Schleich New for 2017

[The Atroxious]

But these are just... it's as though they've hired somebody who failed in a career at designing monsters for ghost-train rides, and just told them to make some dinosaurs.

Now I'm imagining Captain Spaulding from House of 1000 Corpses sculpting Schleich's extinct animals line. I know that's not quite what you meant, but still.

[AcroSauroTaurus]

I find Dunkleosteus looks unusual, but that it looks like a real animal.  Schleich's Dunkleosteus doesn't look like a real animal to me.  The scratches and holes all over its armour look very cartoony and unrealistic.  In contrast, the Safari and Favorite Dunkleosteus look much more natural and don't look cartoony at all.

To me the scratches and scars make it more realistic than the "perfect condition" armor of other Dunkle figures. But some people like scars and imperfections, others don't, its personal preference.

Almost every part of the Schleich Dunkleosteus's armour is covered in scratches/holes, but the rest of its body looks in "perfect condition".  The contrast is jarring and it looks unrealistic.  Also notice how there's scratches all around the figure's eye sockets which actually make contact with the edge of the eye socket, and yet everything inside the eye socket is in perfect condition.  How is that supposed to work?  Also, what exactly could have made all those scratches and holes that cover almost all of the Schleich Dunkleosteus's armour?  They look scribbled on!  And since the marks on its armour are small circular holes and lots of lines, with there often being lots of lines next to each other, they don't look like bite marks and make it look like Dunkleosteus didn't have strong armour.

Are there any extant animals with armour covered in scratches and holes like on the Schleich Dunkleosteus?  To me the scratches and holes on the Schleich Dunkleosteus's armour don't look realistic at all.

Just because its armor is strong, doesn't mean it can't be scratched/have toothmarks. Maybe its a very aged individual. And as for modern animals, it depends on the individual. I've seen fish, turtles, and crocodilians with multiple scratches, holes, and scars in their armor. And as I said, it comes down to personal preference.

[Sim]

Just because its armor is strong, doesn't mean it can't be scratched/have toothmarks. Maybe its a very aged individual. And as for modern animals, it depends on the individual. I've seen fish, turtles, and crocodilians with multiple scratches, holes, and scars in their armor. And as I said, it comes down to personal preference.

What animals Dunkleosteus coexisted with could be leaving scratches/toothmarks that look like what's seen on the Schleich figure's armour?  The figure's armour is almost completely covered in long, thin lines and rounded holes, while the rest of its body looks in "perfect condition".  That makes its armour look weaker than the rest of its body covering!  Even more so since the scratches/holes continue up to where the armour meets the eye sockets/scaly parts but then immediately stop when the armour stops.  Additionally, is the figure having armour so covered in scratches and holes supposed to mean it never changes the covering of its armour?

It's not about personal preference, to me.  As I've described, there's a number of things about how the Schleich Dunkleosteus's armour is covered in scratches/holes that look very improbable, and I haven't seen/read anything that suggests it's something other than what Schleich often does for their prehistoric figures: covering them in incongruous detail which makes the figure look more monstrous and fantasy-like than a real animal.

[stargatedalek]

The only thing I can think of is cannibalism, or attacks when it was young. Assuming the armor didn't change (somehow) as it aged it could be that the fleshy parts already healed from this seemingly traumatic event. Not making it makes sense, but I still think it's worlds ahead of crayolasaurus rex.

[CityRaptor]

Saw some of the new ones in stors today, so here are some points of interest:

T.rex & Spinosaurus set:
The Spinosaurus differs from the prototype in that it has completely black eyes.

Feathered Raptor Set & single Utahraptor
Microraptor is does not have the paintwash of the catalogue, the other two are also painted worse ( Same for the single Utahraptor )
Velociraptor has a scaly belly. Or at least it looks more like scales than feathers...


Allosaurus
The body is not as staunched as seen in the catalogue, the proportions generally seem to be more that of a juvenile with a smaller head and long lanky legs.

Stegosaurus
Seems closest to catalogue shot

[Killekor]

Saw some of the new ones in stors today, so here are some points of interest:

T.rex & Spinosaurus set:
The Spinosaurus differs from the prototype in that it has completely black eyes.

