The best figure of every species, according to Halichoeres

[Concavenator]

@Halichoeres great new acquisitions. And wow, an Aquilolamna figure already!

Despite the ethical morass surrounding the holotype of Aquilolamna

What happened? I'm curious about this.

[Gwangi]

I'm really impressed by the Pravitoceras, much better paint application than on CollectA's previous ammonite. I can't wait to pick one up. The Aquilolamna is fantastic too, I hope one of the mainstream companies makes one.

[Faelrin]

Congrats on your lovely new acquisitions. I'm shocked to see an Aquilolamna already made by somebody or company, considering it was just described this year. Beautiful figure and animal. It's a shame its description has been tainted by ethical issues, like what also occured with "Ubirajara" specimen.

@Concavenator Here is an article. I'll be honest I needed a refresher as well.

https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2021Sci...372..332O/abstract

Anyways back to new additions I really like seeing that ammonite group. Glad to see they scale well together, surprisingly.

[Concavenator]

@Faelrin Thanks! I had no idea about this.

[Halichoeres]

Thanks for stopping by, everyone!

How does one get the files from hibou coop? I could probably get access to a printer if I have the file!

@SBell Here you go: https://www.3dtechproduction.com/prodotto/aquilolamna-milarcae/
Under "finitura" you'll select "modello 3d"

Thanks @Faelrin, I was familiar with the saga from people I follow on Twitter, but that write-up is much more concise and saves me the effort of summarizing!

Edited to add: @Gwangi PNSO has featured an illustration of Aquilolamna on one of their kids' books, so it could happen...

[Bokisaurus]

Awesome new additions to your prehistoric underwater world fauna especially the shark! Hoping that CollectA or even PNSO (if I remember they had an artwork of it) would eventually produced a figure for mass production.

[Gothmog the Baryonyx]

Ooh, not to beat onto the same train, but lovely Aquilolamna, I do hope someone else makes one of them soon, a very interesting fishy

[Psittacoraptor]

I think I've said this before, but this is a wonderful thread. I love the variety in your collection, the marine creatures most of all.

[Halichoeres]

Awesome new additions to your prehistoric underwater world fauna especially the shark! Hoping that CollectA or even PNSO (if I remember they had an artwork of it) would eventually produced a figure for mass production.

Yeah, the Cretoxyrhina is an encouraging sign that they might spend a little time on some of the weirder sharks that they've made illustrations of.

Ooh, not to beat onto the same train, but lovely Aquilolamna, I do hope someone else makes one of them soon, a very interesting fishy

Hey, when it's a good figure, it's a good figure!

I think I've said this before, but this is a wonderful thread. I love the variety in your collection, the marine creatures most of all.

Thanks very much! That's the sort of thing one doesn't tire of hearing. I'm certainly partial to the marine creatures myself.

Today, though, some terrestrial creatures, specifically, some stem-birds of the Jurassic:


Mattel Chialingosaurus (Jurassic World)
Scale: 1:20
Released: 2021
Upper Jurassic Laurasia
A very silly toy with a goofy, tail-thrashing gimmick. As much as I've grown to dislike the JW franchise and its associated merchandise, I like to reward Mattel for making something new, even if it might be a nomen dubium.


The JW Gasosaurus hunting every Mattel stegosaur I own.


Xidi Germanodactylus (Happy Kin)
Scale: 1:2 - 1:3
Released: 2020
Upper Jurassic Laurasia
Maybe the most misidentified company in the hobby, Xidi sells most of their figures in packaging that says "Happy Kin," but you can also sometimes find them sold as Kid Galaxy and perhaps other names. Maybe a decade ago, they were briefly imported by a company called Lontic near New York, and because the name was on the boxes at just the right time to be included on Dinosaur Collector, their name was forever associated with these dinosaurs. As far as I can tell, Lontic doesn't even import them anymore, or if they do, they aren't stamping their name on them. Anyway, one of Xidi's 2020 releases that I finally managed to get hold of is this hilarious pterosaur. It actually has several features that mark it as a Germanodactylus and not some other pterosaur, like the teeth and the crest. The crest is probably too conservative, and there's no reason for the hook on the beak, but it's not one of those cases where a random name is slapped on a generic figure.


