CollectA-New for 2015

[suspsy]

I think this discussion has reached an impasse. I'm seeing some hostile comments starting here, so I'm going to ask that we please drop this topic.

Blade-of-the-Moon, I completely agree with you about the unfortunate hostile nature of this debate and I am truly saddened by it. I apologize sincerely for disobeying your request. But I felt I should share this news with everyone. Yesterday, I sent an email to CollectA in which I wrote the following:

Dear CollectA

Recently, on one of the collecting forums I frequent, there has been debate over whether or not the upcoming Acrocanthosaurus and Daxiatitan figures are original moulds or retools of pre-existing ones. Specifically, the 2014 Carcharodontosaurus and the 2012 Argentinosaurus.  I was hoping you could settle this question once and for all. Please and thank you.

Tonight I received a response:

Hi Suspsy

I would like you to help us to clarify to fans and people in the forum that they are just artistic similarity as they were done by the same sculptor in our factory. They are absolutely not from the old moulds nor from retooling based on the old tooling. We have done both of them from zero. May be from now we should avoid making our new items having very similar poses. Thanks for your letting us know and please send my explanation to the forum. Many thanks.


Best Regards

Peter Leung
General Manager

So there it is.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

Yes, denial, did you really think they were going to say gee whiz, ya caught us? lol....funny!!!

[tanystropheus]

Thank you for the update.

I guess they are not repurposed pieces. However, to my untrained eyes, the Xenoceratops and the Medusaceratops are based on the same model/mold, perhaps mirrored.

[suspsy]

Thank you for the update.

I guess they are not repurposed pieces. However, to my untrained eyes, the Xenoceratops and the Medusaceratops are based on the same model/mold, perhaps mirrored.

I didn't ask about the Medusa and the Nasuto, since to my eye they do indeed appear to be remoulds of the Xeno. But by all means, go ahead and ask CollectA yourself if you like. And please share whatever response you get back from them.

[tanystropheus]

Thank you for the update.

I guess they are not repurposed pieces. However, to my untrained eyes, the Xenoceratops and the Medusaceratops are based on the same model/mold, perhaps mirrored.

I didn't ask about the Medusa and the Nasuto, since to my eye they do indeed appear to be remoulds of the Xeno. But by all means, go ahead and ask CollectA yourself if you like. And please share whatever response you get back from them.

Oh man, I'm too lazy to do that. I'll take your word for it 

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Amargasaurus that almost sounds like mocking. Suspy made an effort and CollectA replied. Feel free to contact them as well if you wish or just don't believe it, but there is nothing there to ridicule. Please watch it.

I do expect this to be dropped now unless CollectA sends anymore replies to queries, then the quotes can be posted.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

Amargasaurus that almost sounds like mocking. Suspy made an effort and CollectA replied. Feel free to contact them as well if you wish or just don't believe it, but there is nothing there to ridicule. Please watch it.

I do expect this to be dropped now unless CollectA sends anymore replies to queries, then the quotes can be posted.

I would say sure, sounds quite fair and I will be glad to contact them. Post the address for everyone to contact them and ask their questions. I myself would definitely do so, thanks. As for sounding mocking, if I was, I do apologize, but it was also clearly not aimed at someone within the forum.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Amargasaurus that almost sounds like mocking. Suspy made an effort and CollectA replied. Feel free to contact them as well if you wish or just don't believe it, but there is nothing there to ridicule. Please watch it.

I do expect this to be dropped now unless CollectA sends anymore replies to queries, then the quotes can be posted.

I would say sure, sounds quite fair and I will be glad to contact them. Post the address for everyone to contact them and ask their questions. I myself would definitely do so, thanks. As for sounding mocking, if I was, I do apologize, but it was also clearly not aimed at someone within the forum.

Looks like this is where to go : http://www.collecta.biz/en/contact-us

As a rule of thumb constructive criticism is preferred even in relation to businesses we discuss , we had issues before about that.  Now that doesn't mean your opinion doesn't count and you can't voice it. Just keep it respectable is all.

[suspsy]

Thank you, Blade-of-the-moon, your support is appreciated.

And guess what, everyone? I emailed Mr. Leung back about the Medusa and the Nasuto and he responded as such:

Both Medusaceratops and Nasutoceratops are 100% new sculpts, they are different from Xenoceratops. Some people may find it similar just because they are all ceratopsians. Also as they are all quadrupedals, and so there are not limited poses we can create. CollectA is the only company creating many ceratopsians, and so some people may find them similar. But they are actually insulting our creativity and originality. If they put all of them on the table, they can find the difference very easily.

