The Battat Dynasty

[Sim]

This is also the first time I've heard standing issues in the Battat MOS line being the reason for it getting discontinued.  This also seems like an unfounded assumption, and I would be surprised if this was the reason the MOS line was discontinued as 1. Most figures in that line stood fine, and 2. There are figures with standing issues in other popular prehistoric animal toy lines too such as Papo, CollectA, Favorite, The Carnegie Collection and Wild Safari.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

I think that the comments there were an assumption on Takama's part.

[Takama]

The legendary Battat Collection. I'm sure everyone is familiar with them, and for many collectors, no prehistoric collection is totally complete without at least a few representative. After almost two decades, they are still admired for the accuracy and quality of their sculpt, and had withstood the test of time.
Two artist, Dan LaRusso and Greg Wenzel of The Dinosaur Studio, sculpted the figures. The line is the first in exclusively producing only dinosaurs, there are no marine reptiles, pterosaurs, or the odd mammals (and mammal-like) mixed in the line. All the figures produced are in the 1:40 scale, making a truly  impressive display.
The Battat collection is where Amargasaurus, Gallimimus, Acrocanthosaurus,Ouranosaurus,Edmontonia all (perhaps more?)made their first appearance as toy figures.
The line was produced between 1994 and 1998 (almost every other year, 94,96,98 )before going extinct, perhaps a victim of changing market and problems with quality control.
With their extinction, they have become highly sought after by collectors, and some such as the Acrocanthosaurus  and Diplodocus fetching some really impressive price when auctioned.
There were 18 figures total in the large 1:40 scale:

I took this as a reference to the fact that some of them models had trouble standing

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Well even Boki stated that might perhaps be the situation..no one ever confirmed anything that I've read.  Dan might know. Bit of a mute point with the re-release though I think.

[morrijos]

Maybe it was a cost thing? The softer plastic being cheaper? I don't know, just speculating. I think it is a bit presumptuous to say that "Battat Rushed there products out due to the demand". We really don't know that, and aside from a small community of collectors I doubt there was THAT much demand.

BINGO!!!  I purchased my Terra Acrocanthosarus and Rex today; they were both 9.99USD.  A similarly sized Carnegie piece sells for 16USD+ and a similarly-sized Papo piece sells for 20USD+.  Softer plastic was chosen to keep the toys affordable; and that's exactly what they are; they are toys.  The soft plastic is really not that different from the Bullyland pieces...  Furthermore, they are toys being sold (primarily) at Target stores in the US.  To be marketable to young children and parents they need to be - above all else - AFFORDABLE. 

With the MOS re-issues, Battat is trying to strike a careful balance between affordability and marketability, while also givings us - the collectors - some consideration.  If think they've done a fine job with.  The market can't sustain another relatively high-priced brand of dinosaur figures.  The Terra brand would flounder without the Target partnership.   

Before announcing the re-release of the MOS series, a Battat rex would sell for $100+ on eBay.  Now you can have a re-branded Battat rex, from Target, for $10.  So, adjust to the reality of the situation, stop complaining, and drive to Target to buy some new dinosaur toys...

[Takama]

Maybe it was a cost thing? The softer plastic being cheaper? I don't know, just speculating. I think it is a bit presumptuous to say that "Battat Rushed there products out due to the demand". We really don't know that, and aside from a small community of collectors I doubt there was THAT much demand.

BINGO!!!  I purchased my Terra Acrocanthosarus and Rex today; they were both 9.99USD.  A similarly sized Carnegie piece sells for 16USD+ and a similarly-sized Papo piece sells for 20USD+.  Softer plastic was chosen to keep the toys affordable; and that's exactly what they are; they are toys.  The soft plastic is really not that different from the Bullyland pieces...  Furthermore, they are toys being sold (primarily) at Target stores in the US.  To be marketable to young children and parents they need to be - above all else - AFFORDABLE. 

With the MOS re-issues, Battat is trying to strike a careful balance between affordability and marketability, while also givings us - the collectors - some consideration.  If think they've done a fine job with.  The market can't sustain another relatively high-priced brand of dinosaur figures.  The Terra brand would flounder without the Target partnership.   