I like standing poses for pterosaurs, but not like this. Generally speaking, the Solnhofen pterosaurs are really hurting for some modern takes.


Xidi Abrictosaurus (Happy Kin)
Scale: 1:4 - 1:5
Released: 2020
Lower Jurassic Gondwana
Xidi released several boxed sets last year, and this is from a different one than the pterosaur. It's a pretty respectable heterodontosaur, honestly, probably the second-best ever after the PNSO Tianyulong. I'd say this is just one step below Mattel for quality of assembly and paint, but three steps above Mattel for accuracy and proportion. It even has a mane of fluff. It's possible that this is a Dorling-Kindersley design (Xidi figures frequently are), but if so I haven't seen it in any of the books I own.


Takara Tomy Anchiornis huxleyi (Dino Kingdom 2011)
Scale: 1:5
Released: 2011
Upper Jurassic Laurasia
I actually got this several years ago and replaced it when the PNSO came out, because I generally prefer one-piece molds to assembly-required figures. But I revisited this recently and found that the PNSO figure has really cartoony proportions, with a too-large head and a too-short tail. The latter is sort of understandable because of PNSO's packaging--you see similar compromises in Yowie animals. But the Takara Tomy version is excellent on proportions, and its coloration is closer to the real thing too, so this one returns to my shelf and the PNSO one is gone.


These aren't from the same time or place, but they're all pretty close to the same scale.

[ceratopsian]

You've certainly tracked down some unusual species in this group!  The Takara Tomy Anchiornis (though less unusual) is something I would rather like to have myself.  Definitely better than the PNSO in terms of accuracy.  Edit: and I just see that they are priced really high on eBay!

[Leyster]

Takara Tomy Anchiornis huxleyi (Dino Kingdom 2011)
Scale: 1:5
Released: 2011
Upper Jurassic Laurasia
I actually got this several years ago and replaced it when the PNSO came out, because I generally prefer one-piece molds to assembly-required figures. But I revisited this recently and found that the PNSO figure has really cartoony proportions, with a too-large head and a too-short tail. The latter is sort of understandable because of PNSO's packaging--you see similar compromises in Yowie animals. But the Takara Tomy version is excellent on proportions, and its coloration is closer to the real thing too, so this one returns to my shelf and the PNSO one is gone.

Yeah, I had quite the same feel for the Anchiornis once I got it in hand. Such a shame, they could have made it smaller but better proportioned (like the Confuciusornis and Archaeopteryx). I relly like that Abrictosaurus, where did you find the Xidis?

[SBell]

You've certainly tracked down some unusual species in this group!  The Takara Tomy Anchiornis (though less unusual) is something I would rather like to have myself.  Definitely better than the PNSO in terms of accuracy.  Edit: and I just see that they are priced really high on eBay!

It was, of course, a chase figure/special figure in a dino expo set.
I paid the equivalent of $30 when I got mine, when it was first available. I can't imagine where it's at now.

[ceratopsian]

Thanks for the extra information @SBell.  Between roughly £95 and £115 (converted into UK sterling) - plus 20% customs fees and postage.

You've certainly tracked down some unusual species in this group!  The Takara Tomy Anchiornis (though less unusual) is something I would rather like to have myself.  Definitely better than the PNSO in terms of accuracy.  Edit: and I just see that they are priced really high on eBay!

It was, of course, a chase figure/special figure in a dino expo set.
I paid the equivalent of $30 when I got mine, when it was first available. I can't imagine where it's at now.

[SBell]

Thanks for the extra information @SBell.  Between roughly £95 and £115 (converted into UK sterling) - plus 20% customs fees and postage.

You've certainly tracked down some unusual species in this group!  The Takara Tomy Anchiornis (though less unusual) is something I would rather like to have myself.  Definitely better than the PNSO in terms of accuracy.  Edit: and I just see that they are priced really high on eBay!

It was, of course, a chase figure/special figure in a dino expo set.
I paid the equivalent of $30 when I got mine, when it was first available. I can't imagine where it's at now.

