What's the rarest dinosaur in your collection?

[Raptoress]

And is there a story of how you acquired it?

For me, I never thought I'd own this model. Hell, I never thought I'd own any Invictas. But when I saw this one in person, my views changed on them. No, they're not my favourite models but they're pretty well made for the time. My rarest model is the Invicta Lambeosaurus. I found it at a car boot sale for 50p mixed with other dinosaurs. Some not so good quality, others pretty nice such as other Invictas (painted Iguanodon, painted Megalosaurus, painted Cetiosaurus, T. rex) and Carnegies like the Corythosaurus. I bought the majority of what was there, basically all the good quality ones. I've not missed the weekly car boot sale since in case I find something special again.

[suspsy]

I own the brown version of the Papo Running T. rex, which I acquired completely by chance.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

If the question regards only figures and toys I would be forced to eliminate Nim , my psittacosaurus, as rarest. In that case I would speculate that I have three models that tie for rarest being the only known copies that exist....my archaeoceratops scene, my psittacosaurus burrow scene, and my Turok diorama, all done by Martin......in the first two cases, I dont think they have even been printed except the single figure that TQ printed for herself...not sure if anyone else has even managed to do so. In the third case, I did use a commonly sold dinosaur model from the seventies in the scene, but I have never yet seen anyone attempt a serius old school Turok model scene ever.

[Takama]

HMMMMMMMM.    Probably the Fuanacasts Parasaurolophus tubicen i got at Dans Dinosaurs.

Those pieces are a pain to obtain, and the one i got is retired now making it more difficult for others to obtain.

[joossa]

I have the Papo v1 Raptor and the original Sideshow Carnotaurus. I got both somewhat recently from Ebay auctions that no one really paid attention to, so I got them at very reasonable prices.

[SBell]

HMMMMMMMM.    Probably the Fuanacasts Parasaurolophus tubicen i got at Dans Dinosaurs.

Those pieces are a pain to obtain, and the one i got is retired now making it more difficult for others to obtain.

My rarest would be my Rush Studios 1:10 T-rex model based on a sculpt done by Malcolm Mlodoch (of FaunaCasts) back in the days he worked for them. In some ways it's old school, but it was one of the earliest models to give T.rex a horizontal body.

I got it from him as a gift, when the museum I managed contracted him to create a full Paleocene display.

Actually, this one may be:

[img]https://dl.dropbox.com/s/c9n5j56l32r06r8/HPIM5697.JPG?dl=0[img]

It's a spare Paleocene gar made for me, from the molds for the display (again by Malcolm). AFAIK, it's the only not in that display. Of course, it's not a dinosaur, but it's the only one ever (technically, one of 4 made, but the others are behind plexiglass)!

For things that were actually for sale, it would still be FaunaCast models--probably the Xiphactinus, which seemed to be popular but short-lived.

[tyrantqueen]

I had/have a lot of model kits that were oop. There was the Shinzen Tyrannosaurus kit, which was hard to get outside of Japan.



I owned Dinoland Kaiyodos and original Battats in the past too.

I also consider books to be a part of my collection. My rarest book is Don Glut's enyclopedia, and additional three supplements. I got them for a steal from a online book seller and they are amazing. I'd never sell them.

in the first two cases, I dont think they have even been printed except the single figure that TQ printed for herself...not sure if anyone else has even managed to do so.

You're the only one so far to ask for prints. I do have the Psittacosaurus and Archaeoceratops printed for myself, but they are single figures and not in a diorama like yours. So you can say yours are one of a kind

[Brontozaurus]

Probably the Carnegie Deinonychus for me, although with all the yowies I have, they might count.

[RobinGoodfellow]

I think a Orsenigo Triceratops ( from 1978 ) 

( http://dinotoyforum.proboards.com/thread/3216/rarest-most-expensive-dinosaur-toy )

[Everything_Dinosaur]

What a super Triceratops, a real blast from the past.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

I think it speaks very well of you TQ to say that I own well over two thousand dinosaurs in various formats from models to toys and I consider two of my three rarest pieces, things you directly contributed and made possible for me....without your help I would have neither of those gorgeous dioramas, that are so rare and one of a kind, so there is a big thanks there.