Before announcing the re-release of the MOS series, a Battat rex would sell for $100+ on eBay.  Now you can have a re-branded Battat rex, from Target, for $10.  So, adjust to the reality of the situation, stop complaining, and drive to Target to buy some new dinosaur toys...

I would if my  targets would get them alredy. Still waiting on the Ceratosaurus, Amargasaurus, and Carnotaurus

[Sim]

Maybe it was a cost thing? The softer plastic being cheaper? I don't know, just speculating. I think it is a bit presumptuous to say that "Battat Rushed there products out due to the demand". We really don't know that, and aside from a small community of collectors I doubt there was THAT much demand.

BINGO!!!  I purchased my Terra Acrocanthosarus and Rex today; they were both 9.99USD.  A similarly sized Carnegie piece sells for 16USD+ and a similarly-sized Papo piece sells for 20USD+.  Softer plastic was chosen to keep the toys affordable; and that's exactly what they are; they are toys.  The soft plastic is really not that different from the Bullyland pieces...  Furthermore, they are toys being sold (primarily) at Target stores in the US.  To be marketable to young children and parents they need to be - above all else - AFFORDABLE. 

With the MOS re-issues, Battat is trying to strike a careful balance between affordability and marketability, while also givings us - the collectors - some consideration.  If think they've done a fine job with.  The market can't sustain another relatively high-priced brand of dinosaur figures.  The Terra brand would flounder without the Target partnership.   

Before announcing the re-release of the MOS series, a Battat rex would sell for $100+ on eBay.  Now you can have a re-branded Battat rex, from Target, for $10.  So, adjust to the reality of the situation, stop complaining, and drive to Target to buy some new dinosaur toys...

You make many good points.  It may be softer plastic was chosen to keep the toys affordable, but until the reason(s) for the plastic choice is confirmed, we can only speculate.  Does using softer plastic definitely cost less than harder plastic?

I've become quite curious about what the "soft plastic" used for the re-issues that people have been describing is like.  I wonder if it's one of the three types I noticed when I felt my Battat MOS and Terra dinosaurs which I described a few posts earlier.

It's not like Battat is the only company that has used pliable plastic.  Just feeling some other figures I have, the Carnegie Deinosuchus, Wild Safari Liopleurodon and original Papo Velociraptor are all made of quite pliable plastic that seems to be the same as what the Battat MOS Ouranosaurus and Styracosaurus are made from.  Hehe, the only reason I have that Papo "Velociraptor" is because a friend bought it from a car boot sale and gave it to me as a very late birthday present!  Papo has yet to make something I want to buy!  Back to the original topic, the Carnegie Styracosaurus is made from an even more pliable and soft plastic than the Battat Styraco and Ourano, WS Lio and the other aforementioned figures!  I can see how using a pliable plastic can cause standing issues for bipedal figures though.

I've had a look on Safari's website and the 2014 Carnegie Tyrannosaurus is priced $18.99 there, almost double the price of a $9.99 Battat Tyrannosaurus, despite I imagine them both being pretty much the same size!  How much of that price difference could be due to different types of plastic I don't know though.

[loru1588]

From what I can gather, ( don't quote me on this, this is my opinion) I believe Battat is repainting the existing inventory warehoused when The MOS Boston stopped selling the line. So what you are buying, again in my opinion, whereas I don't have any of the repainted toys in my possession yet, is these are the original line being repainted, therefore the softer plastic. Note the Terra Series has a much denser/harder plastic. Battat is basically, again in my opinion, cleaning out the warehouse of the overstock from 20 years ago.

[Takama]

That explains the lack of Clock on them.  (a little dial that the Original Terra models have, but not the re releases)

[Daspletodave]

I suppose another clue that these repaints are in fact original release MOS dinos is the belly printing - which someone has already confirmed is unchanged from the 1990's versions.
Very interesting.
This brings up an obvious question - when they are through with the warehoused overstock, will they start production of these models again, or will that be it for the "MOS' Terra dinos?

[ItsTwentyBelow]

Hmmm no, I don't think this is the case. Having both the new T. rex and Acro, I can confirm that "Museum of Science Boston" has been scratched away or otherwise made illegible on the stamp. I wouldn't think they'd go through all the remaining stock one by one and do this. But, they could have done that during the painting process now that I think about it.