Feathered Raptor Set & single Utahraptor
Microraptor is does not have the paintwash of the catalogue, the other two are also painted worse ( Same for the single Utahraptor )
Velociraptor has a scaly belly. Or at least it looks more like scales than feathers...


Allosaurus
The body is not as staunched as seen in the catalogue, the proportions generally seem to be more that of a juvenile with a smaller head and long lanky legs.

Stegosaurus
Seems closest to catalogue shot

Thanks for the information, Cityraptor, Can you do some photos?

Thanks

Killekor

[CityRaptor]

No, I didn't buy any of them and also did not take photos in store.

[Killekor]

No, I didn't buy any of them and also did not take photos in store.

Ah! Ok.

Killekor

[Sim]

Feathered Raptor Set & single Utahraptor
Microraptor is does not have the paintwash of the catalogue, the other two are also painted worse ( Same for the single Utahraptor )
Velociraptor has a scaly belly. Or at least it looks more like scales than feathers...

So in addition to Utahraptor and Microraptor, the other dromaeosaurid in the set of three is labelled Velociraptor?  I seem to remember Everything Dinosaur identifying it as Velociraptor, but in the first post of this thread it's said to be Deinonychus.

[CityRaptor]

Yep, the official description calls the middle one a Velociraptor.

[japfeif]

I think it looks awesome. I have the Schleich, Wild Safari, and Favorite Dunkleosteus and they all have their unique appeal. The Schleich Dunk is the only version in the market with an articulated jaw. It's as cartoony as a ginormous, armored fossil looking fish could get. Dunk, by its very nature doesn't look like a real animal (and that adds to its fantastical allure). I am also looking forward to the REBOR version, since I am a Dunk fan. And, if PNSO or Papo were to make one, I would probably get that as well 

I find Dunkleosteus looks unusual, but that it looks like a real animal.  Schleich's Dunkleosteus doesn't look like a real animal to me.  The scratches and holes all over its armour look very cartoony and unrealistic.  In contrast, the Safari and Favorite Dunkleosteus look much more natural and don't look cartoony at all.

Oh I disagree...I think the Schleich Dunk is one of the nicest figures to come out in a while...it's actually hard to believe it's by Schleich! At least on mine, the paint job is impeccable, the eyes are perfect, and I think the "creative license" they did on the soft body with the armored sides and all was a nice touch, since no one really know what those parts looked like. I personally find it much more appealing than the weird golden Dunk from Safari.  On mine at least the eyes are not that carefully painted, with the eye color spilling out on to the skin of the face (a major pet peeve I have....I hate it when looks like someone just dabbed a paint brush in the eye socket of a figure!).
I was showing my wife my collection awhile ago (I only collect 4 lines....Papo, CollectA, Safari, & Schleich) and as she was looking at the Schleich shelf (after totally marveling at the Papo figures...but who wouldn't?), she commented on how cartoon-y they looked, but then she zeroed right in on the Dunkleosteus and picked it up and said "oh wow, now THIS one is really nice..are you sure it's from the same company?". I had to laff at that.

[Sim]

I find Dunkleosteus looks unusual, but that it looks like a real animal.  Schleich's Dunkleosteus doesn't look like a real animal to me.  The scratches and holes all over its armour look very cartoony and unrealistic.  In contrast, the Safari and Favorite Dunkleosteus look much more natural and don't look cartoony at all.

Oh I disagree...I think the Schleich Dunk is one of the nicest figures to come out in a while...it's actually hard to believe it's by Schleich! At least on mine, the paint job is impeccable, the eyes are perfect, and I think the "creative license" they did on the soft body with the armored sides and all was a nice touch, since no one really know what those parts looked like. I personally find it much more appealing than the weird golden Dunk from Safari.  On mine at least the eyes are not that carefully painted, with the eye color spilling out on to the skin of the face (a major pet peeve I have....I hate it when looks like someone just dabbed a paint brush in the eye socket of a figure!).
I was showing my wife my collection awhile ago (I only collect 4 lines....Papo, CollectA, Safari, & Schleich) and as she was looking at the Schleich shelf (after totally marveling at the Papo figures...but who wouldn't?), she commented on how cartoon-y they looked, but then she zeroed right in on the Dunkleosteus and picked it up and said "oh wow, now THIS one is really nice..are you sure it's from the same company?". I had to laff at that.