Rgds

Peter Leung
CollectA

So the Medusa and the Nasuto are original sculpts as well. We were all wrong. There has not been any recycling whatsoever. I repeat: there has not been any recycling whatsoever. That comes straight from the GM of CollectA.

This goes to show that no amount of comparing photos is a substitute for comparing the actual figures. I must assume responsibility for inadvertently sparking an increasingly hostile debate. I was the one who posted the blurry comparison photo of the three ceratopsids, after all. I should have emailed CollectA right from the start.

To everyone I have disagreed with over the last few days: I don't fault any of you for coming to the wrong conclusion about the Acro and the Daxia. These figures really do look similar enough to be mistaken for resculpts. Indeed, before Mr. Leung got back to me, I was pondering the possibility that I could be wrong. And again,  I too thought the ceratopsids were resculpts. I hope we can move past this and be on friendly terms.

This debate is finally settled. Yay!

[stargatedalek]

I don't buy it for a second, hate to sound harsh, but its obvious that these are retools or at the very least they deliberately copied their own previous sculpts.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Without CollectA confirming it, the artist confirming it ,ect. It's all supposition. Even if they look practically identical. The same artist using similar poses can explain everything.  The cool thing is we are not forced to buy them. That mouth issue put me off the new ceratopsians.

We need to just let this drop before tempers flare.

Let's look at that awesome Guidraco again!

[Concavenator]

.Debate ended.If they say so,that's it.I think Peter said it clearly:they have very similar poses(the Nasutoceratops and Xenoceratops).But that doesn't mean they're the same!If you look them from a top angle,you can see they're different-the Nasutoceratops' body is chubbier.Also,the Nasuto has longer quills than the Xeno,as well as a different tail pose.Now,the Medusaceratops has got a different pose.Nuff said.

[suspsy]

Anyone who chooses to disbelieve the word of the general manager of CollectA can go right ahead. As far as I'm concerned, this matter is resolved. I'm done and moving on.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

I acutally like the Guidraco figure, has it been released yet? I am pondering getting one and turning Martin loose on it, and letting him base it for me as well. My only concern is quite naturally, the previous topic we just covered so in depth........and if we will be seeing the same thing with this figure next year. I will likely get one...I do think this is a novel idea and the figure itself shows great promise, although the colors (for my personnal taste) are a bit....flamboyant. I am not sure why they couldnt have offered this one in a few poses, however. I would have liked having a pair of them in a scene.....

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

I acutally like the Guidraco figure, has it been released yet? I am pondering getting one and turning Martin loose on it, and letting him base it for me as well. My only concern is quite naturally, the previous topic we just covered so in depth........and if we will be seeing the same thing with this figure next year. I will likely get one...I do think this is a novel idea and the figure itself shows great promise, although the colors (for my personnal taste) are a bit....flamboyant. I am not sure why they couldnt have offered this one in a few poses, however. I would have liked having a pair of them in a scene.....

Not in the U.S. I think I heard March last for the first CollectA pieces?

With jaw opening and closing that is easy enough to alter the appearance a bit, though if your sending it to Martin I'm just he can change one to any pose you like.

After I get mine, I may check and see if I can chop off the wings and make a flying one. I'm already thinking to make an adult specimen to go with them. 

[amargasaurus cazaui]

Well I agree that it seems like a nice model, and likely the one Collecta piece I wil pursue this year....I am short on Pterosaurs anyways so a new one wont hurt me too much. My collection lacks in theropods and pterosaurs!!

[suspsy]

I'm wondering if the Guidraco's wing membranes are made of soft plastic like those on the Quetzalcoatlus or if they're made of firmer material.

I also wonder when we'll see images of the finalized versions of the Acroco and the FTR with moveable jaws.

[alexeratops]

Wow, seeing the Guidraco next to Mike shows me how HUGE that thing is! WOW!

[Concavenator]

The first time I saw CollectA's Medusaceratops,I wasn't very fond of it,but now,the more I see it,the more I like it.However,the Pliosaurus still looks off.I like the body,the colors,and even the lampreys,but the head looks weird.It looks like that of a spinosaur.The Temnodontosaurus is amazing though.

[suspsy]

Perhaps it's the angle of the photo? Look on Everything Dinosaur's FB page. They have more photos of the Pliosaurus.