They are both also ink stamped "041515" which may be a date of manufacture. I think they're reusing the molds with the museum reference etched away.

Add to that, the Acrocanthosaurus really feels and looks like it has been molded into a tripod this time around.

I guess I don't really know for sure, though.

[Sim]

Is the colour of the plastic used for the re-issues one of the colours of the dinosaur, with the other colours painted on?  Like how the 'cream' colour on the Battat Pachyrhinosaurus is the colour of its plastic, with the other colours like red and pink painted on.  If that's the case, it makes me think the re-issues aren't old stock.  I don't know for sure though, or how plastic colour is achieved.

I'm not happy ink stamped dates are being used.  The ones on Wild Safari and Carnegie Collection figures were very conspicuous and often absurdly placed (such as on the side of a dinosaur's tail) which contributed to me becoming less interested in those lines.  I wish Battat would just stick to the number dial!  I hope the ink stamped dates on the Battat re-issues aren't conspicuous.  Sigh...

[triceratops83]

Will the re-issues eventually be molded in the harder Terra plastic? "Cause I'd rather hold out for that.

[morrijos]

Will the re-issues eventually be molded in the harder Terra plastic? "Cause I'd rather hold out for that.

Or, buy them up now.  This reminds me of the (now very difficult to find) original 1988 Carnegie pieces made in Germany.  They too were cast in a soft, rubbery plastic before switching to PVC.  If these are indeed repainted originals, we should buy them all NOW. 

[docronnie]

Very interestîng insights...

Hope I could buy a few of the re-issues. 

[EmperorDinobot]

I got the Acrocanthosaurus.

I love the Battat line, I love Dan LoRusso.




For 9.99 this figure is ok.


Nothing more will be said. Mold is excellent, pose is excellent, but why must it stand as a quadruped?

[Stuckasaurus (Dino Dad Reviews)]

In addition, I also managed to acquire two resin prototype versions of some of the figures Dan sculpted for Safari, the Plateosaurus and Pteranodon.

I read somewhere that Dan made more prototypes for Safari, but back then, they felt that they were not consistent with the current Carnegie line sculpt that they never got produced into actual figures. I believe there were ceratopsians and duckbills... can you imagine?

I didn't realize Dan sculpted the Carnegie Plateosaurus and Pteranodon! That's a cool bit of trivia. I'd like to know what his unused models looked like...

[Stuckasaurus (Dino Dad Reviews)]

From what I can gather, ( don't quote me on this, this is my opinion) I believe Battat is repainting the existing inventory warehoused when The MOS Boston stopped selling the line. So what you are buying, again in my opinion, whereas I don't have any of the repainted toys in my possession yet, is these are the original line being repainted, therefore the softer plastic. Note the Terra Series has a much denser/harder plastic. Battat is basically, again in my opinion, cleaning out the warehouse of the overstock from 20 years ago.

What?!? Battat may have had a warehouse full of unsold dinos? Don't tell anybody who paid $100+ for one on eBay! They might have an aneurysm!

[Pachyrhinosaurus]

I just bought the two theropods and the acro does say Boston MOS pretty clearly on it, though not as clearly as the rest of the lettering. I don't have the original so I can't compare the molds otherwise.

[Kayakasaurus]

Is the colour of the plastic used for the re-issues one of the colours of the dinosaur, with the other colours painted on?  Like how the 'cream' colour on the Battat Pachyrhinosaurus is the colour of its plastic, with the other colours like red and pink painted on.  If that's the case, it makes me think the re-issues aren't old stock.  I don't know for sure though, or how plastic colour is achieved.

I'm not happy ink stamped dates are being used.  The ones on Wild Safari and Carnegie Collection figures were very conspicuous and often absurdly placed (such as on the side of a dinosaur's tail) which contributed to me becoming less interested in those lines.  I wish Battat would just stick to the number dial!  I hope the ink stamped dates on the Battat re-issues aren't conspicuous.  Sigh...

The plastic on the new Rex I got is indeed green, it hasn't been painted over. Also the ink stamp is on the bottom of one of the feet.