Safari Toob Dreams (Pipe Dreams?)

[Halichoeres]

I was going to reply to this old thread (http://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=2329.msg62328#msg62328) but the interface advised me to start a new one. If the admins think it is better for them to be merged, I yield to their judgment!

As we all know, Safari's Toobs are an ingenious way to bring us figures that might have a hard time selling as individual figures. I especially like them for their ability to depict smaller species to scale with figures from the standard figure lines. So here are a few wishlist toobs:

Age of Fishes:
Sacabambaspis (Ordovician, not Devonian, but no big deal)
Any ammonite
Moythomasia
Climatius
Coccosteus
Drepanaspis
Promissum (or some other conodont)
Priscomyzon
Psarolepis
Pituriaspis

Prehistoric amphibians:
Diplocaulus: in conversations with paleontologists, I've learned that unpublished specimens of this genus show a membrane connecting the wings of its head to the limbs. No current toys reflect that!
Beelzebufo
Platyhystrix
Crassigyrinus
Metoposaurus
Zatrachys
Prionosuchus (although this might work better as a full-sized figure)
Siderops
Eucritta
Eocaecilia

Conquest of Land:
Greererpeton
Elpistostege
Ichthyostega
Tiktaalik
Panderichthys
Sauripterus
Hylonomus
Rhizodus (maybe another candidate for a full-sized figure)
Gogonasus
Elginerpeton

Feathered Dinos 2:
Avimimus
Mononykus
Yi
Psittacosaurus with sacral quills
Shuvuuia
Anchiornis (with color scheme as reported from melanosomes)
Hesperornis
Ichthyornis
Aurornis
Citipati qua Citipati

Pterosaurs:
Pterodactylus
Rhamphorhynchus
Eudimorphodon
Anurognathus
Sordes
Dorygnathus
Jeholopterus
Muzquizopteryx
Thalassodromeus (also a full-sized figure, please)
Darwinopterus

Unfortunately they already used the name Dawn of the Dinosaurs, so I would like to solicit a name for the following set (some of these predate dinosaurs anyway):
Eoraptor
Saltopus
Lagosuchus
Proganochelys
Cynognathus
Scaphonyx
Estemmenosuchus
Lycaenops
Kannemeyeria
Cotylorhynchus

Additions and revisions welcome!

[sauroid]

basal ceratopsians
prosauropods
terror birds
carboniferous/permian reptiles
devonian fishes/amphibians
oviraptorids
proboscids

[John]

Everything suggested in the above two posts would be great to see actually come out.Only I would add that I'd also like to see any of those suggestions in larger scales too.

[Pachyrhinosaurus]

A pterosaur toob is something I've been predicting for a while. It would just make sense to have small pterosaurs to fly around the dinosaurs. There recognizable and probably well-marketable.  But as far as they go-

Rhamphorhynchus
Pterodactylus
Dimorphodon
Darwinopterus
Anurognathus
Tropeognathus
Sordes
Pterodaustro
Nyctosaurus
Peteinosaurus
Scleromochlus-not a pterosaur but usually there are a few which are not of the advertised clade

[Roselaar]

Oh, the dreams we dream...

Prehistoric amphibians is definitely a prime choice, as are Pterosaurs. I would also like a proper marine reptile toob with species not used before, or a prehistoric marine mammal toob.

[SBell]

Years ago an Ancient Amphibian was discussed as a follow up but it didn't materialize. Not sure what sales of the sharks and crocs were like, which would have had an effect on follow ups.

I do remember that the decision was made to go with crocs and sharks because of their recognizability (even though a number of the crocs aren't truly 'crocodiles' and many of the sharks were incertae sedis and are now likely holocephalans).

If I had to guess, I think the pterosaurs might not work only because the toobs are limited in diameter, and at least a few of the pterosaurs would need to be full-out wingspan (try sticking the WwD Quetzalcoatlus in a current Safari toob--it will get stuck, and likely damaged if you tried to cram 7 or 8 of them in).

Also, I would rather see an orthocone or other mid-palaeozoic nautiloid than an ammonite in the Age of Fishes toob.

[Halichoeres]

basal ceratopsians
prosauropods
terror birds
carboniferous/permian reptiles
devonian fishes/amphibians
oviraptorids
proboscids

Good ideas, although oviraptorids might be just a tiiiiny bit specific. When you say proboscids, you mean things like gomphotheres, mammoths, mastodons? That would be cool, have a little herd of them. Carboniferous/Permian reptiles is extremely fertile ground.

Oh, the dreams we dream...

Prehistoric amphibians is definitely a prime choice, as are Pterosaurs. I would also like a proper marine reptile toob with species not used before, or a prehistoric marine mammal toob.

Things like Placodus, Pleurosaurus, etc.? I could get behind that.

Years ago an Ancient Amphibian was discussed as a follow up but it didn't materialize. Not sure what sales of the sharks and crocs were like, which would have had an effect on follow ups.

I do remember that the decision was made to go with crocs and sharks because of their recognizability (even though a number of the crocs aren't truly 'crocodiles' and many of the sharks were incertae sedis and are now likely holocephalans).

