Safari Ltd - New for 2016

[joossa]

Sorry if this has been asked/discussed before, but have there been any estimated release dates for these new figures?

[Stuckasaurus (Dino Dad Reviews)]

Sorry if this has been asked/discussed before, but have there been any estimated release dates for these new figures?

I believe the re-released Doedicurus is already available for purchase, everything else we'll probably have to wait till after the New Year.

[Shonisaurus]

Certainly nothing is known about the launch of Safari 2016 dinosaurs.
Have the impression me that will take longer than other years in marketing in online stores.

[Tyto_Theropod]

I'm afraid I'm going to have to be that one person who has the unpopular opinion, because honestly I was disappointed when I saw these models. The only one that I could truthfully say looks (in my personal opinion) both nice and accurate is the Amebelodon, and even that could do with a dark wash. I suppose the Plesiosuchus and the Shonisaurus might be okay in person - I'd have to see more pics to judge - and the Masiakasaurus might look better with a repaint, but on the whole I'm distinctly underwhelmed. Sorry Doug.

...I miss Carnegie...

[SBell]

I'm afraid I'm going to have to be that one person who has the unpopular opinion, because honestly I was disappointed when I saw these models. The only one that I could truthfully say looks (in my personal opinion) both nice and accurate is the Amebelodon, and even that could do with a dark wash. I suppose the Plesiosuchus and the Shonisaurus might be okay in person - I'd have to see more pics to judge - and the Masiakasaurus might look better with a repaint, but on the whole I'm distinctly underwhelmed. Sorry Doug.

...I miss Carnegie...

Myself, I could take or leave the Carnegie line--by the end, most of the models had pretty much the same paint schemes, and it was down to one new theropod per year, which was getting dull. I say bring on the more daring figures!

[Tyto_Theropod]

I'm afraid I'm going to have to be that one person who has the unpopular opinion, because honestly I was disappointed when I saw these models. The only one that I could truthfully say looks (in my personal opinion) both nice and accurate is the Amebelodon, and even that could do with a dark wash. I suppose the Plesiosuchus and the Shonisaurus might be okay in person - I'd have to see more pics to judge - and the Masiakasaurus might look better with a repaint, but on the whole I'm distinctly underwhelmed. Sorry Doug.

...I miss Carnegie...

Myself, I could take or leave the Carnegie line--by the end, most of the models had pretty much the same paint schemes, and it was down to one new theropod per year, which was getting dull. I say bring on the more daring figures!

I agree with the second point, it was getting pretty frustrating having so little new stuff from them, and always popular Theropods at that, but the quality and accuracy were still amazing for a toy line. But I wouldn't necessarily say the colour schemes were always the same  - look at the 2014 Tyrannosaurus as opposed to the 2015 Velociraptor! And many people here, including myself, just repaint figures if they don't like factory the colours, so it wouldn't be that much of an issue anyway.

[John]

I miss the Carnegie line too,but the new dinosaurs like the Iguanodon are sculpted just as well and accurate as anything the Carnegie line was producing at the end of their run.

[tyrantqueen]

I'm afraid I'm going to have to be that one person who has the unpopular opinion, because honestly I was disappointed when I saw these models. The only one that I could truthfully say looks (in my personal opinion) both nice and accurate is the Amebelodon, and even that could do with a dark wash. I suppose the Plesiosuchus and the Shonisaurus might be okay in person - I'd have to see more pics to judge - and the Masiakasaurus might look better with a repaint, but on the whole I'm distinctly underwhelmed. Sorry Doug.

...I miss Carnegie...

I agree.

I do miss Carnegie now that they're gone.

[pylraster]

I like the Wild Safari line generally, but I wish they make their figures a little bigger. Similar to Carnegie in scale.

[Shonisaurus]

I like the Wild Safari line generally, but I wish they make their figures a little bigger. Similar to Carnegie in scale.

I totally agree with you. I really like the size of the Carnegie figures.

[stargatedalek]

I'm not certain but I seem to recall something along the lines of WS being limited in size due to Carnegie, so who knows what can happen now.

