The best figure of every species, according to Halichoeres

[tyrantqueen]

If anyone knows any reason why I can't use the acrylics I have lying around, let me know!

All acrylic is fine (even alcohol based brands)

They are indeed his designs. He had an article in PT about it.

[SBell]

You should be fine with acrylics, but you'll want to prime first anyway.

[Halichoeres]

Thanks for the reassurance, guys! TQ, gratifying to know it's his original work.

[sauroid]

awesome collection Halichoeres!

[Halichoeres]

awesome collection Halichoeres!

Thanks! I certainly enjoy it.

[Halichoeres]

6-month commemorative edition! I ordered my first dinosaurs at the end of February. Like many collectors, I started with Papo. The first time I picked one up, I marveled at how much better the production quality of dinosaur toys had gotten since I was a kid. But soon I started noticing the anatomical liberties in the models, and I couldn't un-see them, so recently several Papos have been honorably discharged from my collection. Except the Pteranodon. That discharge was emphatic and dishonorable. My scope has broadened, and this is the 6-month progress report on my mission to collect the single best toy representation (I try to steer clear of high-end resins and model kits because I am on a grad student budget) of every Paleozoic and Mesozoic total-group chordate, from the Cambrian lagerstätten to the K-Pg boundary. I make numerous ad hoc exceptions for renditions in different scales, excellent sculpts that I can't decide between, and non-target organisms.

I'm now at 300 animals and 5 plants, representing 265 genera, made by at least 36 separate manufacturers. The most-represented manufacturers are Safari Ltd., CollectA, and Kaiyodo, which together account for more than half my collection. I have more theropods than any other clade that doesn't contain theropods, but sauropods + ornithischians together outnumber theropods. The most represented genus is Plesiosaurus, of which I have five. For most other genera I have only one version, but sometimes there are two or even three. Here's a quick peek at the shelves! Forgive the flash--most of them are housed in a room that gets very little sun, which is great for avoiding fading but lousy for taking pictures.


This bookcase houses the largest chunk of my collection, but also some books. Up top are a few fossils, every last one a gift from one of my closest friends, a young paleontologist. Every time he does field work he brings me back something dead. Every time I do field work, I bring him back liquor.


Late Cretaceous, 1:45-1:80


Late Cretaceous, 1:30-1:40


Late Cretaceous, 1:40-1:45


Late Cretaceous, 1:15-1:30


Cretaceous, 1:7-1:15


Some pterosaurs guarding some books. I have a great many books whose titles conform to the formula X of Y where X is some taxonomic group and Y is some geographic area.


Early Cretaceous, 1:15-1:30


Early Cretaceous, ±1:40


Mesozoic, 1:30-1:60


Mesozoic, ±1:10


Jurassic, 1:7-1:15


Jurassic, 1:2-1:5


Jurassic, 1:30-1:80, but mostly around 1:40


Jurassic, 1:15-1:30


1:15-1:30


The Permian and Triassic, 1:15-1:30, with The Great Dying in between.


Permian and Triassic, 1:2-1:12


Permian and Triassic, ±1:35-1:50, along with some rocks, at least one of which is pre-Cambrian.


Paleozoic, ±1:10


Paleozoic, ±1:40, on a stack of back issues of Scientific American.


These guys guard my art supplies.


Paleozoic, 1:1-1:6. These are some of my favorites.

[tyrantqueen]

Nice prehistoric eye candy. I have an Art Bin™ too, they're awesome.

[Paleona]

Very nice, I see many that are on my wish list!  That Favorite co. Saurolophus caught my eye- I hadn't seen one before and had to do a quick google search to figure out who made it.  I would love to get one of those someday!  It would be great to see a review of it on the blog, too. 

[joossa]

Wow, fantastic collection! Grad student budget, huh? 
I'm telling you, that Shonisaurus always steals the spotlight!!

I have a couple ID requests, if you don't mind:

The protoceratops(?) in the front to the right of the feathered raptor?

The sauropds to the right and to the left of the 2012 Carnegie Brachiosaurus?

[tyrantqueen]

The protoceratops(?) in the front to the right of the feathered raptor?

UHA Protoceratops

The sauropds to the right and to the left of the 2012 Carnegie Brachiosaurus?

Dinosaurs of China Mamenchisaurus and Carnegie Camarasaurus.