If I had to guess, I think the pterosaurs might not work only because the toobs are limited in diameter, and at least a few of the pterosaurs would need to be full-out wingspan (try sticking the WwD Quetzalcoatlus in a current Safari toob--it will get stuck, and likely damaged if you tried to cram 7 or 8 of them in).

Also, I would rather see an orthocone or other mid-palaeozoic nautiloid than an ammonite in the Age of Fishes toob.

The croc and shark toobs are still on the market several years later, which I take as an encouraging sign, but who knows. I'm sure molds are expensive. As a side note, some of the weirdest holocephalans have never been rendered as toys, like the iniopterygians.

That's a good point about pterosaurs. They have a lot of things that stick out, not just wings but also tails and crests. They might be murder to extract.

Seconded on the orthocone/nautiloid front--we have some ammonites to choose from already.

[Megalosaurus]

Trilobite species toob. But alive with legs and antennae, and colored. Some curled ones
There are a lot of species to choose from.

[SBell]

Trilobite species toob. But alive with legs and antennae, and colored. Some curled ones
There are a lot of species to choose from.

I honestly couldn't see a whole toob of trilobites, no matter how diverse. They are still relatively uniform and unfamiliar except in a broad context to the public (peopl emay know trilobites, but probably wouldn't buy a toob of them alone).

As for the sharks and crocs, I know that both went through at least a second run when they changed the toob and insert styles, so that's a good thing. And yes, the sculpt-mold-produce process is very expensive. I will admit, I did try for a pantodont or iniopterygian, but couldn't get it through. Did get the champsosaur though (it helped that they were going to include Metriorhynchus, which was already in the prehistoric marine toob)!

[sauroid]

it would be great if Doug Watson would create the vertebrate toobs.

[Halichoeres]

If I had to guess, I think the pterosaurs might not work only because the toobs are limited in diameter, and at least a few of the pterosaurs would need to be full-out wingspan (try sticking the WwD Quetzalcoatlus in a current Safari toob--it will get stuck, and likely damaged if you tried to cram 7 or 8 of them in).

I just thought of something: if there is any single idea in this thread that could justify a mega-toob, it's this one. I think that would make it workable, wouldn't it? And if they wanted to mix it in with dinosaurs or have 2-3 copies of each sculpt, I'd still buy it and I think kids would want it too.

it would be great if Doug Watson would create the vertebrate toobs.

I have no problem with that!

[SBell]

it would be great if Doug Watson would create the vertebrate toobs.

A toob full of back bones would be kind of boring...

Couldn't help it. I regret nothing.

[sauroid]

aw you just couldnt resist ^_^

[CityRaptor]

I'm not sure if Safari would make an Oviraptorid toob. In both places that I visited that sold the skulls separately, the Oviraptor one sold the worst. Indeed the Royal Science Museum in Belgium had a whole box full of them and like 2 Diplodocus skulls.

How about some retro toobs? Crystal Palace and either Knight or Zallinger.

Also: Life alongside Dinosaurs, featuring animals like Beelzebufo, Reprenomanus, Hyphalosaurus ( including a two-headed variant ) etc. would be useful for dioramas.

Synapsids

[Halichoeres]

I'm not sure if Safari would make an Oviraptorid toob. In both places that I visited that sold the skulls separately, the Oviraptor one sold the worst. Indeed the Royal Science Museum in Belgium had a whole box full of them and like 2 Diplodocus skulls.

How about some retro toobs? Crystal Palace and either Knight or Zallinger.

Also: Life alongside Dinosaurs, featuring animals like Beelzebufo, Reprenomanus, Hyphalosaurus ( including a two-headed variant ) etc. would be useful for dioramas.

Synapsids

That prompted me to look up Hyphalosaurus. I didn't know there had been a polycephalic specimen found! We could call it In the Shadow of the Dinosaurs. I like Repenomamus, Hyphalosaurus, Beelzebufo. Maybe a rhynchocephalian, a semionotid, Santanachelys, Sinamia...many choices.

[Tapejara1122]

I could possibly see a toob of prehistoric turtles if there isnt already one.

[Halichoeres]

I could possibly see a toob of prehistoric turtles if there isnt already one.

Y'know, my first instinct is to say that they all look too similar and turtle-y, but I might have had the same reaction to crocodiles, and they did that, didn't they? So what are the obvious suspects? Meiolania, Archelon, Odontochelys, Palaeotrionyx, Stupendemys....

[Tapejara1122]

I could possibly see a toob of prehistoric turtles if there isnt already one.

Y'know, my first instinct is to say that they all look too similar and turtle-y, but I might have had the same reaction to crocodiles, and they did that, didn't they? So what are the obvious suspects? Meiolania, Archelon, Odontochelys, Palaeotrionyx, Stupendemys....

I could also see a Henodus, Proganocheyls, or Protostega. They do have interesting carapaces (or carapacei? I don't know the plural) but they do have interesting shapes.

[CityRaptor]

Henodus is not really a turtle, but then again not everyon in the croc tube was a real croc.

The toob should also feature Sinemys, specifically S. gamera (Guardian of the Universe) and Ninjemys (totally rad and fearsome).

[Halichoeres]

That and Henodus was already in the marine reptiles toob. Does Safari usually put the same figure in two toobs?