Fembrogon's Bestiary (post-2020)

[Fembrogon]

The past couple of years have obviously been weird for a number of reasons, but shortly before things got really crazy, my family and I ended up having to move and pack up all our belongings into storage. This meant virtually everything in my collection got boxed and stored away, where it remains for the (un?)foreseeable future until we can afford a larger place again and move everything back in.
These events haven't curbed the hobby entirely for me, however: once I was in a more stable financial situation again, I began building a 2.0 collection in the hopes of eventually uniting my new acquisitions with the older items in storage (someday).
...And since everybody else has been doing these threads, I figured, why not start now?


To start this thread, here are some photos of the original collection now in storage. These aren't a comprehensive catalog, since I wasn't really concerned about needing to document every single item; but they cover a good majority of the important stuff.
(click on any of the photos for a larger link)




These are a couple of shots of my main collection/display shelf from 2017; I had to add a couple more shelves on top in the following year or two, because they were getting pretty crowded! As you can see from the "unloaded" photo, Safari ltd. easily was the dominant presence, with Battat taking second place after the Terra releases. Safari is just too easy to collect compared to the other brands, thanks to both their price range and the accessibility of their own website.
More specific photos are in the spoilers below:

Spoiler

SAFARI LTD/WILD SAFARI



Like I said, Safari ltd. made up the bulk of my collection (still does). I never did a Carnegie group shot, but the following group shots I took in 2018 cover most of my Wild Safari figures, documenting their releases from specific time ranges. The above photo covers everything in my collection released from 1996 to 2007; the below groups are specifically for 1996-99, 2004, and 2005-07, respectively. I think I actually took these for another thread here on the forum.







Any WS figures I had from 2008 onwards (like my updated Carcharodontosaurus, Iguanodon, feathered Velociraptor, Malawisaurus, etc.), I regrettably did not photograph as a group.

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Spoiler

BATTAT


I've never been a completist collector when it comes to lines or brands; but the release of the Terra line had me compelled to collect the full series if possible. Thankfully the Terra figures were super affordable and readily available in my area, so it was quite easy to obtain all 12 figures in the Dan LoRusso collection. I think enough has been said on this board about the tragedy of Mr. LoRusso's passing and the slow deflation of the line since then, but I'm glad the Battat dinosaurs had at least a few years of life again amidst an ever-growing and competing market of dino toys.

FAVORITE


Favorite was probably one of the companies I discovered specifically thanks to the Toy Blog; they made for an interesting alternative brand from Safari and Collecta. Although I think their figures can be pretty hit or miss, they offer some interesting selections and have managed to put out some pretty unique depictions of certain genera. The swimming spino ended up being my first and only "neotype" spino figure for a while; I appreciate that Favorite avoided the crocodilian style that quickly became a cliche.
Not pictured here is my Series 1 Allosaurus, which is honestly still one of my - ahem - favorite figures in my Favorite collection.

EOFAUNA


It's funny to think about how Eofauna was slipping under people's radar at first (including mine); their releases are among my most anticipated every year now. I have yet to catch up with their newest figures, but I really should - I miss having their models within reach to admire.

PNSO


Speaking of funny, remember when these big obscure museum figures could go for $35? I've only really been able to pick up on PNSO in the last year, but the above two models and the Shantungosaurus all quickly became highlights in my collection, so I was always eager for more news on the company. Who would have thought they'd explode in size like they have, especially after that hiatus a while back?

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Spoiler

BEASTS OF THE MESOZOIC
Has it really been over six years since the raptor series started coming to life? Although I missed the Kickstarter at the time, I made sure to get a couple of orders in through Backerkit afterwards. I wasn't following the ceratopsian campaign as closely, due to how expensive the figures were getting; but it's been exciting to see how successful the series has been so far. I'm looking forward to those tyrants!


First batch order


Second order, two Fan's Choice designs. The Dromaeosaurus is probably my favorite figure in the raptor series.


Relaxing for a full group shot.

COLORATA


Another brand I discovered through the Toy Blog, iirc. I had intended to review all three main Dino sets for the Blog, but I never managed to purchase the middle set due to discrepancies with the Spino figure. Maybe one of these days...

KAIYODO DINOTALES


Another brand discovered through the Blog. I got these from a couple of eBay sellers around the same time for good prices and intended to get more. These are definitely addictive little figures, but there's always too much to buy, so I haven't gone back to growing this collection yet.

TAKARA TOMY



Another line I bought in bulk in a short period when I found them available - and which I had intended to write more reviews of. Regrettably I let myself stall because I wanted to cover them in numerical order, and I was/am missing the Pteranodon. I wish I had thought to take some of these with me instead of boxing all of them.

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Spoiler

MATTEL

Now this is a line I definitely knew I couldn't possibly try to complete; but I was excited by the overall variety and quality all the same. After an initial surge I ended up dropping off the line due frustration over the EC Spino, which was easily my most anticipated figure in the line; but I continued picking up a figure or two here and there.





Most, but not all, of my JW acquisitions are featured above. The Mosasaurus was my first priority buy and it's still one of my favorites. I was pretty impressed with the Mussaurus and Coelurus, though.
Somewhere in storage I also have a Brachiosaurus waiting to finally be assembled...

