Vitae dinosaurs

[Syndicate Bias]

Nice may we see some.close ups of that Chilantaisaurus please?

[ceratopsian]

Maybe at the weekend.  I am going away for a few days from Wednesday!

Nice may we see some.close ups of that Chilantaisaurus please?

[tanystropheus]

I just got the Zhejiangopterus by mail today from AliExpress as a test order. AliExpress is totally legit. The shipping, besides being cheap, is relatively fast. It says it was going to deliver in like 30-40 days but it arrived in like 2 weeks. I will be ordering the stegosaurid and the nodosaur next.

[ITdactyl]

Thanks for the info @tanystropheus .  Was it a small parcel or a big box with a tiny pterosaur inside? 

[tanystropheus]

Thanks for the info @tanystropheus .  Was it a small parcel or a big box with a tiny pterosaur inside?

It was a strange cube shaped styrofoam layout with a lot of tape around it. It (the box) looked kind of homemade but the pterosaur was secure. One of the wings is a bit more curved in than the other but it basically looks like the promo pics. I was pleased with the order.

[ceratopsian]

Nice may we see some.close ups of that Chilantaisaurus please?

Here's a shot of its front end:



I'll be posting a couple more photos later today in my thread with a few other acquisitions, including some of the other Vitae.

[Minmiminime]

That looks beautiful! So much fine detail crammed in, that's definitely going on my "must-have" list 😻

[mgaguilar]

@ceratopsian I'm getting a CollectA vibe from this one. Definitely tons of detail, but hidden by the chosen paint scheme.
The eyes not having pupils are also very CollectA to me. How does it feel in hand?

[ceratopsian]

@mgaguilar: precisely my thoughts - they do indeed give me a CollectA sort of vibe, I thought that as I was taking the photos.  Not the old CollectA but the improved, more accurate CollectA of the last few years.  (And I should say that I like CollectA models - I know not everyone does!) 

How do they feel in hand is rather harder to define.  Here goes....

They are quite light for their size. 

There is quite a variation in texture between the three.  The Zhejiangosaurus has the most "textured" feel - all those scutes and the rough texture on its "hip plate", but also skin folds in various places and lumpy skin on its legs.  Quite a lot of variation in texture over the Wuerhosaurus: some bits very smooth but then it has raised knobbles (scutes?) running down its sides parallel to its dorsal plates, and then the skin below the knobbles is finely textured.  Also an interesting textured look if you peer down into the gap between the dorsal plates.  I'm quite impressed by the skin sculpt on the Wuerhosaurus in fact and I don't think it necessarily comes out in the photos. The Chilantaisaurus is much smoother - but even on this, there is a fair bit of fine skin detail, e.g. on the chest muscles between the forelimbs, or a fold of skin/vein perhaps running down each side of his neck.

The plastic is quite firm.  You get a tiny bit of give on the herbivores' legs, more so - not unreasonably - on their thin tail tips.  Chilantaisaurus feels the most flexible - its legs are longer and thinner, hence I wonder if it will warp over time.  Bendy end to its tail, very tiny bit of give in its arms. But the body and head are solid and don't give.

Overall I think the herbivores are less toy-like than Chilantaisaurus: the greater variation in skin textures really gives them life.  Plus he has what you might call "bipedal issues"!  Wuerhosaurus has a tiny bit of extra plastic round some of his feet - but I mean tiny.

So overall, I think very good in the hand, given that they are at the "toy" end of the market and not expensive.  I would buy again from this Vitae line (as opposed to any consideration of the merits of the more expensive model range they have previously produced) without any qualms, provided I like the choice of animal and the sculpt.

@ceratopsian I'm getting a CollectA vibe from this one. Definitely tons of detail, but hidden by the chosen paint scheme.
The eyes not having pupils are also very CollectA to me. How does it feel in hand?

[mgaguilar]

@mgaguilar: precisely my thoughts - they do indeed give me a CollectA sort of vibe, I thought that as I was taking the photos.  Not the old CollectA but the improved, more accurate CollectA of the last few years.  (And I should say that I like CollectA models - I know not everyone does!) 

How do they feel in hand is rather harder to define.  Here goes....

They are quite light for their size. 

There is quite a variation in texture between the three.  The Zhejiangosaurus has the most "textured" feel - all those scutes and the rough texture on its "hip plate", but also skin folds in various places and lumpy skin on its legs.  Quite a lot of variation in texture over the Wuerhosaurus: some bits very smooth but then it has raised knobbles (scutes?) running down its sides parallel to its dorsal plates, and then the skin below the knobbles is finely textured.  Also an interesting textured look if you peer down into the gap between the dorsal plates.  I'm quite impressed by the skin sculpt on the Wuerhosaurus in fact and I don't think it necessarily comes out in the photos. The Chilantaisaurus is much smoother - but even on this, there is a fair bit of fine skin detail, e.g. on the chest muscles between the forelimbs, or a fold of skin/vein perhaps running down each side of his neck.