It's explained in this DTB review why Dunkleosteus probably didn't have armoured sides like the Schleich figure: http://dinotoyblog.com/2016/07/29/dunkleosteus-first-giants-by-schleich/  The position of these scutes also looks weirdly low down on the Schleich Dunk.  In contrast to sturgeons, which I'm guessing was the inspiration for this feature, where the scutes are halfway up the side of the body.

Having paint applied neatly definitely helps, but it can't make up for unrealistic aspects of the sculpt, such as the cartoony covering of scratches and holes on its head/neck armour which aren't found anywhere else on the body, not even on the armoured parts of its sides.  Maybe a reason why the Dunkleosteus is preferred to many of Schleich's other prehistoric figures is because most of Schleich's prehistoric figures are dinosaurs, and most of Schleich's dinosaurs are cartoony to an extreme degree that's easily noticeable.  Regarding how realistic the Schleich Dunk looks, I don't think it does well when thinking about Dunkleosteus as a real animal.

[Shonisaurus]

Saw some of the new ones in stors today, so here are some points of interest:

T.rex & Spinosaurus set:
The Spinosaurus differs from the prototype in that it has completely black eyes.

Feathered Raptor Set & single Utahraptor
Microraptor is does not have the paintwash of the catalogue, the other two are also painted worse ( Same for the single Utahraptor )
Velociraptor has a scaly belly. Or at least it looks more like scales than feathers...


Allosaurus
The body is not as staunched as seen in the catalogue, the proportions generally seem to be more that of a juvenile with a smaller head and long lanky legs.

Stegosaurus
Seems closest to catalogue shot

Thanks for the information, Cityraptor, Can you do some photos?

Thanks

Killekor

Totally agree Schleich is the worst of the worst in producing figures of dinosaur toys.

On the other hand Bullyland gave a thousand returns to Schleich as far as the realization of dinosaurs and prehistoric animals with fewer numbers of figures. This from my point of view.

[ItsTwentyBelow]

I'm usually pretty critical of Schleich these days, but I just picked up the Dunkleosteus on sale at a local store, and I have to say, it's not a bad sculpt! Some of the details on this figure might not be the most accurate to life, but it's a great model of the animal. A nice, crisp finish, and the jaw articulation is very smooth. The subtle ripples in the tail fin are a nice touch as well. Also, I think the answer to the question of what else in the Devonian seas could have been big enough to cause all the abrasions on this figure's skull is simple: other Dunkleosteus. Those are plausible details.

That being said, it looks like Schleich is back to another mostly "meh" year for 2017. Nothing really stands out like the Dunkleosteus did last year. That new Allosaurus just looks stupid.

[MLMjp]

I'm usually pretty critical of Schleich these days, but I just picked up the Dunkleosteus on sale at a local store, and I have to say, it's not a bad sculpt! Some of the details on this figure might not be the most accurate to life, but it's a great model of the animal. A nice, crisp finish, and the jaw articulation is very smooth. The subtle ripples in the tail fin are a nice touch as well. Also, I think the answer to the question of what else in the Devonian seas could have been big enough to cause all the abrasions on this figure's skull is simple: other Dunkleosteus. Those are plausible details.

That being said, it looks like Schleich is back to another mostly "meh" year for 2017. Nothing really stands out like the Dunkleosteus did last year. That new Allosaurus just looks stupid.

Totally agree, 2014 had the Pentaceratops, 2015 had the Kentrosaurus, last year we had the Dunkleosteus and it seemed like the Barapasaurus was going to be another winner, but the head ruined it. This year the only thing that is good is the Stegosaurus.