INVICTA


Poor Diplodocus got stupidly forgotten for this photo. Apart from the Brachiosaurus, which I had for many years without knowing its history, all of these were obtained in another short period of time when time and chance were on my side for eBay bargains. There was a time when I would have scoffed at older toys for how dated they are, but I've done a 180-degree turn on that attitude. I don't expect to ever get a complete Invicta collection, but in this case I hope to get pretty close.

MARX


Oh, if only I had known what was to come, I would have taken this little bunch with me. These were picked up for me at a garage sale and were, for all intents and purposes, my official introduction to the Marx line, of which I'd barely had cursory knowledge of before. I think I actually mistook them for Invictas at first, I was so clueless about vintage!

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That covers my pre-move collection, for the most part. My next post will begin documenting the newly-forming bestiary up to now.

BESTIARY REBIRTH - COLLECTION UPDATES 2021+ (further updates on the individual posts)
Sinclair: figurines, booklet
Marx: by mold group, by genera
MPC, Waipoon, Nabisco, Ajax
Tim Mee Toys
Invicta, Safari ltd & Carnegie, Battat
Schleich, Collecta, PNSO
Mattel/Kenner, Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous Addendum (2021-2022)
2022 - end of year

[Gwangi]

Thanks for sharing! It's a shame that they're all stored away but it will be an epic day indeed when they're unpacked, and I hope you post them again when they are.

These collection threads were popular in the early days of the blog but appear to have fallen out of favor, I'm glad they seem to be making a comeback. I don't remember the last time I posted in mine, 6 or so years ago I guess.

[Fembrogon]

Glad you like it; I still see numerous existing threads being updated, so even if there aren't a lot of new collection threads, there still seems to be interest in the content.

[Gwangi]

Glad you like it; I still see numerous existing threads being updated, so even if there aren't a lot of new collection threads, there still seems to be interest in the content.

Oh yes, there are some collection threads that have been going for quite a long time now and never stopped.

[Shonisaurus]

Thanks for sharing photos and information. You have an extremely varied collection and you have figures from toy companies that many DTF members do not have, at least I do. Collecting dinosaurs and prehistoric animals in general is exciting.

[Halichoeres]

A very impressive collection, thanks for sharing! I like the wide variety of makes and styles.

I've had to move my collection a couple of times now and it's a huge pain. Hopefully your older figures won't have to languish in storage too long.

I think the disruption caused by Photobucket trying to extort account holders and then backing off really put the kibosh on collection threads. There are obviously many places to host images, but at the time it was such a dominant hosting site for forums like this that I think lots of people never bothered to adjust. And considering how much easier it is to post images to social media sites, some people probably moved to those for sharing collections.

The way people interact with collection threads has really changed, too. I feel like when I was new here, people would have conversations about each other's collections, and that seems a lot more rare now. My hypothesis is that because of like buttons on social media, people have trained themselves to not reply to anything anymore unless they have a specific question or a bone to pick (I notice some people don't respond to a collection thread except to correct someone's spelling or something similar).

[Varanops]

Terrific collection.  I recognize many old favorites among the throng.  Hope long storage doesn't harm them (many of mine were half-'melted' and practically glued together from excessive heat exposure in a poorly ventilated storage unit during one of our moves; after separation, they looked like they had just staggered out of the local public house after long-overstaying 'happy hour').

[Gwangi]

A very impressive collection, thanks for sharing! I like the wide variety of makes and styles.

I've had to move my collection a couple of times now and it's a huge pain. Hopefully your older figures won't have to languish in storage too long.

I think the disruption caused by Photobucket trying to extort account holders and then backing off really put the kibosh on collection threads. There are obviously many places to host images, but at the time it was such a dominant hosting site for forums like this that I think lots of people never bothered to adjust. And considering how much easier it is to post images to social media sites, some people probably moved to those for sharing collections.

The way people interact with collection threads has really changed, too. I feel like when I was new here, people would have conversations about each other's collections, and that seems a lot more rare now. My hypothesis is that because of like buttons on social media, people have trained themselves to not reply to anything anymore unless they have a specific question or a bone to pick (I notice some people don't respond to a collection thread except to correct someone's spelling or something similar).

For me it's a combination of things. Yes, it is a time intensive hassle to take pictures, upload them, transfer them to a hosting site, and then post them here. Also, I just don't think people care that much, which I know is a negative mindset to have but my own collection doesn't seem impressive enough to bother sharing, especially since it would take up so much time, a scarce commodity. That said, I did enjoy maintaining my collection thread when I had one so I think I would like to do it again. I would want it to be an ongoing thing though, showcase a few figures at a time over a long period of time, instead of just posting shelf pictures.

As for contributing to collection threads, I usually don't because I don't know what to say, other than "nice collection", which I suppose is enough to at least show support.

[suspsy]

I see some good candidates for Animal Toy Blog reviews.

[Gwangi]

I see some good candidates for Animal Toy Blog reviews.

Good call! I mentioned something along those lines on the Animal Toy Forum. Fembrogon's reviews are great, would love to see some on the ATB.

