TNG Prehistoric Figures (Unending Tedium)

[Lynx]

Hold up, I swear I've seen the Spinosaurus before. Give me a little to do some searching. Maybe I'm just so used to it but I swear I've seen it somewhere else before

Edit: I found an oddly similar model, but I don't wanna be so nitpicky, so I won't share it. Just very odd what I found

[stargatedalek]

"Stolen designs" is not the same as "stolen sculpts/molds" though. People are talking like copied poses is the shadiest thing a toy company could ever do, but it's something major brands even do. Papo and Nanmu built their reputations on it, while REBOR and even Safari at one time (copying from paintings) employed it fairly often.

I'm not saying it's not bad, or at least particularly iffy. But it's a bit hypocritical the levels of doom posting that are going on regarding this company.

I don't feel it's doom posting. In this day and age the other companies mentioned would get the same flak for similar practices. It just seems people are too eager to look beyond the potentially iffy business of TNG because they want justification to buy their products. I don't feel a definitive answer is out there at this point - the communication Andy posted doesn't prove TNG is legit, to me at least.

Don't get me wrong though: I really want them to be completely legit. The more offerings for competitive prices the better, and the idea of having cheaper plastic figures of expensive resin statues is very appealing indeed.

Nanmu still copies designs and poses from JP and almost no one bats an eye. REBOR still makes figures based on videogames, older toy lines, and movies, and people clamour for them. Meanwhile people are "questioning the legitimacy" of this company because they decided they wanted to have the weird elephant with the giant tusks lean its trunk on them just like another sculptor did. Not saying they didn't probably lift that idea from it, but it's a fairly generalized idea (which might also be accurate? I don't know elephants).

That communication proved the only two items that were actually copied sculpts/molds were done with permission. Everything else is just copied poses with entirely new sculpts.

[Thialfi]

"Stolen designs" is not the same as "stolen sculpts/molds" though. People are talking like copied poses is the shadiest thing a toy company could ever do, but it's something major brands even do. Papo and Nanmu built their reputations on it, while REBOR and even Safari at one time (copying from paintings) employed it fairly often.

I'm not saying it's not bad, or at least particularly iffy. But it's a bit hypocritical the levels of doom posting that are going on regarding this company.

I don't feel it's doom posting. In this day and age the other companies mentioned would get the same flak for similar practices. It just seems people are too eager to look beyond the potentially iffy business of TNG because they want justification to buy their products. I don't feel a definitive answer is out there at this point - the communication Andy posted doesn't prove TNG is legit, to me at least.

Don't get me wrong though: I really want them to be completely legit. The more offerings for competitive prices the better, and the idea of having cheaper plastic figures of expensive resin statues is very appealing indeed.

Nanmu still copies designs and poses from JP and almost no one bats an eye. REBOR still makes figures based on videogames, older toy lines, and movies, and people clamour for them. Meanwhile people are "questioning the legitimacy" of this company because they decided they wanted to have the weird elephant with the giant tusks lean its trunk on them just like another sculptor did. Not saying they didn't probably lift that idea from it, but it's a fairly generalized idea (which might also be accurate? I don't know elephants).

That communication proved the only two items that were actually copied sculpts/molds were done with permission. Everything else is just copied poses with entirely new sculpts.

I feel that's an oversimplification of matters at hand and not entirely correct, but I prefer not get too carried away here. Let's hope for positive answers soon regarding this company.

[Lynx]

I think I'll be purchasing the Spinosaurus, I already have the PNSO Essien so even if we discover that it was stolen, I already spent more money on the real deal.

[Thialfi]

I think I'll be purchasing the Spinosaurus, I already have the PNSO Essien so even if we discover that it was stolen, I already spent more money on the real deal.

Nobody here will think less of you because of it, don't worry.

[SidB]

So is it okay for me to buy that Spinosaurus or will I be called scummy for supporting TNG? I want to buy it, but the feelings here are still so mixed and I am genuinely confused at this point.

