Safari Ltd.: New for 2018

[Jose S.M.]

Thanks! I like how Anzu looks and it's size.

[Faelrin]

Are the neck and leg feathers of the Anzu really that smooth as they seem as in the product pics? I mean they even look flat in some of these images, especially in that comparison with the Feathered Velociraptor. There really seems to be a disparity between the two of them detail wise. I'll likely still get it because one, it's an Anzu, and two, I like the color scheme for the most part, but I have this feeling it'll look out of place alongside most of my collection so far which pretty much consists of Doug's wonderfully detailed sculpts at the moment.

[Reptilia]

Thanks for the comparison pics, that Anzu looks better every new photo I see.

[Jose S.M.]

Are the neck and leg feathers of the Anzu really that smooth as they seem as in the product pics? I mean they even look flat in some of these images, especially in that comparison with the Feathered Velociraptor. There really seems to be a disparity between the two of them detail wise. I'll likely still get it because one, it's an Anzu, and two, I like the color scheme for the most part, but I have this feeling it'll look out of place alongside most of my collection so far which pretty much consists of Doug's wonderfully detailed sculpts at the moment.

It looks to me like the head and neck feathers have the kind of detail that it's legs have, but the red color seems to obscure it in photo. Probably when looking at it closely, the texture will be more visible. I still prefer the kind of feathering the Velociraptor has on it's body but I'm very happy about the Anzu.

[Reptilia]

To me looks a wonderfully detailed model, quite an improvement over Safari previous releases. And one of the best feathered dinosaur models, if not the best so far.

[John]

The Anzu wyliei looks like it's properly detailed to me.I even can tell that it has long downy type feathering down it's neck,belly and legs.The rest of the feathering is easily just as detailed as the fantastic Velociraptor figure next to it in one of the comparison pictures.

[Loon]

The animal in the picture from Asia can't be an Andrewsarchus.

The neck's too long, as well as the highly visible shoulder blades(which would have been hidden by a hump), and the overly large, and potentially clawed, feet, are things that definitely do not feature in modern reconstructions.

[tanystropheus]

I think Safari got Amarga's head shape more or less correct. Keep in mind, the head is not shrink-wrapped (it's just the highlights)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amargasaurus#/media/File:Amargasaurus_skull.png

[Minmiminime]

It was good to see the old Battat next to the new Safari Amargasaurus  The Safari model seems to be completely up to date with current thinking. It's also huuuge! I like that

[Concavenator]

That Anzu is so charming! I really like it

[Shonisaurus]

The amargasaurus It is immense and very nice! It is a great figure.  The largest amargasaurus made to date by a Western toy company.    And it is a figure seeing the wikipedia article whose link has passed us tantrofio paleontologically correct I give the reason to tantrofio.

On the other hand anzu is not as big as I imagined it can make good pairing with Carnegie's latest outdated oviraptor model. And paleontologically correct with beautifully detailed feathers. Unfortunately it is tripod and not bipedal as I had imagined it holds with the feathers of the left arm. In any case it is paleontologically correct unless proven otherwise.

Thanks for sharing. They are figures of an incomparable beauty. On the other hand analyzing drawings and recreations paleoartísticas of the hyaenodon, andrewsarchus and tilacino (since for my supreme misfortune I am not understood in paleontology and I would like to know more about her) I have no doubt that it is a hyaenodon and I agree. In a way I am glad that it is not the thylacine is an animal recently disappeared (84 years), and other than the andrewsarchus we already have a beautiful figure although out of Safari and another masterful Collecta company. The hyaenodon is perhaps the figure that interests me as it is still rare in the toy market regardless of the Mojo company (of which we do not have news this year unfortunately) and Geoworld (who honestly would not buy it ) for the reasons of quality and that of the AAA company that is very difficult to find on eBay.

[Pachyrhinosaurus]

Are the neck and leg feathers of the Anzu really that smooth as they seem as in the product pics? I mean they even look flat in some of these images, especially in that comparison with the Feathered Velociraptor.

The neck and legs do have a bit of texture, but as you're suggesting it isn't very deep. It looks a bit better in person than on the photos but they're still pretty flat. I personally don't mind it though since there are plenty of birds that also look smooth from a distance.

[Takama]

That Amargasaurus is HUGE, I would say how it is way over sized then it needs to be, but it I no longer care because Safari rebooted there line in 2017.

I hope we can get a new Apatosaurus made by the same sculptor, and a Brachiosaurus. and maybe 10 years down the road, A larger Shunosaurus

[Faelrin]

Thanks for the insight about the Anzu everyone. I guess I'll still pick it up later. That lack of detail in those areas is a minor fault if anything really.

[ItsTwentyBelow]

Safari sure keeps pumping out some good figures! Really exciting that they are available to order as soon as they're revealed.

That Anzu is very attractive in terms of both color and pose. I really like the new Amargasaurus too, it is definitely the best sculpt of the species currently available on the toy market. The walking pose is well executed and the proportions are quite nice. My only gripe may be its size but then, I've been considering how my other Amargasaurs from Battat, Carnegie and CollectA are all in 1:40, so it's nice to see a smaller sauropod get a beefy figure for a change. I usually don't like to have so many figures depicting the same animal in my collection, but for this Amargasaurus I'll make an exception!

Can't wait to see what else is in store! 

[Lanthanotus]

I can't help myself, but I cannot warm up with those feathered dinosaur figures, they look more like chimera to me, than real animals. Not because I deny the presence of such on dinosaurs, how could I? But while I find the paintings of Witton and others quite convincing, the toy figure rendition doesn't do same for me....