[joossa]

Thanks, TQ!

[Halichoeres]

Nice prehistoric eye candy. I have an Art Bin™ too, they're awesome.

Thanks! Yeah, I love my Art Bin. I also have a fly fishing tackle box, which I have never used to for its intended purpose, but which has instead held my charcoals and technical pencils since 1997. It's quite a bit more portable (fits in a backpack, for example). (PS-thanks for being so quick on the draw with those IDs!)

Very nice, I see many that are on my wish list!  That Favorite co. Saurolophus caught my eye- I hadn't seen one before and had to do a quick google search to figure out who made it.  I would love to get one of those someday!  It would be great to see a review of it on the blog, too. 

Oh, it's such a beautiful figure. You found it on Google just based on this photo? To be honest, it seems like it would be kind of mean to review it for the blog given how hard it is to find it! But it's amazing what you can turn up by trading with people on the forum. Maybe I'll do a review if and when I can ever get my hands on its companion piece, the Tarbosaurus.

I'm telling you, that Shonisaurus always steals the spotlight!!

It really does!

Wow, fantastic collection! Grad student budget, huh? 

Haha, I've been unusually lucky with trades. Being a grad student in Chicago is actually pretty great. The university pays me a living wage, not a great deal more, but Chicago is the best bargain in America. For being such a great global city, it's incredibly cheap, especially because I don't have to own a car (bike in the summer, bus/train in the winter). And I don't really have a lot of indulgences aside from eating out, traveling, and buying toys. I can often get grants for travel, so that doesn't eat up too much.

The weird part is that I get paid every 3 months. So what I've been doing is just spending most of my dinosaur budget right after I get paid (with a little in reserve for unexpected opportunities). When I started out, for example, I spent $1300 buying 3 different people's entire collections. Then I sold off/traded away the parts of their collections that I didn't want. You can get things for surprisingly cheap if you're willing to spend a large lump sum and deal with the minor hassle of unloading what's left over. And when I find bargains on rarities, I'll often buy multiples, which can be really good for trading down the line. If I were paid every two weeks like a normal person, though, I would probably just buy dinosaurs a few at a time, because it's always such a thrill to open a new package. And I think it's pretty unlikely that I'll be buying any more complete collections!

[Sim]

Well done Halichoeres!  I'm glad you enjoy your collection!

[deleted defunct image]

Is the figure next to the Carnegie Camarasaurus and behind the Carnegie Sinraptor, the painted Invicta Cetiosaurus?

[SBell]

Well done Halichoeres!  I'm glad you enjoy your collection!

Is the figure next to the Carnegie Camarasaurus and behind the Carnegie Sinraptor, the painted Invicta Cetiosaurus?

That is it, yes.

[RobinGoodfellow]

Great. 
You have some models I've been searching for years...
Lucky you! 

[Uroplatus]

Awesome collection, Halichoeres.
That Edaphosaurus will feel right at home. 

[Halichoeres]

Thanks, everyone!

Uroplatus: Yup, it'll fit right in!

RobinGoodFellows: I think there are some advantages to living in the US...

Thanks for the ID, SBell. Yep, Sim, that's my only Invicta! Twenty years older than the CollectA and still far better.

[RobinGoodfellow]

Thanks, everyone!

RobinGoodFellows: I think there are some advantages to living in the US...

I know  .......
I made all my dino-orders in Germany or UK.
Even Geoworld is difficult to find in my country (and Geoworld is an ITALIAN company    )
German people are strong collectors and an order from Germany to Italy takes 1-2 weeks, not too much and the shipment isn't too expensive 
Japanese items (Kaiyodo and Favorite)) are almost impossible to find    . Battat too.

[Sim]

Thanks for the ID, SBell. Yep, Sim, that's my only Invicta! Twenty years older than the CollectA and still far better.

Thanks for the confirmation, guys!  Yes, there's a number of other figures too that are far better than much newer figures of the same animal.

[SBell]

Thanks for the ID, SBell. Yep, Sim, that's my only Invicta! Twenty years older than the CollectA and still far better.

Thanks for the confirmation, guys!  Yes, there's a number of other figures too that are far better than much newer figures of the same animal.

But there are also a lot that are...not. Have you seen the Invicta 'Stenonychosaurus' =(Troodon)? It's terrible. As one example.