Of course it's still somewhat 'up in the air.'Some have already completely decided that TNG is completely illegitimate, and I tend to doubt that any new facts, even if directly from the principals concerned, will change their minds. Others take the opposite pole, but seem open to further input. Some will buy the figures regardless of the ethical issues involved.

I really doubt that a company merchandising 200- 650 USD resin figures up to a mere 100 total pieces (quoted to Andy) is going to be financially threatened by a mass  marketer's PVC 20-25 USD figures.
Highly unlikely. Distinct target audience.

Don't be intimidated by anyone, @Lynx . Really, I don't think that you needed to delete/ cancel your original thread. The discussion is/was inevitable.

[SidB]

I think I'll be purchasing the Spinosaurus, I already have the PNSO Essien so even if we discover that it was stolen, I already spent more money on the real deal.

Nobody here will think less of you because of it, don't worry.

And if one or two do think less of you, too bad, that's their judgementalist burden, not yours.

[Primeval12]

After consideration, I think I am getting the Cryo and maybe the Spino. I own both the models they were "inspired" by and I need a feathered Cryo.

[Flaffy]

After consideration, I think I am getting the Cryo and maybe the Spino. I own both the models they were "inspired" by and I need a feathered Cryo.

Why not wait for David's Cryolophosaurus? If he's slapping feathers on Dilophosaurus, I don't imagine him not doing the same with Cryo.
Plus it'll have far superior proportions and anatomy.

[Sim]

I don't think anything "happened" with Dinone's Stegodon.  The TNG version is clearly different and you can tell just by looking at them, the ears, the legs...  Or you can read S @SidB's comparison of the two posted earlier in this thread.  It seems to me some people are eager to jump to the conclusion that something was stolen even when it clearly wasn't.

As has been mentioned in this thread, other companies have based their figures on other people's work at times and people generally don't consider them not worth supporting at all.  Papo and Nanmu have mostly only ever copied, many of Safari's toob figures were based on artwork and their Anzu, nesting Oviraptor and their Liopleurodon copied the colourations of existing palaeoart, CollectA has made some figures that copy other people's work: their original Velociraptor and deluxe Baryonyx and their Polacanthus and Liopleurodon, Hasbro copied Papo's Ankylosaurus, Mattel or JW copied Papo's Allosaurus (and copied Mojo's Allosaurus on some artwork) and copied Papo's Parasaurolophus in their adult Brachiosaurus packaging, Schleich copied the JP/JW Velociraptor...

[postsaurischian]

After consideration, I think I am getting the Cryo and maybe the Spino. I own both the models they were "inspired" by and I need a feathered Cryo.

 It's just that this figure does only have a Cryolophosaurus' crest with a cheap copy of PNSO's Yutyrannus' head and body .

[DinoFan2010]

The T.rex looks nice, I might pick it up

[Kapitaenosavrvs]

Hello.

Difficult Topic for me, still. On AliExpress, theres often a "group" Picture. So i will not buy anything from this Company until it is solved. This is no fighting oder arguing. Even if everything would be officially legal, i would have my problems with a few interpretations. On another Level.

Is that a random Rebor Yutyrannus with a different Paintscheme and Headsculpt, or is that just in the Photo?
Sorry for the small Picture, but its hard to find a bigger one. This was cut by me.




EDIT: I know that coincedences happen. For example my Tyrannosaur Diorama. Quite a generic Situation and after i build it i found out that there was a Tarbosaurus (I think) Diorama with an almost identical scene. Oof. But this happens. But i still do not like this heavy look alikes in a few cases. Thats not good work for me then. That is my personal feeling towards a practice like this. This also does not mean that they don't have own figures. Their Spino for example looks so bad to me, i do not see any bigger similarities to e.g. PNSO. Since i do not buy anything Jurassic Park related, i can't really speak about Nanmu and so on. It just has a shady feel to it. And i am not talking about "This has Stripes, that has stripes. They look the same."