...and I think that's mainly, because feathers on real birds are just not a crisply visible and distinguihed from the surrounding feathers as are the sculpted feathers. Hands down, they are finely sculpted and detailed, but overly so I think, because in the real animal they would form a smooth and mostly indstinguishly surface, where single feathers can only be made out by a very close look, specific but rare coloration/patterns or only in certain areas as the wing tips. Sculpted feathers (not only in dinosaur figures, but also recent bird figures) are often just too think and deeply grooved which makes them look more like scales than real feathers.

Just my two cents.... as of yet I only added the Safari Feathered Tyrant, Papo Velociraptor and the occasional Archeaopteryx ... oh well and the Microraptor, where the sculpting is well done but the uniform black also adds a lot to a realistic look.

[tanystropheus]

I can't help myself, but I cannot warm up with those feathered dinosaur figures, they look more like chimera to me, than real animals. Not because I deny the presence of such on dinosaurs, how could I? But while I find the paintings of Witton and others quite convincing, the toy figure rendition doesn't do same for me....

...and I think that's mainly, because feathers on real birds are just not a crisply visible and distinguihed from the surrounding feathers as are the sculpted feathers. Hands down, they are finely sculpted and detailed, but overly so I think, because in the real animal they would form a smooth and mostly indstinguishly surface, where single feathers can only be made out by a very close look, specific but rare coloration/patterns or only in certain areas as the wing tips. Sculpted feathers (not only in dinosaur figures, but also recent bird figures) are often just too think and deeply grooved which makes them look more like scales than real feathers.

Just my two cents.... as of yet I only added the Safari Feathered Tyrant, Papo Velociraptor and the occasional Archeaopteryx ... oh well and the Microraptor, where the sculpting is well done but the uniform black also adds a lot to a realistic look.

I understand where you are coming from, but you are also asking for an impossible feat in terms of engineering design and manufacturing process. For a model of that scale and projected production values (to be sold for budget $9 to $12), it would take an extraordinary sculptor and an unorthodox company to release models with the desirable level of craft. Sure, Papo could do it but then they would include a gnarly looking crocodilian mug.

[Lanthanotus]

I am not so sure... I think the "problem" could sometimes just be "less is more". For example those contour feathers on the back of the Anzu wouldn't look like scales but more like feather covering, if they wouldn't all be sculpted seperately, but more smoohted out with just some flat grooves as Schleich did in their great fowl figures or other bird figures (as flamingo or puffin for example).

[Shonisaurus]

I can't help myself, but I cannot warm up with those feathered dinosaur figures, they look more like chimera to me, than real animals. Not because I deny the presence of such on dinosaurs, how could I? But while I find the paintings of Witton and others quite convincing, the toy figure rendition doesn't do same for me....

...and I think that's mainly, because feathers on real birds are just not a crisply visible and distinguihed from the surrounding feathers as are the sculpted feathers. Hands down, they are finely sculpted and detailed, but overly so I think, because in the real animal they would form a smooth and mostly indstinguishly surface, where single feathers can only be made out by a very close look, specific but rare coloration/patterns or only in certain areas as the wing tips. Sculpted feathers (not only in dinosaur figures, but also recent bird figures) are often just too think and deeply grooved which makes them look more like scales than real feathers.

Just my two cents.... as of yet I only added the Safari Feathered Tyrant, Papo Velociraptor and the occasional Archeaopteryx ... oh well and the Microraptor, where the sculpting is well done but the uniform black also adds a lot to a realistic look.

I understand where you are coming from, but you are also asking for an impossible feat in terms of engineering design and manufacturing process. For a model of that scale and projected production values (to be sold for budget $9 to $12), it would take an extraordinary sculptor and an unorthodox company to release models with the desirable level of craft. Sure, Papo could do it but then they would include a gnarly looking crocodilian mug.

Totally agree. Keep in mind that if the figures of Safari or other companies were made by sculptors out of series as the paleoartists of resin figures. Even being PVC and toy prices would inevitably rise and would be almost as expensive as resin figures so few people would buy and would suppose a crash sales.

I have to admit that I really like the figures of dinosaurs paleoartístically well made and very detailed I have even criticized Schleich and to a lesser extent Papo but it must be fair if they made perfect figures of dinosaur toys still not being of their prices as I said more or less in the previous paragraph would be wild. We must be sincere and recognize that even though the toy dinosaur companies also try to make collectors buy their figures and do everything possible to make them appealing to the public of all ages, all dinosaur figures or prehistoric animals of toy even the faces of Rebor are also intended for children and young people. Collectors are in a way a minority group.

To finish and as a postdata this year the dinosaurs amargasaurus and anzu are some out of series and my opinion is that I like them and I am very happy with both them and with the sculptor and with the company Safari and I am aware that they can even improve like everything in life, but what was said for that would need to hire sculptors who would be more expensive for the company and for the pocket of the sellers not only in this company but in the rest that of dinosaur companies and prehistoric toy animals.

[Patrx]

Yes, I see what you're saying, Tanystropheus, but I agree that, when it come to feathers, especially body feathers, less detail is often more effective. You know those resin or ceramic songbird figurines you see in gift shops all over the place? They don't cost much, and there's really not a lot of complexity to them, but they look naturalistic. I get the impression that if figure designers could approach these animals like birds instead of "dinosaurs", (with all the cultural inertia that comes from that), the results might be more subdued and believable. I'm reminded of this post on DinoGoss. It's about CGI feathered dinosaurs, but a lot of the principles are applicable.

More on-topic, though, the Anzu is very good, but I do think the feathers on last year's Velociraptor are a little bit more convincing overall.