And I was quoting Canadian$. That's why I always try to get things as soon as possible or just don't bother!

[ceratopsian]

When it first came out I had no idea this hobby existed.  I hope that Halichoeres found a bargain here!

Thanks for the extra information @SBell.  Between roughly £95 and £115 (converted into UK sterling) - plus 20% customs fees and postage.

You've certainly tracked down some unusual species in this group!  The Takara Tomy Anchiornis (though less unusual) is something I would rather like to have myself.  Definitely better than the PNSO in terms of accuracy.  Edit: and I just see that they are priced really high on eBay!

It was, of course, a chase figure/special figure in a dino expo set.
I paid the equivalent of $30 when I got mine, when it was first available. I can't imagine where it's at now.

And I was quoting Canadian$. That's why I always try to get things as soon as possible or just don't bother!

[Reuben03]

wait a second,

how did you get these???
I NEED THE ICHTHYOSAUR i've been trying everything to try and get it

[Faelrin]

Congrats on your new acquisitions. Lots of variety here. I also applaud Mattel for finally making additional stegosaurs for the line after how many years, and even with a relatively decent take, despite it being likely dubious. I wonder if it could stand in for another stegosaur with better remains?

[Bokisaurus]

wait a second,

how did you get these???
I NEED THE ICHTHYOSAUR i've been trying everything to try and get it

I want to know, too!
I have been wanting some of these figures forever but never really found them!

[Reuben03]

wait a second,

how did you get these???
I NEED THE ICHTHYOSAUR i've been trying everything to try and get it

I want to know, too!
I have been wanting some of these figures forever but never really found them!

ive looked at every listing and attempted to buy them before but every site sucks so bad, the payment process doesnt work. i need to buy the ichthyosaur through/from someone

[Halichoeres]

Thanks for visiting, everyone!

Congrats on your new acquisitions. Lots of variety here. I also applaud Mattel for finally making additional stegosaurs for the line after how many years, and even with a relatively decent take, despite it being likely dubious. I wonder if it could stand in for another stegosaur with better remains?

Maybe. I think Chungkingosaurus has been interpreted as having 8 tail spikes? I could be misremembering.

@ceratopsian @SBell I didn't get quite as a good a bargain as Sean, but I didn't pay the exorbitant prices currently being asked either. I paid $90 for the entire set, and I sold all the rest, so I think on net I probably paid about $40 for it. But that's maybe 5 years ago now; it can only have gotten scarcer. I do occasionally see it in Mercari or YAJ listings for less than what you see on eBay. Hope you can find one for a reasonable sum, ceratopsian!

@Reuben03 B @Bokisaurus I got these via YoyCart, which had pretty mixed reviews online, but I realized that most people were mad about things that YoyCart can't control. It's a drop-shipping service that pulls from TaoBao, and for whatever reason TaoBao listings frequently have meaningless shipping weights (these giant boxed sets were estimated at the equivalent of 10 ounces each). That means that YoyCart sometimes has to charge a second time for shipping when it wildly exceeds it. This parcel ended up being 19 pounds (8.6 kg). Now, YoyCart was annoying in one respect: they offered to remove the packaging and send the figures without the boxes, and I said yes please. But they sent them in their giant boxes, perhaps because they didn't think it was worth their time to free the figures, which were all attached with those horrible twist-ties. It took me 20 minutes to liberate them all, and if I were running a high-throughput drop-ship service I might not bother either. But they shouldn't have offered in that case.

Anyway, here's that ichthyosaur, part of my bycatch:

I don't plan to keep any of these so I'm open to a trade or sale. The other set has a mosasasur and a few other things that I also don't plan to keep.

What's odd about the ichthyosaur is that it has no visible text markings of any kind. Most Xidi figures have stamps that look like this:



But the ichthyosaur (and Olorotitan, not shown) don't have their names on them, and the ichthyosaur doesn't even say "made in China." I wonder if it's stamped on the inside of one of the pieces. I was thinking about taking it apart to see, but maybe not the best idea if someone else might want it.