In the Past, i DID buy Fakes and Bootlegs. Sometimes i did not know in the Moment because i thought research is not nessecary. But over time this changed a lot. And it still is a difficult topic for me, where i am unable to say yes or no, or right or wrong. Just nuances.

I would LOVE that Cryolophosaurus. But it is impossible for me.

[Fembrogon]

That figures does resemble the posture of Rebor's Yutyrannus, or maybe Papo's Allosaurus. The paint scheme reminds me of the 2019 Wild Safari Allo.

[Sim]

That figures does resemble the posture of Rebor's Yutyrannus, or maybe Papo's Allosaurus. The paint scheme reminds me of the 2019 Wild Safari Allo.

I agree with this.  And the similarity of the postures of the REBOR Yutyrannus and Papo Allosaurus is another example of how similar poses happen.  I think this figure is meant to be an Allosaurus.

[Szajmin]

1. I just don't get it

I mean Stegodon doesn't look anything like presented resin figures. One thing in common is sideway trunk, which quick google search tells it's a feature of that spieces (dont know how accurate)  and common depiction


https://eartharchives.org/articles/stegodon-the-elephant-with-sideways-trunk/index.html

Everything else is different

Spinosaurus is similar to PNSO one, and to GR one, but GR spino is similar to PNSO
Other than general similarity everything else (deailes is different

Same goes for the mammoth (and most mammoth on the market)

Cryolophosaurus is similar to PNSO Yutyrannus (similar posture, feather texture and light chocolate brown coloration)
but every detail is different

The most bootlegish figures are velociraptors and gorilla, as but for some reason they get the least attention.


I get that Elasmotherium and Embolotherium were suspision, but even now, when situation seems clear there is a lot of negative energy towards this company.

Other companies can be " heavy inspired" king kong or v-rex design, slap a gorilla or T-rex name on it and sell it (same goes for designs from JP, Planet Dinosaur, Dinosaur Revolution), which i think is
I don't see people crying about bootlegs.




BTW
Number of realistic (natural) and appealing poses (and color schemes) is finite, the more figures are on the market, the more similarity they will be.

[Ikessauro]

My two cents

Papo copied JP/Sideshow.
Rebor copied JP and other pop culture media
Mojo copied Collecta after the company split in two
Mattel copied Kenners old paint jobs AND WILL PROBABY DO COPY MORE THIS YEAR (although using the same JP licence)
Schleich also copied JP style dinos, Dinosaur King paint schmes, JW paint schemes etc
BOTM copies paint schemes from WWD and people call them tributes etc and praise the Dino Riders colors etc.
Nanmu basically stole all JP/JW dinos designs

All these brands continue to be around, people here continue to buy from them, despite all that. Now suddenly everyone wants to boycott TNG? Isn't that an overreaction?

[Lynx]

My two cents

Papo copied JP/Sideshow.
Rebor copied JP and other pop culture media
Mojo copied Collecta after the company split in two
Mattel copied Kenners old paint jobs AND WILL PROBABY DO COPY MORE THIS YEAR (although using the same JP licence)
Schleich also copied JP style dinos, Dinosaur King paint schmes, JW paint schemes etc
BOTM copies paint schemes from WWD and people call them tributes etc and praise the Dino Riders colors etc.
Nanmu basically stole all JP/JW dinos designs

All these brands continue to be around, people here continue to buy from them, despite all that. Now suddenly everyone wants to boycott TNG? Isn't that an overreaction?

We will ignore the fact that the BOTM WWD figures ARE actually meant to be "tributes", but let's not get into that. I fully agree, why boycott a company that from what we know is just inspired? It's a massive overreaction and the models that were 100% "taken" were given permission by the creators. I understand not wanting to buy a figure, and that's fine, but trying to get people to boycott the company because it may or may not have "stolen" something??

[Kapitaenosavrvs]

Now suddenly everyone wants to boycott TNG?

What.

[Sim]

Oh, I had forgotten about the Beasts of the Mesozoic figures that use WWD or Dino-riders as inspiration for the colour schemes.  I see that as no different to what TNG has done when being inspired by other figures.