[Fembrogon]

I have considered submitting some ATB reviews at some point; but any of the figures above are inaccessible right now and I wouldn't want to write a review solely on whatever photos I MIGHT have. I had to finish my PNSO Megalodon review that way and I don't want to do that again.

The way people interact with collection threads has really changed, too. I feel like when I was new here, people would have conversations about each other's collections, and that seems a lot more rare now. My hypothesis is that because of like buttons on social media, people have trained themselves to not reply to anything anymore unless they have a specific question or a bone to pick (I notice some people don't respond to a collection thread except to correct someone's spelling or something similar).

I admit, I feel like I fall into that trap pretty easily, too; it's easy to just scroll through content without really processing it, and it's something I need to be more aware of. certainly there's a lot of interesting stuff here shared between our members, and I've trying to take more time to appreciate people's collections here.

[Fembrogon]

SINCLAIR DINOLAND

While these figures weren't my first new purchases following the move, without a doubt these are the figures which shaped the biggest development in my collection over 2021. I grew up playing with select "vintage" toys, either my own or belonging to relatives; but I was never conscious of the history and distinctions between the companies who were pioneering dinosaur toys. that all changed in 2021, and I have the Sinclair Dinoland series to thank for it.


The three that started it all: Sinclair Trachodon, Triceratops, and Stegosaurus. These belonged to my grandparents and stood out to me from their other dinosaur toys, even as a kid. The Hong Kong Marx knockoffs and their ilk couldn't possibly compare to these finely molded figurines. Thanks to Doug Watson and a couple other folks here on the Forums and elsewhere, I was able to identify them and get a taste of vintage collecting strong enough to whet my appetite.


Ankylosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, and Brontosaurus complete the six-piece set. I think it's a shame Sinclair didn't expand on this line; at the very least, it would have been great to see Corythosaurus, Struthiomimus, and Ornitholestes get included, since they were featured in the main Dinoland exhibit.


Expanded collection with recast figures. Sinclair's molds were acquired by Dimensions for Children (DFC). and it can be tricky sometimes to distinguish recasts from originals. As far as I can tell, the six figures in the prior photo are originals, whereas the extra figures pictured here (red Anky, blue Trike, green & yellow Trach, but maybe not the yellow Steg) are recasts. For the most part, the recasts still capture most of the form and detail of the originals, so they make a beautiful supplement to the collection.

While acquiring all of these took some patience (and a LOT of eBay scouring), I ended up doing a decent bit of research in the meantime and wound up falling into a pretty deep rabbit hole of vintage toys. I was not prepared...!  

[Gwangi]

Beautiful! They look great together. I'm gonna have to track them down after I'm done finishing my Marx collection. 

[Duna]

I love that collection, you know! As I have already said you were the "culprit" I fall in love with that earthy coloured Trachodon. I wasn't disapointed at all when I got it, it's a beauty and so are the rest.
You have the leaflet too, haven't you?

[Libraraptor]

Makes me want to begin hunting down All those Sinclairs immediately!

[Bokisaurus]

Wonderful to see you starting your collection thread 😃 and see the figures you have.
Collection threads are my favorite threads these days, thanks for sharing your collection photos 😃

[Shonisaurus]

My congratulations on all these sinclairs, who would have caught them in my case 45 years ago! The truth was that there were a multitude of vintage dinosaur companies and I did not know it at the time. Honestly collecting vintage figures or discontinued dinosaur figures is much more passionate than buying new dinosaur figures. It reminds us of our past times.

[Fembrogon]

I do indeed have the booklet, @Duna; it seems to be the most easily available piece of the set by a wide margin. I've been using it to complement my figures during review, since it makes good reference for the design of the figures themselves and the overall exhibit.


Thanks, @Gwangi and @Libraraptor, and my best of wishes in your hunt; it took a LOT of scouring eBay (and a few finds on eCrater) over the spring and summer to obtain these. Sinclairs might not be crazy-rare like some dino models, but they still take some doing to find!

Thanks also, B @Bokisaurus; I've been enjoying the collection threads recently too, so I thought I could join in the fun.

I can sympathize, B @Bokisaurus; there's something special about collecting older, out-of-production figures. It becomes something of an additional history dig.

[Lanthanotus]

A truly lovly assortment of those Sinclair figures. I wish they would be easier (well, cheaper) available for us here in Europe.
Would you mind show some of the content of the booklet? I've seen the World Fair videos on Youtube and it was really a remarkable exhibition not least considering its time.

[Fembrogon]

No problem, @Lanthanotus; I just needed to take some new photos. The Booklet is an informational illustrated guide briefly introducing the Dinoland exhibit as a whole, followed by individual pages devoted to each of the featured dinosaurs. As far as I know, all of this artwork is original; I don't know who the artist was, however.

front and back covers


map of the exhibit


back pages discussing the Sinclair company


the dinosaurs (with accompanying figurines):

Spoiler

Brontosaurus


Struthiomimus & Trachodon


Tyrannosaurus & Triceratops


Ankylosaurus & Corythosaurus


Ornitholestes & Stegosaurus

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