Safari Ltd.: New for 2018

[Halichoeres]

The undisputed leader of the Safari ceratopsians has finally arrived.

That is, unless Doug decides to do an Eotriceratops next year!

I would welcome that or a Torosaurus.

[Takama]

The undisputed leader of the Safari ceratopsians has finally arrived.

That is, unless Doug decides to do an Eotriceratops next year!

I would welcome that or a Torosaurus.

I imagine Eotriceratops is to simalar to Triceratops. 

Then again Cacaradontosaurus and Giganotosaurus are simalar too, but one came out when Safari did not up there sizeing

[amargasaurus cazaui]

While we are producing so many different derived ceratopsians from the US and Canada, just my two cents but it might be interesting to see some of the species from Asia....ie, Sinoceratops, Udanoceratops, Protoceratops, Archaeoceratops, or even micro pachycephalosaurus!  (loved the psittacosaurus though, hard to complain too much)

[Shonisaurus]

A protoceratops understand that it is necessary since it is one of the dinosaurs that more complete fossil remains have been found. Apart from that is a rare figure in the market of the toy dinosaur and sincerely to date today there is no medium or large figure nor good at least in regard to the western market.

[Faelrin]

I'd really like to see a Protoceratops too. Would be nice to have one to go alongside the Feathered Velociraptor at least.

[Loon]

I'd really like to see a Protoceratops too. Would be nice to have one to go alongside the Feathered Velociraptor at least.

Yeah, there really aren't any "good" protoceratops figures out there right now, this would be very much welcome.

[tanystropheus]

How about a Protoceratops with a ball jointed head (similar to Tyco)? That would certainly help with any issues regarding army building.

[Loon]

[Patrx]

I've said it before, I would definitely be interested to see Doug's take on Protoceratops! There really aren't any good ones except tiny gashapon figures by Kaiyodo, and even those have hand issues.

[Fenestra]

I'm very happy with those tiny figures from Kaiyodo.
They do their job quite well not looking out of place in a general 1:30-1:40 collection. 

[Daspletodave]

Favorite did a nice Sinoceratops and a mini Protoceratops (which is probably close to 1:40), as well Kanna did a large resin Protoceratops.
Complete fossil remains seem to have absolutely nothing to do with toy company decisions as to what figures to make. Of course the most famous dinos (and the ones most commonly made into toys) are ones for which complete or nearly complete remains exist which can be seen mounted in museums. There are many completely known dinosaurs that are getting ignored by the toy makers - Centrosaurus, Barosaurus, Massospondylus, Struthiomimus, Hypsilophodon to name a few. Others like Edmontosaurus, Corythosaurus and Lambeosaurus could use a reboot.
On the flip side there is no shortage of examples of dinosaur toys for which scant fossil evidence exists. Most of the recent ceratopsian toys are based on very incomplete skulls and nothing else. Deinocheirus had a toy when the only bones known were the two arms. Many raptors are known only from their teeth. Ankylosaurus keeps getting made but its remains are very incomplete.
The toy makers seem to make (and remake) the biggest dinosaur in every category, ie make Tyrannosaurus rex, and then you can ignore Tarbosaurus, Daspletosaurus, Gorgosaurus, and Albertosaurus.
Same thing for Stegosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Triceratops and Iguanodon. Strangely enough the entire hadrosaur clan just gets ignored, even though it was a very important and successful dinosaur type, containing some very large species.   

[Patrx]

I'm very happy with those tiny figures from Kaiyodo.
They do their job quite well not looking out of place in a general 1:30-1:40 collection. 

Good point! I hadn't really thought of that; I never really think about scale 

[tanystropheus]

Haha, well that works!

[Sim]

Of course the most famous dinos (and the ones most commonly made into toys) are ones for which complete or nearly complete remains exist which can be seen mounted in museums.

I can think of a few this isn't true for though, e.g. Spinosaurus and Ankylosaurus.  I guess you forgot about them, you even said later in the post, "Ankylosaurus keeps getting made but its remains are very incomplete." 

There are many completely known dinosaurs that are getting ignored by the toy makers - Centrosaurus, Barosaurus, Massospondylus, Struthiomimus, Hypsilophodon to name a few.

I don't know how much of Barosaurus is known, but I've read that no skull is known for it.

On the flip side there is no shortage of examples of dinosaur toys for which scant fossil evidence exists.[...]Many raptors are known only from their teeth.

The dromaeosaurids that have been made into toys so far are all known from more than teeth.  Velociraptor is basically completely known, same with Sinornithosaurus (the latter has only been made as a toob figure so far).  Microraptor is basically completely known, and its feathering and colouration is also known!  Deinonychus is nearly completely known.  Utahraptor figures have been made when it was only known from very fragmentary remains (it no longer is - much more of Utahraptor has now been found), but it was still known from more than just teeth.  I don't know if by "raptors" you were also referring to troodontids.  If you were, then what you said still wouldn't be correct.  While Troodon is only known from a tooth now, when toys of it were made they were based on non-tooth remains that are now classified as representing Stenonychosaurus and Latenivenatrix. 

Strangely enough the entire hadrosaur clan just gets ignored, even though it was a very important and successful dinosaur type, containing some very large species.

