Australian Age of Dinosaurs from Minizoo

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

This is exactly how I think about this, Dinolord. I would never buy the Sideshow Spinosaurus, but in this case .......
I'm sure I'm going to die before all these species I'm loving are fully described.
But I want to collect Dinosaur figures now, in this life!

Some of us bought it before the new info came out..lol It was accurate then of course.  Your last statement also applies to those that want higher end pieces..you put a lot of cash of something very cool and accurate only to have it change on you in a few years.   I personally love them all, our changing views of dinosaurs should be well represented in all collections.

[Patrx]

I admit, I do have a few obsolete dinosaurs left on my shelves just because I can't seem to bring myself to sell or discard them. It's irrational, of course, but I do at least try to put them toward the back - or set them up with a newer version of the same animal to illustrate the progress we've made in our understanding.

[RobinGoodfellow]

The different points of view about the collecting process make every SERIOUS collection so personal and unique.
And it's what I like the most about other's collections.

[Patrx]

The different points of view about the collecting process make every SERIOUS collection so personal and unique.
And it's what I like the most about other's collections.

I agree!
And, since we've gone a bit off-topic, the hand claws on the Australovenator seem nicely sharp! I do wish more toy manufacturers would refrain from blunting them so drastically.

[DinoLord]

Indeed, overall the details look very crisp. I'm glad that the line's one theropod has nice claws, as blunt claws usually don't bother me as much with sauropod or other herbivore figures.

[terrorchicken]

anyone know the general price range of Mini Zoo's shipping to the USA? The site doesn't offer it until you actually use the cart system...

[postsaurischian]

anyone know the general price range of Mini Zoo's shipping to the USA? The site doesn't offer it until you actually use the cart system...

For my latest order (CollectA Beishanlong & Metriacanthosaurus) I paid EUR 7.76 for shipping to Germany + EUR 1.22 for handling.
That's much less than all U.S. American sellers that I know take.

[Halichoeres]

I think Bucklander's point is well taken, namely, that since the museum itself gets proceeds from the sales of these figures, they help to support the museum's work and may lead to better finds as they continue to dig in the Winton formation. Looking at their list of finds in progress suggests a rich sauropod fauna. So I'm more than happy to support this one, even if parts of it are speculative. I still say it's a cut above producing ceratopsians known only from isolated parietals while ignoring completely known ceratopsians with no figures to speak of. Given Australia's lousy terrestrial record throughout the Mesozoic, it's not going to get much better than this (and Minmi, and Muttaburrasaurus, and Kunbarrasaurus).

At the same time, I agree with Sim and others that, given Australia's pretty solid marine record, it would be great to see Kronosaurus (and/or Umoonasaurus, Mauisaurus, Platypterygius, Cooyoo), which would still fit into the Age of Dinosaurs mission more broadly. A longer shot, but a pipe dream for me personally, would be a collaboration with the Age of Fishes museum, which would open up lots more possibilities.

[Yutyrannus]

I'm also less interested in this line now after seeing that after the nice line-up for series 1, series 2 is going to start with... another Australovenator.  I'm both surprised and disappointed that is planned before a Kronosaurus.

I would be able to forgive that, but only if their next Australovenator depicts it as a feathered tyrannosauroid...which probably won't happen.

I would love to see a good Kronosaurus figure sometime though, there is a real shortage of good pliosaur figures.

[Sim]

Wow, I wasn't expecting my post to lead to so much discussion!  I was going to reply to different people in one post, but it's taking longer than I imagined and it's (past) time to go to bed over here, so I'll reply to different people in separate posts as I complete replies.


postsaurischian  -  Thanks for the kind reply.  Thanks also for the link to the paper that named Australovenator, I hadn't read it before.  Honestly, that paper makes it more apparent to me that megaraptorans (including Australovenator) are not well understood and their classification is uncertain, due to all of them being known only from very incomplete remains.  This is the most recent paper on Australovenator available on the Australian Age of Dinosaurs website: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0137709  It acknowledges that the classification of megaraptorans, including Australovenator, is ambiguous.  The last sentence of the conclusion section is actually: "Considering all aspects of ROM, articulation and forearm morphology we conclude that Australovenator belongs to a highly derived tetanuran or a very basal coelurosaur."   It's good to hear you're happy with the figure.

[Sim]

Bucklander  -  Thanks for the kind reply!  I'm glad you enjoy reading my posts.  I very much enjoy reading your posts too!  You certainly care about and are interested in the subject.  You say very pertinent and interesting things in a very pleasant way.  I haven't forgotten about listing the underrepresented prehistoric animals I think really need a good figure, in the thread "The Same Old Starting Lineup - Put Me In, Coach!".  I'm putting the list together as I have time.  I haven't forgotten you said you would do a list too.

I'm not keen on series of figures that represent outdated interpretations, you are right that we differ regarding how we feel about that!   However, I understand others may want to have such figures because of what they represent.

Thanks for explaining more about the series of AAOD figures.  I had got the impression from your previous post it seemed series 1 was going to be Australovenator + the three other dinosaurs you listed, and then series 2 would begin, with the larger Australovenator with an articulated lower jaw.

I think it's important to remember that most Australians have never heard of the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum, and would be very surprised to learn that any dinosaurs have been discovered here at all (we Australians are not well known for our knowledge of anything that doesn't come out of a beer can or from a football field!) Hopefully this situation will, in time change. I believe this line may even have a role to play in that change.

I hope this line does help achieve that change!  This line must be really exciting for you, and other Australians who collect prehistoric animal figures.  It's made a great start, the Australovenator is very well made and its pose is very good.

[Halichoeres]

Got mine today, I love it! When hefting the figure, it seems to me like it's denser and heavier right over the hip. It's a multi-part mold, so I wonder if the legs are attached to the body with something heavier like metal, which could be part of why it balances so well. If so, man, everyone should do that. It is uncommonly stable.

[Kovu]

Did anybody order more than one? I'm just curious if you save on shipping when ordering multiple, cause if so, I'll just wait for the Minmi and Muttaburasaurus and order all three together...

[Takama]

I am tempted to get this model, but im sad to see there only sticking to Australian species.   I was hopeing that this could be the new Carnegie Collection, only with better detail

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

I'm okay with Aussie species only..there are so few of them out there in other major lines it's great they have a narrow focus to keep improving and making products for.

[tyrantqueen]

I don't have a problem with them sticking to Australian species, if that is what they want to do. Lots of Aussie species are obscure and don't get many mainstream figures. Plus they're trying to support their museum on the side.

[suspsy]

I think they should absolutely stick with Australian dinosaurs for the time being. Some prehistoric mammals would be great too. I know which one I'd want them to make!

[Yutyrannus]

I think they should absolutely stick with Australian dinosaurs for the time being. Some prehistoric mammals would be great too. I know which one I'd want them to make!

Yeah, I would love to see a Thylacoleo figure from them too, and maybe we'll finally get a good figure of Quinkana as well .

[Halichoeres]

I hope this line is so wildly successful that other museums copy it. Imagine the Egidio Feruglio Musuem in Trelew making a line of Patagonian dinos, or the museums in Beijing making stuff from the Jehol.

[Halichoeres]

Did anybody order more than one? I'm just curious if you save on shipping when ordering multiple, cause if so, I'll just wait for the Minmi and Muttaburasaurus and order all three together...

Oh, and to answer your question, Kovu, I ordered 3 because the shipping cost doesn't change until you get to 4. I'm sending the two extras to forum members, so we're all saving money. The way I see it, buying big right out of the gate is the best way to guarantee that Minmi and Muttaburrasaurus see the light of day!