The plastic is quite firm.  You get a tiny bit of give on the herbivores' legs, more so - not unreasonably - on their thin tail tips.  Chilantaisaurus feels the most flexible - its legs are longer and thinner, hence I wonder if it will warp over time.  Bendy end to its tail, very tiny bit of give in its arms. But the body and head are solid and don't give.

Overall I think the herbivores are less toy-like than Chilantaisaurus: the greater variation in skin textures really gives them life.  Plus he has what you might call "bipedal issues"!  Wuerhosaurus has a tiny bit of extra plastic round some of his feet - but I mean tiny.

So overall, I think very good in the hand, given that they are at the "toy" end of the market and not expensive.  I would buy again from this Vitae line (as opposed to any consideration of the merits of the more expensive model range they have previously produced) without any qualms, provided I like the choice of animal and the sculpt.

@ceratopsian I'm getting a CollectA vibe from this one. Definitely tons of detail, but hidden by the chosen paint scheme.
The eyes not having pupils are also very CollectA to me. How does it feel in hand?

Thank you for the in-depth description and great detail! Helps a ton!
I too found their figures (or rather figure, the Giganotosaurus) very light for its size. It's probably the density of whatever poly-plastic they are using to make them.
I'm boring and like Theropods, so I do hope they make a Tarbosaurus Bataar sometime in the near future since they are focusing on East-Asian species.

[Halichoeres]

@mgaguilar They've already announced plans for a Tarbosaurus, so you're in luck!

[mgaguilar]

@mgaguilar They've already announced plans for a Tarbosaurus, so you're in luck!

@Halichoeres Beautiful! Is there any other information about it? I haven't seen anything that would indicate they are releasing one.

[Halichoeres]

@mgaguilar They've already announced plans for a Tarbosaurus, so you're in luck!

@Halichoeres Beautiful! Is there any other information about it? I haven't seen anything that would indicate they are releasing one.

Oh crap, I lied, I'm sorry. They're doing a Zhuchengtyrannus, not a Tarbosaurus. It's shown in this fb post:

https://www.facebook.com/173557513192438/photos/a.202987363582786.1073741833.173557513192438/202987210249468/?type=3&theater

It'll probably be based on Tarbosaurus because Zhuchengtyrannus is so poorly known, but it isn't technically a Tarbo. Sorry for misremembering.

[mgaguilar]

@mgaguilar They've already announced plans for a Tarbosaurus, so you're in luck!

@Halichoeres Beautiful! Is there any other information about it? I haven't seen anything that would indicate they are releasing one.

Oh crap, I lied, I'm sorry. They're doing a Zhuchengtyrannus, not a Tarbosaurus. It's shown in this fb post:

https://www.facebook.com/173557513192438/photos/a.202987363582786.1073741833.173557513192438/202987210249468/?type=3&theater

It'll probably be based on Tarbosaurus because Zhuchengtyrannus is so poorly known, but it isn't technically a Tarbo. Sorry for misremembering.

@Halichoeres THANK YOU.
YOU HAVE MADE ME SO HAPPY.
They are planning a rex AND a mega-sized Zhuchengtyrannus???
SO EXCITED.

[ZoPteryx]

These are looking excellent!  I especially like the pterosaur.

So what would be the best place for one in the US to acquire these?  Does anyone know if Dan's Dinos will be stocking them?

[Syndicate Bias]

If you see an ad here for vitae for Alieexpress click on it. If you're U.S based that's your cheapest bet.

Or just look up Alieexpress lol

[ZoPteryx]

If you see an ad here for vitae for Alieexpress click on it. If you're U.S based that's your cheapest bet.

Or just look up Alieexpress lol

Thanks! 

[Minmiminime]

I found them on AliExpress and I am fighting so much temptation now 😱 https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20180813142545&SearchText=Vitae+Dinosaur

[DragonRider02]

How accurate is that ptero? I have found it for around 16$ and I am wondering if it's worth getting...

[ITdactyl]

The good:

• wingtips are not rounded (goodbye 90's meme)
• grasping fingers on wings and toes are tiny (as shown on the fossil)
• legs are not too splayed to the sides (I know the paper is probably flawed bec. it compared pterosaurs to quail but at least this figure doesn't splay its legs like a bat)
• Head shape matches what's known for Zhejiangopterus

The not so good:

• Neck is conservatively thin (not necessarily a negative - and for this figure, probably a good idea since it means less material is used and it won't be too front heavy)
• You'll probably have to use a hairdryer/hot water method to straighten the tip of the "beak".  Had to do it for mine (and pictures from the internet confirm this is quite common).
• doesn't come with a flying display base like the prototype.

A $2 difference from the Aliexpress price probably isn't bad.