Paleo-biography of the "chinasaurs"

[CarnegieCollector]

The term "chinasaur" is an un-scientific term for the sub-family of archosauria known to science as "dunusoors" (due-new-sewers).

The dunusoor anatomy is complex. Its body is usually made up of cheap plastic, and has 2 main body sections: torso and abdomen. They also occasionally squeak or make stock dinosaur roars.

Typical members of the dunusoor family are carnivorous dispite looking like dinosaurs such as "triceratops" and "stegosaurus". Dunusoors are easily recognizable by their gaping mouths and giant teeth.

Unlike other members of Archosauria, dunosoors are usually seen with pronated wrists and with their tails dragging on the ground.

Dunusoors typically mimic famous dinosaurs to get their primary food sorces: childrens innocents and the money of dinosaur toy collectors.

Dunusoors typically give off a foul oder (such smell wreaks of toxic plastic) to fend off predators.

Their most preferred habitats are cheap dollar stores and online stores such as "ebay" and "amazon.com"

Dunosoors are poorly known and mis-understood. I hope you enjoyed this paleo-biography of these strange monsters. Perhaps you have a dunusoor of your own???

[Lanthanotus]

Nice writing , especially like the term "Dunusoor" (would love to see that for a real dinosaur taxon one day )

The first dinosaur toys I remember were a bunch of cheap Marx knock offs and godzilla counterparts and I also remeber fondly some of the "real" chinasaurs, gaping mouth with starring teeth and a throat as deep as their tailbase. Recently I gathered quite many of them as by-catch of lots. Despite my childhood being back more than 30 years, these chinasurs still seem thrive and prosper to date, a true evolutionary  recipe for success it seems

[CarnegieCollector]

Haha! Thanks! I have ALOT of the marx copies.
I used to prefer getting chinasaurs over museum quality dinosaurs because "quantity over quality". I regret those choices i made! I have 32 museum quality dinosaurs, yet I have over 160 chinasaurs!
I think the chinasaurs started with Imperial back in the late 60s but i dont know. They came outta no where and ain't leaving any time soon!
Sometimes i wonder if the completly hollow ones, with their throats going into their tails, even have lungs, a heart, organs,....a soul?
I remember having just a generic one, i always called him a postosuchus, and my friend and I named him "death trap" 'cause once you got your finger in his mouth, it was sooooooo hard to get back out! Lol!

[Megalosaurus]

Pretty fun biography.

Here's a fun visual archive of chinasaurus: Plasticosauria
http://paleofreak.com/plasticosauria/

Last entry:

[amargasaurus cazaui]

Remember a discussion a time back wherein someone pointed out the term Chinasaur seems rather ...insensitive and offensive if you happen to be Chinese. While I am not, I can somewhat understand why it might be, just a thought. I know most people have always referred to them as such, it is worth pondering.

[CarnegieCollector]

Remember a discussion a time back wherein someone pointed out the term Chinasaur seems rather ...insensitive and offensive if you happen to be Chinese. While I am not, I can somewhat understand why it might be, just a thought. I know most people have always referred to them as such, it is worth pondering.

yeah, it did always seem a bit rude. I understand that they're just cheap dinosaurs made in China, but seriously, even schleich, carnegie, collectA, and safari ltd are all made in China as well. Just sayin'. Thats why I said in the biography that the term chinasaur is an unscientific term.

[Halichoeres]

I also don't like the term; I prefer "dime-o-saur"

[CarnegieCollector]

I also don't like the term; I prefer "dime-o-saur"

haha! I love it! I just went with "dunusoor" as it seemed to fit they're strange looks.

[Silvanusaurus]

In the UK they've infiltrated so deeply into the toy market that they've been given a brand name: 'Megasaurs'. 
Other less nation-specific alternatives to Chinasaur could be: Cheaposaurs, Lame-beosaurs, Naff-iosaurus, Wish-you-never-saw-us, My-eyes-are-saurs, Di-cheap-rodons, Trashosaurs, Tyrannosaurus wretch, 'The Unclean', or I personally often go with 'tat'. 

[amargasaurus cazaui]

Another two cents, just because but..the issue is not so much whether the term is unscientific, (it is) but wether it is offensive based on race or nationality.(it is again) Plenty of terms fly around here that are not scientific , but generally the ones that step across religious, racial, or ethnic bounds eventually draw fire. "Dime-o-saur is much more.....subtle perhaps. It is a good point you made about so many other lines being produced in China , makes you wonder even more at the term. Oh well, just my two cents....haha , love these Wish-you-never-saw-us, My-eyes-are-saurs. My own term for the box of them I slowly seem to accumulate is....trade bait

[stoneage]

   Is paleofreak still around?

[SBell]

Another two cents, just because but..the issue is not so much whether the term is unscientific, (it is) but wether it is offensive based on race or nationality.(it is again) Plenty of terms fly around here that are not scientific , but generally the ones that step across religious, racial, or ethnic bounds eventually draw fire. "Dime-o-saur is much more.....subtle perhaps. It is a good point you made about so many other lines being produced in China , makes you wonder even more at the term. Oh well, just my two cents....haha , love these Wish-you-never-saw-us, My-eyes-are-saurs. My own term for the box of them I slowly seem to accumulate is....trade bait

'Dollarsaur' is another term that went around--and since most of the larger models are about a dollar (or 99 cents) it is very apt.

You can also have dollartheres, dollaricthys, dollarthropods...

[Silvanusaurus]

Ah, but the problem with dollar-saur and dime-osaur is they only work in the US...

[stargatedalek]

They also don't cover the $10-$20 averaging bootleg products sold online, and only ones sold in brand name stores.

[CarnegieCollector]

In the UK they've infiltrated so deeply into the toy market that they've been given a brand name: 'Megasaurs'. 
Other less nation-specific alternatives to Chinasaur could be: Cheaposaurs, Lame-beosaurs, Naff-iosaurus, Wish-you-never-saw-us, My-eyes-are-saurs, Di-cheap-rodons, Trashosaurs, Tyrannosaurus wretch, 'The Unclean', or I personally often go with 'tat'. 

oh my gosh! I love all those names! Lol! I have quite a few megasaur brand toys, even though im in the USA (thanks to amazon). I quite like the cheap hollow dinosaur toys personally. They have a certain charm to them ya know?

[Halichoeres]

Ah, but the problem with dollar-saur and dime-osaur is they only work in the US...

And a few countries with similarly named currencies, yeah. I don't really know how familiar people in other countries are with our currency--would they still get the joke?

[Megalosaurus]

Ah, but the problem with dollar-saur and dime-osaur is they only work in the US...

And a few countries with similarly named currencies, yeah. I don't really know how familiar people in other countries are with our currency--would they still get the joke?

I live in México, so I get the joke, but it doesn't appeal to me. "Cheap-o-saurus" makes more sense as it is not related to currencies.
Also I remember that someone called some of those "The screammers":

[Archinto]

Certain old hard rubber dinosaurs definitely have their own unique style. The inital castings of these creatures are actually quite nicely done for what they are, especially when dealing with Imperial or Dormei.  Its the multiple recast versions that really stink.Ive got some early imperial stuff thats really out there, and then some of their stuff thats just incredible! Before they were made in china they were made in hong kong and were Fabulous! :3

[CarnegieCollector]

Quite surprisingly, I have a large handful of REALISTIC chinasaurs. They are in storage right now or I would show pictures. They are obviously not like safari or collecta by any means, but they are recognizable and semi-accurate.

[Flaffy]

Back when toys were made in Hong Kong...