It isn't true they are ignored, for example:  In PNSO's starting line-up of five figures, two were hadrosaurs: Shantungosaurus and Mandschurosaurus.  The Wild Safari line has represented four hadrosaurs: Edmontosaurus, Gryposaurus, Parasaurolophus and Hypacrosaurus.  The Carnegie Collection had three: Parasaurolophus, Corythosaurus and Maiasaura.  CollectA has made five: Parasaurolophus, Olorotitan, Tsintaosaurus, Lambeosaurus and Corythosaurus.  Battat made two: Parasaurolophus and Maiasaura.

Even just considering the amount of good figures the group has, I'd say hadrosaurs are one of the best represented dinosaur groups in toys.  The representation could be better, but that's true for every dinosaur group and a lot are worse represented than hadrosaurs.  For example, dromaeosaurids were a successful, important and diverse dinosaur type, but the only available toys of these animals that are good modern representations are the 2017 Wild Safari Velociraptor and Microraptor.  That's it.  (Although the WS Microraptor's head looks a bit cartoony to me.)  There's the Beasts of the Mesozoic action figures that will be released at some point that will add to the number, but as action figures they are quite different, e.g. having a lot of seams for the articulation, having a significantly higher price point than the basic toys.

I'm not saying hadrosaurs shouldn't be better represented.  Ceratopsids are the only dinosaur group I think is now so well represented compared to all other groups, that I'd often like to see spots for new figures go to other dinosaur groups that need better representation so much.  This is why I was a little disappointed one of the 2018 Wild Safari spots went to Regaliceratops.  But I'm over that now, and of course Safari should decide what dinosaurs they make, including if they want to make more ceratopsids.  How I feel about this doesn't apply to remaking genera that were previously made for the line.  For example, I think it's great Triceratops was remade for the Wild Safari line, and I would have no problem with Styracosaurus being remade for the WS line.  Also, when people talk about "ceratopsian toys", it seems they tend to really mean "ceratopsid toys".  If a new ceratopsian genus is made for WS, it could be a non-ceratopsid, Protoceratops for example..

[Irritation]

Pretty neat lineup for this year and I hope we can get some more new creatures in the future. I'm also hoping for some neat remakes along the way as well.

[Shonisaurus]

Favorite did a nice Sinoceratops and a mini Protoceratops (which is probably close to 1:40), as well Kanna did a large resin Protoceratops.

The toy makers seem to make (and remake) the biggest dinosaur in every category, ie make Tyrannosaurus rex, and then you can ignore Tarbosaurus, Daspletosaurus, Gorgosaurus, and Albertosaurus.

What I can not explain why toy companies do not make more tyrannosaurs like gorgosaurus, albertosaurus, daspletosaurus or tarbosaurus (tyrannosaurus bataar) If tyrannosaurus rex is a bestseller in the toy market Why do not other tyrannosaurs do They would undoubtedly have guaranteed success and would not risk any money.

[tanystropheus]

Favorite did a nice Sinoceratops and a mini Protoceratops (which is probably close to 1:40), as well Kanna did a large resin Protoceratops.

The toy makers seem to make (and remake) the biggest dinosaur in every category, ie make Tyrannosaurus rex, and then you can ignore Tarbosaurus, Daspletosaurus, Gorgosaurus, and Albertosaurus.

What I can not explain why toy companies do not make more tyrannosaurs like gorgosaurus, albertosaurus, daspletosaurus or tarbosaurus (tyrannosaurus bataar) If tyrannosaurus rex is a bestseller in the toy market Why do not other tyrannosaurs do They would undoubtedly have guaranteed success and would not risk any money.

On the flip side, a company could release a Tyrannosaurus Rex model and simply label it Gorgosaurus, Albertosaurus, Daspletosaurus or Tarbosaurus . Most folks won't know the difference.

If Papo so desired, they could re-release the Acro in a Dorling Kindersley- style "giganoto green" and rename the final model, the Giganotosaurus.

[Loon]

If Papo so desired, they could re-release the Acro in a Dorling Kindersley- style "giganoto green" and rename the final model, the Giganotosaurus.

I would so be done for a DK line of figures based off those models. Just scan em or something. The giganotosaurus and styracosaurus would be must haves.

[Sim]

If Papo so desired, they could re-release the Acro in a Dorling Kindersley- style "giganoto green" and rename the final model, the Giganotosaurus.

I would so be done for a DK line of figures based off those models. Just scan em or something. The giganotosaurus and styracosaurus would be must haves.

Have you seen the Lontic Giganotosaurus?  It looks like it's based on DK's.

[tanystropheus]

If Papo so desired, they could re-release the Acro in a Dorling Kindersley- style "giganoto green" and rename the final model, the Giganotosaurus.

I would so be done for a DK line of figures based off those models. Just scan em or something. The giganotosaurus and styracosaurus would be must haves.

Have you seen the Lontic Giganotosaurus?  It looks like it's based on DK's.

It definitely looks as if was inspired by DK's.

I would say that the Schleich Giganotosaurus was also inspired by DK's but something got lost in translation.

http://www.scalefarm.com/products/Z-14548.jpg

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CfQfe2rcTgw/maxresdefault.jpg