[Halichoeres]

I'm not certain but I seem to recall something along the lines of WS being limited in size due to Carnegie, so who knows what can happen now.

I'm holding out hope that Safari's flagship line adheres to one or two or three scales in future years. This year's releases, as far as I know, would have been planned long before the demise of Carnegie, right? So too soon to tell, but the Masiakasaurus does seem to be to scale with the Carnegie Psittacosaurus, Velociraptor, Beipiaosaurus, Oviraptor, Dilong, etc. I'd love all the big ones to be 1:40.

The one exception: Because Safari's existing Triassic offerings, and those of Bullyland, are mostly 1:20, I'd like to see as many of those as possible also done in 1:20. You know, as long as I'm inhabiting the fantasy world in which the US's leading manufacturer of toy animal replicas is slave to our whims!

[Kovu]

You know, as long as I'm inhabiting the fantasy world in which the US's leading manufacturer of toy animal replicas is slave to our whims!

"Fantasy and reality often overlap" - Walt Disney

[Halichoeres]

You know, as long as I'm inhabiting the fantasy world in which the US's leading manufacturer of toy animal replicas is slave to our whims!

"Fantasy and reality often overlap" - Walt Disney

Ain't it the truth, though? And the most compelling fantasies are the ones that could almost be true.

[DinoLord]

I'm holding out hope that Safari's flagship line adheres to one or two or three scales in future years. This year's releases, as far as I know, would have been planned long before the demise of Carnegie, right?

Yeah, I think I recently saw Doug mention finishing up the 2017 models so the current ones would have been conceived long before Carnegie's downfall. I would love to see them put out some bigger figures - better for both kids to play with and collectors to look at!

[Kovu]

You know, as long as I'm inhabiting the fantasy world in which the US's leading manufacturer of toy animal replicas is slave to our whims!

"Fantasy and reality often overlap" - Walt Disney

Ain't it the truth, though? And the most compelling fantasies are the ones that could almost be true.

Tell me about it. I'm still waiting on that Hogwarts letter.

As far as Safari, I do wonder how much they take customer input into account, even if it is just through some kind of consumer survey. As a business, they need to be aware of the general consensus on their products. I can't imagine that Safari's CEO is lurking around here - we're pretty much a niche market - but perhaps Mr. Watson relays general opinions back? I'm not sure how much autonomy he has in choosing species and the scaling specifics, but he clearly represents both artist, scientist and collector while sculpting his figures. The detailing, accuracy and obvious care that goes into them shows that. With the retirement of Carnegie and the untimely passing of Mr. LoRusso, Mr. Watson is pretty much without peers in the mass-produced prehistoric figures market. Of the major companies issuing yearly releases, none combine both the scientific rigor and sheer artistry like Mr. Watson's sculpts do. With him sculpting for Safari, I trust the quality of the line to only increase so that both the primary consumers - children and their parents - as well as collectors are happy with the products.

[suspsy]

I would like to see more pterosaurs and other non-dinosaurs in the years to come. A walking pterosaur would be really great, there hasn't been one yet in WS. Also Cotylorhychus, Edaphosaurus, or Estemmnosuchus.

As it stands, the WS toy I'm most looking forward next year to is the Plesiosuchus. I'd said in the past that metriorhynchids deserve a nod and I'm thrilled that Doug Watson has delivered. The Iguanodon comes in second, followed by the Masiakysaurus. The Carcharodontosaurus and Shunosaurus are indifferent choices, and I think the former's colour scheme looks rather lacklustre, but I'll still get them.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

No mention of toobs yet ?  Kinda hoping for a pterosaur one already.

[Georassic]

No mention of toobs yet ?  Kinda hoping for a pterosaur one already.

My #1 Toob wish, too, followed by a "small Mesozoic fauna" Toob of mammals, birds, and tiny dinos.

And echoing Halichoeres' wish for more figures of smaller animals in 1:10-20 scale.

[sauroid]

a toob of realistic prehistoric animal (nonmammal) neonates would be cool, an update of their older cartoonish babies.