Fembrogon's Bestiary (post-2020)

[Fembrogon]

I hope you will review the Elasmotherium.

I will consider it!


Mojo Fun
A casual visit to Hobby Lobby during a shopping day yielded some surprise bargains...


Allosaurus (2020 ver)


Triceratops (2020 ver)


Troodon (2020 ver)

The new Allo and Trike figures are interesting; they're pretty decent figures for their genera, but they're not obviously superior to their predecessors. Perhaps their smaller size and more restrained poses are better for production? It's hard to say. The Troodon isn't bad either, although I'm not sure it bears any features to distinguish it as a proper troodontid over any other deinonychosaur type. Still, another (not-mangy) feathered raptor toy on the market is a plus.

[SidB]

I'd also wondered about that same design and production decision regarding their trike, @Fembrogon , since it followed one year after the release of their obviously superior one of their previous year.

[Fembrogon]

Vivid Toy Group







Walking With Dinosaurs 3D - Mini Dinosaurs sets (x5)

While I was aware of the larger action figures produced for the movie, I completely missed the bus on these minifigures; thankfully there are still eBay sellers listing a lot of these at manageable prices. Besides the lack of Alexornis and Azhdarchid, I've noticed there are subtle differences in the packaging as well, between these American(?) releases and the UK versions. The boxes are 100% identical, so you really have to pay attention to the product photos to know which creatures you're getting with your purchase! I honestly don't even know how many different assortments there are, except I think I've seen more than these 5.
Overall I like these figurines a lot. They have their caveats - all the theropods struggle with balancing, mostly due to the soft plastic - but the scultping is pretty great on all of them, and I can't complain too much about the paint either. It's a shame the movie itself didn't do better; I wish we had more dino franchises beyond Jurassic out there producing content.

[Fembrogon]

Safari Ltd. - The Carnegie Collection





Diplodocus (2007 version)

I think I can confidently say this was my biggest prize in prehistoric collecting this year - a veritable grail item that I just barely caught at the right moment, at a great price. The Carnegie Collection was a defining element in my childhood collection, and the line's twilight years were a mix of almost surreal emotions for me. I remember how excited I was each year for the latest new entry, before the sinking realization came in that soon these annual reveals would end. The Diplodocus is, surely, one of their last great releases, and probably one of their greatest releases ever. It's a gorgeously elegant model, and a real attention-grabber when displayed. I still miss the Carnegie line when I reflect on these wonderful figures, although I can take some solace in knowing the market is growing richer in options than ever.

[Gwangi]

That Diplodocus is one of the Crown Jewels of my collection. I got mine when it was still in production and even though I now have Eofauna's it's not a figure I could ever part with. Still would like to get Battat's though! Congrats on getting this one!

[SidB]

Congratulation, @Fembrogon , for acquiring that great Carnegie classic. I still miss Forest Rogers unique style, which was really hitting its stride during the  last, waning years of the Carnegie collection line. I too have the Eofauna, @Gwangi , and the Carnegie, concerning which I feel the same way - it's a keeper, regardless. On the Battat note, I've seen some recent ones going on ebay in the 300rds, USD, a long way down from the 500-700 of the last couple of years.

[Pachyrhinosaurus]

It may be a sacrilege, but I prefer the Carnegie diplodocus to the Battat. Your second photo really shows the creases and folds that bring life to the later Carnegie sculpts. Congrats on finally adding it to your collection.

[Gwangi]

Congratulation, @Fembrogon , for acquiring that great Carnegie classic. I still miss Forest Rogers unique style, which was really hitting its stride during the  last, waning years of the Carnegie collection line. I too have the Eofauna, @Gwangi , and the Carnegie, concerning which I feel the same way - it's a keeper, regardless. On the Battat note, I've seen some recent ones going on ebay in the 300rds, USD, a long way down from the 500-700 of the last couple of years.

That is a decent drop but I'm still hoping to find one cheap at a junk store or something. Found an Invicta Brontosaurus last year for a couple bucks. You never know!

[SidB]

Congratulation, @Fembrogon , for acquiring that great Carnegie classic. I still miss Forest Rogers unique style, which was really hitting its stride during the  last, waning years of the Carnegie collection line. I too have the Eofauna, @Gwangi , and the Carnegie, concerning which I feel the same way - it's a keeper, regardless. On the Battat note, I've seen some recent ones going on ebay in the 300rds, USD, a long way down from the 500-700 of the last couple of years.

That is a decent drop but I'm still hoping to find one cheap at a junk store or something. Found an Invicta Brontosaurus last year for a couple bucks. You never know!

Small world -- I got the Invicta Brontosaurus and Diplodocus in excellent condition at a local thrift shop the previous year for about the same amount. Go figure!

[Libraraptor]

Wait, the Invicta Apatosaurus is not really rare, is it?