[Shonisaurus]

I'm usually pretty critical of Schleich these days, but I just picked up the Dunkleosteus on sale at a local store, and I have to say, it's not a bad sculpt! Some of the details on this figure might not be the most accurate to life, but it's a great model of the animal. A nice, crisp finish, and the jaw articulation is very smooth. The subtle ripples in the tail fin are a nice touch as well. Also, I think the answer to the question of what else in the Devonian seas could have been big enough to cause all the abrasions on this figure's skull is simple: other Dunkleosteus. Those are plausible details.

That being said, it looks like Schleich is back to another mostly "meh" year for 2017. Nothing really stands out like the Dunkleosteus did last year. That new Allosaurus just looks stupid.

Totally agree, 2014 had the Pentaceratops, 2015 had the Kentrosaurus, last year we had the Dunkleosteus and it seemed like the Barapasaurus was going to be another winner, but the head ruined it. This year the only thing that is good is the Stegosaurus.

Stegosaurus is good, although it must be pointed out that its pose resembles the kentrosaurus of the same factory.

Of course the colors are more realistic than the exceptional kentrosaurus. I do not like purple colors for dinosaurs, it's just an appreciation of mine.

[EmperorDinobot]

Boy, that Utahraptor looks pretty darn revolting, even for a Schleich. It looks like some old, washed up, niccotine stained glam-rock singer who was cool in the 70's, but now he's just a creepy old guy performing in dingy bars as he tries to relive the glory days.
I honestly cannot comprehend how somebody designs things to look that ugly, and gets away with it because "Hey, kids are stupid right? So who cares!" It's not even stylisation, you can design a stylised and grossly inaccurate dinosaur to still look very aesthetically pleasing, even in a naive way. But these are just... it's as though they've hired somebody who failed in a career at designing monsters for ghost-train rides, and just told them to make some dinosaurs.

*giggles*

[Shonisaurus]

Boy, that Utahraptor looks pretty darn revolting, even for a Schleich. It looks like some old, washed up, niccotine stained glam-rock singer who was cool in the 70's, but now he's just a creepy old guy performing in dingy bars as he tries to relive the glory days.
I honestly cannot comprehend how somebody designs things to look that ugly, and gets away with it because "Hey, kids are stupid right? So who cares!" It's not even stylisation, you can design a stylised and grossly inaccurate dinosaur to still look very aesthetically pleasing, even in a naive way. But these are just... it's as though they've hired somebody who failed in a career at designing monsters for ghost-train rides, and just told them to make some dinosaurs.

*giggles*

The utahraptor is a mere caricature of a feathered dinosaur. It reflects Schleich's lack of professionalism in realizing his figures and his lack of seriousness. I understand that this figure will be another failure of sales by this company.

Neither it is scientific and what is worse neither educative nor by what. It is a shame that a company makes such figures, without a doubt it is even much better companies like Recur to put an example compared to the company Schleich.

Summarizing neither serves for children nor for collectors such figures. They are the Schleich dinosaurs in their vast majority unfortunately a cruel esperpento (except honorable exceptions).

[sauroid]

looking at the new Allosaurus (albeit painfully), seems like Schleich is oblivious to all the progress the other brands have been going through (western and eastern brands alike) and striving for. they are living in their own little world, as long as they are making a lot of money, to h*** with what is aesthetically right.

[Sim]

The utahraptor is a mere caricature of a feathered dinosaur. It reflects Schleich's lack of professionalism in realizing his figures and his lack of seriousness. I understand that this figure will be another failure of sales by this company.

Neither it is scientific and what is worse neither educative nor by what. It is a shame that a company makes such figures, without a doubt it is even much better companies like Recur to put an example compared to the company Schleich.

Summarizing neither serves for children nor for collectors such figures. They are the Schleich dinosaurs in their vast majority unfortunately a cruel esperpento (except honorable exceptions).

I don't think Recur's prehistoric figures are better than Schleich's.  Additionally, Recur hasn't made any good feathered dinosaur figures, their Deinonychus is the only one with feathers but it looks like something Schleich could produce, their Oviraptor is featherless and stuck on a giant egg, and their Velociraptor is also featherless and looks almost exactly like Blue from Jurassic World.