[Arul]

Well its depend. I have some of collecta and safari figure they are very rare in indonesia lol

[Doug Watson]

That would be my SRG Dinichthys I would love to say I found it at a flea market for $10 and talked the seller down to $5 (as I have for other SRGs) but unfortunately I was just lucky enough to outbid some other insane collector on eBay and paid market price.

Edit: I just realized the OP said "rarest dinosaur" but hopefully my fish will be allowed.

[Halichoeres]

That would be my SRG Dinichthys I would love to say I found it at a flea market for $10 and talked the seller down to $5 (as I have for other SRGs) but unfortunately I was just lucky enough to outbid some other insane collector on eBay and paid market price.

Edit: I just realized the OP said "rarest dinosaur" but hopefully my fish will be allowed.

That Dinichthys is great! Is it bronze?

My rarest is probaby also a fish: the Starlux Drepanaspis. And like Doug, I paid every cent of its value on eBay. I don't know if any of my proper dinosaurs are particularly rare, but contenders might be the Dawn of the Dinosaurs Frenguellisaurus/Herrerasaurus resin, or the Takara Tomy Anchiornis.

[Dinomike]

Mine would be this guy:http://dinotoyblog.com/2012/11/24/tyrannosaurus-rex-dino-kingdom-2012-by-kintofavorite-co-ltd/

Oh! No exciting story here - ordered it online from Japan

[DinoLord]

I have a fair amount of Japanese rarities I acquired thanks to the help of forum member brettnj. These include the Dinotales AM/PM set, three of the four Animatales Kitadaniryu variants (the fourth I had found in a eBay lot years prior), and all of the Dinotales Seismosaurus variants. I also traded for a Faunacasts Parasaurolophus with him.

My most recent rare acquisitions were a Battat Acrocanthosaurus and Dinosaurs of China Mamenchisaurus from an eBay lot. A number of years back, I had a great streak of acquiring rare figures, such as the Chaos Effect Thrasher T. rex, from eBay lots but it would seem things have dried up recently. I also have a number of MIB Battats and a Battat Maiasaura resin master I bought from various non-eBay sellers.

Finally there's the original Sideshow Apatosaurus - judging by recent eBay prices boy am I glad I got that one when it came out!

[Doug Watson]

That Dinichthys is great! Is it bronze?

The SRGs were made around 1947 and were made from lead with a faux bronze finish called "Royal Bronze". My next rarest piece would be my JH Miller Pterodactyl also not a dinosaur so what the heck! My first rare dinosaur would be one of my large mould group Metallic Green Marx dinos I guess.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

That Dinichthys is great! Is it bronze?

The SRGs were made around 1947 and were made from lead with a faux bronze finish called "Royal Bronze". My next rarest piece would be my JH Miller Pterodactyl also not a dinosaur so what the heck! My first rare dinosaur would be one of my large mould group Metallic Green Marx dinos I guess.

Doug you miss the most obvious thing of all...your rarest most valuable collectible dinosaurs would be your own master sculpts that you have saved all of over the years. They would be worth a small fortune compared to these other things you are posting...for real

[Doug Watson]

Doug you miss the most obvious thing of all...your rarest most valuable collectible dinosaurs would be your own master sculpts that you have saved all of over the years. They would be worth a small fortune compared to these other things you are posting...for real

Blushes with false modesty
I think I have to die first.

[Paleona]

I'm not sure how rare he is, but I have an SRG T. rex I found at an estate sale years ago:



His toothy grin is pretty cute.

I also still have my prized JP:The Lost World Bull T. rex in really nice working condition, with the survival pod human figure.  I know it fetches some high prices on eBay, so I assume he's more difficult to find.