[Gwangi]

Wait, the Invicta Apatosaurus is not really rare, is it?

Not as rare as the Battat Diplodocus but rarer in the United States than in Europe, I suspect. Not something you generally come across in "the wild".

[SidB]

Wait, the Invicta Apatosaurus is not really rare, is it?

Not as rare as the Battat Diplodocus but rarer in the United States than in Europe, I suspect. Not something you generally come across in "the wild".

Canada too. I've found one Invicta Apsto/Bronto in the last 15 years. (Zero Battat Diplo's ,btw).

[Fembrogon]

Still catching up on the queue!





PNSO - Prehistoric Animals Series, no. 081: Yiran the Lufengosaurus
Would it be safe to say this is one of PNSO's finest glow-ups? I never owned the original hollow vinyl figure, but I remember how horribly scrawny it looked. Yiran is a complete, beautiful, 180 turn in style, and I dare say one of the plumpest "prosauropod" reconstructions I recall seeing in a while. I do hope we see more Triassic & early Jurassic dinosaurs from PNSO in the near future.


Creative Beast Studios - Beasts of the Mesozoic



Ceratopsian Series no. 04: Chasmosaurus
I'm very glad David Silva reissued this figure with the original paint job; I still find this release one of the most striking and appealing designs in the series. I think the unique set of colors, combined with a more modest pattern, bring out the best qualities of the figure. It's also great to have a Chasmosaurus at last, as a genus which was a mainstay in dinosaur books when I was a kid (the Haolonggood version is still on the wishlist). There are still some ceratopsians I'd like to get from the series, but I can't currently afford the cost or space for them. Now that I've got Chasmo, though, I'm plenty satisfied.



Utahraptor (independent release)
Back when the Cyberzoic line was announced, I fell in love with the Utahraptor sculpt and color scheme, and I told myself to wait until this version's release. When the standard BotM variant was announced, though... It became a losing battle of resistance. The BotM figure is one of my favorites from the line so far, improving on the articulation of older raptor figures, maintaining impeccable sculpting, and presenting a marvelously subtle paint job. I still really like the Cyberzoic version (and if space & budget permit it, maybe I'll still get it?), but you can't go wrong with the BotM variant. One of the finest figures of 2024, in my opinion.

[SidB]

Well done, @Fembrogon - I particularly like Yiran (got one too). I do believe that if PNSO had intermingled their seemingly interminable theropod run with a few gems like this, they would have gone themselves a big favor in several regards.

[Fembrogon]

Haolonggood - Allosaurus (YangZhi & SuoChao)
As described in my Blog review, the HLG Allos are generally very good; however the older-styled skull is a regrettable flaw. They're still quality figures for the genus, especially around the $20 price point. I look forward to future HLG theropods with how they've been improving since.




Collecta - Struthiomimus
A pickup with SuoChao and some extant animals from Happy Hen Toys. I've long been no fan of fused bases on figures, but thankfully I've been getting over that qualm. Collecta has long been very good at representing less-popular extinct/dino groups, and it's nice to have another decent ornithomimosaur in the bestiary.

[Fembrogon]

Mesozoic Life Project - Ramses the Spinosaurus
"It's been 84 years..." (heehee)
I mentioned the Carnegie Diplodocus was my biggest acquisition of 2024, but the long-awaited arrival of Ramses is a very close second - literally and figuratively! Barring a few design quirks I can't complain too much about (considering how ambitious of a first-time project this was), The Mesozoic Life Spino is an absolute beauty of a replica, one of the finest centerpiece figures in my collection. There's no shortage of very good or even great spinos on the market - most of which are cheaper and more accessible - but until we get more solid publications about the anatomy and behavior of the animal, this will be my "definitive" spino figure. I haven't been following the Mesozoic Life Project closely (they're working on a comic right now IIRC, which sounds neat), but I wish them the best of success and look forward to more figurine projects if they come to light again.



Photographing the figure proved to be a challenge, but a fun one - I've rarely seen a figure in the bestiary so dramatically affected by variations in lighting. The above photo isn't the most accurate capture, but it's a favorite of mine for its atmosphere - it feels like a museum display in the moodier light levels. Such a cool figure.

[Joliezac]

A gorgeous figure!! I have one from Dinosaur Model Artworks on its way to me as I wanted a different color scheme. I can't wait to see it in person. I hoped Rebor would make theirs, but since I don't see this happening this to me is the best Spinosaurus out there. Congrats!

[Pliosaurking]

Congratulations on receiving this gorgeous piece!

[ceratopsian]

For me the PNSO Lufengosaurus was one of the highlights of the year. Stunning model.

[SidB]

For me the PNSO Lufengosaurus was one of the highlights of the year. Stunning model.

Exactly!