanks. Checked Happy Hen Toys. Combined with the shipping cost, the prices are pretty similar to Amazon. As for Minizoo, I'll keep them bookmarked for when I wish to buy directly from India. Right now, I'm getting the figure through a friend in the US. Again, many thanks, .

[kidrow]

I finally ordered the Allosaurus from Amazon. Just wanted to express my gratitude for all the helpful input from everyone here. Much, much appreciated. Cheers!

[LophoLeeVT]

yes!!!  thaks for your visit at the dtf!